Chicago’s faith community is heartbroken over the sudden passing of Joel Eckhardt, the youngest son of Apostle John and Wanda Eckhardt, founders of Crusader Church in Cicero.
Joel died on November 26, 2025, at age 30, leaving a stunned congregation and an enormous circle of family and friends who knew him as the gentle, generous heart of one of the city’s most prominent ministries.
Born March 31, 1995, Joel grew up surrounded by the love and service that defined his parents’ work. From childhood he was a quiet fixture at Crusader Church events, always ready to greet someone new, carry a box for a volunteer, or simply sit and listen when someone needed to talk.
As the youngest of the Eckhardt children, Joel carried a special warmth that made everyone feel like family. Whether he was helping set up for Sunday service, organizing youth outreaches, or checking in on church members who were homebound, he moved with a compassion that reflected the values he was raised on. Friends say he had a gift for making people feel seen and valued, no matter their background.
Joel’s life revolved around faith, family, and community. He was deeply devoted to his parents, siblings, nieces, and nephews, and he cherished the close-knit world of Crusader Church that had been his home since birth. Those who knew him best remember his soft-spoken humor, his steady presence in prayer, and the way he always found time for one more conversation or one more act of service.
Chicago has lost a gentle giant of a man far too soon. Joel Eckhardt’s legacy of quiet kindness and unwavering love will live on in the countless lives he touched at Crusader Church and beyond. Funeral arrangements will be announced by the family and the church in the coming days. Until then, the community holds his loved ones close, grateful for the light Joel brought to so many hearts.