Dr. Archie and Elvira Penner honoured at SBC

"...WE WANT you to realize that we have loved you for a long time," said Dr. Don Thiessen, academic dean at Steinbach Bible College, in making a presentation to Dr. Archie and Elvira Penner at a celebration dinner held in their honour on October 25 at SBC.

Abe Bergen, SBC president, began the evening by mentioning the couple’s contribution to ministry, church, and conference. He added that "we appreciate your cooperation" in attending this gathering. "Please accept our accolades and let us give glory to God together," he said.

Bergen said he has always been impressed by the "quiet dignity" of Mrs. Penner and recognized her as "a keen supportive soulmate" to her husband. He then introduced the Penner children—James, Lucille, and Earl.

Greetings came from wider circles. Jim Penner, Manitoba MLA, said, "My colleagues in the Manitoba Legislature and my wife and I thank and congratulate Dr. Penner for what he meant to us over the years, and thank him for the example he has set for us."

Delbert Plett—lawyer, Mennonite historian, and editor of Preservings— said that as a university student, he had viewed Dr. Archie Penner as a "larger-than-life figure who had not only done the seemingly impossible at that time by getting his Ph.D., he had actually challenged and stared down the American fundamentalists in their own den...and he had walked away unscathed."

Gordon Penner, a faculty member at SBC, described Dr. Penner as his friend, former professor, and colleague. He recalled how when asked about Protestant reformer John Calvin, Penner responded, "I consider John Calvin to be my good friend and brother. He has many good things to say." Gord said he always found "brother Archie" gracious when referring to other people. He appreciated Penner’s scholarship and his "heart," saying how, after helping to establish Red Rock Bible Camp, Dr. Penner cried in recalling being unable to save a drowning camper and counsellor.

Gord spoke of Dr. Penner’s view that God consented to evil such as war in the Old Testament without approving of it. Exploring this further in a graduate thesis—using the command in 1 Samuel 15 as an example of God’s "concessive imperative"—Gord "became convinced that it represented the best explanation available for understanding the wars and other atrocities in the Old Testament."

He thanked Dr. Penner "for being a true student of the Word and for being willing to for all these years share your findings with us."

Dr. Harvey Plett, former president of SBC and adjunct faculty member, led in prayer before dinner. He was grateful to God for the rich presence of His love and for the opportunity to reminisce with Dr. Penner. "So, Father, we thank you for our heritage," he said.

SBC Chancellor Ben Eidse gave tribute to Dr. Penner. "Just under 60 years ago a young Bible college graduate came to Pleasant Valley School in the Rosenort area and preached a sermon," said Eidse. "A recent convert was one of the people who listened intently to his sermon. Little did I realize how much our lives would interact later on and how close a friendship we would form through the years, and how much I would learn from this man."

On behalf of SBC and assembled guests, Dr. Don Thiessen presented a gift to Dr. Archie and Elvira Penner in recognition of their many years of service.

Eidse and Penner later served as teaching colleagues at SBC. Eidse called Dr. Penner "a very devout person, a very warm intellectual"—"I actually think that he’s the best theologian that I’ve ever come across." He was an encourager, and an educator. Eidse said Penner played a pivotal role in keeping SBC committed to Evangelical Anabaptism.

Mary Barkman, a niece and author of Penner’s biography Contending for the Faith, said when she struggled with a proper conclusion to the book, Dr. Penner had quipped, "Well, you know why that is—I have to die first." People laughed.

She spoke of his prominence in teaching circles in the United States. By the time the biography was finished, she wondered why he returned to Canada, but decided he had "a lot of loyalty" to the area. Returning to Manitoba at age 65, Dr. Penner has had nearly 20 years in writing and teaching, in farming and in business since then, she said.

In suggesting a biography, Barkman became aware of how important the relationship was between Dr. and Mrs. Penner; Penner’s first statement was that he wanted his wife to get equal credit for his accomplishments in life.

Barkman spoke of how Dr. Penner was a proponent of "radical Anabaptism." At a time when some non-Mennonite churches are moving toward more of an Anabaptist position, some Mennonite churches are moving away; Penner is concerned that Mennonite churches "rediscover their rich Anabaptist heritage."

Eldest child James Penner introduced the Dr. Archie and Elvira Penner Endowment Fund, to which guests were invited to contribute. The interest from this fund is to be used to pay for the costs of bringing Anabaptist thinkers, theologians, and historians to SBC.

Dinner guests spoke openly of their indebtedness to and appreciation for the Penners. One guest noted that the appreciation supper was being held in a building that Dr. Penner had helped to construct and at a time when the campus will go through changes.

In response, Dr. Penner said people were "just far too kind." He said he was reflecting on his life, deciding he had not played the fool like Saul of the Old Testament nor yet finished the course like the apostle Paul.

Coming from a farming background, he got unintended laughter when he said, "Between skinning the last skunk and coming to teach at Steinbach wasn't very much different. I mean...."

He spoke of his appreciation for students and faculty. He gave tribute to his brother-in-law, Rev. Ben D. Reimer: "I'll tell you one thing about him: I never met a person that was so absolutely sold on Jesus Christ, regardless of the financial dimensions involved. Dollars meant nothing to him, people coming to the Lord" mattered. People applauded.

"This evening makes me very humble, exceedingly so," said Penner. "I have been surprised at the confidence people have had in me all of these years...." He suggested that only those institutions where he taught learned of his weaknesses, because he had turned down offers to teach elsewhere.

He spoke of the privilege of serving as pastor in several churches "and we never stayed long enough for the church to be unhappy with us."

"And so without taking too much of your time, let me just thank you all of you for what you are doing..." he said.

Terry M. Smith

A tribute to Dr. Archie Penner

"It is an honour for me to show appreciation for the record of a great contributor to our community, and to our society, and to our faith, a multi-talented person. Dr. Archie Penner, with his 56 years as an educator and over 20 years of that at Steinbach Bible College, has touched all of our lives in some way. We see in this man an example of a person who lived by faith and he lived what he preached.

Scholastic achievement begins when we accept God’s plan for our lives, and make that plan our goal in life. We often say that success is the result of being a goal-oriented individual. Obviously Dr. Archie Penner was goal oriented. And so tonight we recognize a person who knew how to turn knowledge into wisdom, and how to share wisdom with us.

Recognizing Dr. Archie Penner’s achievement certainly motivates the rest of us in this room to strive to contribute more to God’s Kingdom. This evening should give us new inspiration to contribute. Dr. Penner’s involvement in Mennonite history, theology, and the leadership he provided, including SBC, has set a high standard for achievement and certainly has raised the bar for all of us.

Thanks to SBC for honouring one of our heroes of faith. Special thanks to Dr. Penner for combining his wisdom with energy to set a new standard of achievement.

Our province is blessed by the dedication and devotion of Dr. Archie Penner. So my colleagues in the Manitoba Legislature, and my wife and I, thank and congratulate Dr. Penner for what he meant to us over the years. Thank you for the example."

Jim Penner, MLA

Dr. Archie Penner and the EMC

Church history is usually studied through examining key leaders and their activities. When we examine the development of the Kleine Gemeinde from being a church to becoming the Evangelical Mennonite Conference we find some key personalities were catalysts in the development. Dr. Archie Penner was one of those individuals.

Dr. Penner had deep spiritual concerns already as a farm boy growing up in Landmark, Man. To nurture his spiritual development and become a more effective servant of God, he attended the Winnipeg Bible Institute, now known as Providence College.

He worked with youth in Landmark, extension Sunday school in Rosewood, adn finally ended up at Steinbach Bible College. He was ordained as a minister in Steinbach EMC in 1953. During the 1950s Dr. Penner became active in the leadership of the Kleine Gemeinde.

The Kleine Gemeinde functioned as one church meeting in different places. With growth and changing ideas about operating as a church, the idea of forming a Conference was begun by the ministerial of the Kleine Gemeinde churches. Rev. David P. Reimer of Blumenort charied the ministerials. Dr. Penner did much of the legwork in developing a Conference structure.

The change over to becoming a Conference had begun before Dr. Penner was involved in the ministerial, but when he became involved the development received a tremendous push. In consultation with other ministers, Dr. Penner wrote a constitution. This constitution was accepted in 1956. The official name of the new group was Evangelical Mennonite Church (the name had been adopted already in 1952). With the acceptance of the constitution, the office of moderator had been created and Dr. Penner was elected as the first Moderator in 1957.

Shortly after these actions, it was discovered that there was a Mennonite church in USA with the same name. In addition, under Dr. Penner’s leadership the Conference moved toward incorporation. In 1960 the Conference received its incorporation charter based on the 1956 constitution with one change—the name was changed to Evangelical Mennonite Conference.

Dr. Penner gave excellent leadership to the young Conference both in terms of working in the new structures as well as theologically. Two key issues he underscored were the non-resistance, or peace position, of the Conference, and education. A Study Committee of Peace Problems affirmed the concerns and position on peace of the founding father of the Kleine Gemeinde of 1812. The establishing of a Study Committee on Education focused on the rising interest in education in the Conference.

Dr. Penner has given good spiritual leadership to the Conference and also mentored a number of the young men who became ministers during his leadership time. His love for the Word of God and the Lord were catching. Many have been encouraged and helped by his Biblical preaching.

Dr. Penner was a prominent leader in the Conference, but he also worked on making wider contacts within the wider Christian family of churches. For example, he assisted in contacts with Old Mennonites, today Mennonite Church USA, as well as Mennonite World Conference.

Dr. Harvey Plett
EMC Moderator

This perspective on Dr. Archie Penner's influence on the EMC was written at the request of the editor.

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January 22, 2003
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