Dr. Robert Parma | from Grace Baptist Church of San Leandro

Dr. Robert W. Parma, was called home to Glory on Monday, April 27, 2020. Born February 18, 1944 in Oakland, CA and raised in Castro Valley, CA, growing up at First Baptist Church of Castro Valley, he was a graduate of California State University, Hayward (now East Bay) and of Western Seminary of Portland, Oregon. Bob received his doctorate from Glendale Graduate School of Theology. He pastored a Conservative Baptist church in Concord prior to pastoring for 37 years at Grace Baptist Church of San Leandro. Pastoring wasn’t his only love. He worked in the family floral business, as did his parents Albert and Berenice, and sister Sandra. Most recently he worked for many years with Flowers Galore, at the San Francisco flower market, which Bob took over when his father retired, until two years ago when Bob’s health made it impossible for him to keep both jobs.

Dr. Bob Parma preached the Word faithfully every Sunday in a humble and gentle fashion that focused on the truths of the Scriptures. He was a visionary to reach others for Christ, including bringing the Gospel to the marketplace at street fairs and flea markets. Besides discipling new believers, Pastor Bob mentored many people to enter the ministry over the decades. He oversaw an outreach to feed 30+ women and children at a domestic violence shelter twice a month, with complete dinners prepared at the church and dropped off. Pastor Bob’s vision was greater than Grace Baptist Church. When he saw a need, he filled it. He organized youth programs for several churches in the Bay Area to bring youth together for snow trips, rafting trips on the American River, and especially camps at Silver Spur, which he loved. He always made sure kids had a way to attend camp financially and drove many of them to camp himself.

He saw the need of Bay Area pastors to meet for breakfast and prayer together. Pastor Bob saw the need to keep the church building in full use, not just on Sunday, but all week long. By prayer alone, one group after another continue to use Grace Baptist Church’s facility, including the Spanish Baptist church, East Bay Community Church, Korean Fellowship and University. Social needs are also met at the facility with meetings for AAA every week, Narrow Road ministries for substance abuse, Parental Stress, court ordered supervised parental visits, NACCA (program to help people get into home financing), and Girl Scouts, just to name a few!

Bob loved his congregation and was devoted to being Grace Baptist’s pastor. Even from his skilled nursing home bed on Sunday, April 12th, under quarantine for COVID-19, he gave a short message of encouragement to his beloved saints via phone/Zoom. Bob has survived kidney dialysis, a kidney transplant, congestive heart failure, and just never gave up being a faithful servant to the very end.