Greenslade, Reginald Richard (1882-1949)

Obituary from Minutes of the Methodist Conference

Born in the village of Riddlecombe, Devonshire, in 1880. He was associated with the Bible Christian Church and after a period of training at Shebbear College, he entered the Ministry of the United Methodist Church in 1909.

He was indeed a ‘ good minister of Jesus Christ ‘ In all his circuits he served with distinction and was greatly honoured, not least in his last, St. Austell (Zion), where he was in the sixth year of his second term.

As an administrator he was so well equipped that his guidance was highly valued, not only in circuit life but in the work of the District. At the time of his passing he held the position of Chapel Secretary, and carried out these difficult duties with great care and efficiency.

His preaching was always marked by careful preparation, and he ever remained faithful to the great evangelical truths which had meant so much in the moulding of his own life. He believed that the Lord had ‘ yet more light and truth to break forth from His word, and to this end, by prayer, reading, and study, he sought to prepare himself to preach.

The passing years did not lessen his concern for the work amongst young people, and he took a keen and active interest in education, being a governor of St. Austell County Schools. His visits to the homes of his people were greatly valued, and he never spared himself. His quiet, confident spirit was always a source of inspiration and help.

A very faithful and helpful ministry was brought to a close by his sudden passing whilst on his way home from evening service in a country chapel on 23rd October 1949, in the seventieth year of his life and the forty-first of his ministry.

©Trustees for Methodist Church Purposes 1950

Family

Reginald was born in Riddlecombe, Ashreigney (or Ringsash) on 29th August  1880, to John and Amanda Greenslade. John was a blacksmith, but also a Bible Christian local preacher.

Reginald was employed as a harness maker before entering the ministry (1901)

He married Edith Harriett Willman on 17th December 1913 in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire. They had three children.

• David Rex Willman (1916-1977)
• Annette Doris (1921-2015)
• John Gareth (1930-2017)

Reginald died on 23rd October 1949 in St. Austell.

Circuits

• 1905  Shebbear College
• 1907  Llantrisant
• 1909  Middlesbrough
• 1912   Mansfield (received into Full Connexion 1913)
• 1915  Cheltenham
• 1919  Oldham Union Street
• 1922  resigned
• 1925  St. Austell (re-admitted)
• 1928  Nottingham Redcliffe Road
• 1933  Bodmin
• 1940  Truro St Georges
• 1944  St. Austell Zion

References

Oliver A Beckerlegge, United Methodist ministers and their circuits: Being an arrangement in alphabetical order of the stations of ministers of the Methodist New … and the United Methodist Church, 1797-1932

Census Returns and Births, Marriages & Deaths Registers

Minutes of the United Methodist Conference 1922 pp 7 and 40

Minutes of the United Methodist Conference 1925 p68

Minutes of the Methodist Conference 1950 p127