E. LeRoy (Roy) Lawson
International Consultant
CMF International
In 2004 Dr. Lawson returned to
Christian Missionary Fellowship International, a leading mission
organization associated with Christian Churches and Churches of Christ. He
had been Candidate Secretary for the agency in 1964-1968 and then a
long-time board member. As International Consultant he speaks and writes on
behalf of CMFI, advises churches regarding their outreach programs,
represents CMFI in national and international Christian leadership meetings,
regularly visits mission fields to conduct seminars and encourage
missionaries, and acts as consultant to the Executive Director and staff.
Prior to coming to CMFI,
Dr. Lawson served as president of Hope International University in
Fullerton, California, from 1990 to 2003. During the first nine years
there, he was also the senior minister of Central Christian Church in Mesa,
Arizona, a position he held from 1979 to 1999, while the congregation grew
from an average of 490 in 1978 to around 4500 in 1999. He accepted the
additional call to lead Pacific Christian College in 1990, and in 1997 led
in reorganizing PCC to become Hope International University.
Earlier ministries
included service as youth ministry with the St. Johns Christian Church in
Portland, Oregon (1957-59); founding pastor of the Tigard Christian Church
(1959-65); teacher at Tigard Union High School (1962-64); Assistant
Professor of English, English Department Chairman, Director of Humanities
Program, Administrative Assistant to the President, Vice President of
Milligan College (1965-73); Senior Pastor of East 38th Street
Christian Church, Indianapolis (1973-79).
Dr. Lawson’s education
career includes the following: Tillamook (Oregon) High School diploma,
1956; Bachelor of Theology, Northwest Christian College (Eugene, Oregon),
1960; Bachelor of Arts, Cascade College (Portland), 1962; Master of Arts in
Teaching, Reed College (Portland), 1965); and Doctor of Philosophy from
Vanderbilt University (Nashville, Tennessee), 1970.
His writing includes 29
books published by Vanderbilt Press, College Press, and Standard Publishing
Company; and numerous articles for Christian Standard, The Lookout,
and other publications.
Former and current
positions include the following: president, North American Christian
Convention; board member, chairman, Christian Missionary Fellowship;
chairman, member of the Board of Trustees, Springdale College (Birmingham,
England); member, Standard Publishing Committee; speaker, the Christians’
Hour radio program; Board of Trustees, Milligan College; consulting editor,
Christian Standard; Statesman (representative at large), Stadia
(church planting agency).
Roy and Joy Lawson have
been married since 1960 and are the parents of Kimberly Joy Thompson of
O’Fallon, Missouri; Candace Annette Ohanessian of Melbourne, Australia; and
Lane Whitney Lawson, deceased. They also claim several “Velcro” children
whom they have unofficially adopted over the years and through whom they can
count fourteen grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
