ASHEVILLE – Remembered as a “big-time competitor,” “never judgmental,” and as a “man who cared about people,” the internationally known Christian evangelist and sports coach, Asheville native Randy Shepherd, died Sept. 19 due to lingering health complications, his family and friends said. He was 60.
Shepherd co-founded Crossfire Ministries with Jamie Johnson in 1993. As a “sports evangelistic ministry,” the organization has focused on sharing a Christian message through basketball camps, ACC “All Star” games, preaching at churches and reaching out to national and international sports legends alike. In 2016, Shepherd and Johnson received the Naismith Legacy Award for their work in the game of basketball, an award that has typically been reserved for record-breaking coaches including UNC’s Roy Williams and Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski.
As co-founder of Crossfire, Johnson recalled how Shepherd made his way to helping form Crossfire Ministries — a path that was not straightforward.
Before his time in Crossfire, Shepherd played basketball for Asheville High School and UNC Asheville, often playing against Johnson, who then played for Gardner-Webb University. Slipping into what he called “sin in some areas of my life” on Crossfire’s website, Shepherd was eventually injured during a team fight during one of the Gardner-Webb games. After the injury, he recommitted to Christianity.
“It was a game changer in his life,” Johnson said of the injury.
“He stopped all the just all the stuff he was doing that wasn’t really the best, and really committed to Christ.”
‘Boldest guy on the planet’
During his time in Crossfire, Johnson remembers Shepherd as being the “boldest guy on the planet” who “from sun up to sun down lived what he preached.” Shepherd would unabashedly approach basketball legends such as Michael Jordan — whom he had known from basketball camp — and Kobe Bryant to talk about his faith “what Christ could do.” Other interactions include one with then-President Bill Clinton, Johnson said.
“He had his limousine pull over and he talked to us and we talked about the Lord with him,” Johnson said, noting that Shepherd didn’t care if someone was “Democrat, Republican, Black, white, rich or poor.”
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Through Crossfire, Shepherd’s message was heard far and wide. The duo visited 68 countries and 47 states. Johnson said that they visited the Philippines about 25 times, and Israel 24 times.
Shepherd told the Citizen Times last year that the duo traveled across the country and world, “ministering in schools, churches, high school football, basketball, baseball teams, colleges, universities, prisons, rescue missions and etc.”
Under it all, however, Shepherd had been fighting carcinoid cancer — a rare type of slow-growing cancer — for nearly 30 years, Johnson said. Despite health complications, he continued to play basketball and often won three-point contests against some of the best players in the Atlantic Coast Conference, Johnson said.
Even in his last days, Shepherd’s hope was to recover and to get back out on the court. In the past few months, Shepherd indicated that he wanted to make it to the Philippines in September and called preaching and sharing his message and his love for others his “heartbeat,” Johnson said.
The last time he held a Crossfire camp was earlier this summer at Mars Hill University, Johnson said. While it was hard, Shepherd was still spinning a basketball on his finger — one of the things he was best known for.
The nondenominational Crossfire Ministries will continue to operate, Johnson said.
UNC Asheville Athletics remembers Shepherd
On Sept. 20, UNC Asheville Athletics issued a statement remembering Shepherd and calling him a “prime example of an alum who took his talents and passion and made the world better,” while old coaches and staff spoke about his impact.
“Randy Shepherd was UNC Asheville’s starting point guard through a glorious period of success in the 1980’s. The Bulldogs won a lot of games, with Randy running the show. He helped lead us from a struggling NAIA program to a Division I winner. His senior year was Asheville’s first season as a Division I program, and he was a key part of a team that finished 15-11 and went 6-3 against teams from the Southern Conference,” former UNCA Sports Information Director Mike Gore said in a Sept. 20 statement.
Former UNCA Men’s Basketball Coach Jerry Green said they were “fortunate” to have Shepherd play at the school.
“He was one of the most intelligent players and a big-time competitor you wanted on your team. He was one of the nicest individuals I got the privilege to be around, and I will always remember him for what he has done for me and what he did for UNC Asheville,” Green said in a Sept. 20 statement.
Shepherd leaves behind his mother, Betty Shepherd and siblings Rex Shepherd and wife Kim, Linda Vonette Shepherd, Gay Shepherd and Toni Dillingham.
On Sept. 29, Shepherd’s friends will be received from 1:30-3 p.m. at Trinity Baptist Church at 216 Shelburne Road in Asheville. The service will be at 3 p.m.
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Will Hofmann is the Growth and Development Reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Got a tip? Email him at WHofmann@citizentimes.com. Consider supporting this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times
