Dr. David R. Plaster, age 60, passed away Saturday, March 6, 2010 after a battle with an unexpected illness (The J.C. Virus).
Dave Plaster found Christ at the age of eight at the Grace Brethren Church of Canton, Ohio. He married Ginny, December 18, 1970. After completing studies at the University of Lyon, France (1970) and Grace College (1971), he entered Grace Theological Seminary. At that time he became the part-time pastor of Millwood Chapel in Etna Green, Indiana. After receiving a Masters of Divinity (1974) he and his wife Ginny moved to Armagh, Pennsylvania where he began the Valley Grace Brethren Church. In 1979 he returned to Warsaw, Indiana to serve as Senior Pastor of the Community Grace Brethren Church. In 1984 he completed a Masters of Theology and joined the faculty of Grace Theological Seminary full-time. He received his Doctorate in Systematic Theology from Dallas Theological Seminary in 1989. He has served as Academic Dean of Grace Theological Seminary (1988-1991) and Vice President for Academic Affairs for both Grace College and Seminary from 1991-2007. In 1991-92 he was the Moderator of the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches. He was Senior Pastor at the Grace Brethren Church of Columbus 2007-2010.
Dave and Ginny have three grown children, Andy, the oldest (Warsaw, Indiana); Rachelle, and her husband, Brandon Creighton (Warsaw, Indiana), and Rob and his wife, Nichole (Paris, France). They have one granddaughter, Shelly Marie Creighton who was the light of her ‘Papa.’ Dave’s mother, Jane Plaster, resides in his hometown, Canton, Ohio.
“At 9:40PM, Saturday night our Dad went home to be with our Savior. He went quickly , peacefully and quietly.” -Rob for the Family (Taken from the journal Dave’s family kept through his caringbridge account.)
Dr. David Plaster, I will miss you immensely. You had a slow, subtle impact on my life and in my ministry, both at the start and currently. You engaged me where I was in my academic studies to show what the Bible says and help me understand what it means in my life. I always valued your opinion, your honesty, and the numerous acts of mercy and grace you showed to an arrogant teenager who thought he had the world figured out. While I have no doubt that you are in a state of overwhelming joy, our fragile, delicate emotions and hearts hurt immensely due to your absence.
We’ll talk again so very soon on the other side.
-jordan
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