Sep 25 2009
Sad Day – Passing of Reverend Forrest Church
Personally this is very sad for me. Although I never met Rev. Church, he had a profound influence on my life. When I was early in college I saw an interview with him on the Sunday Morning show. He struck me as a caring, intelligent and open individual. A few days later I found one of his many books
That was over 20 years ago. Over the years my beliefs have grown and deepened, but I could always find comfort in the timely message of this Yankee preacher I had never met. From watching his children grow to figuring out how to deal with the doubt and fear that surrounded the 9-1-1 attacks, his sermons and writings were consistently what was needed at the time. Amazingly sometimes, he was as a much a part of his flock as he was shepherd of them. Reverend Church was one of the ministers at All Souls Unitarian Church in New York City for many, many years, and I always promised myself that I was going to get to one of his services someday or at least send him a letter expressing my gratitude for his writings. I should have followed through earlier, because now I will never get the chance.
The past three years Reverend Church had been struggling with cancer of the esophagus and liver, but those struggles ended yesterday, September 24, 2009. When he was originally diagnosed with cancer, he was given an estimated six months to live. He outlived that estimate by two and a half years during which time he published two books, saw his daughter married, gave a humanitarian award to former president Bill Clinton, and lived longer than both his father and grandfather.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, October 3rd, at All Souls in NYC. The official notice and memoriam from the UUA can be found at the UUA website.
