Following God, Training Others - Dr. Arthur T. Roxby
I am Art – a passionate follower of God; husband to Allyson; Dad to Caitlin, Kyle, and Abbey; PopPop to Maddie, June, and Evie Jean; and pastor of Christ Center Wesleyan Church in Sedona, Arizona.
I am a native of central Pennsylvania. Of the various places that I have lived, most of my years (27) have been spent there. I have also spent 4 years in Tennessee, 1 year in Missouri, 2 years in Kansas, 10 years in Maine, and 10½ years in Delaware. In August of 2020, Allyson and I discerned God calling us to move across the country and pastor Christ Center Wesleyan Church.
I have lived in a Nazarene parsonage for nearly two-thirds of my life. My parents are both ordained elders in the Church of the Nazarene (Dad has now received his heavenly reward) and have been since I was nine years old. Having grown up in the parsonage was not always a blessing. I witnessed the darker side of congregational life in ways that adolescents should not. I saw people at both their best and their worst. The fact that I have answered God’s calling to ministry and have been engaged in full-time pastoral ministry for nearly 30 years is something of a miracle. Interestingly, during that time, I have continued to witness the same levels of goodness and badness in people who generally call themselves Christians. Despite my negative experiences in the church, I have often seen the love and grace of God at work in people’s lives and cannot conceive of doing anything other than leading congregations in the Church of Jesus Christ.
Education has played a huge role in my life and ministry. I graduated from Trevecca Nazarene College in 1987, Nazarene Theological Seminary in 1995, and completed my Doctor of Ministry degree from Asbury Theological Seminary in 2010. I have found that I am a dedicated learner/teacher. I find great fulfillment teaching others, both inside and outside my congregation. My pastoral ministry has a decidedly didactic flavor. I believe that one of the greatest challenges and privileges that a pastor has is to develop disciples to fulfill the Great Commandment and Great Commission. Further, one of the greatest blessings that God has given to me is the honor of seeing a number of my former parishioners entering Christian service and following God’s calling to ministry. To date, I count one new licensed minister in each of my last four congregations. Included in this was the honor of discipling my successor in one parish. Most recently, one of my proteges has heard God’s calling, entered the M.Div. program at NTS, and is now serving as a Nazarene missionary in Ecuador.
Perhaps the greatest joy and blessing in my life (next to God and his grace) is my family. Allyson and I have been married for 32 years. She has been a true helpmate. Even as she has pursued God’s calling in her life to be a special education teacher, she has been an amazing teammate in ministry. Her talents and graces are amazing. My oldest daughter, Caitlin, is a Physical Therapist for ATI Physical Therapy in the DC Area with her husband Brandon. My son, Kyle, is a Pharmacist living in Elgin, OR with his wife Sara and our two beautiful grandchildren – Madeleine June and Evelyn Jean. He has expressed a calling to use a degree in pharmacology to God’s honor and glory and to the service of the underprivileged in the world. Abigail, my baby, is a 2019 graduate of Southern Nazarene University and is serving God as a home-health nurse. She lives in Frederick, MD with her husband, Nick.
Outside of ministry, my hobbies are hunting, fishing, playing golf, and going to stock-car races
Dr. Arthur Roxby has been teaching as an adjunct professor at NBC since 2011.
Published: 08/03/2020
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