11 notable Christian figures who died in 2021

By Michael Gryboski, Mainline Church Editor Monday, December 27, 2021

William Horne – Aug. 14, 2021

William 'Bill' Horne II, former vice president of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. — William "Bill" Horne II, former vice president of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. | Will Nunnally/© ELCA

William Horne II, a city manager of Clearwater, Florida, who also served as vice president of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, died of what was believed to be a heart attack.

Horne was elected vice president by the 2016 ELCA Churchwide Assembly, the position being the highest a layperson can hold in the mainline Protestant denomination.

In addition to the ELCA vice president position, Horne had also served as the vice president of the Florida-Bahamas Synod and on the ELCA Church Council as a member.

"Bill was a man of absolute integrity and a deep, living faith in the grace and love of Jesus. Bill embodied the Lutheran understanding of vocation as husband, father and city manager," said ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton in a statement.

“Bill was energized by being the churchwide representative to synod assemblies. His leadership was strong, thoughtful and wise.”