HILLSBORO, Kan.— Ryan Loewen, Ph.D. Candidate (g’14) has begun serving as the director of the Center of Mennonite Brethren Studies (CMBS) at Tabor College. After two years as a visiting professor on campus, Loewen was named assistant professor of theology ahead of the 2021-22 academic year. His appointment as CMBS director began on Aug. 1.
“I am deeply honored to be named the next CMBS director,” Loewen said. “CMBS has an essential role in preserving the stories, theology, and historical memory that have shaped Mennonite Brethren identity for generations. To step into this role is humbling and energizing, and I am excited to continue the work faithfully done by others who have gone before me.”
A historical theologian, Loewen has been researching sixteenth-century Anabaptist and Mennonite traditions for the past seven years. His Ph.D. work, through the University of Aberdeen in Scotland, is in Anabaptist and Mennonite Christology. That comes after detailed research on Menno Simons while obtaining his Th.M. through Denver Seminary (Colo.).
Loewen also serves as the conference representative for Direction, the joint publication between the USMB and Canadian Conference of MB Churches (CCMBC). He also presented a lecture centered on his Ph.D. research at the USMB National Convention in Salt Lake City, Utah, in July 2026.
Loewen comes from a strong Tabor and MB background. He is one of nine family members, including his parents, siblings, spouse, and in-laws, who graduated from Tabor. He was raised in Bethesda MB Church in Huron, S.D., and currently serves on the Leadership Board at Hillsboro MB Church.
Loewen’s Family Tree at Tabor College
Nathan (g’80) and Rosette (Hofer g’80) Loewen, parents
Henry (g’51) and Anna (Kliewer fs’50) Loewen, grandparents
Rachel (Goering g’13) Loewen, wife
Nathan (g’05) and Abigail (Loewen g’07) Faul, sister and brother-in-law
Anthony Loewen (g’09), brother
Michael Loewen (g’12), brother
Benjamin Loewen (g’18), brother
Julianne (Loewen g’19) Thorne, sister
Loewen succeeds Peggy Goertzen, becoming the third director since CMBS’s inception in the 1970s. During her 34-year tenure, Goertzen built on the Center’s founding vision of preserving Mennonite Brethren history and ensuring its stories and records remained accessible to future generations.
“Ryan’s extensive personal and professional background at Tabor and in the USMB Conference made him a perfect fit for this position,” said Dale Lemke, Ph.D., Vice President of Academic Affairs. “We’re deeply indebted to Peggy’s contributions over the past 34 years, and we look forward to seeing how Ryan continues to steward the legacy of the Center of Mennonite Brethren Studies moving forward.”
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Established in 1908 and located in Hillsboro, Kan., Tabor College is a Christian liberal arts college affiliated with the Central, Southern, Eastern, and Latin American Districts of the United States Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches.
Media Contact:
Adam Suderman
Communications Specialist
adam.suderman@tabor.edu
620-877-0095 (cell) / 620-947-3121 (ext. 1225)