Roger S. Greenway
Roger S. Greenway | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 8, 1934 |
| Died | April 30, 2016 (aged 82) Rockford, Michigan, U.S. |
| Occupations | Missionary, missiologist, seminary professor, author |
| Known for | Urban missiology; global missions leadership; seminary teaching |
| Spouse | Edna Greenway |
| Children | 6 |
Roger Selles Greenway (January 8, 1934 – April 30, 2016) was an American missionary, missiologist, professor, and author whose career shaped Christian Reformed World Missions and the field of urban missiology. He served as a missionary to Sri Lanka and Mexico, taught at several seminaries including Westminster Theological Seminary and Calvin Theological Seminary, and became known internationally for his scholarship on urbanization, church growth, and intercultural communication.
Early life and education
Roger S. Greenway was born on January 8, 1934, the only child of Dr. Leonard Greenway, a minister in the Christian Reformed Church, and Catherine (Selles) Greenway. He earned a B.A. from Calvin College and B.D. and Th.M. degrees from Calvin Theological Seminary.[1] He later completed a Ph.D. at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in 1972.[2]
Missionary work
Ordained in the Christian Reformed Church in 1958, Greenway was appointed to serve with Christian Reformed World Missions (CRWM) in Sri Lanka, where he worked until 1962.[3][4]
In 1963 he moved to Mexico City to teach at Juan Calvino Seminary. He later founded the Instituto Mexicano Bíblico to train urban pastors and church planters.[1] He also served as editor of The Herald from 1960 to 1962.[2][4]
Greenway later served as the Latin America Secretary for Christian Reformed World Mission from 1972 to 1978,[4] and coordinated the Spanish Literature Committee during the same period.[2] He was also active in Jewish outreach and became a member of the Lausanne Committee for Jewish Evangelism.[2]
Academic career
Greenway taught at Westminster Theological Seminary (1982–86) before joining the faculty of Calvin Theological Seminary as Professor of World Missiology and dean of students, where he served from 1990 until his retirement in 2001.[3][4] In addition, he served as Missionary in Residence and Research Fellow at Yale Divinity School.[2]
He also taught at courses at other seminaries including Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and Fuller Theological Seminary. His international lecturing included extensive visits throughout North, Central, and South America as well as Canada, France, and Venezuela.[2][4]
Leadership roles
In 1978 he became pastor of Burton Heights Christian Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan, the congregation where his father had once served.[1] He later served as executive director of Christian Reformed World Missions from 1986 to 1990.[2][4]
Publications and scholarship
Greenway authored numerous books in English and Spanish, many of which were translated into more than a dozen languages.[2] He also published hundreds of journal and magazine articles. His works focused on missions, evangelism, urban ministry, and church growth. He also served as editor of the journal Urban Mission from 1983 to 1990.[4]
Selected works
- Greenway, Roger S. (1973). An Urban Strategy for Latin America. Baker Book House. ISBN 9780801036675.
- Greenway, Roger S. (1976). Guidelines for Urban Church Planting. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Book House. ISBN 978-0-8010-3707-8.
- Greenway, Roger S. (1978). Apostles to the City: Biblical Strategies for Urban Missions. Baker Book House. ISBN 9780801037245.
- Greenway, Roger S. (1992). Discipling the City: A Comprehensive Approach to Urban Mission. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Book House. ISBN 978-0-8010-3849-5.
- Greenway, Roger S. (1998). Together Again: Kinship of Word and Deed. Monrovia, Calif.: MARC.
- Greenway, Roger S. (1999). Go and Make Disciples!: An Introduction to Christian Missions. Phillipsburg, N.J.: P & R Publishing. ISBN 978-0-87552-218-0.
- Greenway, Roger S.; Timothy M. Monsma (2000). Cities: Missions' New Frontier. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Academic. ISBN 978-0-8010-2230-2.
- Greenway, Roger S. (2013). Fish: The Call of the Master Fisher. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Theophilus Publishing. ISBN 978-0-615-41657-1.
Personal life and death
Greenway and his wife Edna (Beebe) were married for 61 years and had six children. He died on April 30, 2016, in Rockford, Michigan, following complications from a stroke suffered in 2014.[1][3]
Legacy
In 2006 a Festschrift was published to honor Greenway's life and accomplishments entitled For God So Loved the World: Missiological Reflections in Honour of Roger S. Greenway.[5][6]
Further reading
- Greenway, Roger S. (2006). "My Pilgrimage in Mission". International Bulletin of Missionary Research. 30 (3): 144–147. doi:10.1177/239693930603000307.
See also
References
- ^ a b c d Vanderlaan, Gayla R. (June 10, 2016). "In Memoriam: Rev. Roger Selles Greenway, 1934–2016". The Banner.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Roger S. Greenway, ThD (1934–2016)". Artos Academy.
- ^ a b c "Roger S. Greenway". International Bulletin of Mission Research. 40 (4). 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f g Leder, Arie C. (2006). "Roger Selles Greenway: Fisherman Extraordinaire". In Greenway, Roger S. (ed.). For God So Loved the World: Missiological Reflections in Honour of Roger S. Greenway. Essence Publishing. pp. 9–16. ISBN 9781553069812.
- ^ Greenway, Roger S.; Leder, Arie C. (2006). For God So Loved the World: Missiological Reflections in Honour of Roger S. Greenway. Essence Publishing. ISBN 9781553069812.
- ^ George, Sherron (2007). "Book Review: For God So Loved the World: Missiological Reflections in Honor of Roger S. Greenway". Missiology. 35 (4). SAGE Publications: 456–457. doi:10.1177/009182960703500410.