Tribute to Professor Gerald Janzen by David Giesbrecht
A Man of His Word:
It is a privilege to contribute some reflections on my friend and CBC colleague, Gerald Janzen. Unstintingly, he was a man of honour. Knowing truth and telling truth was at the core of his being. For Gerald, a promise made was a debt never left unpaid.
The moving tributes at Gerald’s memorial service, on Friday, November 17, 2023, by his family bear eloquent testimony to his faithfulness as the anchor of the Janzen family.
A Man Skillful in Using Words:
Gerald’s mind was generously fortified with wit and wisdom that for him was always accessible. He masterfully knew how to see humour in the foibles of others without inflicting injury by his observations.
Very evidently, Gerald read widely and was blessed with an enviable recall. His skill in pontificating on almost any subject made him a fascinating conversationalist.
My own frequent interactions with Gerald over a coffee or lunch were never prosaic. Gerald had a way of saying things that rewarded me with fresh insights and curiosity about what else might be added to that conversation.
A Man of the Word:
Gerald was a student of the Bible, being particularly exercised to employ an Anabaptist hermeneutic in understanding how he read and taught the Word. That said, Gerald’s own deep convictions never prevented him from seeing issues from an alternative perspective.
In preparation for his life-long teaching career, Gerald earned two masters degrees: one at the Mennonite Brethren Seminary in Fresno, California, and the other, his Master of Theology degree at Regent College. His disciplined study of the Bible, as articulated in his Regent thesis, needed 120 pages to zone in on for him the inexhaustible wisdom of 10 verses in Ephesians chapter 6. And then as he variously allowed, that further implications of this text were beyond the scope of this writing.
Movingly, inscribed in his own handwriting at the front of his thesis, are these words: “To those who read this thesis, I hope it adds a small measure to your own understanding of God’s word, and builds your faith.”
A Man Loyal to the Author of the Word:
Often I was inspired by Gerald’s bed-rock faith in Jesus Christ, which never wavered, even during the final approximately two decades of his life when his energies were proscribed by a difficult stroke. Of immense curiosity for Gerald was an evident present and practical spirituality, often expressed through his prayers. Gerald was not averse to participating in prayer walks around the Columbia campus, pleading God’s protection over students and colleagues.
When the new Columbia Bible College library was built in 1992, it was thanks to Gerald’s encouragement that a beautiful stained-glass work of art adorns the entrance to the college library. Designed and crafted by Gerald’s mother Kay Janzen, the Alpha and Omega, not only celebrate the core values of the College, but also the foundation of Gerald’s own faith.
A Man Loyal to the Church of the Word:
Gerald loved the church, which translated into active involvement in whatever local congregation he happened to be part of. Regularly attending worship services was a given for him. Fully aware of its short-comings, Gerald was nonetheless persuaded that the Church of Jesus Christ represented the community of Christ. Not surprisingly then, that over the years Gerald taught Sunday School, preached, took in annual denominational meetings, and in several churches, served as congregational moderator. Indeed, it was not long after he had accepted the moderatorship of the Bakerview MB Congregation, that his active involvement was suspended as a result of a devastating stroke.
A poignant comment in Gerald’s funeral bulletin notes that “One of [Gerald]’s passions was to make the world a better place.” By any standard of measurement, Gerald Janzen richly accomplished that goal in his 77 years on planet earth.
– David Giesbrecht
