Al was born on November 21, 1928 into a Jewish family in Brooklyn, New York. In spite of poor health, poverty, and few academic skills, Al had a childlike trust in God. He accepted Jesus as his personal Savior at the age of 14, and even though his mother said he would outgrow it, he never did. He was often heard saying that the best decision he ever made was to trust Jesus with his whole life.
In the following years, Al studied at five institutions of higher learning, including Houghton College and Fuller Seminary. He pastored four churches in the U.S. and Canada, engaged in missionary work with Chosen People Ministries, did radio ministry, travelled across the world preaching and teaching and authored several books.
Al is survived by his loving wife Johanne Lee. Lee was his soulmate, best supporter and faithful companion in ministry. His children Robin (Gene) Martens, David (Sara) Runge, Peter (Wendy) Runge, Sharon (Brian) Unger. Sisters Louise (Runge) Nacinovich, Florence (Runge) Schafer. Grandchildren Mary (Luke) Afeman, Stephen (Penny) FitzMaurice, Rachel (Westley) Schundt, Theressa (Rusty) Clark, Josette (Scott) Tukuloff, Alana (Jordan) Grasley, Caitlin (Kelvin) Siemens, Makenna (Ryan) Schmidt, Rebecca Krayenhoff, Rachel Krayenhoff and Marie Krayenhoff, along with 9 great grandchildren with more on the way.
As Al got older, his Jewish heritage meant more and more to him, thankful that he came to faith in the Jewish Messiah. Albert's life and ministry were marked by God's faithfulness, power, and grace. He never stopped sharing the message of Jesus and how He had proven Himself faithful, preaching his last message on Good Friday, April 7, 2023.
Al once said of his life, “If it wasn’t for Jesus, I would have lived a disappointed and wasted life. He nourished me with His loving kindness, His restoring power, and made my life worthwhile.”
A Celebration of Albert Runge’s life will be held on Friday, May 5 at 2:00 pm at Sevenoaks Alliance Church, 2575 Gladwin Road, Abbotsford BC.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Al’s name to the Chosen People Ministries at chosenpeople.ca.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.woodlawnfh-abbotsford.com for the Runge family.
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