Richard Yordy

Classification scheme:

Hist. Mss. 1.178

Title: Richard Yordy fonds

Dates of creation: ca. 1942-ca.1995

Physical description: 1.5 m of textual records

Biographical sketch: Richard Yordy was born on 8 October 1922 and died on 21 May 1995. On 3 June 1945 he married Ruth Miller. They had three sons. Yordy attended Moody Bible Institute in Chicago and Goshen College. He graduated from Goshen Biblical Seminary in 1946 and was acting president at the seminary in the 1970s. His first pastorate was in Perryton, Texas, where he was ordained in 1946. For the next 25 years, he served churches in Illinois and for seven years he was conference minister of the Illinois Mennonite Conference. Yordy served five years at Hesston Mennonite Church before accepting an assignment at St. Jacobs Mennonite Church. After his retirement in December 1989, he served as interim minister at five different churches in southern Ontario, New York and Calgary. Yordy also served on the boards of numerous Mennonite agencies.

Custodial history: The fonds was donated to the Mennonite Archives of Ontario by Phil Yordy in 1995. A few additional items were donated by the family in 2024.

Scope and content: The fonds consists of records created by Richard Yordy. They include some personal records, but the vast majority relate to his work with congregations and church organization. He was not a prolific writer, but some papers produced at seminary and later are included. Richard Yordy preached from notes that were quite skimpy on occasion, and on paper that was recycled from earlier uses. A cross-section of sermons are included. His work with numerous conference and denominational committees can also be seen in the records of those conferences, especially the Mennonite Conference of Ontario & Quebec and the Mennonite Conference of Eastern Canada. His work on committees prior to moving to Canada is scanty, except for the Litigation Committee.

File list:

There are five series: 1) Personal records & correspondence; 2) Papers and Resources; 3) Organizational & Committee records; 4) Congregational records; 5) Sermons

Series 1: Personal records & correspondence

Certificates, church membership letters, vitae, autobiographical reflections, 1942-1991
Hampshire sheep raising records and information, 1953-1959
Clinical Pastoral Education materials,
Wesley Medical Center, Wichita, Kansas, 1974-75
Personal correspondence,
1952, 1963-1995 (mostly early-mid-1960s related to Illinois Conference)
1968-1991 (mostly late 1960s related to Illinois Mennonite Conference)
Programs of events attended by Richard Yordy,
1947-1990
Freeport Mennonite Church
"The Life and Growth of the Freeport Mennonite Church" by Eldon Kortemeier, 1958 (Yordy pastored the church beginning in 1950)

Series 2: Papers & Resources

Papers - 1940s
"Work of the Pastor" compliation of student papers of this class with Prof. Paul Mininger, 1944
"Introduction to the Revelation of John" 1940s, 3 p.
"Introductory Notes of the General Epistle of James" 1946, 3 p.
"Introductaion to the First Epistle of Peter" 1946, 3 p.
"Introductaion to the Second Epistle of Peter" 1946, 3 p.
"Review and Critique of What is Faith by J. G. Machen" 1940s, 8 p. (holograph)
"A Complete Program for the Mennonite Home Mission" 1940s, 4 p. (holograph)
"A Survey of Land Ownership Trends in the Forks, Indiana, Mennonite Community" 1945, 4 p.
"A Survey of Land Ownership Trends Among Amish and Mennonites in the Mennonite Community East of Goshen, Indiana" 1946, 11 p.
"Why God Not Only is Just in Punishing the Heathen but Also Must Punish Them if He is to be the Righteous Ruler of the University" 1944, 5 p.
"Mysticism in the Christian Experience", 1940s, 7 p. (holograph)
Homiletics paper, 1940s, 4 p.
"A Condensation of My Return to Religion by Henry C. Link" 1946, 12 p.
"They Own the Land: Can We?: A Study of Old Order Amish Mennonite Practices That Aid in the Occupation and Ownership of Land..." 1945, 10 p.
"Fellow Workers with God in Ministering to Rural People" 1946, 10 p.
Class note books: "J.S. Shoemaker notes," First John, Nature of Mission Work in India, Lesson by S.C. Yoder; "Mennonite History and Doctrines"
Papers -- 1950s papers may include some undated papers from other decades)
"What Influenced My Vocation Choice" n.d. 3 p.
"Planning for More Effective Stewardship" n.d. 3 p.
"The Creation -- a Good Gift of God" n.d., 5 p.
"The Forgiveness of Sin" n.d., 5 p.
"The Study of Archeology to a Study of the Life of Abraham" 1957, 7 p.
"The Rural Minister and Soil Conservation" 1958, 5 p.
"The New Testament Concent of Church Discipline" 1958, 15 p.
"Achieving Discipline in the Church" 1958, 11 p.
"A Review of M.Y.F. Program and Activities at the Freeport Mennonite Church" 1958, 6 p.
Papers -- 1960s - 1980s Papers
"Christian Mutual Aid: Its Meaning and Expression...." n.d., 4 p.
"Christian Teaching Mission: Prairie Street Mennonite Church, October 6, 1960" 1960, 9 p.
"Christ's Mind for Brothers & Neighbors" n.d., 3 p. (Devotional at Mennonite Mutual Aid Association)
"The Amish at Arthur: Faith, Life and Historical Background" 1965, 5 p.
"The Church in Modern Times" n.d., 3 p. (Outline)
"Life and Human Values: Address at Chapel, Hesston College" 1974, 13 p.
"Consideration for Ministers Yoked Together" 1970s, 3 p.
"Words and Deeds in '75" 1974, 3 p.
"Some Beginning Concerns as Mennonites and Believers Church Groups Look at Church Growth" 1979 2 p. plus graphs
"The Chicago Mennonite Story as it relates to the Witness at Eighteenth Street and Union Avenue, 1893-1959" 1980s? 10 p.
Bible Study Resources
Abortion
Baptismal Vows
Church Constitutions
Divorce and Marriage Resources
Discipleship Resources
Homosexuality Resources
Ordination Resources
Resource Booklets
Scope and content: This file contains booklets in Yordy's library from non-Mennonite publishers. Topics include: evangelism, aging, youth, Christmas worship, labour unions, ecumenism, church structure, church planting, pastoral care visitation, Christianity in the public square, bereavement, refugees, alcoholism, rural and urban issues.
Note: Published materials from Yordy's library with Mennonite content were transferred to the Milton Good Library; if titles were duplicates of exisiting library titles, they were not retained.
Christ's Lordship and Religious Pluralism: A Consultation for the 1980s, Union Theological Seminary, Viriginia, 1979
North American Christian Peace Conference, 1989-1990
Note: Includes Christians Associated for Relations in Eastern Europe conference, Princeton Theological Seminary, Oct 1989
Planning for More Effective Ministry workbook
Congregations in Relationship (issues of congregational polity, paper and responses), 1981-1983
Women in Ministry workshop, 1987

Series 3: Organizational & Committee Records

Litigation Study Committee, 1959-1961
Minutes & Correspondence
Papers (Including one by Yordy)
Committee on Versions & Translations of the Bible in Curriculum 1960s
All Mennonite Conference on Christian Mutual Aid, 1962-1965
Correspondence & Minutes
Council on Faith, Life and Strategy (Mennonite Church) 1970s
South Central Conference -- Ministerial Credentials, 1973
Correspondence & Minutes
Litigation Task Force, 1976-1981
Background documents
Correspondence & minutes
Documents (Including numerous drafts by Yordy)
Inter-Mennonite Bible Institute, 1978-1983
Correspondence & minutes
Collections Procedures Committee (Mennonite Savings & Credit Union), 1981
Minutes & policy documents
Fairview Mennonite Home Board, 1984-1989 (Restricted)
Correspondence & minutes
MCEC Leadership Manual Task Force,
Correspondence & minutes

Series 4: Congregational Records

Hesston College Mennonite Church
Correspondence, 1970-1977, 1991
St. Jacobs Mennonite Church
Correspondence, 1976-1992
Associate Pastor, 1986-1987
Divorce & Remarriage, 1978-1983 (Restricted)
Hayride accident, 1985-1988
Lao Fellowship, 1990 (historical summary only)
Meetingplace (Visitor Centre), 1978-1991
Supervised Experience in Ministry, 1984-1985
Roy Koch 50th anniversary of ordination, 1985-1986
St. Jacobs community ministerial, 1987-1989
Local businesses, ca. 1987 (file consists of profiles of Riverside Brass and Erb Transport)
Floradale Mennonite Church
Correspondence, etc., 1990-1991
Listowel Mennonite Church
Correspondence, 1991-1993
Erb Street Mennonite Church
Correspondence, 1993

Series 5: Sermons

Scope and content: Richard Yordy's sermon notes were relatively brief and virtually always handwritten, sometimes of the backs of blank bulletins or other sheets with writing on the back. Occasional sermons/talks are typed. In many cases the sermons are undated. A selection of sermons have been retained from the various decades of Yordy's ministry, thought sometimes the sermon may be attributed to the wrong decade.

          1940s-1950s
          1960s
          1970s (Hesston)
          1970s (St. Jacobs)
          1980s
          1990s
          Weddings
          Misc. talks

Back to personal collections listing page

Return to top

Last modified 28-Jun-2011 by Laureen Harder-Gissing