An Activist Remembered

Adorned with a bouquet of white lilies and a folded American flag, the plain pine coffin that held former Riverside Church senior minister and activist Rev. Dr. William Sloane Coffin Jr. seemed humble and understated.

Coffin, born in 1924, died at 81 in his Vermont home on April 12. He led a colorful life, which often took him down nontraditional paths. Coffin served as an infantry officer at the close of World War II and later joined the CIA, working in Germany for three years during the Korean War. Afterwards, he resumed his seminary education and graduated from Yale Divinity School in 1956.

In the 18 years prior to joining Riverside Church, Coffin was chaplain at Yale University and became known for his peace activism during the Vietnam War. After retiring from Yale, Coffin was appointed the fourth senior minister of Riverside Church in 1976 and served in that position until 1987.

Cora Weiss, a former assistant of Coffin's, asked, "Who here has been baptized, married, consoled, etc. by Bill?" The sea of hands that rose from the crowd illustrated the influence and reach of Coffin's spiritual guidance.

While at Riverside, he was dedicated to addressing issues of peace, nuclear disarmament, poverty, homelessness, protecting the environment, and other moral and ethical issues.

Rev. James Forbes announced to those gathered in the church, amid the boom of Riverside Church's organ, that the funeral was to celebrate the "magnificent ministry of Coffin," whose spirit had "touched every sacred spot" within the church.

"The mantle of Bill Coffin's leadership will not fall to the ground," continued Forbes, who recalled how Coffin had "energized a move for peace, justice, compassion and truth."

Weiss recalled him saying that, "like justice, peace was not a political consideration, but a moral mandate," an attitude she felt illustrated his never-ending commitment to halting warfare.

Bill Moyers, a PBS journalist who interviewed Coffin two years ago, reflected on his humor and dedication to the position. Despite the public's view of Coffin as a civil rights activist and anti-war advocate, Moyers concluded that he "had a pastor's heart, but heeded a prophet's calling."

"Bill never adapted to injustice to anybody anywhere," said Marian Wright Edelman, founder of the Children's Defense Fund.

Between the numerous speakers that remembered the words and actions of Coffin, the service was interspersed with choral and musical performances by the Riverside Choir, which sang a rendition of "America the Beautiful." In addition, David Coffin, son of the reverend and a musician, reflected on his father and then played a prerecorded song of his that had been one of his father's favorites.

Though the song evoked tears for many and was a touching ode to a father's passing, Moyers said it best when he imagined Coffin would say, "Don't tarry long in mourning, folks-organize."