Dr. Robert W. Canoy

Professor Emeritus, School of Divinity

A native of Greenville, Miss., Dr. Robert W. Canoy developed a strong foundation in faith that would shape his lifelong calling as a pastor, theologian, educator, and academic leader. Born on Sept. 1, 1958, he is the son of the late William C. Canoy Jr. and Dorothy Laws Canoy.

For 25 years, Canoy served Gardner-Webb University’s M. Christopher White School of Divinity as professor, associate dean, and dean. During his 16 years as dean, he guided the school through program growth, strengthened its academic programs, expanded scholarship opportunities for students, and advanced its mission of preparing persons for Christian ministries. Following his retirement in 2025, Gardner-Webb honored Canoy with the designation of Professor Emeritus.

Canoy’s relationship with Gardner-Webb began in 1997 when he was invited by former Dean Dr. Wayne Stacy to serve as an adjunct faculty member while leading First Baptist Church of Shelby as senior pastor. Even in those early years, he played an important role in the School of Divinity’s direction, serving as an ecclesiastical representative during preparations for the school’s initial five-year accreditation process. In 2000, he joined the University full-time as associate dean and associate professor.

A graduate of Mississippi College in Clinton, Canoy earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in religion with a minor in English in 1980. He later received both the Master of Divinity degree in 1983 and the Doctor of Philosophy degree in 1987 from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky. His doctoral studies focused on New Testament theology, New Testament language, and historical theology under distinguished scholars including Dr. Wayne Ward, Dr. James Blevins, Dr. John Polhill, and Dr. Timothy George. He completed University Study at Hebrew Union College and Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Throughout his ministry and academic career, Canoy balanced scholarship with pastoral service. Before arriving at Gardner-Webb, he served congregations in Missouri, Iowa, Maryland, and North Carolina, including leadership roles as senior minister of First Baptist Church of Shelby, First Baptist Church of Rockville, Md., and Ashworth Road Baptist Church in West Des Moines, Iowa. Even while serving as dean, he remained active in local church ministry, providing interim pastoral leadership to numerous churches throughout North Carolina and regularly teaching Bible studies focused on the Book of Revelation. From 1997 to 2010, he also served as chaplain for the Gardner-Webb football team, providing spiritual encouragement and support to student-athletes.

In 2009, Canoy was named the fourth dean of the School of Divinity after twice guiding the school through periods of transition. As dean, he provided steady leadership, helping the school remain faithful to its mission of preparing persons for Christian ministries while maintaining rigorous academic standards. He played a pivotal role in every major accreditation review during his tenure, including the school’s initial 10-year accreditation in 2004 by the Association of Theological Schools and subsequent reaffirmation reviews in 2014 and 2024. His commitment to academic excellence ensured the School of Divinity continued to meet the highest standards of graduate theological education.

Canoy also worked to foster an environment where students from diverse denominational and theological backgrounds could prepare for ministry while engaging thoughtfully with Scripture and theology. He believed the School of Divinity should provide a strong theological foundation without pushing students toward ideological extremes. As he explained, “We present the broad landscape of biblical and theological interpretation, and provide a setting where students can wrestle with those things and can move forward both in their faith and in their ministerial calling.”

He often described theological education using the analogy of a suitcase, first introduced to him by former Dean Stacy, encouraging students to examine the beliefs they brought with them. “When you leave here, you can leave saying, ‘I own this. I thought this through, and this is why I believe what I believe,'” he said. Throughout his tenure, Canoy emphasized that the school’s role was not to call people into ministry, but to prepare men and women to faithfully serve where God called them.

Canoy valued the contributions of his colleagues and the diversity of the School of Divinity faculty, including Professor of Missiology Dr. Terry Casiño of the Philippines, Professor of Pastoral Care and Counseling Dr. Hebert Palomino of Colombia, and Professor Emerita Dr. Sophia Steibel of Brazil. He believed that international representation strengthened the school’s educational mission.

One of Canoy’s most significant achievements was securing resources that transformed the student experience. Under his leadership, the School of Divinity enhanced and established three endowed faculty chairs: the W. Randall Lolley Chair for Pastoral Studies, the Bob Shepherd Chair of Biblical Studies, and the Bonnie Price Chair for Christian Formation and Leadership. He also helped secure an endowment exceeding $1 million to support international study opportunities, allowing generations of students to travel to significant biblical and historical sites.

Through partnerships with the Charles B. Keesee Educational Fund, churches, and other donors, Canoy worked tirelessly toward a personal goal of enabling students to graduate prepared for ministry without the burden of educational debt. As a result, many divinity students completed their degrees with full scholarship support.

A passionate educator, Canoy taught a wide range of courses in biblical studies, theology, church history, and ministry. His classroom instruction included subjects such as Introduction to the Old and New Testaments, Christian Theology, Contemporary Theology, New Testament Greek, Worship, Eschatology, and specialized studies of Revelation, Acts, Romans, The Sermon on the mount, and the Synoptic Gospels. Students consistently benefited from his ability to connect scholarly insight with practical ministry application.

Canoy also became widely known for leading educational tours to Israel, Greece, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Rome, and other locations connected to biblical history. For more than two decades, he guided students, pastors, and community members through the lands of the Bible, helping them deepen their understanding of Scripture through firsthand experience.

These journeys became a hallmark of his ministry and one of the School of Divinity’s most distinctive opportunities. Reflecting on those experiences, Canoy said, “That’s been a real highlight … to watch students go to the Bible places and to connect the Bible with that part of the world for their own preaching and teaching.”

Additionally, Canoy distinguished himself as a scholar and author. His 2017 book, “Atonement in the Apocalypse: An Exposé of the Defeat of Evil,” explored the theology of atonement in the Book of Revelation for both scholarly and church audiences. He contributed numerous articles, essays, and book reviews to Review & Expositor, addressing topics ranging from eschatology and biblical interpretation to theology and preaching. His academic work reflected a lifelong commitment to making theological scholarship accessible and relevant for the church.

Whether serving as dean, professor, pastor, chaplain, author, or mentor, Canoy consistently invested in the formation of students preparing to lead churches and ministries around the world. Under his leadership, the School of Divinity strengthened its academic foundation, expanded student opportunities, increased financial support, and deepened its commitment to serving the church.

Throughout his career, Canoy was supported by a strong family foundation. He married Cynthia Deniese Scarborough on June 2, 1979, and together they have two adult sons, Robert William Jr. and Ryan Thomas.

Sources: Personal interview by Jackie Bridges (2025), Emeritus nomination letter by Dr. James R. McConnell Jr., GWU files