Henry Paul Yoder died Monday, March 22 in Phoenix, Arizona. He was 81 years old. On Sunday, March 14, he had suffered a stroke. His children are Allan, Anita, Tina, and David. He is the brother of Harold Yoder, Ray Yoder, Roy Yoder, Richard Yoder, and June Shenk wife of Nelson Shenk. His wife Mildred died in 2007.
Henry was ordained by lot at the Boyertown Mennonite Church. He served as a Missionary in Cuba and then worked at the re-settlement of Cuban immigrants in Florida. Henry was called as pastor at Plains Mennonite in the late 60’s. In the 70’s and 80’s he served 14 years as Mission Secretary for Franconia Mennonite Conference. Henry Paul and Mildred served for a time in Guatemala with MCC. In the mid 90’s he moved to Tucson, AR to pastor the Tucson Mennonite Church. Henry Paul retired in Phoenix, AR. He will be remembered for his passion for missions and the church. He was energetic and expressed his beliefs and concerns very openly. He grew wise with years. He has left many memories with the years he served among us. May the family find strength and peace in their times of remembering and grieving.
The Doves Nest Collaborative, a new group dedicated to empowering and equipping Mennonites to keep children safe in their homes, churches, and communities, invites you to raise awareness of child abuse during Child Abuse Prevention Month this April. Resources for keeping children safe can be found on www.dovesnest.net.
The opinions expressed in articles posted on Mosaic’s website are those of the author and may not reflect the official policy of Mosaic Conference. Mosaic is a large conference, crossing ethnicities, geographies, generations, theologies, and politics. Each person can only speak for themselves; no one can represent “the conference.” May God give us the grace to hear what the Spirit is speaking to us through people with whom we disagree and the humility and courage to love one another even when those disagreements can’t be bridged.