Roger Neufeld Smith Interim Pastor

roger@bethelcollegemennonitechurch.org 316-283-3667

Roger was born in Newton and grew up on a farm near Walton.  He attended First Mennonite in Newton and graduated from Newton High and Bethel College (1975) with a BA in chemistry.  But he discovered he’d rather work with people than chemicals!  He graduated from AMBS in 1986 and married Cynthia Neufeld in the AMBS Chapel in 1987.  Their first call was to Southern Hills Mennonite in Topeka where they remained from September 1988 to July 2018.  They were just too great a team to break up! (And they evolved, changed, grew in ministerial duties, reinventing themselves according to the needs of the church).  Roger took most administrative responsibilities and did most of the preaching.  Cynthia was worship planner, organist, choir director and did some preaching.  They raised their two children Kara and Micah in Topeka.

Roger has been active in the Western District Conference and served as Moderator-elect and then Moderator July 2002-2007.  In Topeka he was on the board for the Justice Unity Ministries Project (JUMP) and active in the Interfaith Council.  When Roger and Cynthia retired in 2018, they served as co-leaders of Mennonite Mission Network’s Service Adventure Unit in Jackson, Mississippi from 2018-2020.  In 2019 Cynthia and Roger received the AMBS Ministry and Service Recognition Award.  Roger’s last assignment was at First Mennonite Church, Beatrice 2020-2022.

Roger has a passion for justice, a love of theology and Biblical studies, a love for the church and the courage to dig into communal processes and administration, a special heart for youth in the church, a love of music, a great sense of humor, a love of socializing, and a tender heart.  We welcome him to BCMC as interim pastor; we are eager to explore with him over the next months how God will move in our midst.