The couple, both 1959 graduates of Eastern Mennonite College, returned after 14 years of missionary work in Africa to make an indelible mark on the vision and goals of the institution.

Shaping the cross-cultural curriculum

Before coming to EMU, Shenk taught theology courses at Meserete Kristos College in Ethiopia for 14 years. The couple served with in Ethiopia from 1961 to 1971.

Shenk earned a PhD in religious education from New York University in 1972 and then joined the Bible and religion faculty of EMU four years later.

Both he and his wife were avid scholars. Marie, who earned a master鈥檚 of religion from Eastern Mennonite Seminary in 1998, was an administrative assistant to the academic dean from 1976 to 1990.

The Shenks led their first of four EMU trips in the fall of 1978, taking students to the Middle East. He was among those proponents for making the cross-cultural program integral to EMU鈥檚 required curriculum. As a member of EMU鈥檚 task force in 1981, Shenk brought a passion for the transformative possibilities of immersion in another culture.

In September 1983, Shenk penned . 鈥淭his kind of education will be both painful and enjoyable,鈥� he wrote. 鈥淭he results will not always be predictable. We will experience anger and exhilaration, depression and vision. But growth will occur, and that is what college is for. Such education will make us better citizens of the global village and better members of God鈥檚 international kingdom, the church.鈥�

Led by his faith, enthusiasm and curiosity

Shenk was named Teacher of the Year in 1982, earning praise for helping change the lives of his students.

Provost Fred Kniss, who benefited from Shenk’s mentorship during his junior year spent on independent study in India (before the cross-cultural program was formalized), says Shenk had 鈥渞emarkable qualities,鈥� including a 鈥済enerous soul.鈥�

鈥淗e was enthusiastically curious about the world around him 鈥� especially about the religious lives and practices of people around the world,鈥� said Kniss. 鈥淗e was a committed Christian who loved engaging with people from other traditions. And he was an effective teacher because he knew how to communicate his enthusiasm and curiosity in ways that were contagious.鈥�

Another on campus who shares these sentiments is Bible and religion professor Linford Stutzman. He was a student of Shenk’s in the early 80s, and since then has led many cross-cultural trips to the Middle East with his wife Janet 鈥� much as the Shenks did together.

Stutzman writes: “It is impossible to list the unique lessons about strong faith and bold humility, courageous mission and cultural sensitivity, unwavering Anabaptist identity and respect for people of all religions, gentle flexibility and stubborn resistance to evil, that Calvin communicated to his students. Whether teaching in the classroom, leading students in the Middle East, speaking in congregations, or writing to people seeking to be faithful and relevant in their witness in the world, Calvin’s life and theology were the same everywhere. Calvin will be remembered with deep appreciation by his students. I will always be grateful for the privilege of being one of them.”

A life of service

Among other roles, Shenk was principal of Nazareth Bible Academy and chair of the Mennonite Board of Education in Ethiopia. He was a member of the overseas committee of the former Mennonite Board of Missions,聽1977-1990.

An expert on Jewish-Christian relations, for eight years during his teaching career at EMU, he spent each spring semester in Jerusalem as a research scholar at Tantur Ecumenical Institute.

Shenk wrote several books, including Who Do You Say That I Am? Christians Encounter Other Religions (Herald Press, 1997), and dozens of聽articles.

In 1994 the Shenks began an assignment in Israel and Palestine under Mennonite Board of Missions (a precursor to Mennonite Mission Network), and Mennonite Central Committee. For the next seven years, until 2001, the couple lived six months of every year in Jerusalem, returning to Harrisonburg the remainder of the year where Shenk continued to teach at EMU. In 2002, Shenk retired from EMU. Marie died in 2010. The Shenks raised three children, all graduates of EMU: Doug 鈥�86, Duane 鈥�90 and Donna (Sensenig) 鈥�91.

Visitations will be at 6-8 p.m. 辞苍听Sunday, Sept. 20听补苍诲听补迟 12-1 p.m. 辞苍听Monday, Sept. 21 at聽Park View Mennonite Church. A memorial service will be held, also at the church, at 1 p.m. on Monday, following visitation.

Portions of this article are reprinted from a March 2, 2014 article about Calvin Shenk written by Rachael Keshishian & Bonnie Price Lofton.

Calvin Shenk ’59 does not have to face the existential question of whether he would be willing to die in a nonviolent act to save the life of another person. He would.

The test came in 1985. Shenk and his wife Marie were leading an EMU group that was staying temporarily in a Palestinian community in the Middle East. Shenk heard an argument outside his apartment door and saw an Israeli soldier put his gun in the face of a Palestinian man. He jumped between the two, and urged the men to go their separate ways. They did.

鈥淒on鈥檛 call me brave 鈥� it was just the right thing to do,鈥� insists Shenk. 鈥淲hen you see a rifle pointed at a person right outside your door you don鈥檛 think, you just do it.鈥�

As a member of EMU鈥檚 task force in 1981, Shenk brought 14 years of living in Ethiopia and a passion for the transformative possibilities of immersion in another culture.

In September 1983, Shenk penned an essay justifying the cross-cultural requirement for every EMU undergraduate. 鈥淭his kind of education will be both painful and enjoyable,” he wrote. “The results will not always be predictable. We will experience anger and exhilaration, depression and vision.

鈥淏ut growth will occur, and that is what college is for. Such education will make us better citizens of the global village and better members of God鈥檚 international kingdom, the church.鈥� (Read this delightfully readable essay.)

In his 1985 baccalaureate speech, Shenk stressed the importance of losing one鈥檚 narrow-mindedness:

Today many people wrap Christ in an American flag. But we who follow Christ follow him to the world. We are global people. As we experience other cultures our attitudes and values change. This need not be frightening. We develop more world-mindedness and less chauvinism, bigotry and narrow-mindedness 鈥�.

As you develop greater understanding for other cultures, you see your own culture from another perspective. This causes you to both appreciate and critique your culture. You have mixed feelings about our democratic system, educational system, technological development, capitalist consumerism and quest for military supremacy. You have begun to see the back side of our culture 鈥� aggressiveness, depersonalization, arrogance, individualism. It isn鈥檛 possible to feel culturally superior. We can鈥檛 assume that our way is right.

Shenk added that it was 鈥渇alse modesty鈥� to fail to share the good news about Christ. 鈥淲e come to new understandings of Christ as we enter into conversation but it is always consistent with the biblical witness of who Christ is.鈥�

Shenk鈥檚 first cross-cultural experience was teaching Bible and world religions and doing other mission work in Ethiopia under Eastern Mennonite Missions for 14 years. (Marie taught bookkeeping and typing there.)

Shenk earned a PhD in religious education from New York University in 1972 and then joined the Bible and religion faculty of EMU in 1976. Marie ’59, MA ’98 (in religion), was an administrative assistant to the academic dean from 1976 to 1990. The Shenks led their first of four EMU trips in the fall of 1978, taking students to the Middle East.

In 1994 the Shenks began an assignment in Israel and Palestine under Mennonite Board of Missions (a precursor to Mennonite Mission Network), and Mennonite Central Committee. For the next seven years, until 2001, the couple lived six months of every year in Jerusalem, returning to Harrisonburg the remainder of the year where Shenk continued to teach at EMU. In 2002, Shenk retired from EMU. Marie died in 2010. The Shenks raised three children, all graduates of EMU: Doug ’86, Duane ’90 and Donna (Sensenig) ’91.

鈥擱achael Keshishian & Bonnie Price Lofton