Stoltzfus retires from AMBS
Published: January 8, 2026
By Annette Brill Bergstresser
ELKHART, Indiana (Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary) — Karen Sherer Stoltzfus of Goshen, Indiana, retired from her role as Executive Assistant for the President and Vice President and Academic Dean of Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary (AMBS) in Elkhart, Indiana, after more than eight years of service. Her last day was Dec. 12, 2025.
Stoltzfus joined the seminary in July 2017, taking on a key leadership role with a wide range of responsibilities. In her time with AMBS, she provided support to the President, the Vice President/Academic Dean, the Teaching and Administrative Faculty, and the seminary’s academic departments; coordinated logistics and communication for various events and meetings, including those of the AMBS Board of Directors; and assisted with institutional reporting and accreditation-related projects; among other areas of oversight.
“Karen’s steady presence and gracious service have shaped the daily life of AMBS for the past eight years,” reflected David Boshart, PhD, President. “No matter who she was interacting with — board members, students, faculty, alumni or guests — she brought clarity, warmth and impeccable tact. She has represented AMBS with a kind of diplomacy and hospitality that have made people feel both welcomed and well cared for.”
Vice President and Academic Dean Beverly Lapp, EdD, added, “Karen’s leadership style is rooted in her gifts of hospitality as well as her commitment to thoughtful and thorough communication. Her talents have been great blessings to AMBS during her time with us.”
Boshart noted that the seminary community has also benefited from Stoltzfus’ resourcefulness and readiness to step into unfamiliar situations with creativity and a “can-do” spirit. Her gifts in organization and hospitality were especially visible in her service to AMBS board members during their semiannual meetings, he said, as she prepared dockets, handled communication, arranged travel, provided elegant refreshments and coordinated lodging and meals.
In addition, he affirmed her compassion and attentiveness: “Many employees and students have found in Karen a patient listener, someone who understands the complexities of community life and holds people’s stories with care. She has a remarkable ability to adapt to different personalities and situations.”
“Karen has carried the mission of AMBS in both her work and her way of being,” Boshart continued. “Her contributions are woven into the fabric of the seminary. We bless her into this next season of her life with immense gratitude, affection and respect.”
Stoltzfus brought extensive experience in organizational leadership, management and development work to her seminary role. Prior to joining AMBS, she served as Executive Director of Family Christian Development Center (2009–14), a faith-based nonprofit health and human services organization in Nappanee, Indiana; and as Vice President for Development of LaCasa, Inc. (2001–07), a faith-based community development organization in Goshen. While living in New York City, she worked for Amnesty International USA, serving as Planned Giving Coordinator (1991–95) and Director of Gift Planning (1995–2000).
With her spouse, Duane Stoltzfus, Professor of Communication at Goshen College, she co-led six Study-Service Term units in Peru for students of the college (2007–08, 2014–15). She also held several short-term positions at Goshen College, including as Administrative Assistant to three departments.
Stoltzfus holds a Bachelor of Arts in French Language/Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages from Goshen College (1981) and also took graduate-level courses in pastoral care and counseling, chaplaincy and gerontology at Iliff School of Theology and Denver University in Denver, Colorado (1987–89). She is a member of College Mennonite Church in Goshen.
Located in Elkhart, Indiana, on ancestral land of the Potawatomi and Miami peoples, Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary is a learning community with an Anabaptist vision, offering theological education for learners both on campus and at a distance as well as a wide array of lifelong learning programs — all with the goal of educating followers of Jesus Christ to be leaders for God’s reconciling mission in the world. ambs.edu
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