Obituary for William Jimmy Forehand
Rev. William Jimmy Forehand, 85, completed his journey home on August 20, 2019 to the welcoming words, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”
Jimmy was born in Wayne County on April 17, 1934 to the late Luther and Ella Gardner Forehand. He proudly served his country in the United States Coast Guard. After returning home from the Coast Guard, Jimmy answered the call to ministry and attended Holmes Bible College. For over 33 years, Jimmy served as a pastor in Chadbourn, Fayetteville, and Kinston with the North Carolina Pentecostal Holiness Church. After retiring as pastor, he continued to exemplify God’s love and a heart for serving others as he preached God’s Word by evangelizing for 26 years.
Jimmy was a man of incredible faith in God, hope for the world, and love for others. He will be remembered as a generous, caring, compassionate man and loyal friend to so many.
A service to celebrate Jimmy’s life and to give witness to his faith in Jesus Christ will be held at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, August 24, 2019 in the sanctuary of The First Pentecostal Holiness Church in Goldsboro. The family will greet friends immediately following the service at the church and other times at their home. A private interment for the Forehand family will be on Sunday at Wayne Memorial Park.
Jimmy is survived by his wife of 67 years, Helen Long Forehand; daughters, Diane Becton and husband Dana and Tracie Marshburn; granddaughters, Amanda White and husband Andy, Anna Marshburn and Abigail Marshburn; sisters, Carolyn Castania and husband Ken and Kathryn Goff; and several nieces and nephews he loved very much.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials be given in Jimmy’s memory to Gideons International so the gift of bibles can be shared with others.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.seymourfuneralhome.com.
To send flowers or a remembrance gift to the family of William Jimmy Forehand, please visit our Tribute
[Editor's comment: I met Jimmy and Helen in the summer of 1957. The Rev. Mr. R. D. Hodges, pastor of the Toulminville Pentecostal Holiness Church in Mobile, Alabama, invited me to work with him in the church doing evangelism, door-to-door visitation in the community, and various jobs or ministries in the church. Jimmy was still with the Coast Guard. I remember he had a call upon his life and that he intended to be obedient to God and prepare for ministry.
Over the year I have followed the news of his ministry from afar.
I pray that the Holy Spirit will bring comfort to Helen and their children and families.
I am grateful to Jeri Posey for alerting me to the death of this great man of God who served his generation in the anointing and power of the Holy Spirit in preaching and teaching the full Gospel. In addition, I want to thank Nicole Turrransky, Administrative Assistant to Bishop Danny Nelson, Superintendent of the North Carolina Pentecostal Holiness Church, Inc. for the name of the funeral home where I was able to get a photo of Jimmy, his obituary, and funeral arrangements. I wish I could be there to honor this servant of Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior.]
Rev. William Jimmy Forehand, 85, completed his journey home on August 20, 2019 to the welcoming words, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”
Jimmy was born in Wayne County on April 17, 1934 to the late Luther and Ella Gardner Forehand. He proudly served his country in the United States Coast Guard. After returning home from the Coast Guard, Jimmy answered the call to ministry and attended Holmes Bible College. For over 33 years, Jimmy served as a pastor in Chadbourn, Fayetteville, and Kinston with the North Carolina Pentecostal Holiness Church. After retiring as pastor, he continued to exemplify God’s love and a heart for serving others as he preached God’s Word by evangelizing for 26 years.
Jimmy was a man of incredible faith in God, hope for the world, and love for others. He will be remembered as a generous, caring, compassionate man and loyal friend to so many.
A service to celebrate Jimmy’s life and to give witness to his faith in Jesus Christ will be held at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, August 24, 2019 in the sanctuary of The First Pentecostal Holiness Church in Goldsboro. The family will greet friends immediately following the service at the church and other times at their home. A private interment for the Forehand family will be on Sunday at Wayne Memorial Park.
Jimmy is survived by his wife of 67 years, Helen Long Forehand; daughters, Diane Becton and husband Dana and Tracie Marshburn; granddaughters, Amanda White and husband Andy, Anna Marshburn and Abigail Marshburn; sisters, Carolyn Castania and husband Ken and Kathryn Goff; and several nieces and nephews he loved very much.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials be given in Jimmy’s memory to Gideons International so the gift of bibles can be shared with others.
Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.seymourfuneralhome.com.
To send flowers or a remembrance gift to the family of William Jimmy Forehand, please visit our Tribute
[Editor's comment: I met Jimmy and Helen in the summer of 1957. The Rev. Mr. R. D. Hodges, pastor of the Toulminville Pentecostal Holiness Church in Mobile, Alabama, invited me to work with him in the church doing evangelism, door-to-door visitation in the community, and various jobs or ministries in the church. Jimmy was still with the Coast Guard. I remember he had a call upon his life and that he intended to be obedient to God and prepare for ministry.
Over the year I have followed the news of his ministry from afar.
I pray that the Holy Spirit will bring comfort to Helen and their children and families.
I am grateful to Jeri Posey for alerting me to the death of this great man of God who served his generation in the anointing and power of the Holy Spirit in preaching and teaching the full Gospel. In addition, I want to thank Nicole Turrransky, Administrative Assistant to Bishop Danny Nelson, Superintendent of the North Carolina Pentecostal Holiness Church, Inc. for the name of the funeral home where I was able to get a photo of Jimmy, his obituary, and funeral arrangements. I wish I could be there to honor this servant of Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior.]