The Rev. Elward Ellis always rooted for the underdog. He championed the causes of the marginalized and he wanted the voices of the minority heard.
Social change and social justice issues were part of his life’s work. A life that ended suddenly Saturday morning after Rev. Ellis’ minivan crossed the center line of North Druid Hills Road and collided head-on with an oncoming truck. He was 63.
A funeral service is planned for 9 a.m. Saturday at Calvary Gospel Church in Newark, N.J. Burial will immediately follow the service. Gregory B. Levett & Sons Funeral Homes & Crematory, South DeKalb Chapel, is in charge of arrangements.
Dr. Dawn Swaby-Ellis suspects her husband of almost 30 years suffered from an unknown medical emergency while driving, but has not yet received autopsy results.
Rev. and Dr. Ellis came to Atlanta in 1986, while he was helping to plan an inter-faith multicultural conference, Destiny ‘87. The aim of the conference was to help people of color understand their role in the global church, said Dr. Ellis, a physician at Grady Memorial Hospital.
“He had a tremendous calling to teach the gospel of Jesus Christ,” his wife said. “He also had a deep concern for developing young black leaders in the church and in the world.”
Rev. Ellis’ work with leadership development started before he got to Atlanta, however. A native of Newark, Rev. Ellis worked closely with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, and was the organization’s first director of black campus ministries. He got connected with the group when he attended Shaw University in Raleigh, N.C., where he helped start an InterVarsity chapter, according to information from the organization. Rev. Ellis’ passion for social and urban justice was well-known among his InterVarsity peers.
“He very much wanted to see African-Americans involved in the global outreach of the church,” said the Rev. Tony Warner, an InterVarsity associate regional director in Atlanta. "He wasn’t just focused on African-Americans, but also on reaching out to people all over the world.”
At the time of his death, Rev. Ellis was pastor of Crossroads Presbyterian Church in Stone Mountain, a post that suited him well, said the Rev. Robert Henderson, of Tucker.
“When the leaders at Crossroads asked me what I thought about them calling Elward, I said, when it comes to communicating the Christian faith, I don’t know anybody who can do it better,” Rev. Henderson said. “Crossroads was a church in transition, and I told them Elward knew how to communicate with the white and black communities, that’s been his ministry since he started.”
In addition to his wife, Rev. Ellis is also survived by his son, Dwayne Ellis of Nashville, Tenn.; and his sister Dorothy Ellis of Newark, N.J.
