Obituary of Rev. Dr. Walter Leroy Parrish, II

Walter Leroy Parrish, II was born on October 26, 1935, to Alice Boyden and Walter Leroy Parrish of Huntington, West Virginia. He and his younger brother, Henry Maurice, grew up in Huntington in the loving home of their grandparents, Keever and Nannie Lou Parrish. Keever was one of many black men who provided well for their families by working in the coal mines of West Virginia. Walter's faith was nurtured at the First Baptist Church of Huntington where he attended Sunday School and Vacation Bible School and sang in the children and youth choir. Walter became aware of God's call on his life and was licensed and ordained at First Baptist as a teenager. In 1953, Walter graduated from Frederick Douglass High School in Huntington and began his college studies at Storer College in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia. A student athlete at Storer, Walter played on Storer's basketball team, distinguishing himself as an accurate outside shooter. Walter transferred from Storer after its closing in 1955 and earned a Bachelor of Divinity degree from Virginia Seminary and College (now known as Virginia University at Lynchburg). Walter went on to earn Bachelor and Master of Arts degrees in sociology from Lynchburg College, and a Bachelor of Divinity degree from Virginia Seminary & College. He was also awarded a Doctor of Divinity degree from Virginia Seminary & College. While at Seminary, Walter met and married Mary William Randolph, a graduate of Virginia State College (now Virginia State University). Three children were born to their union: Walter Leroy III, William Keever, and Willette Marie. Although their marriage ended in divorce, Walter and Mary remained lifelong friends. Spanning nearly two decades, Walter's pastoral ministry included tenures at Shiloh Baptist Church (Waynesboro, Virginia), Forest Level Baptist Church (Forest, Virginia), First Baptist Church (Baltimore, Maryland), Zion Baptist Church (Portsmouth, Virginia), and St. John Baptist Church (Columbia, Maryland). Beyond preaching, teaching, pastoral care, and congregational and community leadership, Walter's pastoral ministry was characterized by significant capital achievements. At Shiloh Baptist, Walter led the church to upgrade the physical plant, retire debt, and furnish a private patient room at Waynesboro Community Hospital. At Forest Level Baptist, Walter successfully led a campaign to construct a new church building. Walter's ministry to the wider church began in 1971, through his involvement with the Fund of Renewal, an initiative to build collaborative mission and fellowship opportunities between the American Baptists – a predominately white denomination – and the Progressive National Baptist Convention – a historically black denomination. In 1979, Walter became the third Regional Executive Minister for the American Baptist Churches of the South (ABCOTS). ABCOTS, the largest geographic region in ABCUSA operates in fifteen states across the Southern United States. The region encompasses states from Maryland, south to Florida, and west to Texas. ABCOTS was established to offer an alternative to the conservatism of the Southern Baptist Convention by providing support, resources, and a sense of community for congregations and their pastors. Walter's work with ABCOTS was the most demanding and rewarding assignment he was privileged to undertake. As Regional Executive Minister, Walter faced high expectations and overwhelming challenges. His days were long, the travel was unending, as were the demands, but he loved ALL of it! Walter married Carole Jamison, an educator in Maryland. She was his partner in life and ministry until her death in 2019. For thirty-six years, Walter spent nearly every weekend on the road serving and supporting congregations and pastoral leaders in the region. He logged over 400,000 miles driving across the region. His bags stayed packed, and his itinerary stayed full. And he loved ALL of it! Under Walter's leadership, ABCOTS grew numerically and financially. His impact and influence are reflected in the countless number of clergy ordinations, pastoral placements, and annual meetings. Walter was able to lead the region in purchasing property, introduced a summer teaching intensive known as Green Lake South, and was frequently helpful in moments of conflict between churches and pastors. Walter's ministry as Regional Executive also had a global reach. In 1995, Walter served as a delegate to the 17th Baptist World Alliance Congress, a meeting of over 8,000 Baptists, representing 124 countries over 6 continents, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Following the Congress, he spent time traveling and speaking in Santiago, Chile, as well as La Paz and Cochabamba, Bolivia. Walter was instrumental in cultivating a partnership between ABCOTS and the Baptist Convention of Zambia. He personally led Mission-Preaching delegations, comprised of clergy and lay leaders, to Johannesburg and Soweto, South Africa, and Lusaka, Zambia. In Zambia, the delegation ministered to over 560 congregations. Walter was a passionate, committed, and faithful servant of God. And he loved ALL of it! On Sunday, July 6, 2025, surrounded by family, Walter entered into eternal rest. In addition to his parents, grandparents, and wife, Carole, Walter was preceded in death by his brother Henry. He leaves to cherish his memory, three adult children: Walter III (Felicia), William (Brenda), and Willette (Dorothy); his grandchildren: William, Jr., Jonathan, Christian, Joseph, Josiah, Azubike, Chioma, and Carla. His legacy will live on in clergy colleagues, sons and daughters in ministry, congregations, a region and a denomination he helped to shape, and countless friends whose lives he enriched.