“We are heartbroken over the loss of our beloved Pastor Josh.”
A Florida pastor is being remembered for his strong faith, joy, and devotion to family, friends, and his church after he was killed in a motorcycle accident just two days before Thanksgiving.
Joshua R. Rene, 39, was the executive pastor at Journey Church, a non-denominational church with campuses in West Palm Beach, Lake Worth Beach, and Boynton Beach, Florida.
The church community held a worship service on Sunday to not only honor Rene and his wife and four kids, but also to hear a message on “what it really means to have faith in the valleys.”
“(He was) one of the most godly men who poured his life out to everyone. There was never a person he didn’t love, there was never a person he didn’t make time for,” Lead Pastor Scott Baugh shared Sunday. “The one thing about Josh was that he was always joyful, always had faith.”
During the emotional tribute, Baugh shared that he and Josh spent more than a decade pouring into the church community together.
“He is truly someone I have been so blessed (to know),” said Baugh. “He is one of the greatest men I ever knew.”
According to The Palm Beach Post, Rene was on his motorcycle when it collided with a GMC Sierra pickup that veered into his path. A sheriff’s crash report reveals the truck hit the Harley Davidson’s front tire, ejecting Rene from the motorcycle and onto the roadway. He died at the scene.
Journey Church released a brief statement on the day of the accident, asking the community for prayers for his family.
“As a church community, we are heartbroken over the loss of our beloved Pastor Josh,” the statement read. “Please pray with us for the Rene family.”
In a Thanksgiving Day video posted to the church’s Facebook page, Baugh said the church was shaken by the pastor’s sudden death.
“It just doesn’t feel real,” Baugh said in the video. “I don’t know what to say. For so many of you, he was Pastor Josh, and he was an amazing pastor. But to me, he was just Josh. He was a friend, as close as a brother to me for 10 years.”
Meanwhile, Baugh said “a number of people” paid tribute to Rene online, sharing how he personally impacted them.
“This man was in everyone’s life. He proved he gave his life away,” he shared through tears.
On the Facebook post sharing the church’s Sunday service, one user wrote: “A tragic loss, yet crowned in glory’s light…Though the battle rages, Christ has already claimed the victory. And Pastor Josh—his life, his love, his legacy—Will echo in our hearts forever, A flame that sorrow cannot extinguish.”
Journey Church announced on Facebook that a “Celebration of Life” service for Rene will be held on Saturday, December 6th.
