2006 Lifetime Service Award recipient
Stanley Bohn '52
Retired
Major: Social work
Called to lead
A native of Souderton, Pa., Stan Bohn spent the majority of his years since Bluffton in pastoral ministry roles. As a student, he had never given much thought to being actively involved in ministry but fell into it after Bluffton faculty provided his name to the New Stark Federated Church, in New Stark, Ohio, who was in search of a student pastor. Looking back, Stan says he remembers being very scared, after all, “I had avoided all forms of public speaking up to that point.” Though uncertain and somewhat fearful, Stan stepped into the role, and from that experience decided to enter seminary.
Still not convinced of his calling as a pastor, Stan completed a master’s degree in philosophy at The Ohio State University with plans of teaching. Instead, he began serving a church in Kansas City, Kan., in a community dealing with racial divide that had split the entire country during the late ’50s and early ’60s. “We lived in a racially conflicted community, and I became involved in interracial work,” Stan says. “Those were a different kind of days back then. Despite the conflict and never-ending threat of violence and harm, I enjoyed what I was doing and realized I didn’t want to teach. At least, not yet.”
Over the years, Stan served congregations in Kansas, Ohio and New York. He was part of a Christian Peacemakers Team delegation to Israel and Palestine in 2000 and a lecturer in conflict resolution and peace studies at Jamaica Theological Seminary for three years while on assignment for Mennonite Central Committee (which he notes was the most time he spent making use of his desire to teach). He served four years as conference minister for the Central District Conference of the General Conference Mennonite Church. He was also the first director of Cross-Lines Cooperative Council Inc., a network of churches, individuals and businesses in Kansas City, who provide a daily source of assistance to at-risk families.
Currently living in Newton, Kan., Stan is retired, but remains busy with volunteer work, most actively as an anger management counselor with Offender/Victim Ministries in Newton. He also visits with prison inmates, teaches a high-school Sunday school class, mentors and participates on the Peace and Outreach Committee. He and his wife, Anita (Pannabecker ’52) Bohn, have four children and seven grandchildren.
