Sunday services were altered at one church near DuBois after the pastor died in a mountainside race in Clinton County.

We have more on how he’s being remembered today.

Members of the Tri-County Church are in mourning after their longtime lead pastor died over the weekend.

“Everybody was just really shocked, still are,” says church member Marsha Neizmik.

“We’ll never forget him,” says church member Janet Koskavich.

Dave Bish, 54, was running in a 13.5-mile race near Lock Haven called The Frozen Snot on Saturday morning.

Around 10:30 a.m., Bish collapsed with an apparent heart attack when he was five miles into the course in a trail area known as the avenue, race director Jeff Stover said.

Coroner Zach Hanna won’t be doing an autopsy, saying it was natural causes.

According to Stover, Bish ran with other church members and temperatures were in the 20s with a coating of snow.  He said this is their first ambulance call in four years holding the race.

“He was young. He was active. He just came back from this fabulous trip, so when he was here Friday, he was all pumped up talking about his trip and how exciting it was. It was something on his bucket list,” says Sunny 106/Connect FM station manager and friend Lori Lewis.

In to tape a weekly show for Connect FM on Friday, Bish talked about a recent two-week trip to the holy land.

“He went to Israel. He went to Jerusalem. He visited the site where Christ, was born the site of the crucifixion,” says Bish’s “Lifelines” co-host Kevin Brown.

And, there was his swim in the Dead Sea.

“What they say about being buoyant and you float, you really do,” Bish said on the program. “I mean, once your feet are off the ground, it’s hard to get them back down there, and salt,y oh let me tell you, I mean I had to taste it, right?”

Bish leaves behind a wife and four kids. Over 20 years, he expanded his church from downtown to the hilltop site off Route 255 near Treasure Lake.

“Of all the places, the churches that I ever went to, he was the most real, the sweetest,” says Hoskavich.

“Pastor Dave was really easy to approach. Anybody could talk with him about any subject. He always had the time for you,” says Neizmik.

“So that’ll be this weekend at Tri-County Church,” Bish said on the show.

“Thank you, Dave. Enjoyed the trip through the holy land. Thank you, that was great,” Brown said on the show.

“It was amazing,” Bish added.
 
Two similar funeral services are being set, one on Saturday at 6 p.m. and another on Sunday at 10:45 a.m. to accommodate all of those who are expected to attend.  The church has two satellite locations with about 1,000 total attendance weekly, pastor Dan Smith said.