Kenneth Albert Winter

Kenneth “Ken” Winter, 70, of Richmond, Virginia, was welcomed Home by His Lord and Savior on the afternoon of March 21, 2025, after a courageous battle with cancer. He was surely greeted with a resounding “Well done, my good and faithful servant.” Ken fought the good fight, and the race is won! He spent his final days ministering to and encouraging everyone around him, every chance he had, as fervently as ever. And now he is fully and eternally healed and whole in the presence of Jesus.

Ken loved fiercely. His love for his Lord, his family, and others was truly unmatched. He considered it an immense privilege to care for people and to shepherd their souls. He was wise and discerning, and had a gift for discipleship. No matter a person’s background, status, or age, God enabled Ken to bridge the gap and reach their heart.

Ken was an anointed Pastor and teacher, and an accomplished author. He followed after the Lord with his whole heart, with all of his being, and embodied the most profound faith! His heart for his community and for the nations — “in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” — was evident to all who knew him.

Born in Williamsport, PA, on September 10, 1954, Ken was the youngest son of Robert and Betty Winter. Ken accepted Christ as a child at the Bible Club held in his grandparents’ home. He was a successful businessman whose early career included positions as Controller, General Manager, and VP of Finance throughout notable businesses in the plastics, grocery, and building materials industries in South Florida.

He and his beloved bride, LaVonne, were married on March 3, 1979. God blessed them with two precious children. In 1991, he fully surrendered his life to God and, in his words, “There hasn’t been a day I’ve looked back since!” Shortly afterward, he and LaVonne knew God was calling them to vocational ministry — a ministry of being on mission with Him, in the church and outside the church, pursuing Him and challenging others to do the same.

He served as an Associate Pastor of First Baptist Church of West Palm Beach, FL, from 1992 to 2003. Among the special highlights of his time there, he established Samaritan Gardens Ministry Village & Community Health Center to provide food, clothing, medical care, and housing assistance to those in need. God also led him to develop inner city ministries, guide capital campaigns (including a miraculous 52-day Nehemiah Project refurbishing existing buildings and the construction of a new Family Life Center), establish a maternity home, direct language ministry efforts for international and diverse populations, and launch a Celebrate Recovery ministry with significant community impact.

Ken had a passion to see churches mobilized in missions engagement across the globe. He served as the Vice President of Church & Partner Services/Mobilization with IMB in Richmond, VA, from 2004 to 2015. Here he developed mobilization strategies for 46,000 Southern Baptist churches, resulting in significant missions engagement. He traveled around the world on mission trips and vision trips, and inspired countless others to catch the vision God had so clearly placed before him. In 2015, God called Ken back into local church ministry, and he served as the Executive Pastor at Grove Avenue Baptist Church from 2015 to 2018.

In 2018, Ken followed the Lord’s leading to pursue writing full-time. A prolific author and selfpublisher, he authored 28 books including 5 novels, 12 novellas and 1 corresponding discussion guide, 4 short story collections, and 6 non-fiction works in the genres of Christian fiction, biblical fiction, and Christian non-fiction. His final book, a writing collaborative between him and LaVonne, which he endeavored passionately to write in his final days, will prayerfully be released posthumously.

Ken was preceded in death by his parents. He is survived by his beloved & best friend of 46 years: his cherished wife LaVonne; precious children Justin (Amanda) and Lorél (Aaron); mom-in- love Joanne; treasured grandchildren Kordan, Kenton, and Weston; loving brothers Robert (Vicki) and Larry (Connie); devoted pup Franz; and a host of dear family members and friends. A celebration of life will be held at The Byrd Theatre (the meeting place of Area 10 Faith Community) on Friday, April 11, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. The address is 2908 W Cary Street, Richmond, VA 23221. Parking is available street-side or in the public parking garage around the corner. Following the service, the family will receive visitors at an informal reception at the church’s neighboring facility, 2810. A private interment will follow later in Williamsport, PA.

The Ken Winter family thanks you for your prayers, encouragement, love, and support throughout this journey and in the days ahead. Philippians 1:3.