Baker, Robert J. (1920-2006)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 2006 Feb 27 p. 3

Birth date: 1920 Sep 9

Sunday school writer dies at 85 in Indiana

By Robert Rhodes

Mennonite Weekly Review

ELKHART, Ind. — Robert J. Baker, whose columns in Builder magazine guided Mennonite Sunday school teachers for more than 35 years, died Feb. 19 at Greencroft Healthcare in Goshen. He was 85.

Baker wrote the column, "If I Were Teaching the Lesson," from 1965-99 in Builder, a magazine for teachers in the Mennonite Church and General conference Mennonite Church. Earlier he wrote the magazine's "Sunday School Worship Hour" feature. He also led seminars for Mennonite Sunday school teachers.

"I never saw anyone lead a Sunday school class like he did, blending practical and insightful input with vigorous pupil-teacher interaction," said Jim Bishop of Harrisonburg, Va., public information officer at Eastern Mennonite University. "When someone in the class offered a comment that may not have been all that helpful or even relevant to the topic, Bob was able to take it and make it sound like that person had just unlocked the mystery of the Trinity."

From 1979-96, Baker wrote a column for Christian Living magazine, reflecting on the passages of life and retirement. A collection of these columns, County Road 13, was published by Herald Press in 1990. Baker also wrote for Gospel Herald and Youth's Christian Companion.