Dale Galloway, 1939-2021

Dale Galloway, pioneering pastor and megachurch leader, passed into eternity on November 26 at his home in Gilbert, Arizona, with his loving wife Margi present. He was 82 and he died after a long series of health complications.

Dale served the church world as a leader of leaders. He achieved international recognition as pastor, teacher, and mentor. A popular speaker at churches and conferences, he had a history and a heart for training pastors to be strong leaders and for developing need-meeting ministries led by laypeople. Most of all, he had a big heart for the lost, for loving people into God’s kingdom.

He was born in Springfield, Ohio. At age 4, his family moved to Columbus, Ohio, where his father became District Superintendent of the Central Ohio Church of the Nazarene. During his high school years, he was quite an athlete, playing every sport offered. He was also the student body president.

He graduated from Olivet Nazarene University in 1960 (which later named him alumnus of the year), and he received his divinity degree from Nazarene Theological Seminary in 1963. He was later honored with a doctorate from Western Evangelical Seminary.

Dale planted Grove City Church of the Nazarene just outside Columbus, Ohio, a church that grew to become one of the denomination’s largest. He then pastored in Lawrence, Kansas, and at Central Church of the Nazarene in Portland, Oregon.

Together with his wife Margi, Dale planted and served as founding pastor of New Hope Community Church, Portland, Oregon. The church became nationally known as an innovative pacesetter in small group ministry. During the Galloway’s 23 years at New Hope, the church grew to 6,400 members, eighty percent of whom were previously unchurched.

In 1995, Dale became dean of Asbury Theological Seminary’s Beeson International Center for Biblical Preaching and Church Leadership. Each year he and Margi personally mentored a group of pastors who had received the prestigious Beeson Pastor Fellowship Award. Dale also created the Beeson Institute for Advanced Church Leadership which trained more than 1,000 pastors through a unique three-year program.

After leaving the seminary in 2007, he did interim preaching in several churches. He also volunteered his time at Scottdale Bible Church in greater Phoenix, overseeing several ministries including the Minister-in-Training program, where he mentored pastors, while Margi served on staff at Scottsdale Bible Church.

Over the years, Dale authored 22 books, some translated into multiple languages. Titles included On-Purpose Leadership, 20-20 Vision, The Small Group Book, and Starting a New Church.

Dale is survived by Margi, his wife of 50 years, and his children Brian from Boston, Massachusetts, Lynette from Piketon, Ohio, Ann Warren from Gilbert, Arizona, and Scott from Palm Desert, California. He had 5 grandchildren. His is also survived by his brother Harvey S. Galloway of Columbus, Ohio.

In lieu of flowers, donations are most welcome to a memorial fund in honor of Dale Galloway for the Minister in Training (MIR) program at Scottsdale Bible Church, 7600 East Shea Blvd., Scottsdale, AZ 85260, scottsdalebible.com/mir/.