Errol Leon Stepp

Our beloved father, Errol Leon Stepp, 85, of Edgewood, New Mexico, died in Albuquerque on December 27, 2022 after a brief illness. He died surrounded by his loving children. Errol was born in Wichita, Kansas on April 24, 1937. He was raised in the Wichita area. He graduated from Valley Center (Kansas) High School, where he was active in athletics and choir. After graduating high school, he attended Midwest Christian College in Oklahoma City, earning a bachelor's degree in Bible. He then attended Oklahoma State University, earning a masters degree in educational counseling. Errol ministered in churches in Kansas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico. In addition to his vocation in ministry, he was active in the Kiwanis Club and the Republican party. In 1986, along with his wife, Joyce Stepp, Errol founded Valley View Christian Church in Edgewood, where he served as senior minister until his retirement in 2001. While serving with Valley View Christian Church, Errol became involved with planting other churches in New Mexico and in the El Paso (TX) area, and served as executive director of the Christian Church Starters until his retirement in 2017. Evangelism, disciple-making, church planting, and climbing the 14,000-footers in Colorado were his great passions. Errol and Joyce Ann Stepp met during high school in Valley Center. They were married for fifty-one years, until her death in 2014. Errol remarried in 2016, to Rita (Bailey) Stepp of Wilmington, North Carolina. They were married for three years, until her death in 2020. Besides being preceded in death by Joyce and Rita, Errol was also preceded by his father, Virgil Leon Stepp; his mother, Nellie Josephine Stepp; and his brother, Milton Stepp. He is survived by his children, Perry Leon Stepp of Bowling Green, Kentucky and Zagreb, Croatia; Kelly Rae Benthem of Colorado Springs, Colorado; Kara Lynn Stepp, of Qinghai, China; eight grandchildren, and one great grandchild. Errol’s life epitomized his favorite text from the Bible, Hebrews 10:39: “But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved.” Errol’s life will be celebrated at Valley View Christian Church on January 15 at 2.00 pm., to be followed by a reception. In lieu of flowers, his family asks that donations be made to the Christian Church Starters or the Valley View Christian Church benevolence fund. Rest in peace, rise in glory!