Bryan Turner August 3, 1926 - February 24, 2023

Bryan Lee Turner was born in Grants Pass, Oregon, on August 3, 1926, to
George and Emily (Banta) Turner. He grew up mostly in Orland, CA. He became a
Christian at the age of eleven, against his father’s wishes.
Lee graduated from San Jose Bible College in 1947. While there, he met
and married Geraldine Cosmey in 1945. While at San Jose, Lee became fascinated
by the Islamic religion that considered Jesus a prophet.
After graduation, Lee planted the Minnehaha church in Vancouver, where
four of his five children were born. During this time, he read an article in Reader’s
Digest about the Muslim country of Pakistan that intrigued him. In 1956 he moved
his family to Philadelphia to begin graduate studies in South Asian Studies at the
University of Pennsylvania, with a view toward going to Pakistan as a missionary.
In 1960, the Turner family arrived in Pakistan, where Lee almost died of
typhoid, but went on to learn the Urdu language and begin teaching about Jesus.
He baptized many into Christ and established churches which still exist today.
Illiteracy among many of those he taught inspired him to record lessons that
could be listened to on tape players. Later, these recordings morphed into radio
broadcasts that were aimed toward Urdu speakers in Pakistan and India. When he
returned to the United States in 1976, the radio work continued through Key
Communications, first in Seattle, and then in Portland. It continues to this day
under the direction of his son, Jonathan. Lee continued to study and write for Key
Communications (with the help of secretaries) up until the day before he died, in
spite of being confined to bed and in great pain for a number of years.
Lee died in the wee hours of February 24, 2023, and went home to be with
Jesus whom he had served since he was a boy.
Lee’s memorial service will be held at 1:00pm Pacific Daylight Time on
April 22, 2023 at the Crossroads Church, located at 2050 NE 102nd Ave., Portland,
OR 97220.