The Pastor’S Poems

With the tragic and heroic actions that took the life of his son, Pastor Randy was given by God a gift to express his grief, his theology, and his walk with God. Randy Junker, a pastor with the Christian and Missionary Alliance, has served for over thirty-five years in three churches. He now pastors the Grand Rapids Alliance Church in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, where he lives with his wife, Debbie. They have raised four children, each one married, and have gifted the Junkers with seventeen grandchildren.

Randy graduated from Crown College in St. Bonifacius, Minnesota, with a BA in history and earned his MDiv from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois. With his love of words, especially the words in the Word of God, he has blessed his congregation by his poetry. They have also endured his puns, which are always intended, for over twenty-five years.

In June of 2009, his oldest son, Nathan, drowned while saving the life of a youth in his youth group when a mighty wind blew the student off a sandbar. This book of poetry is dedicated to his memory.