When I became president of Chosen People Ministries in the US in 1997...there was no one more encouraging to me than Al.  He reached out to me as a pastor and prayed for me and shared some great insights with me that he had learned about spiritual leadership.  I will be forever grateful for his generosity of soul and care for me and mission he loved so very much!
Mitch Glaser

I loved Al's sermons!  Old-school, folksy, and with great wit and humor.  Miss you Al but so happy that you're finally with the Lord! :)

I have fond memories of Pastor Runge from his time at Beulah.  He kept the faith and took his God seriously, but didn't take himself seriously.  Condolences to his family.

I grew up in the North Avenue Alliance Church in Burlington, VT from the time I was an infant.  Pastor Runge is the first pastor I remember, and while I don't remember anything he said, I do remember his smile and the light in his eyes.  I am grateful to God for Pastor Runge's investment in my life, even when I was too young to realize it. 
 My late parents, Ted and Ann, loved and respected him, and are now worshipping Jesus face-to-face with him!

My deepest condolences, and prayers for your comfort in the peace of our Savior,
Gregg Manazir 

Al Runge was a giant in faith. His life was a living exhortation of what it is to be Christlike, pure and humble. He will be dearly missed but his legacy of love, humility and purity will I'm sure continue. I feel so privileged to have known him. My deepest condolences to dear Lee and the rest of the family. 

Condolences to the Runge family. Al was our pastor at Beulah when we were missionaries.  Another friend in Heaven. 

"Precious in the sight of the LORD Is the death of His saints."  Albert was one of my best friends for the past 20 years.  He mentored me with the 'meat'  of God Word not just with the 'milk' of God's Word.   He truly 'boasted about his weaknesses so that Christ would live in him'.  He lifted up 'Jesus-ness' rather than Jewishness and taught me much about Messianic Judaism which had a profound impact on my faith.   He modeled a wonderful marriage to Lee and loved all of his children deeply.   I'm forever grateful for my friendship with  Albert and I praise Yeshua for all what He accomplished through this Man of God.  

Randy Thompson.


I first met Albert in the care home where my mother is. I knew he was special after hearing his first sermon at this care home. He could not move but his lips were proclaiming the love of Christ. What kind of man was this at his age preaching the word while some one held the mike for him. Almost every Sunday morning, while visiting my mother, I talked briefly to Albert. His wife would sit in a wheel chair beside him. After many months of visiting I decided to take a video of him preaching. This was so I could have a memory of a special man I met. I did not know who he was until after he passed away. I was told he had written a book by my sister. I found the book in my mothers closet at the care home. I started to read it the next day after Albert passed away.  The book confirmed what I had been sensing about him in his last months on earth.  He truly was a man of God. I will miss seeing him every Sunday but I will sit with his wife and my mother as we sing hymns. 

Albert Goertzen. 

Al was a great blessing to our family and our Kehillath through his humor, faithfulness, wisdom, and witness. We were blessed by his dedication to scripture, prayer, and his earnest approach to evangelism. We retell his jokes regularly and feel a great deal of loyalty to his ministry that will go on well past his time on this earth. We thank God for him and his family and mourn together with them in this great loss. God bless the Runges with much love.

The Limans

Joel, Yolanda, Benjamin, Sophia, and Samuel

Dear Lee and Family
May you be comforted knowing how Al touched so many lives while he was here on earth. It was our privilege and a blessing to be pastored and taught by him at Kehillath Tsion. 
Much love Brad and Elizabeth Keurvorst

My condolences to the Runge family. I was introduced to the Runge family while I was a student at Canadian Theological Seminary in Regina, Saskatchewan. I met Peter and later Sharon Runge, two of Albert Runge's children.  I saw Albert Runge from a distance on a few occasions, and I observed joy in his spirit. One time I was able to get to meet Albert Runge up close while I tagged along with my Dad to a meeting which was held at the old Beulah Alliance Church where all the Alliance pastors in the Edmonton area gathered for a meeting. I remember the joy and enthusiasm emulating from pastor Runge. It is amazing to learn that he spoke at the Good Friday service just 12 days prior to his passing gives evidence of his faithful service to Jesus Christ right up to the end. May the loving arms of Jesus surround the Runge family through this time of sorrow. "The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up the light of his countenance upon you and give you His peace."
Sincerely,
Daniel Love

Condolences to your family. Once when desperate to find God’s will I saw Pastor Al and asked for prayer. I wanted to know if I should return to Bible college or not. (I took a one year break after my second year). He prayed for me but added in his prayer, “May Darin find a loving wife”. This shocked me and humoured me at the time but it is something I will never forget. I am married now for 27 years and completed both my Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree. Thanks for your ministry Pastor Al. . 

My deepest condolences to the Runge family on the passing of Pastor Runge. I remember him as one of Beulah Alliance's most influential pastors. My Father served on his board for awhile and respected his service to God. I will remember you all in prayer.

Hello Runges,

I loved the way Pastor Runge proclaimed the Aaronic Blessing at the end of every service (I attended Beulah Alliance from 1985 to 1992). I’ve taken that with me my whole adult life. I said it almost every night to my kids for their 18 years under my roof, always aware of how significant Albert took the words and gave them to us so commandingly. And now, our Pastor Steve Bezner at HNW Church (Houston Texas) is faithful to do that every week as well; life-giving words!!

Sending heart-felt condolences and our prayers for your comfort,
 Dieter & Lori Tischler

Lee and family
Judy and I send our condolences on Alberts passing. He was our pastor for many years and I was privileged to serve on his board for the building of the new Beulah Alliance Church here in west Edmonton. He was a wonderful, caring and thoughtful person and we loved him. He has gone to be with his Lord after 94 years on this earth, and we all should be so lucky. WE take comfort in knowing we will see him again.
Judy and Lindsay Guthrie

"May the Lord Bless you and keep you ..may His face shine on you and give you peace" 
Pastor Runge always raised his hands to bless us at the end of his sermons at Beulah Alliance Church in Edmonton. Fundraising expert. December every year he would say, we are a bit behind..you know what to do. He was being  groomed to sell trashy magazines on the street in New York. Thanks to a Godly woman missionary he found his Messiah. Enjoy Heaven Albert. You inspired me and thousands of  others. 


It is with genuine sadness that our family received news of the passing of Rev. Al Runge, one of the outstanding Messianic Jewish pastoral leaders of the 20th century. My family and I want to extend our sincerest condolences to all of you for your loss. 
I served for many years with CPM Canada as a missionary, a congregational planter and an advisor to the Board. Al was genuinely loved by my family--and our congregational family--and we spent some wonderful times of fellowship together when he was in the Toronto area. I will always remember Al as a gently inspirational leader who could teach us with laughter and bless us with an uncommon gift for God-given wisdom. The legacy of his visionary congregational leadership across North America speaks for itself.  His brilliant memoir, A Brooklyn Jew Meets Jesus, gave his Messianic Jewish readers some wonderful insights and reflections from a remarkable life of faith and faithful ministry. I valued his friendship, his encouragement, and the powerful example of excellence in his calling. He was one of those Messianic Jewish pioneers of faith of whom the prophet Isaiah foretold that they would preach Messiah to the nations: "you shall be priests of the Lord, you shall be named ministers of our God." Is. 61:6. We were blessed in every way to know him as a brother in Messiah and a great pastor with a common touch who inspired many to press on in the footsteps of our King. Once again, we mourn with you and want to express our deepest thanks for letting us honour his memory with you. 
Faithfully in Yeshua our Messiah,
Ben Volman
Vice President
Union of Messianic Jewish Congregations


Darling Albert, I will always cherish the memories we had  as children.  We didn't have much but we sure had fun.  
As adults , we didn't see each other much,  but the phone calls meant alot.  Dear brother,  I will miss you alot.  I  am comforted by my belief in Jesus that we will see each other in heaven. You are in my heart and I will love you forever. I also know that our sister Florence feels the same way. God bless you  and the family!  Rest in peace!

Farewell, old friend, at least for now.

We look forward to seeing you again, Al!

Prayers, strength, and comfort for your sweet wife, Lee.

Warm regards from your friends in Texas,

Gary Hedrick and Staff
CJF Ministries
San Antonio, TX

Thank you Pastor Runge for your words of encouragement and support in my formative years. Love you and your entire family 

Heartfelt condolences to the Runge family. I followed Albert at Beulah Alliance and could see the good work he had brought during his time there. Many people shared how God used him to impact their lives. 
A faithful servant of his Lord! 
-Keith (and Jacquie) Taylor 

Dear Sharon, David, Peter and Robin,
Your dear dad was such a Christ-like influence in my life and I miss him along with you and your families.  He was so tender to the influence of the Holy Spirit and wanted everyone to experience the same kind of fullness in life that Jesus gave him.  love and prayers to you all during this season.

Some 50 years ago, just after my wife and I were married and moved to the Burlington, VT area, we joined the North Avenue Alliance Church where Pastor Runge was the lead pastor. His preaching was stellar - always a joy to hear.  At times, he appeared to wander off topic with some anecdote of his but at the conclusion of his sermon, everything was tied together supporting his message of the love of the Lord.  I recently came across a letter from Pastor Runge from the church in 1973, welcoming our first son into the church family.  
Pastor Runge was a treasure for all who met him and those who heard his sermons.
We will meet again ...

Al was a big part of Chosen People Ministries (Canada), serving among us for many years, and supporting us even longer. He was a great ambassador for our Mission among churches, a great man of God, and a good friend of my family. We thank God for his life, and for his love of Messiah Jesus. He will be greatly missed among the community of Jewish followers of Jesus!

Our love and prayers are with the Runge family. From the staff and friends of our Mission,

Jorge Sedaca
Executive Director
Chosen People Ministries (Canada)

The last time I saw Al, he was approaching 90 and preaching at a church in Lynden, WA where he utterly charmed those gathered with a sound message sprinkled with humorous anecdotes drawn from his colorful, personal history. A man of faith who toiled well in the Lord's vineyard.

Al was a spiritual child of Chosen People Ministries.  A Brooklyn Jewish boy who loved the Lord Jesus with all his heart and served Him faithfully for multiple decades.  What an encouragement he was to me. We will miss him until we see him face to face in glory!

Al will be sorely missed, but what a wonderful example he has been. When I last saw him he emphasized how he wanted to "end well" and I have no doubt he did. He was and is loved by so many, and the people he has ministered to with Lee at his side are a tremendous legacy. The people at Kehilat Tsion where he preached so often in later years will remember him with the warmest of thoughts. 
We look forward to seeing Al in the presence of the Lord! 
"Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints" (Psalm 116:15).

OBITUARY

Albert Runge

November 21, 1928 – April 19, 2023

Woodlawn Funeral Home

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