Contact  About the
Executive Director
 Dr. Greg Linville was one of the
founding members of CSRM and has served as the Executive Director since
2000. He has experience as a local church sports and recreation
minister through First Friends Church in Canton, Ohio. The ministry
there reached over 2,000 people per week through the efforts of over
500 volunteers, a dozen staff and interns. Greg served as chaplain for
various professional, collegiate and scholastic sports teams and was
the chaplain for the Akron Aeros, an AA affiliate of the Cleveland
Indians for over 15 years. He also served for 13 years on the urban
staff of the YMCA and Young Life in Canton, Ohio where he ministered to
center city kids and gangs through sports and recreation.
In addition to his experience in different sports ministries, Dr.
Linville has also had much experience as a coach at various levels. He
has coached for over 25 years at the junior high, high school and
collegiate levels and has coached for over 30 years in recreational
leagues. Most recently he was a volunteer assistant coach at Heritage
Christian School in Canton, Ohio, where he was the Ohio District IV
Coach of the Year in 2006 and Assistant Coach of the Year in 2005.
Dr. Linville has also worked to forward the cause of sports ministers
in the academic forum. He was awarded the world’s first Honorary
Doctorate of Divinity Degree in Sports Ministry from Briercrest
Seminary in 1999 and has earned a Doctorate of Ministry Degree from
Ashland Seminary. He currently is an Assistant Professor of Sports
Outreach at Malone University and Adjunct Professor at South Africa
Theological Seminary, and has taught at Briercrest and Ashland
Seminaries. His current research focuses on the effectiveness of local
church sports outreach.
A list of Dr. Linville’s writings include the Salt Lake City Olympic
Bible Insert given to all the Olympic athletes. He has written articles
that include: the Theology of Competition, the Ethics of Competition,
The Theology of the Human Body, Lord’sDay Issues in Sport and others on
various aspects of Youth, Sport and Recreation Ministry. He is
currently writing a book entitled Christmanship – The Theology of
Competition and Sport.
Dr. Linville was married in 1982 and has two adult children.
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