Rex D. Edwards

Rex Daniel Edwards, [the grand nephew of Sir Wilfred Grenfell, Anglican priest and physician to the North Sea, Labrador and New Foundland fishermen], was born in Christchurch, New Zealand, the second son of Leslie and Daphne Edwards' seven children in 1934.

At the age of six, during a summer vacation in Brighton - a Christchurch beach resort, Rex suffered near fatal blood poisoning from a Katipo Spider bite. The following six months of hospitalizations, multiple surgeries and blood transfusions, resulted in limited mobility. As a result, he became an avid reader and a creative writer. He completed his School Certificate in the prescribed first three years of High School and in a year passed the University Entrance examination at Longbum College, in North New Zealand.

His father died at the premature age of 38 and that impact profoundly influenced Rex's character and subsequent career. Qualities of dogged self reliance, unyielding resiliency, perseverance, and thorough commitment to whatever he undertook, propelled him forward in his academic, professional and religious life.

His religious journey began at his father's graveside, when on a cold, rainy, summer's day along with his brothers and bereft mother cradling his sister in her arms, he pondered the meaning of life. Caught up in a conviction of imminent eschatology, that led him to abort his ambition of becoming a surgeon, to pursue a path of divinity studies. He earned a Licentiate in Theology degree at Avondale College, Australia and by extension, a Bachelor of Arts in Religion degree via Pacific Union College.

In those unsponsored years, he paid for his tuition and resident fees by showing many diverse talents and initiative, that included the following. Selling religious and health books as a colporteur during the Summer months in New Zealand and Australia. While at Avondale, he cut "pit-props" for the local Coal Mines, worked night shifts in the Sanitarium Health Food Factory and he constructed an outdoor small amphitheater with a fountain. He was a "boiler" stocker - which heated classrooms and dormitories, mowed lawns, and served in the Lihrary. In 1956 he graduated and married Zelma Beryl Harris. The following year, his ministry in the Seventh-day Adventist Church began that spanned 62 years on the three Continents of Australia, Europe, and North America.

 I. THE AUSTRALIAN YEARS (1956-1969)

Rex enjoyed a dramatic start to his ministry in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia by joining an evangelistic team in Brisbane, Queensland, and also pastoring a Suburban Church. The Evangelistic city meetings were conducted in the Brisbane City Hall, that drew capacity crowds for nine months.

 Under the tutorship of international Evangelist, A Geoffrey Ratcliffe, Rex had found his calling. The following thirteen years, he ministered, taught, preached and evangelized in six towns and cities in Queensland, Western Australia and New South Wales. Some of those parishes encompassed up to three congregations, that were separated by many miles. Some significant accomplishments in those churches included the oversight on the building of a new church in Gatton, Queensland. Relocating and renovation of a church hall, as a temporary church, after the sale of the church in Gympie.

Evangelism lectures in Town Halls, Theaters, High School Auditoriums and other venues resulting in the accession of hundreds of new members and new congregations were established. Radio Stations broadcast his devotional and doctrinal messages. In Perth, Western Australia, he participated in two evangelistic crusades and was the Musical Director and Conductor of a 70-voiced a'capella Symphonic choir that performed, for two years, on the stages of His Majesty's Theater and the Town Hall. He conducted Handel's Messiah with the choir and orchestra and performed in the annual Christmas Musical Festival in the Supreme Court Gardens. He also gave numerous radio, television broadcasts and concerts.

While in Perth, in 1966, on Rex's birthday - his mother died of cancer. It was then that Rex transitioned to what was to be the end of his ministry in Australia. He was transferred to a three church district in New South Wales where, for three years he ministered to four congregations, conducting evangelistic meetings and established new congregations.

During those thirteen years of ministry in Australia he was supported, and encouraged by his wife Zelma. Their union was blessed with three children all born in Brisbane, Queensland: Davina Janelle, Le Roy Paul, and Antony Shane.

 II. THE EUROPEAN YEARS: ENGLAND (1969-1970)

In January 1969 the British Union Conference extended a call for Rex to pastor and conduct Evangelistic meetings in Nottingham. The success of these public meetings led to the establishment of a new congregation. In addition, he studied for his Masters degree in Religion at the University of Wales extension program from Newbold College.

It was during this period of ministry that Rex was granted two overseas tours to the Middle East and Europe. While visiting the Biblical sites in Israel, Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon Iran and Palestine, he was inspired to write about his experiences. The subsequent foundation for his books: An Adventure into Discovery, From the Manger to the Empty Tomb, and From Tarsus to Rome (the latter was translated into Portuguese).

 III. THE NORTH AMERICAN YEARS (1970-20

On October 30, 1970, Rex and his family left England for the USA that began the next phase of his ministry. His first North American Division pastorate, was in Columbus, Georgia where he conducted a series of meetings in the newly renovated Opera House. In 1971, he then accepted a call as Conference Evangelist in South Dakota. Conducting two Evangelistic Series, in addition to pastoring the Sioux Falls and Madison Churches. On January 3, 1972, while returning to South Dakota the van that he drove, careened of an icy overpass and fell 25 feet onto a frigid embankment, near Wichita, Kansas. Severe injuries that included a severe skull fracture, three spine fractures, rib fractures and a sternal injury left the doctors amazed at how he survived. During a period of convalescence, his resolve was evident and spawned a new desire. In 1972, he returned to Andrews University to complete his Master of Divinity degree (magna cum laude). On his pathway to continued academic achievements, he was accepted to the prestigious, Vanderbilt University in I973 and subsequently attained his Doctor of Divinity degree. After his graduation, in 1974, he pastored the Lansdale congregation in North Philadelphia and conducted three evangelistic crusades in suburban venues.

In 1975, Rex was called to direct the Department of Practical Theology at Columbia Union College (now Washington Adventist University). Many new programs were implemented that included restructuring the curriculum to include a Summer Field Evangelism component for Senior Theology majors. Courses were added in Christian Worship, Comparative Christian Religions, Urban Ministry. While also producing and editing a quarterly resource for Faculty Continuing Education.

Memberships at the Washington Cathedral College of Preachers, the American Society of Biblical Literature [SOBL], and the American Academy of Religion [AAR] where a part of his expanding network of contacts.

From 1981 to 1999, he served at the General Conference Ministerial Association in four major capacities:

1. Editor of Ministry Tape of the Month providing inspirational sermons, homiletical articles, pastoral resources, and theological works, all designed to contribute to the Continuing Education of pastors.
2. Director of the P.R.E.A.C.H. Program (Program for Reaching Every Active Clergy Homes) This Interdenominational program included a gratuitous bi-monthly subscription to Ministry magazine for non-Adventist clergy, as well as providing continuing education Professional Growth Seminars. Many of these were conducted in cooperation with Centers of Continuing Education for Ministers at Princeton University Theological Seminary (New Jersey), Andover Newton Theological Seminary (Boston), Union Theological Seminar (Richmond VA), Colgate Divinity School (Rochester, NY), and Pittsburg Theological Seminary (Pennsylvania). Between 1981-1995. Rex organized and co-presented at 357 of these seminars in the USA, Canada, Europe and Australia.
3. Director of Ministerial Continuing Education. In this capacity he formalized the registration of Continuing Education Credit for pastors at all Professional Growth events; organized and conducted International Bible Conferences in USA, Europe, and Australia; prepared an Internship Training and Tutoring Manual; organized and directed two General Conference pre-Session Ministerial Councils; and produced a series of 36 Instructional Videos., titled A Seminar in a Box. He was a member of the International Council of Continuing Education and Training [IACET], the Academy of Parish Clergy [ACM], and the General Conference Biblical Research Institute Committee [BRI]. He then authored two more books on ecclesiology: Every Believer A Minister and its sequel, Every Believer the Church.

4. Contributing Editor of Ministry Magazine publishing numerous editorials and major articles. He was also published in the Journal of Adventist Education, Adventist Review, Eider's Digest, and Liberty Magazine, not to mention the Australian Record and Signs of the Times. "The Grave of Wasted Genius", his first of hundreds of articles published in the Australian Signs of the Times, July 1958.

After his formal retirement in 1998, Rex was appointed Vice-President of Religious Studies for Griggs University. During his 8 years of service, he revised several Undergraduate courses; prepared a Master's degree in Pastor Ministry [MPM], a Master' degree in Christian Ministry [MCM]; and conducted several extension degree programs in Latvia, Bulgaria, Finland, Albania, Poland, and Russia.

In 2007 Rex gave seven years of Voluntary service as Research Assistant for the General Conference Biblical Research Institute. He reviewed and classified hundreds of documents, articles, and research papers; contributed two Festschrift articles; was the guest speaker in Pritoria, South Africa, Jakarta, Indonesia, and Kuala Lampua, Malaysia for the General Conference Health Department Quest for Quality series; and, lectured on Ecclesiology in many countries. Finally, he was an education consultant for the American Embassy in Damascus, Syria providing distance education options to students when the American schools were shut down due to a political crisis. Subsequently he was education consultant and guest at American Embassies in Finland, Venezuela, Poland, Costa Rica, and Russia.

In 2015, health issues forced Rex to sell his Takoma Park house after a 34 year occupancy and relocate with his son, Paul, and daughter-in-law, Linda, in Fredericksburg, Virginia. In 2021 he relocated to Gobles, Michigan, where he spent his final years with his daughter Janelle and son-in­ law Ron.

Since 1998, Rex visited 116 Countries, preaching, lecturing, reconnecting with former colleagues and students [sponsoring some of the latter in their graduate studies], writing and publishing, as well as a guest of the American Consulate in Kolkata, India.

"Blessed are the dead, who die in the Lord from now on.. That they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them."- Revelation 13:14