Kaufman, James Norman (1880-1966)
James Norman Kaufman, the fourth of seven children of Jacob and Catherine Blough Kaufman, was born 20 October 1880 in Davidsville, PA. He grew up in the Johnstown, PA area and taught in the public schools. He was ordained to the ministry in 1902 and served the Rockton Mennonite Church for three years. He married Elsie Drange in 1909.
As a pioneer Mennonite missionary in Dhamtari, India (1905-1934), Norman did much to develop the institutional ministries. He had a good command of the Hindi language and was an able administrator. He also served as field secretary and treasurer 191734.
After returning to the United States in 1934 Norman served as pastor of the Pleasant Hill Mennonite Church in East Peoria, IL, until 1945 (bishop, 1941-45). He served as president of the Mennonite Board of Missions and Charities (Mennonite Church), 1937-1944, and continued as a member of the board until 1949.
After the death of Elsie Drange Kaufman in 1939, Norman married Lillie Shenk Kaufman in 1941 and returned to India for a short term (1945-1948). In 1963 the Kaufmans moved to Goshen where Norman died on 31 July 1966
Bibliography
Building on the Rock. Scottdale, PA: Mennonite Publishing House, 1926.
Graber, Esther Rose, comp. "Mennonite Board of Missions Missionary Directory." 1984.
Interviews with Mary Royer, Lois Shertz, and Minnie Graber.
Kaufman, J. N. Walks and Talks in Hindistan. Goshen, IN: The Author, 1963.
Lapp, John Allen. The Mennonite Church in India, 1897-1962, Studies in Anabaptist and Mennonite History, vol. 14. Scottdale, PA: Herald Press, 1972.
Springer, Nelson and A.J. Klassen, compilers, Mennonite Bibliography, 1631-1961, 2 vols. Scottdale, PA: Herald Press, 1977: author index.
| Author(s) | John A Friesen |
|---|---|
| Date Published | 1987 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Friesen, John A. "Kaufman, James Norman (1880-1966)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1987. Web. 24 Nov 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Kaufman,_James_Norman_(1880-1966)&oldid=57490.
APA style
Friesen, John A. (1987). Kaufman, James Norman (1880-1966). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 24 November 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Kaufman,_James_Norman_(1880-1966)&oldid=57490.
Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 5, pp. 484-485. All rights reserved.
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