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Campus Ministries News
This article is from the EMU News Archive. Current EMU new is available at www.emu.edu/news
Peachey Licensed for EMU Campus Ministry Role
L. to r.: George R. Brunk III, Loren Swartzendruber, Earl Zimmerman and Owen Burkholder lead prayers of commissioning for Byron Peachey (at podium) as part of a licensing service for campus ministry at EMU.Photo by Jim Bishop
Peachey was licensed to the ministry for his continuing role as associate campus pastor. He is a member of the campus ministries team, formed in August, 2003, that includes Brian Martin Burkholder and Julie A. Haushalter.
Prior to the installation ceremony, persons close to Peachey told stories, laced with humor, that were pivotal in shaping his call to ministry - Laban Peachey, Peachey's father; Johann Zimmerman, who worked closely with Peachey in urban ministry in Washington, D.C.; and Deanna Durham, Peachey's spouse. They met in Washington in 1983.
"God has a special twinkle in His eye today as we celebrate Byron's readiness to do God's work," said Haushalter in opening the service.
Items that symbolize Peachey's life and special interests appeared on the platform - books by Catholic writer Thomas Merton (meditation as spiritual discipline), a cross from El Salvador (peace and justice concerns) and an old wooden pitchfork (his farming background and adherence to a theology of the land).
Peachey, of Harrisonburg, was interim campus pastor at EMU during the 2002-03 school year. Earlier, he served four years as co-director of the Mennonite Central Committee’s work in El Salvador which included supervising 10 full-time volunteer workers in rural and urban settings and doing program development, budgeting and evaluation.
For 10 years, Peachey was involved in an inner-city mission congregation, Community of Hope in Washington, D.C., where he was a social worker and development director.
Peachey earned a bachelor of arts degree in social work from Catholic University of America and a master of arts in theology degree with a mission and cross-cultural studies concentration from Washington Theological Union, Silver Spring, Md.
He attends Shalom Mennonite Church, which meets on the EMU campus.
George R. Brunk III, professor of New Testament at Eastern Mennonite Seminary and a Virginia Mennonite Conference overseer, led the commissioning charge. Others officiating included Loren E. Swartzendruber, EMU president; Owen E. Burkholder, VMC conference minister; and Earl S. Zimmerman, co-pastor of Shalom Mennonite Church.
Peachey's role in campus ministries includes assisting with spiritual formation among students and working with ministry assistants (MAs) and pastoral assistants (PAs) in the residence halls.
