Roy E. Greenhill Sr.

Roy was born August 12, 1936, at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia, to Herman Greenhill and Hattie O'Shields Greenhill.

A 1954 graduate of West Fulton High School, Roy and a fellow senior were voted "Most Likely to Succeed." Roy was saved at the age of 16 while listening to a Moody Christian Radio program. He went on to graduate from Bob Jones University's School of Religion with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1958, where he also worked on the stage crew. He later completed additional coursework at Emory University to earn his teaching certification. He was ordained to the Baptist ministry by Dr. Bob Jones Sr. and Dr. Bob Jones Jr.

Roy devoted much of his life to Christian ministry, education, writing, and the pursuit of new ideas. Early in his career, he taught in both private and public schools and pastored several churches. While serving Community Grove Baptist Church in Douglasville, Georgia, Dr. Bob Jones Sr. announced Roy's engagement in 1961 to Darlene Thomas, who was then a nursing student at Georgia Baptist Hospital. They later married at Colonial Hills Baptist Church in East Point.

Roy later founded, built, and pastored Bible Baptist Church in Manchester, Georgia, before being called to pastor Roosevelt Memorial Church in Pine Mountain Valley. During his years in Manchester, he also hosted Bible Pulpit Radio, a gospel program broadcast on WFDR and heard throughout a wide area of Georgia and Alabama.

Education remained one of Roy's great interests. He founded Columbus Christian Schools in Columbus, Georgia, an institution that continued beyond his leadership and has remained a part of the Columbus Christian community.

During the 1970s, Roy organized successful citywide evangelistic meetings in Columbus featuring nationally known evangelists Dr. Lester Roloff and Dr. John R. Rice. These large gatherings reflected Roy's lifelong desire to bring people together around the Christian faith.

In the 1980s, Roy developed a strong interest in computers and information technology. He studied relentlessly and taught himself to become highly knowledgeable in the field long before personal computing became commonplace.

After returning to Atlanta, Roy increasingly turned his attention to writing. Among his works were The Born Again Bible, an unfinished major study edition of the Holy Scriptures; The Distilled Bible, N.T., a 224-page retelling of the King James New Testament; and The Day of Love: The Gospel of Matthew, an interpretative and devotional condensation. His Born Again Believer's Creed, designed as a frameable work of art, grew out of those writings. A renowned Bible publisher once predicted that The Born Again Bible had the potential to sell 100 million copies—a reflection of the unusual promise others saw in Roy's work.

Roy was a visionary by nature. Throughout his life, he was rarely without a new idea, project, ministry, book, or endeavor in mind. His interests were wide-ranging, but his Christian faith, his family, and his desire to communicate the message of the Bible remained enduring threads throughout his life.

Above all, Roy was a devoted family man. He treasured his family and the 64 years he shared with his wife, Darlene. Roy and Darlene began attending Peachtree Church during the pastorate of Dr. Frank Harrington. A social person, Roy and Darlene enjoyed long walks around the Foxcroft community, where they lived for 37 years, meeting and visiting with friends and neighbors. One lesser-known side of Roy was his enjoyment of baseball and music, with tastes ranging from country and western to opera. His sense of humor remained with him to the very end, bringing smiles and laughter to those around him even in his final days.

Roy was preceded in death by his parents, Herman Greenhill and Hattie O'Shields Greenhill; his sister, Faye Greenhill Burhance; and his grandmother, Genie Frazier Greenhill Kelly, who helped raise him.

He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Darlene Thomas Greenhill; his daughter, Elisabeth Greenhill; his sons, Roy Greenhill Jr., Randal Greenhill, and Jonathan Greenhill; his grandsons, Zachary and Jacob; his nephews, Dr. Chris Ruthruff (Teri) and Timothy Ruthruff (Sue); and his nieces, Lori Nielsen, Jean Ruthruff, and Kalese Thomas.

A celebration of Roy's life will be held Saturday, October 24, 2026 at 4:00pm at Sandy Springs Chapel, 136 Mt. Vernon Hwy., Sandy Springs, GA 30328. Interment will be private at Arlington Memorial Park.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Atlanta Mission, Habitat for Humanity, or Samaritan's Purse.