Anne Rupp
(1932 - 2020)
Obituary
Anne Neufeld Rupp, author of the hymn
"Holy Spirit, Come With Power," and the first ordained
woman in the Central District Conference of the General Conference
Mennonite Church, died Dec. 23, 2019, at the age of 87 following a
decade's long struggle with Parkinson's Disease.
Born March 5,1932, to Abram and
Margaretha Neufeld near Boissevain, Manitoba, Canada, Anne was the
oldest of four children and the only daughter. She grew up on the
plains of central Canada, the child of Russian Mennonite immigrants,
and the daughter of a pastor and missionary. This background and a
passion for education, music, and serving Christ led her to pursue
multiple degrees at a time when most of her friends and
contemporaries ended their schooling long before completing high
school. Nonetheless, Anne graduated from the Canadian Mennonite Bible
College in Winnipeg, Manitoba, with a degree in Sacred Music and
Christian Education and also earned a teaching certificate from
Bethel College in North Newton in 1960.
Before earning a master's degree in
Religious Education in 1966 from the Associated Mennonite Biblical
Seminary in Elkhart, Indiana, she served three years of Mennonite
Voluntary Service in several Old Colony Mennonite schools in Mexico.
This was followed by an additional year of voluntary service at
Woodlawn Mennonite Church in the slums of Chicago, where she directed
music and drama while simultaneously attending AMBS. During that
time, Anne also met Kenneth Rupp, a fellow AMBS student, and they
began a 43-year marriage shortly after their graduation.
While Anne had graduated from seminary,
women were not allowed ordination for several more years. She focused
on leading the children's education and music ministry programs at
Ken's churches in Turpin, Oklahoma, and Beatrice, Nebraska. It was
during this time that Ken asked her to write a hymn for Pentecost to
go with the sermon he was writing. That hymn, "Holy Spirit, Come
With Power," has been included in hymnals for at least six
faiths, including the Mennonite, Lutheran, Anglican Church of Canada,
Community of Christ, Evangelical Covenant Church and the Quakers
denominations.
Anne was ordained on Nov. 7, 1976, and
became the first ordained woman pastor in the Central District
Conference and the second ordained woman pastor in the General
Conference Mennonite Church. She and Ken also became the first
husband/wife team pastors in the Mennonite faith, serving first at
Pleasant Oaks Mennonite Church (Middlebury, Indiana) from 1976 to
1981, and then at Alexanderwohl Mennonite Church (Goessel) from 1981
to 1987. Anne continued to write curriculum and articles for church
publications and teach piano privately upon their move to Olathe.
Upon her return to North Newton
following Ken's death in 2009, she lived at Kidron Bethel, enjoying
time with her grandchildren, the Hesston-Bethel Performing Arts
series and organizing the Parkinson's Disease support group.
Anne is survived by her son, Byron, and
daughter-in-law Alyssa, and their three children, Braden, Keaton and
Adalyn; as well as her brothers, George (Linda) Neufeld and Waldo
(Elinor) Neufeld; and numerous nieces and nephews.
A Celebration of Life for Anne will be
held at 3 p.m. Sunday (Jan. 19, 2020) at Bethel College Mennonite
Church.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests
that memorials be made in honor of Anne at AMBS.
