John S. Coffman (October 16, 1848 – July 22, 1899) was a leader in the Mennonite Church in the late 19th century. He promoted evangelical and progressive reform through his positions in the

Mennonite Publishing Company The Mennonite Publishing Company was a publishing agency in Elkhart, Indiana, operating primarily from 1875-1908, which under John F. Funk served as the main source of published material for the (old) Mennonite Church. The Mennonite Publishing Co ...

revival meetings A revival meeting is a series of Christian religious services held to inspire active members of a church body to gain new converts and to call sinners to repent. Nineteenth-century Baptist preacher Charles Spurgeon said, "Many blessings may come ...

and chairmanship of the Elkhart Institute (a forerunner to

Goshen College Goshen College is a Private college, private Mennonite Church USA, Mennonite Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Goshen, Indiana. It was founded in 1894 as the Elkhart Institute of Science, Industry and the Arts, ...

Early life

John S. Coffman was born on October 16, 1848, in

Rockingham County, Virginia Rockingham County is a county located in the U.S. state of Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 83,757. Its county seat is the independent city of Harrisonburg. Along with Harrisonburg, Rockingham County forms the Harrisonburg, ...

. His parents were Samuel and Frances Weaver Coffman. He was

baptized Baptism (from grc-x-koine, βάπτισμα, váptisma) is a form of ritual purification—a characteristic of many religions throughout time and geography. In Christianity, it is a Christian sacrament of initiation and adoption, almost ...

at age 16, and soon fled to

Cumberland County, Pennsylvania Cumberland County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 259,469. Its county seat is Carlisle. Cumberland County is included in the Harrisburg–Carlisle metropolitan statistical area. Histo ...

to avoid being drafted into the

Confederate Army The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...

.Coffman, Barbara F. "Coffman, John S. (1848-1899)." ''Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online''. 1953. Web. 21 October 2011. http://www.gameo.org/encyclopedia/contents/coffman_john_s._1848_1899. On November 11, 1869, he married Elizabeth J. Heatwole. Over the course of their marriage, they had seven children. One of their children, Samuel F. Coffman was a significant church leader in his own right. They purchased a 30-acre farm on Gravelly Hill. Having returned to

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

, he obtained a teaching certificate despite limited formal education and taught at several local schools. He was chosen by lot and ordained at Bank Church, a Mennonite Congregation in Virginia. He also led

singing school A singing school is a school in which students are taught to sightread vocal music. Singing schools are a long-standing cultural institution in the Southern United States. While some singing schools are offered for credit, most are informal program ...

s in the area.

Publishing

Coffman was invited by

John F. Funk John Fretz Funk (April 6, 1835 - January 8, 1930) was a publisher and leader of the Mennonite Church. Funk published the ''Herald of Truth'' from 1864 until 1908 when it merged with the ''Gospel Witness'' to form the ''Gospel Herald''. Jacob Clemen ...

to move to

Elkhart, Indiana Elkhart ( ) is a city in Elkhart County, Indiana, United States. The city is located east of South Bend, Indiana, east of Chicago, Illinois, and north of Indianapolis, Indiana. Elkhart has the larger population of the two principal cities of th ...

, where he took the position of assistant editor of the ''

Herald of Truth The ''Herald of Truth'' was a religious newspaper founded by John F. Funk in 1864. It was the first periodical of the "Old" Mennonite Church (MC) and was also published in German as the ''Herold der Wahrheit''. Funk published the ''Herald'' throug ...

'' in 1879. The two men shared a belief in progressive ideals and

evangelism In Christianity, evangelism (or witnessing) is the act of preaching the gospel with the intention of sharing the message and teachings of Jesus Christ. Christians who specialize in evangelism are often known as evangelists, whether they are i ...

. Coffman contributed articles and editorials for that publication as well as

Sunday school A Sunday school is an educational institution, usually (but not always) Christian in character. Other religions including Buddhism, Islam, and Judaism have also organised Sunday schools in their temples and mosques, particularly in the West. Su ...

materials beginning in 1880. Coffman and John F. Funk collaborated on several publications such as the ''Minister's Manual and Confession of Faith''. Coffman also served as editor and president of the Mennonite Book and Tract Society following its inception in 1889.

Evangelism

Coffman was distressed by the number of young people who left the church due to a lack of spiritual encouragement and guidance. He held his first evangelistic meeting series in June 1881 in Kent County, Michigan. His forceful speaking allowed him to hold similar events in Mennonite Communities across the United States and Canada. He also promoted missionary activity.

Higher education

Coffman was among the first Mennonite leaders to feel the need for Mennonite institutions for higher learning, especially according to the ideals of a

liberal arts Liberal arts education (from Latin "free" and "art or principled practice") is the traditional academic course in Western higher education. ''Liberal arts'' takes the term ''art'' in the sense of a learned skill rather than specifically the ...

education. In 1895, he campaigned to sell stock in the Elkhart Institute of Science, Industry, and the Arts (now

), which had been founded by Dr. Henry A Mumaw a year earlier, and even more recently incorporated under the Elkhart Institute Association. On February 11, 1896, at the opening ceremonies of the new building (erected across the street from Prairie Street Mennonite Church), Coffman gave the address, "The Spirit of Progress." In April that year, when the board reconvened, they voted Coffman to be president. He served in this position until his resignation on April 29, 1899.

Death and legacy

Coffman died at home at the age of 51 on July 22, 1899. The cause of death was a malignant growth in his stomach, from which he had suffered for a number of years. Funeral services were held in both Elkhart and

. He was buried at Prairie Street Cemetery. Coffman Hall is a building on

campus, which was named in his honor. Coffman's personal papers are housed in the

Mennonite Church USA Archives The Mennonite Church USA Archives was founded in 2001 under the denominational merger of the (old) Mennonite Church and the General Conference Mennonite Church. Prior to 2001, the two largest Mennonite denominations maintained separate archives: t ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Coffman, John S. 1848 births 1899 deaths Mennonite theologians