Peter Neufeld reminiscences

I was married in the summer of 1958 and brought my wife, Onalee, with me to Elkhart in the fall. My first view of the Mennonite Biblical Seminary campus was a bit of a surprise. I saw a large expanse of grass that looked more like a cow pasture than an institution of learning. This was quite a contrast to the seminary campus in Chicago. On this expanse of grass was a little Farmall tractor going back and forth trying to mow all that grass. The operator was Larry Voth, a good friend from Bethel College days.

When I saw the seminary buildings, my impression was, “They’re nice but seem a little small for a seminary.” There is a vast different in the campus 50 years later. (Just look at the trees.)

That first year in Elkhart, Onalee taught school to support my education and we lived in the Pannebecker basement apartment. My second year we lived in the dormitory apartment and served as seminary host and hostess for overnight visitors. We met very important and very interesting people.

At Elkhart, I did miss a couple of the professors from Bethany Seminary in Chicago, such as Dr. Mallott and Dr. Ziegler. I, however, felt truly enriched by the professors gained in our relationship with Goshen Biblical Seminary, such as H.S. Bender, John Howard Yoder and others. Erland Waltner had been my teacher at Bethel College so I was happy to again have him as my teacher as well as president of the seminary. There were other teachers that I now appreciated at Mennonite Biblical Seminary, such as William Klassen, Jacob Enz, Leland and Bertha Harder and others.

Another new dimension was a group of fellow students—the bus people from Goshen. I learned to know and appreciate many of them. I wonder, “How much influence these inter-seminary relationships had on the later merger of the Mennonite Church and General Conference Mennonite Church?” At lot—I think.

My biggest class challenges were studying Old Testament Hebrew courses with Dr. Enz and the New Testament Greek courses with Dr. Klassen. They, however, were very helpful in my pastoral ministries.

As to what should a focus be in the future? Our seminary is a “biblical” seminary and it is a “Mennonite” seminary. Our church people want to hear, “What does the Bible say?” from their ministers. It appears to me, however, that fewer Mennonites today want to hear of our Anabaptist Mennonite history and our interpretation of Scripture. They need to hear both from our seminary graduates.

Peter J. Neufeld, class of 1960
Hutchinson, Kan.