Zehr retires from AMBS Church Leadership Center
Published: October 22, 2025
By Annette Brill Bergstresser
ELKHART, Indiana (Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary) — Cheryl Zehr, MA, of Elkhart, Indiana, retired from her role as Executive Assistant for the Church Leadership Center of Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary (AMBS) in Elkhart, Indiana, after 13 years of service. Her last day was Aug. 31, 2025.
Zehr joined the Church Leadership Center (CLC) in August 2012 as Administrative Assistant. Over her time at AMBS, she handled logistics and recordkeeping for numerous noncredit CLC offerings, including conferences such as Pastors & Leaders (formerly Pastors Week), Short Courses, Spiritual Direction Seminars, the Journey Missional Leadership Development Program, webinars and various in-person daylong workshops. In 2018, her job title changed to Executive Assistant to reflect her increased responsibilities.
“Cheryl has been a steady pillar in the operations of the Church Leadership Center over her years of service,” said Jewel Gingerich Longenecker, PhD, Dean of Lifelong Learning. “Whether she was offering a warm welcome to seminary guests or managing details behind the scenes, she brought great care and conscientiousness to her work, serving with a joyful and generous spirit.”
Zehr stood out for her kindness and enthusiasm in addition to her dedication and reliability, Gingerich Longenecker added. She was the main point of contact for many participants in CLC programs and events, since she managed registration and evaluation processes; handled communication and arrangements for travel, lodging and meals; and answered phone and email inquiries. With her initiative and her collaborative, relational style, she kept projects and processes organized and on track, supporting colleagues both within and beyond her department.
“Cheryl maintained a standard of excellence that has been evident to anyone who has come into contact with CLC programs and events,” Gingerich Longenecker said. “She has also been a strong advocate for AMBS, happy to share about and connect people with our offerings.”
In addition, Gingerich Longenecker affirmed Zehr’s consistent presence and participation in community life at the seminary — not only at chapel services, breaks and lunches, but also at many AMBS events outside of normal work hours.
“We’re grateful for her commitment to the mission of AMBS and the vital work of the CLC,” she said. “Her work will continue to have a lasting impact on church leaders and lay people, as well as on us, her colleagues.”
Zehr said she enjoyed the variety in her work responsibilities and often felt she already knew CLC program participants by the time she met them in person due to the interactions they’d had beforehand. She also appreciated being able to participate in community life; interact with students, staff and professors; and hear and meet guest speakers from around the world during her time at AMBS.
Zehr holds a Master of Arts in Elementary Education from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, and a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education from Goshen (Indiana) College. Prior to joining AMBS, she worked in public education as both a classroom teacher and administrative assistant, serving in Fitzgerald, Georgia (1980–82); Middlebury, Indiana (1982–91); Moundridge, Kansas (1992–95); and Elkhart (1998–2012). She is a member of Waterford Mennonite Church in Goshen, where her late husband, Terry Zehr, served as Pastor of Senior Ministries.
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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