A Roomful of Elephants

In this entertaining autobiography, the Rev. Patrick Forbes looks back at an exceptionally varied ministry in the Church of England - from being the idiot curate to parish priest, to religious programs producer, to a BBC Radio 2's "Pause For Thought" contributor, to co-founder of the Holy Fools UK, all while asking challenging questions about the future direction of the church. Sometimes known as "Partick Frobes, the well-known clerical error", Forbes often finds and points out the humor and not-so-funny "elephants in the room", after his more than eighty years in the church. He may be the only ordained minister in the Church of England to have been blessed by an Archbishop of Canterbury as the front end of a pantomime horse. "Imagine just for a moment that most of our discussions in the Church about how we survive into the next generation are starting in the wrong place. Patrick Forbes's irresistibly lively memoir suggests that it wouldn't hurt to stop and open our eyes - not only to a herd of persistently ignored and self-inflicted problems but also to the abundance of gift and newness that he has discovered in his unique pilgrimage." - The Rt. Revd. Dr. Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury (2002-2012)