Weeks after suffering a cervical spinal cord injury and nearly drowning during his son’s wedding celebration aboard a cruise ship in Italy, Pastor Steve Junker of Chippewa Lutheran Church in Brandon, Minnesota, has died. He was 58.
Junker’s daughter, Elizabeth Junker, announced his passing last Friday on a GoFundMe campaign that had initially been established to support his recovery from a severe compression of his spinal cord, which he suffered during the fall and near-drowning.
“At 6:33 PM today, Steve went to be with Jesus. He was surrounded by his wife, children, parents, and friends. Further diagnostic testing had revealed injuries that were not treatable,” she said in an update Friday. “We’re grateful to everyone at Mayo Clinic for their excellent care and to everyone who donated to help support Steve and the family. We’re glad we were able to give him the opportunity to receive world-class care and reassured that everything that could possibly be done to help him was done.”
Junker was injured on Aug. 16 and hospitalized in Naples before he was transported to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, on Aug. 23, where he was treated until his death, according to Elizabeth Junker.
In a statement on Chippewa Lutheran Church’s Facebook page, Jeanine Junker, the pastor’s widow, said she believes he will rise again in faith, like Jesus.
“Mourning the loss of a Pastor for our church family is very difficult to understand. Pastor Steve was a wonderful person, loved by many, and had a great impact on many people through his faith. Nathaniel Junker has said it best when he sang his worship songs as Pastor Steve was welcomed into Heaven, ‘he closed his eyes to this life and opened his eyes to Jesus’ what more does anyone want!” she wrote.
“I’m reminded of 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 which tells us that we do not grieve as those without hope, for we believe that Jesus died and rose again and so will those who believe in Him.”
An obituary for Junker said he worked as a pharmacist before answering God’s call to do ministry. At the time of his death, he had served as the pastor of Chippewa Lutheran Church for nearly 10 years.
“Being a minister was among the greatest joys and honors of his life. He was known for his animated sermons, his love of a good conversation on nearly any subject, and his readiness to help anyone in need,” the obituary said. “Whether that meant offering counsel or simply producing the right tool for the job from his ever-prepared pockets.”
Junker was also celebrated as a man devoted to his wife, five children and his grandson, Jonah.
“Steve faced life and death with a quiet and unshakable faith, never afraid of what was to come. Even in his final moments, his thoughts turned to the church and the people he loved,” the obituary noted.
A funeral service for the beloved pastor will be held at 11 a.m. on Sept. 11 at Chippewa Lutheran Church. He will be buried at Minnewaska Lutheran Cemetery in Starbuck, Minnesota.
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