Gehman, Ernest G. (1901-1988)
Ernest Gehman was for 50 years (1938-1988) a minister of the gospel in the Northern District of the Virginia Mennonite Conference (Mennonite Church); taught German and other subjects for 49 years (1924-1973) at Eastern Mennonite College, and was associated with the periodical The Sword and Trumpet for almost 60 years.
Born 26 November 1901 at Bally, Pennsylvania, Gehman was the son of Daniel and Elizabeth (Gehman) Gehman. He studied at Eastern Mennonite School, Goshen College, and took his baccalaureate and MA degrees from Franklin and Marshall College. In 1949 he received his doctorate from Heidelberg University in Germany. In his teaching career he distinguished himself as a master of German and English composition which became his special fields.
On 26 March 1938 he was ordained to the Christian ministry at Zion Mennonite Church near Broadway, Virginia. He was pastor of Pleasant Grove Mennonite Church, Fort Seybert, WV (1939-1945), and at Morning View Mennonite Church, Singers Glen, VA (1946-1975). He served in various offices and on numerous committees in the Virginia Conference and on the Publication Board of the Mennonite Church (MC).
Always of a conservative turn of mind he was associated with the Sword and Trumpet periodical from its beginning in 1929. He was office editor for many years and was a member of its corporate board. In the early years he illustrated the magazine with original gospel cartoons.
He was interested in the preservation of the Pennsylvania German dialect. He frequently offered classes in the dialect at Eastern Mennonite College and gathered stories, poems, and anecdotes which he preserved in a tape collection.
He was married twice. He and Gertrude Nissley became the parents of three sons and two daughters. After her death, he married Margaret Martin, a fellow teacher at Eastern Mennonite College. He died 29 June 1988.
| Author(s) | Linden M Wenger |
|---|---|
| Date Published | 1988 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Wenger, Linden M. "Gehman, Ernest G. (1901-1988)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1988. Web. 16 Apr 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Gehman,_Ernest_G._(1901-1988)&oldid=56614.
APA style
Wenger, Linden M. (1988). Gehman, Ernest G. (1901-1988). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 16 April 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Gehman,_Ernest_G._(1901-1988)&oldid=56614.
Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 5, p. 325. All rights reserved.
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