Connie Faber will retire as Christian Leader editor this spring. Faber joined the USMB denominational magazine staff in 1994 and was appointed editor in 2004. She anticipates May 30, 2025, will be her final day.
“Connie has faithfully served the USMB conference for over three decades,” says Aaron Box, USMB national director. “Under her leadership, Christian Leader has won numerous awards and has faithfully told the story of our churches. Connie leaves giant shoes to fill in both her dedication and skill and will be dearly missed. I am grateful for Connie’s work and friendship, and I wish her nothing but the best as she seeks what Jesus has ahead for her in retirement.”
As editor, Faber coordinated several magazine redesigns that coincided with significant changes within the magazine or USMB. The 2005 redesign was completed with the help of Journey Group, a design firm that worked with faith-based nonprofit and humanitarian organizations and marked the beginning of her tenure as editor. A form of the “box” CL masthead introduced in 2005 remained a key feature of the magazine until 2022.
The award-winning 2010 redesign saw the magazine published in full color throughout for the first time, incorporated the USMB mission statement and marked the shift from publishing monthly to bimonthly. A redesign in 2017 marked the introduction of a new USMB vision and the 2022 redesign noted a change in the magazine’s editorial approach.
Faber was involved in developing and enhancing the magazine’s online platforms and social media presence. The magazine began publishing CL Online in 2008. The magazine’s online presence was improved in 2017 when the current website was launched. Faber introduced C-Link, a free biweekly electronic news digest, in 2012.
Under her leadership, the Christian Leader won 16 awards from the Evangelical Press Association. As associate editor, Faber won a second-place award in 2002 in the reporting category of the EPA Higher Goals contest.
At 31 years, Faber is the longest serving Christian Leader staff member. Orlando Harms has the longest tenure as editor, serving for 22 years, from 1954 to 1976. Faber will have served as editor for 21 years.
Prior to serving as editor, Faber was the CL assistant/associate for 10 years, working with editor Don Ratzlaff from 1994 to 1998 and Carmen Andres from 1998 to 2003. In 1999 she was promoted to associate editor. Faber served as interim editor following Ratzlaff’s resignation and then again when Andres resigned.
When Faber joined the Christian Leader staff, the editors were responsible to the Board of Communications, elected by delegates to the biennial USMB conventions. USMB boards were disbanded in 2004 in favor of a single governing board. All USMB staff, including the CL editor, were responsible to the national director. In 2021, Faber began working with the Editorial Committee to select themes, articles and writers for the magazine’s feature department.
Faber served as editor under four USMB national directors: Chuck Buller, Ed Boschman, Don Morris and Aaron Box. She worked with four assistants—Natalie Roth, Nadine Friesen, Myra Holmes and Janae (Rempel) Shafer—and three contracted graphic designers. She also mentored several college interns, many of whom went on to pursue careers in journalism.
“Connie loves the Mennonite Brethren faith community, and she has served our denominational publication faithfully the past 30 years,” associate editor Shafer says. “Her leadership has shaped the award-winning magazine we have today. Connie’s commitment to journalistic integrity is admirable, and her thoughtfulness, flexibility and dedication have left a lasting impact on me. It has been a joy to work alongside Connie, and I wish her the best in her next chapter.”
Faber has been involved with the Evangelical Press Association and Meetinghouse, a North American Mennonite editor’s association. She is the co-author of Family Matters: Discovering the Mennonite Brethren.
“This was the best job I could have ever had,” Faber says. “I consider it a privilege to have been one of the people who has chronicled the life of the U.S. Mennonite Brethren Church. I value having co-workers who were also friends, and I appreciate the skills and perspective that each assistant editor brought to the magazine. I am thankful for the men and women from our churches who write for our publication and have enjoyed working with them. It was always fun to attend district, U.S. and General Conference conventions and the USMB National Youth Conference.”
When asked about highlights, Faber lists working with staff of the MB Herald, the Christian Leader’s Canadian counterpart, to cover the 2002 U.S./Canadian gathering that marked the dissolution of the General Conference and the joint celebration in 2010 of the 150th anniversary of the founding of the Mennonite Brethren Church.
Memorable opportunities include attending international Mennonite and Mennonite Brethren events that were held in the U.S. This includes the first global consultation sponsored by the International Community of Mennonite Brethren (ICOMB) in 1999 and the 2015 ICOMB summit and Mennonite World Conference assembly, both held in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
Prior to joining the Christian Leader staff, Faber, a 1980 graduate of Tabor College, worked for more than 13 years in a variety of capacities at the college, the MB college in Hillsboro, Kansas.
According to Faber, the relationships she developed while working at Tabor and as a volunteer at the national and district levels helped in her magazine work. Faber volunteered as a member of the Southern District Conference Youth Commission from 1981-89 and served one term as the SDC secretary (1993-95). She directed the SDC summer Kids Camp in 1991 and 1994. She was also a member of the National MB Youth Conference planning team for Glorieta ’87 and Estes ‘91.
Faber and her husband, David, have three adult children and three grandchildren. They are active members of Ebenfeld MB Church, rural Hillsboro.
This article has been posted by Christian Leader staff. The Christian Leader is the magazine of U.S. Mennonite Brethren.
We appreciate the decades of great work from Connie, and wish her the best for her retirement.