Rev. Earl Ray Sears

Earl Sears, of Goshen, Indiana, died on April 6, 2018 at Goshen Hospital surrounded by close family members. Earl was born on January 10, 1935 to Harvey and Dina Camp Sears. Earl and his four brothers grew up in Tazwell County, Illinois and attended Metamora Church.

A conscientious objector during the Korean War, Earl did 1-W service in Goshen. He earned a degree in secondary education at Goshen College where he met his wife Jane Falb, who he married on June 18, 1961. Earl received his M.Div. from the Mennonite Seminary in Goshen, attended Harvard Divinity School as a fellow in the Merrill Program, and earned his D.Min. at the Claremont School of Theology.

Earl served his first congregation, Waldo Mennonite Church in Flanagan, Illinois, from 1964-1968 before moving to Southside Fellowship in Elkhart, where he remained until 1987. He served Faith Mennonite Church in Newton, Kansas from 1987-1997. In retirement, he pastored the Mennonite Church of Boston and Union Church in Brasilia, Brazil.

In addition to ministry, Earl’s calling included work for peace and justice. He co-founded the Victim Offender Reconciliation Program, worked in prison ministry, established gun buyback programs, and advocated for refugees through the Sanctuary movement. The family lived for one year in Asunci ó n , Paraguay where he and Jane taught at Asunci ó n Chri stian Academy.

Earl deeply valued his upbringing on his family’s farm. In 2000, he and Jane retired to pursue conservation work in Illinois where they also cherished relationships with nearby family, and actively contributed the Illinois Mennonite Heritage Center. In 2015, they moved to Goshen and joined Eighth Street Mennonite Church.

Earl is survived by his wife Jane (Goshen); daughter Carmen Logue (Acton, MA) and her husband Kevin Logue; daughter Jeanette Sears (Clinton, Ontario) and her husband Roger Stryker; daughter Jennifer Sears (Brooklyn, NY); and five grandchildren, Marije, Anneke, and Karsten Sears Stryker and Ethan and Joseph Logue.

Friends may call Friday, April 13, from 5 to 8 p.m. and Saturday, 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. at Eight Street Mennonite Church, Goshen, where an 11 a.m. memorial service will be conducted.

Donations may be made to Mennonite Central Committee or Eighth Street Mennonite Church .