Mennonite Village has a new Chaplain, and his name is Timothy Weible.
Timothy comes to Mennonite Village from the Bay Area in California, where he spent the last seven years as a Chaplain in a hospice program.
“I moved up two weeks ago in a U-Haul with my wife, Shirley, and we are experiencing quite the climate change! This is a blessing,” Timothy said. “I will soon be out in the community and am eager to meet everyone and to serve in the capacity of Chaplain.”
Timothy grew up in Michigan and Pennsylvania before life took many twists and turns. Following college, Timothy taught English for two years in Turkey, returned to the states and attended seminary to become an ordained minister.
“I went to Japan as a missionary for nearly 12 years,” Timothy said. “My three children were born during this time, daughter Rebecca, daughter Sarah, and son Joshua.”
Timothy left Japan to become pastor of a church on the island of Oahu. He pastored that church for 12 years before moving to the Bay Area of California.
“My daughters both remain on Oahu, and my son is an elementary school teacher in Burns, Oregon,” he said.
Timothy added, “Although I am sad to share that I am divorced after 26 years of marriage, I am also very blessed to share that while working full time as a hospice chaplain I met Shirley, an RN for the same organization. We were married two months ago, on September 4, so the move to Oregon is a significant new chapter in both of our lives. Our marriage brings two more adult children into my life, son Kenneth and daughter Carmina who continue to live and work in California.”
Timothy said he “felt called” to come to Oregon.
“When I was 19 years old, I crossed the United States on bicycle, beginning in Astoria, Oregon and riding down through Corvallis and Eugene before cycling up and over the Sisters Mountains, on a road I remember being labeled, ‘Dead Horse Grade.’ I fell in love with Oregon then,” he said.
Timothy said he looks forward to ministering to the residents and staff of Mennonite Village.
“I have a deep respect for the diversity of God’s people throughout the world, and affirm the beauty of this diversity,” Timothy said. “It is my deepest hope to be able to serve well as Chaplain while learning, respecting, and nurturing the diverse faith perspectives of the Mennonite Village, including those of us who are not part of a particular religious tradition. I am also eager to learn about our Mennonite heritage and history.”