A Way Was OpenedA Memoir by Ruth Brunk Stoltzfus |
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Ruth Brunk Stoltzfus was born in 1915 to Mennonite parents who deeply impressed on their nine children the importance of service to the church. Her father, George Brunk I, and brothers were active as evangelists, educators, and leaders in the church. These were not options for Ruth. She reached adulthood at a time when church ministry was not allowed to women. However, while raising her five children, she was convinced of the need to apply Christian principles to the complexities of family relationships and home life. Feeling a call to support women on the front lines of this important job, she improvised a career as a churchwoman, eventually becoming the first woman to be ordained by the Virginia Conference of the Mennonite Church. Through her nationally syndicated radio program, frequent church appearances, newsletters and newspaper ads, pastoral work—and even whether she was allowed to or not—Ruth Brunk Stoltzfus spent her life in ministry to God and the church.
About the Editor
Eve B. MacMaster has been a friend of Ruth Brunk Stoltzfus since the early 1970s. Having served the church as an editor, history professor, and author, MacMaster is now a pastor in Gainesville, Florida.