Janzen, Gerald (1946-2023)
Gerald "Gerry" Herbert Janzen: teacher and church leader; born 6 September 1946 in Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada to Henry Janzen (1 October 1919, Samara, Russia – 16 October 2001, Abbotsford, British Columbia) and Katharine (Neumann) Janzen (27 September 1919, Rosenwald, Barnaul, Asiatic Russia – 8 June 2013, Mission, British Columbia), the second of three children. On 3 May 1969, Gerry married Edeltraut "Trudy" Sommerfeld, daughter of Friedrich (1916-1947) and Emilie (Bartel) Sommerfeld (1922-2019). They had two sons, Christian and Eric. Gerry died on 3 November 2023 at Royal Columbian Hospital in New Westminster, British Columbia.
Gerry and his siblings moved to Yukon Territory with their parents when he was six years old. In 1958, they moved back to the southern coast, settling in North Delta. The Janzens became members of Strawberry Hill Mennonite Brethren (renamed Kennedy Heights Mennonite Brethren) Church in Surrey, where Gerry was baptized in 1961. Gerry graduated from North Delta Secondary School in 1964, following which he attended Mennonite Brethren Bible Institute (now Columbia Bible College) in Abbotsford, B.C. for one year. It was here that he met Trudy Sommerfeld.
In 1967, Gerry enrolled at Simon Fraser University and graduated in 1970. He began his teaching career at Mt. Elizabeth Secondary in Kitimat, BC (three years), followed by four years in Kelowna, BC. His teaching load included German, French, English, and Social Studies. In fall 1977, Gerry and Trudy Janzen moved to Fresno, California where Gerry completed an MA in Biblical Studies at Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary. Following seminary, he accepted a teaching position at the Institute Biblique Laval (renamed École de Théologie Évangélique de Montréal) in Quebec, where he taught for five years.
In 1983, the Janzens moved back to the west coast and settled in Abbotsford. Here Gerry taught French at the Mennonite Educational Institute for two years. In 1985 he was offered a teaching position at Columbia Bible College, where he taught Hermeneutics, Greek, and Old and New Testament. In 1999 he completed a Master of Theology degree at Regent College.
Gerry considered involvement in the life of his church community a very important part of his life. He served as moderator at Église Chrétienne Évangélique de Saint-Thérèse in Quebec, and West Clearbrook and Bakerview Mennonite Brethren churches in Abbotsford. He also served on various national and provincial Mennonite Brethren Conference boards and committees.
Gerry had always considered teaching at Columbia Bible College as his "dream job." His students appreciated his teaching for the depth of knowledge he brought to the classroom along with the humor he injected into his lessons. Gerry was very accessible to students and welcomed them into his office for discussions on whatever they needed to talk about. He enjoyed getting to know them on a personal level, and this was deeply appreciated by his students.
Janzen was also active as a lay preacher, both in the churches he attended and at Columbia Bible College as part of church deputation assignments. He was engaged in writing articles for Directions, a church-related journal, and lessons for the Mennonite quarterly devotional Rejoice.
Gerry was a voracious reader and never tired of learning and researching new ideas and activities, and this filled much of his leisure time. He enjoyed cooking and trying out a variety of new recipes and having walks and short car trips with Trudy. Due to a stroke, his physical activities became more limited in his latter years.
Gerry had a gift for making others feel heard and valued. All who knew Gerry encountered a strong faith marked by love, compassion, and the sure knowledge of God’s goodness.
| Author(s) | David F. Loewen |
|---|---|
| Date Published | September 2024 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Loewen, David F.. "Janzen, Gerald (1946-2023)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. September 2024. Web. 1 Dec 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Janzen,_Gerald_(1946-2023)&oldid=179677.
APA style
Loewen, David F.. (September 2024). Janzen, Gerald (1946-2023). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 1 December 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Janzen,_Gerald_(1946-2023)&oldid=179677.
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