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Rector
Emeritus
 Bill
Greenlaw came to Holy Apostles on July 1, 1983, as assistant
in the parish and project director of the Holy Apostles Soup
Kitchen. He became rector of the parish and executive
director of the Soup Kitchen on December 1, 1984. In
2008, Father Greenlaw retired and relinquished his duties on
July 31st.
When he
came to Holy Apostles it was a struggling, small
congregation with very limited resources and crumbling
buildings. But, under Father Rand Frew's leadership, the
Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen had just been established and was
fast becoming the largest program of its kind in the City.
As rector, Bill was equally committed to developing the
parish as well as sustaining the soup kitchen, but the
challenge of the buildings was daunting. And, then there was
the major fire of 1990. Bill led the reconstruction effort
and, over four years' time, the entire physical plant was
restored and the nave of the newly restored, landmark church
became the Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen's main dining room.
Under his leadership, the parish community has continued
growing and deepening in its life and its commitment to
serving the widest diversity of people.
Originally a Methodist from Southern California, Bill early
on felt three profound influences. The first was what he
describes as being something of an unreconstructed "product
of the 60s," with a deep and passionate commitment to social
justice and to the church being engaged with the issues of
our society. The second was a deep love of music and liturgy
and the need to be in a place where these things come
together in the fullness of our tradition (he says this made
his migration to the Episcopal Church all but inevitable).
The third was his nearly lifelong love of New York City, of
being in the middle of the most exciting and stimulating
city in the world. Bill says, "Holy Apostles brings these
three things together in a way I could never have imagined
possible. Being able to serve here is simply an astonishing
gift of grace."
Bill received his undergraduate degree in social sciences
from the University of California at Riverside. He spent one
year at the Theological School of Drew University before
transferring to Union Theological Seminary where he received
his M.Div. in 1968. He then spent three years at the
Graduate School of Duke University in North Carolina,
receiving his Ph.D. in theology and ethics in 1971. In 1971,
he was ordained priest and began a four-year term as
assistant professor of Christian ethics at the General
Theological Seminary in New York. From 1976-83, he was
associate rector of Christ and St. Stephen's Church in
Manhattan.
In 1999, Bill received the Distinguished Alumnus Public
Service Award from the University of California at
Riverside.
At the Convention of the Diocese of New York in 2002, he was
honored with membership in the Society of St. John the
Theologian of the Diocese of New York (for "exemplary
pastoral care") by the Bishop of New York, the Right
Reverend Mark Sisk.
Bill received “the Bishop’s Cross,” the highest award
bestowed in the Diocese of New York, in November, 2004. It
was presented at the Convention of the Diocese of New York
by the Right Reverend Mark Sisk, Bishop of New York.
Bill and his wife, Jane, are avid concertgoers and share a
love both of travel and living in New York City. Bill is
also a serious record collector and audiophile.
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