WELLSVILLE, N.Y. — A beloved Assembly of God pastor who spent decades preaching the Gospel and shepherding one congregation has died in a tragic crash in western New York. Yet the church he served for 33 years says death did not have the final word.

Rev. Frederick W. Francisco, 87, died on October 19 following a two-vehicle collision on State Route 19 in Wellsville, according to Charisma News, citing the Wellsville Sun and the New York State Police. Francisco was driving south in a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox when his vehicle crossed into the northbound lane and collided with a 1997 Mack truck. He was pronounced dead at the scene. The truck's 61-year-old driver was taken to Jones Memorial Hospital for a precautionary evaluation.

The Wellsville Sun reported that unconfirmed information from first responders indicated Francisco may have suffered a medical event before the collision. Authorities have not publicly confirmed that as the cause of the crash, and the investigation into what happened remains a matter for officials to establish.

Before entering the ministry, Francisco served in the U.S. Navy and worked in his family's dairy farming business. Then came the calling that would shape the rest of his life.

Francisco began his pastoral ministry at Dalton Assembly of God, then served Riverside Assembly of God in Wellsville for 33 years before retiring in 2011. He also served the New York Ministry Network as Southern Tier Presbyter for 16 years and was named Honorary Presbyter in 2012, a role he held until his death.

Riverside Assembly of God announced that Francisco had “passed from this life into the waiting arms of his Savior, Jesus Christ.” The church said his life was marked by his love for the Lord, his dedication to ministry, and his faithful service to the churches and ministers he served throughout the years.

“Fred's life was marked by his love for the Lord, his dedication to ministry, and his faithful service to the churches and ministers he served throughout the years,” the church wrote, adding that his “legacy of faith and commitment to God's calling will continue to live on in the lives of those he touched.”

For his family, his congregation, and the countless people his ministry impacted, the grief is real. But so is the hope they believe awaits every follower of Jesus Christ. “While his passing leaves a great void, those who knew and loved him find comfort in the promise of eternal life through Jesus Christ, whom Fred faithfully served throughout his life,” the church wrote.

After decades of ministry, Francisco's earthly course is finished. But the message his church is proclaiming is the same one he preached for a lifetime: that in Christ, death is not the end.