Valerie Griffiths (1933–2022), a gifted Bible teacher, scholar and advocate for women in the church and mission, went to be with the Lord on 5 December 2022.
Valerie worked with OMF (formerly known as the Overseas Missionary Fellowship) for 23 years, first in Japan and later in Singapore, alongside her late husband Michael, who died in January 2022. Michael served as General Director between 1969 and 1980.
Gifted scholar
Valerie was a gifted scholar and theologian, one of only two women a year studying the subject at Oxford in the 1950s and going on to teach internationally up to postgraduate level in Asia, the UK, and North America. Valerie specialised in the Old Testament and Biblical history. She spent time teaching at the Discipleship Training Centre in Singapore, London School of Theology, and Regent College Vancouver. She continued to keep up with the latest scholarship long into retirement, for example regularly attending research seminars at the School of African and Oriental Studies.
In Japan, Valerie served in local churches and shared the gospel through English classes and cookery classes teaching Western-style dishes. While in Singapore she was instrumental in starting the Japan Christian Fellowship there, which has now been running for almost 50 years. She also helped bring Japanese Christian author Ayako Mirua’s work to a wider audience, translating Mirua’s autobiography The Wind is Howling into English.
Regent College thesis
Valerie was a passionate advocate for the role of women in Christian leadership. Her Masters’ thesis at Regent College explored the ministry of women in the China Inland Mission and OMF from 1920 to 1990. This work led to her book Not Less Than Everything, looking at early 19th-century women missionaries in China, which was critically acclaimed when published in 2004. Beyond world mission, from the 1980s Valerie was one of the early steering group members and keynote speakers for the Men, Women and God movement and events developed by the Evangelical Alliance and John Stott.
Valerie leaves behind her and Michael’s four children: John, Bronwen, Nigel and Glyn. The funeral took place at Millmead Guildford Baptist Church in Guildford on 13 January 2023.
