Carla Greenway testifies of God’s faithfulness at monthly Metochai gathering

During the second Metochai gathering of the fall 2019 semester, student wives had the opportunity to hear for the first time from Carla Greenway, wife of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary President Adam W. Greenway.

Greenway opened her time with a reading and reflection of Metochai’s theme verse for the year, Psalm 61:2—“I call to you from the ends of the earth when my heart is without strength. Lead me to a rock that is high above me.”

“As I stand before you tonight and reflect on the words of this verse,” Greenway said, “I am reminded of who God is and of His consistent character.”

Metochai is an organization for student wives on the campus of Southwestern Seminary and is celebrating this semester the 80th anniversary of its founding. Each month, student wives gather with fellow Metochai members and mentors to hear from a speaker and encourage one another in their studies, ministries, families, and faith.

“We need to have community with like-minded women who can speak life into our hearts when we need it, and to give us an opportunity to minister to others as well,” says Joy Gabbert, the organization’s president.

“Not only is it good fellowship,” Gabbert continues, “but it is also refreshing to hear from our speakers—women who have gone ahead of us in life and in ministry and encourage us to keep going, stay strong, and, most importantly, to keep our eyes on Jesus.”

Greenway, a 2002 graduate of Southwestern Seminary with a Master of Arts in Christian Education, served as this month’s speaker. She shared her testimony of God’s faithfulness to carry her through life’s trials from childhood and throughout her adult life. She highlighted the challenge of navigating the grief of illness and the loss of her mother and father.

“I knew I had a calling for children and preschool ministry, but after my dad passed away, I had no desire to teach or to lead anywhere,” Greenway recalled. “I was stuck; purely stuck.”

Greenway said, however, that the Lord used a close friend to remind her of God’s faithfulness, and to help her understand the oft-used phrase “to bloom where you are planted.”

“We don’t get to choose that,” Greenway said. “We don’t choose the soil that we are in. We don’t choose the ground around us. We are just told under God’s calling to serve and to bloom where we are planted.”

Noting the most recent change in her life as she and her husband have transitioned to Southwestern Seminary, Greenway expressed gratitude for God’s faithfulness and for the opportunity to serve the Lord at the Fort Worth campus.

“God has been extremely faithful to us,” Greenway said. “Through the help of family, close friends, and ultimately the Lord’s strength and His security, we made our transition and came home to the dome. God’s call upon the life of my husband and us as a couple is exciting, and we are thrilled to be here.”

Reflecting on the Sept. 23 gathering, Joy Gabbert echoed the excitement of other student wives for a new year of Christ-centered fellowship, and for the opportunity to hear from Carla Greenway.

“I loved hearing Mrs. Greenway speak,” Gabbert says. “Just being able to hear her story and calling was an encouragement. Our stories are very similar, and I was able to relate on many levels. She was honest and raw with what she shared, and I could see her love for the Lord and for the seminary.”

“I am excited for what is ahead for Southwestern Seminary,” Gabbert says, “and [I] couldn’t be happier with the woman who stands beside Dr. Greenway.”