The stewards next door

As soon as Jerry and Ruth Ann Wittrig enter the lobby of North Goshen Mennonite Church, they’re greeted with hugs from other church members, young and old.

“I try to be sure to set my purse down,” Ruth Ann said with a laugh, “so my arms are free for hugs.”

The couple, both in their 80s, have attended the Goshen, Indiana, church since 1968. Over the decades, they’ve become pillars in the community – with Jerry previously serving as assistant pastor and Ruth Ann teaching every single Sunday school age group at one time or another.

In addition to their lengthy tenure and involvement, the Wittrigs have naturally drawn others to the church, building up the community. Over the past almost-60 years, the Wittrigs have invited numerous others to attend North Goshen Mennonite Church by modeling compassion, hospitality, and a spirit of service, which often inspires people to become active members themselves.

“Ruth Ann and I have spent day after day doing the kinds of things that we thought Jesus would do if he was here,” Jerry said. “Throughout the years, we’d try to meet people’s needs, and then we would develop friendships with them, and then, if they had no church home, we’d invite them to North Goshen.”

“And that has happened over and over again,” he added.

In recognition of Jerry and Ruth Ann’s lifelong dedication to serving others through acts of compassion and community building, the couple was honored with the 2025 Everence Journey Award. The award, presented annually, recognizes people of faith who use their gifts to benefit others and the world.

The Wittrigs are exemplary models of stewardship and generosity, said Becky Helmuth, pastor of North Goshen Mennonite Church.

“Their generosity has set a model for the congregation, which has encouraged others to follow their lead,” Becky said.

LIFETIME OF SERVICE

Since joining North Goshen Mennonite Church in the late 1960s, Jerry and Ruth Ann have spent countless hours serving their church community in numerous capacities.

Jerry served as associate pastor for 22 years, ending his tenure in 2008. He has officiated weddings and funerals, guided couples through marriage counseling, preached on Sunday mornings, and helped the church navigate difficult times.

Ruth Ann spent many Sunday mornings teaching Sunday school lessons to children of all ages, as well as summers teaching Bible school. A talented cook and baker, Ruth Ann founded North Goshen Mennonite Church community meals, which take place the third Wednesday of every month and are open to the community.

Both Ruth Ann and Jerry served on numerous committees at North Goshen Mennonite Church over the years, including as elders. Jerry continues to serve as an elder at the church today.

In addition to their commitments to North Goshen Mennonite Church, the Wittrigs both had demanding jobs – Jerry worked at Miles Laboratories (which was acquired by Bayer) in Elkhart, which occasionally required him to travel internationally, while Ruth Ann worked as an elementary teacher for Goshen Community Schools.

And while navigating their careers, the couple also raised their three sons: Mark, Matthew and Michael. Amid juggling their careers and family life, Jerry and Ruth Ann still found the time to make an impact on their neighbors, their community, and their church, making so many feel welcomed, valued and seen.

RADICAL HOSPITALITY

“Every person who walks through the doors of North Goshen Mennonite Church is greeted by Jerry and Ruth Ann,” Becky, the church’s pastor, said. “And soon after that, there’ll be an invitation to dinner at their house.”

And, for many, it goes beyond just dinner – the Wittrigs become like family.

When Erin and Robert Behan Morillo joined North Goshen Mennonite Church as newlyweds in the early 2000s – Erin returning from living abroad and Robert recently immigrating from the Dominican Republic – they were seeking a supportive faith community.

The couple chose North Goshen Mennonite Church because it offered simultaneous English and Spanish translation, which was important to them since Robert was learning English at the time. Jerry, though not a fluent Spanish speaker himself, was deeply committed to attending the church’s Spanish-speaking Sunday school class, where he got to know the Behan Morillos. Despite the language barrier, Jerry’s consistent presence offered inclusion and care, Erin said.

And soon, the friendship between the Wittrigs and the Behan Morillos grew beyond Sunday mornings.

The Wittrigs would invite the couple over for dinner, and then, once Erin and Robert had kids, Jerry and Ruth Ann would babysit their kids and often invite the whole Behan Morillo family over. Throughout the last 20 or so years, Jerry and Ruth Ann have helped Erin and Robert navigate faith and parenthood, always with grace and without judgment.

“As we were learning to be parents, they were often the people we went to for advice,” Robert said.

“They’ve been like an additional set of parents to us,” Erin added.

Many folks at North Goshen Mennonite Church feel the same – the Wittrigs are honorary grandparents and parents to so many within the church community, Becky said.

“It’s that spirit they bring,” Becky said. “It makes it feel like you’re the only person in the room when they’re talking to you.”

INSPIRING GENEROSITY

Terry and Velma Peck, lifelong friends of the Wittrigs and fellow North Goshen Mennonite Church members, said they’re often inspired by Jerry and Ruth Ann – so much so, they nominated the couple for the Journey Award. Just in the Wittrigs’ day-to-day interactions with others, Jerry and Ruth Ann have modeled to the Pecks how to be more like Jesus.

“The Wittrigs notice – a lot of us don’t notice – but they notice the needs of others at church and quietly step in to help meet those needs,” Velma said.

Terry said there are many stories of the Wittrigs’ generosity from decades past that he’s just now learning, despite knowing the couple for almost 60 years.

Becky had a similar experience – it wasn’t until she became pastor of North Goshen Mennonite Church that she learned the extent of the Wittrigs’ support to people in the community.

They’d bring meals to families when illness or crises struck, or support parents by picking up kids from school or babysitting, Becky said.

Jerry and Ruth Ann also opened their home to families and individuals numerous times, offering a place for those in need to land in emergencies or times of transition.

“They knew what people needed,” Becky said. “They could see the needs – big or small – and if they had the means to help, they did.”

This desire to help others – whether it be longtime friends or strangers – comes from the Wittrigs’ desire to emulate Jesus.

“We say it a lot: ‘Now, what would Jesus do in this circumstance?’” Ruth Ann said. “Asking that question isn’t something you retire from,” Jerry added. “We’re still doing it.”