Guest Book

Attached (above) is a photo of Irene and Ray Jennings that I took at the American Baptist Biennial Meeting in Denver in June 2005. Please feel free to post it on the site, if appropriate. Thanks! Lorie
Lorie Smith
Executive Assistant
Mission Resource Development
American Baptist Churches USA

I write with great sadness on behalf of the OHAB Board of Directors to say how sorry we were to learn of Ray's passing. His contributions to Grand Lake Gardens, the OHAB Board and its committees were always wise, thoughtful and prudent, and he continued to attend meetings and make valuable contributions even as his health was failing. We will miss him very much. Please give our sincerest condolences to your Irene and the rest of the family. I will be passing on information about the memorial service to the OHAB board members. Sincerely, Margaret Weitkamp, Acting Chair

I was so sorry to hear of your Father’s passing. I enjoyed so much getting to know him and to work with him at Grand Lake Gardens. He is a jewel. If when you get memorial arrangements finalized, I would like to know them. God bless you in this time of pain and sorrow... Love, Sue Roderick

Thank you for letting us know. I hope his passing was a gentle one. What a wonderful model of a Christian man he was to so many. He will be greatly missed. You and your entire family are in our thoughts and prayers... Kay Kallander

I heard on Tuesday eve of your blessed father's 'crossing of the threshold'... I took out the wonderful reflection that your father gave during Advent called 'Concluding Thoughts' and turned out all the lights and lit candles on a special table where I keep something precious about my dear mother and I sat and read slowly and gratefully your father's luminous and visionary words...

Excerpt from your dad's sermon:
".....A phrase in one song caught my attention.... "It's a long road behind me." But the next line is: "It's a long road ahead." I believe we travel a long road ahead... Death is transition. A door, a tunnel. There is more to come..."

Your father lived those words to the fullest...and he is living them NOW....I was so deeply grateful that I have kept his precious sermon close to me for weeks, because, even tho' I believe what he says.. I could not help but feel...as you all must feel so deeply... momentarily bereft in thinking that he had departed from us in a physical way… but very quickly on the heels of that, I felt his steady Presence, Beth...I did… and I walked down the hall to the laundry room hearing his other words about being "Free from all past limitations..." and knew he was calling me to remember that we do, indeed, live in an eternity...and our loved ones who have 'gone through the door' are with us in a new and real way… My love encircles you and your mom and Rita and Jonathan and ALL of your family... may we help each other to remember that your dad has just gone on ahead to shed Light on the path to follow him HOME in the time already prepared for each of us… and we will always be TOGETHER as we remember one another here and now and 'there'....love always, Georgia

We are so sorry to learn of the passing of your wonderful father, Ray Jennings. Your family is in our thoughts and prayers at this difficult time of loss. Our love and deepest sympathy, Darlene and Dayle Scott

You and your family, my deepest sympathy and my prayers are with you. It will be one year on the 14^th that I lost my mother. May God bless and strengthen you. Faye Coleman, ABHOW - Corp.

Our Condolences

We learned last week that your father passed away. Please know that we extend our sincere condolences to you, Beth and the rest of your family. We understand he was a much appreciated resident at Grand Lake Gardens and that he will be missed. Our thoughts are with you... Clair Keizer

I am sorry to hear about your Dad, Please let your family know that we are praying for all of you. Tell Beth I said hello. Please let us know if there is anything that we can do. Love you. Angela Culp, Piedmont Gardens

I am sorry about the loss. My sincerely thought and prayer goes to you and your family. Take care and may God bless you and your family... Art Cristobal

“May God bless you and your family, you are all in my prayers.”... Love, Stephanie Rose

Our friend Ray,
My first encounter with Ray directly was when he brought his daughter, Beth,
to our first Junior Adventure Camp at Redwood Glen in July of 1969... I valued his support of the camping programs....my impression of writer Ray has not changed since then...my love and prayers to his family....just me, David Sato

From Nancy Hall

Dear FBCB Friends --

Dr. Raymond Jennings, former pastor of First Baptist Church of Berkeley,
passed away at home early Tuesday morning. I will share below the
announcement sent by Rev. Greg Ledbetter, who was Ray's pastor at Shell Ridge Community Church.

Ray pastored FBCB during the turbulent era of the late 1960s and early
1970s. His long career included working as a writer on the national staff of
the American Baptist Churches USA, as well as pastoring a number of churches across the country. In retirement, Ray served many congregations as interim minister. Ray's spouse, Irene, has had her own ministry as the secretary and administrator for ABC congregations, and currently serves in that role at
Oakland First Baptist Church.

Less than two weeks before he died, Ray was present for Baptists Lunching
Together (BLT), a group he and Joan Thatcher started over ten years ago. Though weak and in a wheelchair, Ray greeted each of us who came, accepted our love and hugs, and was very much himself.

I have heard that a memorial service for Ray will be held in late April.
We'll keep you posted on this. Condolences may be sent to Irene and family
at: c/o LK Jennings, PO Box 538, Berkeley, CA 94701

Surely, if ever this scripture verse applied, it can be said of Ray: "Well
done, thou good and faithful servant."... Nancy Hall

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the
faith. 2 Timothy 4.7

Friends,
Just a brief note to inform you that our dear friend Ray Jennings died this
morning (April 4) at 2:39 a.m. in the presence of his family and his loving
God. Ray had well outlived doctors' guesstimates of how long he would
survive his cancer.

I join you in grieving and joyous gratitude for Ray's life and ministry.
Plans for a celebration of Ray's life are pending.

Peace, Greg Ledbetter

From two of Ray's favorite hymns:

Blessed Savior, Thou wilt guide us
Till we reach that blissful shore;
Where the angels wait to join us
In Thy praise forevermore.
(Life's Railway to Heaven)

Farther along we'll know more about it.
Farther along we'll understand why;
Cheer up my brother live in the sunshine
We'll understand it all by and by.
(Farther Along)

Friends:

We know the words well:
There is a time to be born, and a time to die.
Neither time comes easily, but come they do.

I knew of Ray before I even knew him. Linda Rae had a cousin who was a 'hippie priest' in Berkeley when Ray served at First Baptist in Berkeley. He often spoke highly of his brother Ray.

Now we know Ray as one of those responsible for lifting up the Baptist tradition in California as Baptists Lunched Together (BLT) and emerged into the life we know as the Pacific Coast Baptist Association.

We are grateful for his good life.

Rest well, Ray, rest well. Your spirit abides with us.

Peace, Paul Hardwick
Association Minister
Pacific Coast Baptist Association
pcbapaul@earthlink.net
925 933-5554

Thanks Greg for this sad but good word. In remembering Ray in my weekly
e-mail to Lakeshore I used the Indian proverb "When you were born you cried and others rejoiced. Live in such a way that when you die others cry and you rejoice."... Jim Hopkins

Ray Jennings and his family were good friends of ours when I served as the
pastor of the Lakeshore Avenue Baptist Church and he was the pastor at Berkeley First Baptist. We had breakfast together once a week. His sense of humor, his deep commitment to human justice, and his incisive mind left an imprint on me and human society as a whole. Thank you, Ray, for who you were and what you did while you were here... Rod Romney (retired and back in my home state of Idaho)

I served as a neighbor pastor with Ray in New York State, yes, he did get out east, though his heart was always in San Francisco. I was in Baldwinsville and him in Syracuse. As a relatively young pastor (now retired) he was a mentor and help as I struggled with some of the pastoral issues. Carol and I thoroughly enjoyed knowing both Ray and his wife. I'm attaching Rod's comments because the rest of what I would say has already been said... Judson Day

I will miss Ray. He was such a wonderful support to me as I began my
ministry as pastor of McGee. He was also a great supporter of ABConcerned and the Welcoming and Affirming Movement. He'll always have a special place in my heart... Peace! D. Mark

Ray was my friend for 54 years, a colleague for many of them, and an inspiration through all of them.

Ray had integrity. I'm grateful he spoke for justice even when it took considerable courage. I appreciated his respect of scripture and his unwillingness to let it be hijacked. I'm glad he was such a raconteur (and writer!); it made him fun (and interesting) to be with. He "wore well," and I will miss him.

He was blessed with a caring family. I pray God's blessing on them... Dale (with Alice) Edmondson