Today’s Leader of Faith
BETTY GREENE
Home Call : 10 April 1997
Founder of Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF), Evangelist, Script Translator, Crisis Responder.
Elizabeth Everts Greene (1920–1997) famously known as Betty Greene was an American pilot and missionary who co-founded the Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF). She was the first MAF pilot and dedicated her life to using aviation to support Christian missions, transporting missionaries, medical supplies, and aid to remote locations. During World War II, she served as a pilot in the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP), a program that trained women to fly military aircraft to support the war effort. She flew two Wycliffe Bible Translators missionaries to a remote jungle in Mexico in a Waco UPF-7 biplane in 1946. Later that year, she made history as the first woman pilot to cross the Andes Mountains delivering supplies to missionaries in South America. She flew for Christian missions across South America, Africa, and Asia, helping remote communities. Her work demonstrated the powerful role aviation could play in spreading the Gospel and supporting humanitarian missions. She was inducted into the Women in Aviation International Pioneer Hall of Fame in 2017.
Greene was born on June 24, 1920, in Seattle, Washington, USA. She grew up in a devout Presbyterian family that nurtured her faith. She attended the University of Washington, studying in the aeronautical field. During World War II, she joined the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP), where she trained as a military pilot. As a WASP pilot, she flew military aircraft, including transport planes, and gained valuable flight experience. Her early experiences prepared her for her later role in Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF), where she used her skills for missionary work.
Greene’s ministry was centered around using aviation to support missionary work. She believed that airplanes could help spread the Gospel to remote and isolated communities worldwide. She co-founded Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) with other Christian pilots. Their goal was to provide safe and efficient air transport for missionaries, Bible translators, medical teams, and humanitarian aid. She flew in South America, Africa, Asia, and the Pacific, serving in countries like Peru, Nigeria, and Papua New Guinea. Her work supported Bible translation, medical missions, and disaster relief efforts.
After retiring from flying, Greene continued to advocate for missionary aviation and train new pilots. She passed away in 1997, but MAF continues to operate today, reaching remote areas with the Gospel.
— John Michael, Rajahmundry