Lonnie Yoder

“I am called to be both a seeker and mentor in the way of Jesus. In the field of pastoral care and counseling this involves building awareness, understanding and making meaningful connections within and between persons and communities. Creative engagement with the seminary community, the church and the world provides grist for this unfolding journey.”

Lonnie Yoder is a native of a rural Mennonite community in southeast Iowa where he lived for most of the first forty years of his life. He served as youth minister and assistant pastor in his home congregation, East Union Mennonite Church, for twelve years. He married Teresa Boshart in 1980 and they are the parents of two daughters, Shannon and Nicole. After completing doctoral studies at the University of Iowa, Yoder has served as a professor at Eastern Mennonite since 1991.

• Ph. D.-Religion and Personality, The University of Iowa, 1991

• M. Div., Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminaries, 1976

• B.A. (summa cum laude) in Mathematics with Secondary Education Teaching Certification, Drake University, 1972

• Foreword for Stahl, Milo. Shalom: Beyond Retirement and Death. Morgantown, PA: Masthof Press, 2009.

• “The Cobbler’s Shoes: Care for the Caregiver,” Mennonite Health Journal, Vol. 9, No. 3, July-September 2007.

• “To Mom…I Had to Give It to Somebody”, Journeys: Magazine of the American Association of Pastoral Counselors, Vol. 9, No. 2, Summer-Fall 2007.

• “Communal Pilgrimage: Formation in Pastoral Counseling from an Anabaptist/Mennonite Perspective,” Chapter 4 of Daniel S.Schipani, ed. Mennonite Perspectives on Pastoral Counseling (Elkhart: Institute of Mennonite Studies, 2006).

• “Renegotiating Our Place: Challenges of Integration.” Lexington Seminar Narrative, Lexington Seminar, Northeast Harbor, ME-June 2005

• “Leaving Home to Find It”, Journeys: Magazine of the American Association of Pastoral Counselors, Vol. 7, No. 1, Winter-Spring 2005.

• “What Happens as We Grow Old: The Developmental Tasks of Aging,” Chapter 2 of Shirley Yoder Brubaker, ed. Reinventing Aging (Scottdale, PA: Herald Press, 2003).

• “One love…in the Lord,” Connections (Virginia Mennonite Conference and Board of Missions), Vol. 13, No. 1, November 2002

• “Children of the King see the Queen,” Connections (Virginia Mennonite Conference and Board of Missions), Vol. 12, No. 7, May 2002

• “A Ministry Unto Maturity”, Christian Living, April-May 1999, co-authored with Gary Stucky.

• “Proverbs of Call and Support”, Builder, July 1998.

• “Pastoral Transitions: A Video”-filmed for Mennonite Board of Congregational Ministries-November, 1996.

• “Modifying the Type A Behavior Pattern,” Journal of Religion and Health, Vol. 26, No. 1, Spring, 1987.

• “The Funeral Meal: A Significant Funerary Ritual,” Journal of Religion and Health, Vol. 25, No. 2, Summer, 1986.

• LEAP Center-Edge Challenges: An Improvisational Leadership Dance-Academy of Religious Leadership, Chicago, IL-April 17-19, 2009

• The Jesus Movement in the Early Context-Association of Theological Schools Educational Technology Conference, Tampa, FL-March 28-29, 2008

• Lively Choruses: A Jamaican Mennonite Dance-Annual Meeting of the Society for Pastoral Theology-Los Angeles, CA-June 21, 2003

• An Introduction to Amish and Mennonite Perspectives on Commitment/Discipleship Revisited-Annual Meeting of the Society for Pastoral Theology-Denver, CO—June 17-19, 1999

• An Introduction to Amish and Mennonite Perspectives on Commitment/Discipleship"-Annual Meeting of the Society for Pastoral Theology-Chicago, IL-June 18-20, 1998

• Walking the Road to Wellness: Care and Nurture of Pastors and Caregivers-Mennonite Health Assembly-Pittsburgh, PA-April 3-6, 1997

• The Behavioral Response to Authority in Three Religious Traditions"-7th Annual Meeting of the Association of Mennonite Psychologists-Hesston, KS-March 5-7, 1992

Presentations

• “Telling Our Stories: Marriage Retreat” (with Teresa Boshart Yoder)-Mennonite Church of Trinidad and Tobago-Mayaro, Trinidad-May 1-3, 2009

• “Leadership on the Line: Living Expectantly through the Challenges of Leading”-Central Plains Conference Pastor and Spouse Retreat-Schuyler, Nebraska-April 19-21, 2009

• “Maximize Positive, Problem-Free Times Together” (with Teresa Boshart Yoder)-Engaged Couple Series, Eastern Mennonite University-March 22, 2009

• “Faith and Mental Illness”-Eastern Mennonite High School, Harrisonburg, VA-March 20, 2009

• “Our God is a God of Missions: Implementing the Vision”-Jamaica Mennonite Church Annual Conference, Kingston, Jamaica-March 7, 2009

• “LEAP Alumni Survey: A Quiz”-Philadelphia Mennonite High School, Philadelphia, PA-February 28, 2009

• “To Knot or Not to Knot” Seminar (for couples contemplating engagement), Eastern Mennonite University-February 22, 2009

• “Shane Hipps Revisited: The Missional Role of the Congregation”-Harrisonburg District Pastor’s Luncheon, Harrisonburg, VA-February 19, 2009

• “Managing Difficult People: Revisited”-Harrisonburg District Pastor’s Luncheon, Harrisionburg, VA-December 18, 2008

• “Pastoring in a Time of Financial Stress/Anxiety”-Harrisonburg District Pastor’s Luncheon, Harrisonburg, VA-October 16, 2008

• “Leadership of Small Groups”-Community Mennonite Church, Harrisonburg, VA-September 9, 2008

• “O Mortal: A Memorial Service Meditation”-Memorial Service for Ron Blough-Greeley Mennonite Church, Greeley, CO-August 27, 2008

• “God and the Diaspora”-Ridge Mennonite Church, Top Hill, Jamaica-June 29, 2008

• “The EMS Distance Learning Initiative”-United Methodist Virginia Annual Conference EMS Alumni Luncheon-Roanoke, VA-June 17, 2008

• “Amish Forgiveness”-Charlottesville Mennonite Church, Charlottesville, VA-April 13, 2008

• “The Church and Mental Illness”-Eastern Mennonite High School, Harrisonburg, VA-February 28, 2008

• “Taking the Pulse of Small Groups”-Community Mennonite Church, Harrisonburg, VA-February 19, 2008

• “Negotiating Singleness and Sexuality”-co-leader with Sara Heatwole-School for Leadership Training, Harrisonburg, VA-January 22-23, 2008

Roles

• Internship Supervisor at Peace House for Carmen Horst-2008-2009

• Presenter for LEAP365 Spring Mentor/Mentee Retreat-Eastern Mennonite University, Harrisonburg, VA-May 15-17, 2009

• Consultant Work with Jamaica Mennonite Churches, Jamaica-March 4-11, 2009

• Facilitator for Congregational Discernment Meetings of Harrisonburg Mennonite Church, Harrisonburg, VA-February 15, March 15, April 5, 2009

• Observer and Feedback Giver for Round Table on Third Culture Kids, Eastern Mennonite University, Harrisonburg, VA-November 8, 2008

• Member of Ministry Support/Accountability Group for Joann Henderson, Pastoral Counselor-2008-2009

• Volunteer for Susan G. Komen 3 Day Breast Cancer Walk, Washington, DC-October 2-5, 2008

• Presenter for LEAP365 Fall Mentor/Mentee Retreat-Massanetta Springs Camp and Conference Center, Harrisonburg, VA-September 12-14, 2008

• Professor for LEAP365 Summer Cross-Cultural Summer Experience to Colombia-July 9-26, 2008

• Consultant Work with Jamaica Mennonite Churches, Jamaica-June 24-July 2, 2008

• Facilitator, Community Mennonite Church Mission Statement Working Session, Harrisonburg, VA-January 10, 2008

• Pastoral Consultant to eleven area churches and pastors, Harrisonburg District of Virginia Mennonite Conference-1999, 2005-present

• Consultant and Member, Jamaica Mennonite Church Transformation Team, Jamaica-2007-present

• Board Member, Industrial and Commercial Ministries, Inc., Shenandoah Valley Chapter-1994-present

• Board Member, House of Yoder, Inc.-Grantsville, MD-1996-present

• Mission Support Team Member for Peace House (an Anabaptist ministry to young adults with primary focus on the campus of James Madision University)-2005-present

• Task Force on Oversight Ministry, Virginia Mennonite Conference, Harrisonburg, VA-2008-present

• Mentor for Mike Normoyle’s D. Min. program at Asbury Theological Seminary (Wilmore, KY)-2008-present

• 2007-Quality Service Award, Eastern Mennonite University

• 1990-Collegiate Associations Council Research Grant (for dissertation research), The University of Iowa

• 1990-Arthur Steindler Award (based on academic excellence and practical service, especially in teaching), School of Religion, The University of Iowa

• 1987-Louis Penningroth Award (based on potential as a counselor), School of Religion, The University of Iowa

• 1986-1987-Elmer Ediger Memorial Scholarship, Mennonite Mental Health Services

• 1985-Clinical Pastoral Education Award, School of Religion, The University of Iowa

• 1968-1972-General Motors Scholar, Phi Beta Kappa, Omicron Delta Kappa-Drake University

• Pastoral Counseling Educator, American Association of Pastoral Counselors

• American Association of Pastoral Counselors-Pastoral Counseling Educator

• Society for Pastoral Theology

• Association of Practical Theology

• Academy of Religious Leadership

• Anabaptist Mennonite Scholars Network

• Academy of Religious Leadership Annual Meeting, Cenacle Retreat Center, Chicago, IL-April 17-19, 2009

• University of Wisconsin 24th Annual Conference on Distance Teaching and Learning, Madison, WI-August 5-8, 2008

• Virginia College Fund Online Teaching and Learning Summit, Bluefield College, Bluefield, VA-June 9-11, 2008

• Spirituality and Religion in Counseling (Master of Arts in Counseling program)-2008

• Leadership and Administration (Seminary online course)-2008

• Sabbatical Leave (2008-2009 academic year)

• Provost Search Committee-2008-2009

• “Distance Learning in the University” (with Gerald Shenk and David Brubaker)-Faculty/Staff Luncheon-March 24, 2009

• “Distance Learning through EMS” (with Don Yoder)-School for Leadership Training-January 21, 2009

• EMS Church Partnership Team-2009