June 30, 2009

Parsons and Maggs release statement on death of Bill Forbes

We give thanks for his remarkable life and ministry

The Reverend Gradye Parsons, Stated Clerk of the General Assembly, and Robert Maggs, President and Chief Executive for the Board of Pensions, issued a statement today after learning of the death of the Reverend William Ross (Bill) Forbes.

Forbes died early this morning at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, Md., after an extended struggle with pancreatic cancer.

Among numerous positions he held at the national level, Forbes served as moderator of the Committee on the Office of the General Assembly. He was well known at General Assemblies, having attended 38 assemblies and served as platform manager for more than a decade.

Most recently, he was the Vice President for Church Relations and Corporate Secretary of the Board of Pensions.

The full text of Parsons and Maggs' statement:

"Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord, says the Spirit. They will rest from their labors, and their deeds follow them" (Rev. 14:13).

It is with a tremendous sense of loss and sadness that we learned of the death of William Ross (Bill) Forbes this morning.

Bill's valiant battle with cancer was an inspiration to us all and yet one more example of his approach to his life and to his spirited faith and ministry.

He was a rare combination of being a very capable and beloved pastor who cared deeply for our Presbyterian theology and worship, which he expressed with a youth minister’s enthusiasm. He was a mentor, friend, and leader to generations of Presbyterians. His contagious love for Christ and the church were evident in everything he did and said.

Whether he was serving as a colleague on the staff of a national agency of the church, or as platform manager for many General Assemblies, or as moderator of the Committee on the Office of the General Assembly, or as leader of the National Pastors Sabbath planning team, or as Vice President for Church Relations and Corporate Secretary of the Board of Pensions, Bill truly did all of it with energy, intelligence, imagination, and love.

We join with those who experienced his pastoral heart firsthand as associate pastor in Princeton, N.J., and Atlanta, and as pastor in Houston and Westfield, N.J.

We also remember Bill’s family in our prayers — for his wife Patty; his children Ross, Kristy, and Philip; and his grandchildren Nathan, Will, and Lily.

In a reflection for the General Assembly News at the 218th General Assembly (2008) in San Jose, Calif., last summer, Bill wrote, “None of us knows how many days we will be granted. As you look into the mirror each and every day, take time to marvel that you have been created in the image of God. Count your blessings often…Share yourself abundantly with those who need encouragement, hope, and care… Keep that twinkle in your eye and help the world learn to laugh...May God continue to bless you and keep you as you claim the gift of life each day!”