Jacob Elias retires

Jacob W. Elias, professor of New Testament, was honored by seminary faculty, staff and students on May 10 as he retires from 31 years of teaching AMBS.

In his teaching and scholarship, Elias focused on the writings of the Apostle Paul. “In all my courses I have tried to guide students in noting how Paul—as a missionary and pastor— thinks theologically within the contexts where congregational life and mission take place,” Elias explained. From his study and research came two books, the Believers Church Bible Commentary volume on I and II Thessalonians (Herald Press, 1995) and Remember the Future: The Pastoral Theology of Paul the Apostle (Herald Press, 2006).

Rebecca Slough, academic dean, pointed out that in 31 years of teaching, Jacob taught 24 different courses and worked with hundreds of seminary students. The result is a significant impact not only on those students, but also on the Mennonite Church and the church around the world, Slough noted.

“He is a respected teacher who makes his student work hard,” Slough said. He was one of the first AMBS faculty members to teach an online course, and then creatively brought what he learned from online teaching into the campus classroom. In a recent course, he linked campus students and online students for collaboration and then invited experienced pastors to add their perspectives to the discussions these pairs of students were having.

Elias’s tenure at AMBS is significant also because of the variety of roles he held in addition to teaching. He came to AMBS in 1977 on a one-year assignment as New Testament lecturer, then became director of field education for three years. He served as dean from 1981 to 1990, and as acting dean and vice president for short periods of time during other transitions in AMBS leadership. He was able to “step into the breech on short-term and emergency situations,” Nelson Kraybill, AMBS president, said.

Being a pastor has been an important part of Elias’s ministry. Before coming to AMBS, he was pastor of Mountainview Mennonite Church in Vancouver, B.C., 1966¬–1967, and has always considered himself to be a pastor who taught at the seminary. For the last six years, Elias and Lillian, his wife, have copastored Parkview Mennonite Church in Kokomo, Ind. “This call has become an inspiring opportunity to work at integrating pastoral work and Bible teaching,” Elias said. They will continue in these roles after Jacob’s teaching assignment with AMBS ends.

Elias will become professor emeritus of New Testament in July, when he officially leaves his teaching post at AMBS.

Mary E. Klassen / May 2008