· Chairman, MATUL Training Commission, and Encarnacao Alliance of Urban Poor Mission Leaders.
· International Director, Urban Leadership Foundation
· Assoc. Prof. of Urban Missions, MA in Transformational Urban Leadership, Department of Urban & Multiethnic Studies, Azusa Pacific Seminary
Prophetic voice, missions entrepreneur, viral networker, servant among the urban poor: As a young graduate, and in quiet dependence on God to provide, Viv Grigg went to live in the slums of Manila, pioneering churches and development. He has been a prophetic voice calling from the slums of Manila, Kolkata, Sao Paulo, Los Angeles... inviting many hundreds to live in apostolic communities among the poor. These works have created a plethora of organizations that transform poverty in over 40 cities. He attributes the fruit of this to the overflowing work of the Holy Spirit on these who choose to live the cross among the poor.
Global Networking: He coordinated the global AD2000 Cities Network in the 1990’s catalysing and connecting city leadership teams globally. He developed the Vision for Auckland process in the 1990’s. He coordinates the Encarnação Alliance of urban poor movement leaders. Their grassroots city learning networks of slum pastors in one three 3 year period established over 1800 new churches. He is Chairman of the MATUL Commission, which has catalysed training in 5 continents. Recently worked on a small WEA-Middle East strategy/funding project.
As an academic trained in theology, community organization, and urban anthropology, and as Director of Urban Leadership Foundation, he catalysed the MA in Transformational Urban Leadership (MATUL) now with 8 partnering institutions globally. In 2009, he relocated from New Zealand to be an Associate Professor to Azusa Pacific University in Los Angeles (one of the partners) to lead their MATUL expansion. He is author of 7 books including the paradigm-shifting Companion to the Poor, whose call to radical incarnation among the poor and lifestyles of simplicity has challenged many. His recent Spirit of Christ and the Postmodern City predicts a future beyond postmodernism. Conversations on Economic Discipleship has answers to the present ethical dilemmas of capitalism. See www.urbanleaders.org for more information. Married to Ieda, a Free Methodist preacher and chaplain to those dying of cancer. Three adult kids.
Demonstrated gifts mix: Prophetic (intercessor, visionary, strategist, motivational preacher, writer, catalyst), leading to the apostolic (establishing a new work every three to six months, networker) pastoral trainer (mentoring, leadership development), wisdom / leadership, teaching (action-reflection educator/trainer), community activist (mercy, organizer, projects manager), entrepreneurial administrator (create structures rather than maintain them), fundraiser. All of that which is fruitful above can be attributed to the work of the Holy Spirit, who takes what we do and works far beyond us.
Weaknesses: Create too many ideas for admin staff to manage, cannot understand or manage poofters, fudgers and political manipulators, at times a critical spirit or unwise word can offend, many become jealous as God touches works. Have a soft voice and unimposing persona, have always struggled to fully fund all that is put in my hands. Not as young as I was, introvert, am dependent on the people around me, and often admin help is not there for each work. While competent in management, I die if locked in an office, managing endless maintenance details.
· PhD (Theology), Auckland University, New Zealand. 2006. Fields: Pneumatology, Urban Theology, Urban Leadership, Sociology of Religion (University Scholar)
· M.A. (Missions) Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, CA, USA, 1987 Fields: Urban Anthropology, Community Development
· Certificate of Accomplishment in Tagalog, Manila, Philippines. 1980
· Post Grad Dip. Teaching, Christchurch Teachers College, Christchurch, New Zealand 1973.
· B.E.(Elect). Canterbury University, Christchurch, New Zealand, 1973.
1984 Companion to the Poor, Albatross Books: Sydney.
· 1990, 2nd edition MARC: Monrovia, CA.
· 2006, rev edn, London: Authentic.
· 2010 3rd Edition. Auckland: Urban Leadership Foundation.
Translations
· 1990 tr. in German. Mit den armen leben. Wolfgang Simson Verlag: Lorrach.
· 1988 tr. in Portuguese Servos Entre Os Pobres. Comibam/Aura Books: Sao Paulo, Brazil.
§ 2006 rev edn Ultimato: Curitiba
· 1994. tr. in Spanish Siervos Entre Los Pobres, Nueva Creacion: Buenos Aires and Eerdmans.
· 1995. tr. in Korean, _______________________, IVP: Seoul.
· 2005 tr. Indian Tamil edition, YWAM: Chennai.
· 1992-1997 (Revised yearly) Transforming Cities: An Urban Leadership Guide, Auckland: Urban Leadership Foundation.
Booklets
Some Professional Papers, Book Chapters and Articles
Some Popular Articles
Some Major Conference Involvements
· The Incarnate Christ in the Underside of Anti-Christian Megalopolises
· The Poor You Will Have With You Always - Did Jesus Really Mean This?
· The Poor Wise Man and YTREVOP the Demon
· Releasing Holiness: Fires of Reconciliation, Restitution and Citywide Revival
· Discipling the Poor: The Challenge of Integrating Social Responsibility, Evangelism and Discipleship
· The City of God is a Multiethnic Party - Starting Now!
· Cosmic Christ - Transformer of the Soul of a Nation
· 1996, 1997, 1998. Australian AD2000 National Leadership Consultations as plenary speaker
· 1999. Vision for Auckland Huis, organiser, keynote address on Six Battlefronts in Auckland
· 2000. Transformational Conversations: Developing Indigenous Theologies hui, Auckland, facilitator.
· 2001. Biola Missions Conference, addresses, Reaching the Poor of Asia's Mega-Cities, The Judgement of God on a Post modern City.
· 2008. RENAS Brazil, keynote, Jesus-style Seminary in the Slums
· 2009. Sao Paulo, Brazil. Igreja Relevamente e Incarnacional
· 2009. Revitalization Consultation, Asbury Seminary, The Spirit of Christ and the Postmodern City. KY: Asbury Seminary, Oct 2009.
· 2013. (February). Multiplying Millions in Holistic Slum Movements: Apostolic and Diaconal Perspectives. Presentation given at the second gathering of the International Society of Urban Missions. Bangkok, Thailand.
· 2013. Theology and Practice of Land Rights. Conference plenary address and workshop presented at the Call2Compassion and Justice conference. Mumbai, India.
· 2013. Economic Discipleship: Vulnerability to Liberate the Vulnerable. Paper presented at the annual conference of the Alliance for Vulnerable Mission. Norwalk, England.
· 2014 CMESP. O Reino de Deus e Economia Solidaria. Plenary at the Conferência Missionária do Estado de São Paulo (CMESP), Rio de Janiero, Brazil
· 2014 February, MoveIn, Toronto.
o Plenaries:
o The Poor Wise Man
o See also White board explainer video, The Poor Wise Man
o Hovering Spirit, Creative Voice
o Seminar
Developing a Poor Peoples' Church
· 2015. Slum Pastors’ Training in Economic Discipleship. New Delhi, India. May 5-9, 2015.
· 2017 Economic Discipleship. Companions Among the Poor. Manila, March 30-31, 2017.
120 of these presentations may be found at http://www.authorstream.com. Or on slideshare. Most are simple quality. Search for vivgrigg. Total Views, as of June 15, 2017: 13926. Embed Views: 1658.
Movie about Viv Grigg's work
Stewart, David, 2016. Poor Wise Man. www.poorwiseman.vhx.tv
Training Videos
30 videos on urban missions, urban spirituality, urban realities etc. on www.vimeo.com/vivgrigg
Websites (updated yearly, always developing)
1996. Building City Leadership Teams. http://www.urbanleaders.org/620Leadership/08cityleaders/index.html
1997. Transforming Revival. http://www.urbanleaders.org/transrevival/
1998. Portuguese Training Materials http://www.urbanleaders.org/Portuguese/
2002. Urban Realities. http://www.urbanleaders.org/540UrbanReality/ (Needs second half)
2002. Urban Poor Churchplanting. http://www.urbanleaders.org/530FaithComm/
2004. Encarnacao Alliance Training Commission website. www.urbanleaders.org/ma
2004. Community Economics. http://www.urbanleaders.org/560CommEcon/
2007 Urban Poor Movement Leadership. http://www.urbanleaders.org/620Leadership/
2007. Biblical Theology of Mission. http://www.urbanleaders.org/500Writings/
2007. Urban Spirituality. www.urbanleaders.org/520UrbanSpirituality
2009. Land Rights www.urbanleaders.org/655LandRights
2016 Trainer of Trainers. http://urbanleaders.org/webtrainer/ (Under construction)
1998. Grassroots Church-planters’ Training. http://www.urbanleaders.org/weburbpoor/
2017. Economic Discipleship. www.economicdisciple.org - 40 podcasts for oral learners.
In the process of the Lord establishing these organizations, they currently are contributing more than $2 million per year into works around the world in the slums (by a rough calculation). As all I do is built on colabourship with others, in a unity of spirit, so I can only claim that the Lord has touched people though catalysed vision, imparted a spirituality, anointed leaders, enabled me to set up systems and build the initial teams in these works. These have been based on volunteer workers, workers living by faith, workers raising their own support, partnerships with churches, and as they grow occasional foundation grants. I have however raised personal support for many years form the New Zealand church (though not currently).
I have written proposals and raised grant moneys over the years from foundations and some businessmen to catalyse the many works: We have earned trust, some results being (in US$) $3,000 (x3 for educational processes), $5,000, $10,000 (for scholarships) $15,000, $25,000 (x4, one for HIV program in Africa, one for surveying works in 12 cities globally) $50,000 (x3), for development of the MA in Transformational Urban Leadership, $500,000 (God touched a businessman to give for scholarships at APU) (These are a rough recollection of some of these).
I have however raised personal support for many years from the New Zealand church (though not currently).
I have written proposals and raised grant moneys over the years from foundations and some businessmen to catalyse the many works: Some being (in US$) $3,000 (x3 for educational processes), $5,000, $10,000 (for scholarships) $15,000, $25,000 (x4, one for HIV program in Africa, one for surveying works in 12 cities globally) $50,000 (x3), for development of the MA in Transformational Urban Leadership, $500,000 (for scholarships) (A rough recollection).
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