Mennonite Weekly Review

GOSHEN, Ind. — Stanley C. Shenk, professor emeritus of Bible at Goshen College, who shared his love of Scripture as a teacher, pastor and writer, died Sept. 2 at Greencroft Healthcare Center in Goshen. He was 91.

Stanley C. Shenk, professor emeritus of Bible at Goshen College. — Photo provided

Teaching at Goshen from 1965 to 1985, Shenk was known for his love of inductive Bible study, and he taught many students to use that method to unlock the Scriptures for themselves.

Through many trips to the Middle East, he developed a keen interest in the region. He led about a dozen tours to the Holy Land, including several Goshen College Middle East Bible Seminars.

“We have lost a great servant of the church and Goshen College,” said Goshen College President James E. Brenneman. “Generations of students, church members and others who have studied in the classroom or traveled with Stanley on one of his Middle East learning tours, as I had the privilege to do, remember him as one of the most engaging teachers of Scripture they ever had.”

At the time of his retirement from Goshen College, Shenk said: “I’ll miss the thrill of sharing special Bible passages with students in my survey course and interpreting the splendor of God working through history. I’ll especially cherish the opportunities I had to encourage students who were considering the ministry.”

Shenk was born to Coffman and Icie Pearl Shenk on March 30, 1919, in Denbigh, Va. He grew up in Washington; Versailles, Mo.; and Biglerville, Pa.

He married Doris Sell on June 20, 1942, at Souderton (Pa.) Mennonite Church. Doris was the administrative assistant to the academic dean at Goshen College from 1965 to 1975 and graduated from the college in 1986. They were married for 62 years before she died on Oct. 13, 2004.

Shenk received a bachelor of theology degree from Eastern Mennonite University in 1943; a bachelor’s degree in English and a bachelor of theology degree from Goshen College in 1944; and a doctorate from New York University in 1971. He also graduated from Biblical Seminary in New York in 1959.

He taught at Eastern Mennonite University, 1945-48; Christopher Dock Mennonite High School, 1958-60; Upper Moreland High School, 1961-63; Union Biblical Seminary in Yavatmal, India, 1975-76; and Pune, India, 1986; in Japan, 1985; and in Singapore, 1986.

Shenk served as a pastor at South Union Mennonite Church, West Liberty, Ohio, 1949-57; and Bristol (Pa.) Mennonite Church, 1963-65. He was a member of Clinton Frame Mennonite Church in Goshen, where he served as assistant pastor from 1965 to 1973.