Among the pastors attending the Pastors’ Conference during USMB Gathering 2024 was retired minister Vernon Janzen, known for his love of Scripture memory, talent with the accordion and encouraging spirit.
At 93, Janzen was the oldest Pastors’ Conference participant. He energetically participated in the sessions, connecting with old friends and making new ones. During the affinity group break-out time, he joined a group for those who are volunteer leaders in the church.
“We loved hearing his stories about life,” says Joanne Loewen, Hillsboro, Kansas, one the affinity group members.
“Vernon was very adamant that one can be a volunteer in the church no matter what your age is,” says affinity group participant Rhonda Swiers, of Detroit Lakes, Minnesota. “Vernon kept using the word ‘with’ and stressing how important it is to minister with other believers. He talked about his wife and how special it was that he could minister to others with her.”
Loewen also remembers Janzen’s emphasis on the word “with.” She says Janzen spoke about how difficult it was when his wife, Genevieve, died in 2022. After her death, the word “with” became a source of comfort to Janzen. He realized God was with him and his wife was with God.
The affinity group was led by Sally Burkholder, of Hesston, Kansas, who was also impressed by Janzen’s love for his wife and family. “He loved his wife of 70 years and seven months,” Burkholder says. “He was also very complimentary of his family. He loves his sons, who all live very close to him. He spoke highly of his grandchildren and loves each of them and gets to spend valuable time with them.
“As I (walked) to the table I’d picked for our affinity group I saw someone’s Bible and things already placed at the table. I thought, ‘At least I’ll have one person to talk to!'” Burkholder says. “It was Vernon. I had absolutely no clue who he was. But Rhonda and Joanne joined us at the table and the conversation never stopped. I will never forget this opportunity the Lord blessed myself and our group with. I have a new appreciation for the word affinity.”
Janzen, who currently lives in Reedley, Calif., also attended the National Convention. His presence in Omaha was made possible by a friend’s generosity. When CL editors asked USMB Gathering 2024 participants for their story ideas, Janzen wrote the following:
“I am at the USMB Pastors’ Conference and National Convention because of the generosity of a Mennonite Brethren brother in the Lord who was a student at Immanuel Christian High School where I was his Bible teacher and principal.
“Pete Mierau is an ordinary, authentic believer who has practiced generosity and asked me in later years to be his life-long pastor/counselor,” Janzen writes. “In a small men’s group, I shared in spring how I would like to go to Omaha for the conference but had decided at age 93 not to go. Pete immediately responded: ‘Vernon, you have to go and I’ll pay for your flight.’ He gave me a check to cover all flight costs. Two weeks later, he was diagnosed with inoperable brain cancer and is now with the Lord. Many people have been helped by Pete’s life of Christ-like generosity.”
Janzen is one of those whose professional trajectory was changed when he was tapped by others to consider pastoral ministry. Janzen had spent four years at Immanuel before attending MB Biblical Seminary, Fresno, Calif., He graduated from MBBS in 1966 and from Fresno State University in 1973 with a master’s degree in psychology, with the goal of becoming a clinical psychologist.
The encouragement to apply his training in the church context led Janzen to accept the invitation to serve on the pastoral staff of Reedley (California) MB Church as minister of Christian education and youth with a significant time given to pastoral counseling. Three years later the Janzen family moved to Visalia, California, where Janzen served as senior pastor of Neighborhood Church for 10 years. He returned to education in 1980 when he became president of Tabor College, the MB college in Hillsboro, Kansas, and his alma mater.
Janzen returned to pastoral ministry in 1987 as senior pastor of Vinewood Community Church in Lodi, California. He retired in 1994 from full-time pastoral ministry and spent the next seven years serving Neighborhood Church in pastoral care and counseling on a part-time basis. He retired again in 2001, the same year he and Genevieve celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary.
After his full retirement, Janzen and his wife traveled extensively, spent time with their four sons and their families and were involved in their local church. He gave accordion concerts and continued to preach. In 2002, Janzen completed a 10-year project of memorizing the book of Mark and presented it as well as the Sermon on the Mount at conferences and worship services. He became involved with the Council of Senior Professionals at Fresno Pacific University and wrote his autobiography, The Exhilarating Life: Living by God-Given Principles.
In the last section of this book, Janzen reflects on preparing for eternity. “Preparing for eternal life is all about relationships; having a right relationship with God and living that out by having right relationships with other people,” he writes.
Many of us who talked with Janzen at Gathering 2024 were blessed by his love of people. His smile, joy, love for God and interest in us were memorable.
This article was updated Aug. 12, 2024, to include comments from Sally Burkholder.
Connie Faber joined the magazine staff in 1994 and assumed the duties of editor in 2004. She has won awards from the Evangelical Press Association for her writing and editing. Faber is the co-author of Family Matters: Discovering the Mennonite Brethren. She and her husband, David, have two daughters, one son, one daughter-in-law, one son-in-law and three grandchildren. They are members of Ebenfeld MB Church in Hillsboro, Kansas.
