If you’ve been a part of the CGGC for any length of time, whether as a pastor, a church member, a student at Winebrenner Seminary or the University of Findlay, or just been involved in supporting our missions work at home or abroad, in some way or another, your life has been impacted by Pastor William (Bill) Reist. If you live in or around Findlay, Ohio, then you wouldn’t need to be connected to the church at all to have Bill making waves in your direction. If you’ve had to get healthcare done in the Blanchard Valley area, Pastor Bill’s influence could be felt there too as a board member of Blanchard Valley Health System. The scope of his good work is truly monumental. The amount of people who called him “mentor,” “friend," and “pastor,” is hard to imagine. Who has the time in the day to accomplish all that he did? Who has the energy? Few of us, for few of us are like Bill Reist.
Pastor Bill Reist has left us. As we cling to Jesus, we cling to the knowledge and hope that Bill is with the Lord. The vacuum left by his absence will be immense, but as we look on the whole person of Bill, his legacy calls us to a deeper relationship with Jesus. It beckons us to not slide backward, to not be content with listlessness, but to press on to a fuller life, throwing our all into God’s hands. In his last day, Pastor Bill never stopped quoting scripture, never stopped speaking about the need for our young people to know the Lord.
In remembrance and tribute to Pastor Bill, we’ve asked people who loved him to share their own reflections. We hope you are moved beyond tears to the great calling of a life lived well for God.
I met Bill when he was my preaching professor at Winebrenner Seminary. Our first class it took me 15 minutes to realize this man was giving a sermon to start the class! He was just that natural in his delivery of God's Word. I remember thinking in that very class, I want to preach like that. Our relationship deepened years later when he took over as President of the Great Lakes Foundation and I served as chairman of the board. I am not sure I have ever worked with a more wise and winsome man of God. Bill had a way of galvanizing and leading the room in ways that showed all a true picture of Christlike leadership. So much of who I am as a leader and pastor has been shaped by my relationship with Bill Reist. I truly mean this when I say, when I grow up I want to love like, lead like, and preach like Bill. Because if I do that, it will mean I am doing all those things like Christ.
Pastor Craig Flack
William “Bill” Reist (1951 – 2025): A Tribute
Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints. Psalm 116:15
It was the evening of June 23, 1976 when Bill and I first met. I recall the occasion vividly. We stood beside each other (alphabetically lined up) with several others at the prayer rail of the Newburg First Church of God to offer our ordination vows before the East Pennsylvania Conference. Dressed in long black robes the service could not have been more solemn or hot. It was 90 degrees! For years to come we laughed at the memory of sweat running down our backs as we knelt during the long prayer of dedication. In my journal I described the prayer as wonderful. It certainly was as Bill and I began a lifetime friendship that night, two young men launching into unknown futures together.
Three weeks later we met again at the behest of Dr. Ken Boldosser, our superintendent, to serve on the conference Theological Study Day committee. Little did either of us know then it would be the first of myriad more meetings together over the years, but through it all we found in each other kindred spirits. Our shared interests reached far beyond ecclesia to include our mutual Swiss-German heritage, an interest in arboriculture (especially the revival of the American chestnut), a love of books and learning, and most of all a deep devotion to Jesus.
When Bill was diagnosed in January 2024, I realized in part why the Lord called me to College First Church as interim lead pastor. Christ had brought us together once again for this last part of the journey. At the time I told him he had been given a gift, but in reality, all we who have known Bill received the greater gift, the blessing of his life. Bill Reist remains my friend and brother and always will. I grieve to be parted from him, but I know the greatest gift is yet to come when I kneel beside him once again at the feet of Jesus. I suspect we may be wearing robes on that day, but I’m certain they won’t be black, and we won’t be sweating. O Glorious Day!
Pastor Ed Rosenberry
Bill Reist Retirement Video, College First Church, Facebook
My third year of seminary at Gettysburg Theological Seminary, I did an internship at the Middletown and McClure’s Gap Churches of God. Not every church in the denomination was comfortable with having a woman intern, but the Middletown and McClure’s Gap churches welcomed me, with Pastor Bill, as the chair of what was then Church Vocations going to bat for me. I spent the fall with the McClure’s congregation and then spent the rest of my internship at Middletown with Pastor Bill as my mentor. When my internship ended, Middletown hired me on part time during my fourth year of seminary to work in Christian Education.
But I remember distinctly the day that Pastor Bill and I talked about my future. Another year had passed and graduation was looming. We were down in the outside pavilion, and he was up on a ladder adjusting speakers for some sort of outside gathering. I was trailing after him, trying to explain that I did not know where God was leading. Jeff and I and the family had been in Haiti for four years and maybe we should go back to the mission field, since at heart that is who I really am. Pastor Bill paused for just a moment and said, “Kim, look around you. You’re standing in the middle of one.”
I had no idea. Shortly thereafter, Pastor Bill accepted the call to ministry in Findlay, Ohio and eventually Middletown called me to be their pastor. And briefly, largely because of Pastor Bill, I’ve spent the last twenty-three years trying to learn how to be a missionary in central Pennsylvania.
Pastor Kim Shifler
Bill Reist was one of those persons of a rare blend of humble leadership, strong but humble character, while being caring and compassionate to serve and share the grace of his God with those around. Like all of us, Bill was not perfect, but it was not for lack of effort. He cherished his relationship with the Lord. And even in the challenge of his cancer, he wanted to figure out how to serve and glorify his Lord and God through the challenge.
Bob Stephenson
Bill Reist and I became friends on staff at Doubling Gap Camp over 40 years ago. He became my pastor before moving on to the General Conference Administrator position. It was strange that we lived only 10 miles apart and only met at camp. We spent hours at night in the camp kitchen having discussions on religion and life. He later rode horseback with me, where we again discussed our faith. He understood God's Grace. He had a way of challenging me to participate in conference activities, where I often told him I had the worst, best, experiences of my life, he would just smile. He was a mentor, an encourager, a worker, and a compassionate man. As we were all made for so much more, Bill was made for ministry. A faithful servant of God, but for me, he was my friend.
Robert Enck
The two questions that Pastor Bill routinely asked me were, "What are you reading?" and "What is God saying to you?". I was privileged to have Pastor Bill Reist come to Middletown in 1994 and become my Pastor and my friend. Our children were the same age, and we were able to share family time with Judy and the boys. We did many things together including having them with us for our annual Christmas Eve family party after worship services for the years they were at Middletown. Those two questions he would ask me strengthened my faith journey and ability to serve Jesus Christ. I've heard many times the quote, "You will be the same person five years from now except for the books that you read and the people you meet." Some have attributed that quote to legendary basketball coach John Wooden. I will treasure my memories of playing basketball and racquetball with Bill. But, most importantly, I am a different person because of meeting Bill and the influence he has had on my life. I learned how to answer the two questions, and I will try to apply it for the rest of my life. Thank you, my friend!
Tom Guenther
A visitation will be held on Friday, April 4, 2025, at Coldren-Crates Funeral Home, Findlay from 3:00 – 7:00 pm. The funeral service will be on Saturday, April 5, 2025, at College First Church of God, Findlay at 1:00 pm. A private family burial will be held at a later date. The funeral service will be live-streamed via YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@collegefirstchurchofgod4754
Address: 205 W Sandusky St, Findlay, OH 45840
Phone: (419) 422-2323
Login To Leave Comment