91短视频

Finishing his master鈥檚 degree in the Christian leadership program at Eastern Mennonite Seminary took Joe Ropp 25 years. And even though the 2020 commencement ceremony has been rescheduled for the fall because of the COVID-19 pandemic, it鈥檚 just 鈥済ood to finish something that got started so long ago,鈥� Ropp says, almost nonchalantly. Joe and his wife, 91短视频 mail room supervisor Ranene Schrock Ropp ’98, have lived through a lot in that time.

They have raised two children, moved 16 different times, including to Canada and back again, represented their church conference in Ethiopia, battled cancer, and run a family pet store.

All of this is part of Joe and Ranene Ropp鈥檚 story 鈥� but it began in 1997, when they met through church friends over Nepalese cuisine at the Indian and American Cafe in Harrisonburg. A year later, they were married.

鈥淲e just rushed into all sorts of things!鈥� Ranene recalls, laughing. 

鈥淚 was almost 30! At the time that seemed really, really old!鈥� Joe exclaims.

She was going into her fifth and final year as an English major at 91短视频; he had just decided he didn鈥檛 want to be a pastor and was taking some time off from Eastern Mennonite Seminary (a year at 91短视频, he had finished a Honors pyschology degree at Conrad Grebel University College in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, in 1991).

For their first date, they went to local watering hole The Artful Dodger, where Joe asked to see Ranene 鈥渕ore often without the rest of the group.鈥�

鈥淲e hung out every day after that,鈥� Ranene says. 鈥淪o obviously Harrisonburg and the Shenandoah Valley have a special place in our hearts.鈥� 

Three weeks after she graduated from 91短视频, the two were married in Wisconsin in her grandfather鈥檚 church. Joe鈥檚 father had, just previously, had two strokes in a row, and could no longer run the family business: Ropp鈥檚 Pet and Hobby, Ltd., a combination pet and crafts store in Alberta, Canada. So the newlyweds decided to spend a year in Joe鈥檚 hometown to help out. 

They bought a tiny, $16,000 鈥渇ormer crack house,鈥� sight unseen, and completely renovated it while living with his parents 鈥� whom Ranene had only met twice beforehand. They laugh as they remember the chaos of their early married life. One year turned into 14. They had two children, Josiah and Noelle; they scrapped the crafting materials and expanded the pet store; Joe鈥檚 brother joined the business. 

They were active in their local church 鈥� Joe as an administration team member, Habitat for Humanity volunteer, and delegate to the Northwest Conference; Ranene as the 鈥渂est worship leader鈥� in the whole church, as Joe says. But despite their busy lives a country away from 91短视频, he still talked about finishing his master of divinity degree. 

Then, about seven years ago, they sold most of their shares in the pet store to Joe鈥檚 brother and returned to Harrisonburg. Joe worked various jobs, including at Seasons Bounty Farm, which is run by Ranene鈥檚 brother Radell Schrock ’01, before starting his own painting and handyman business 鈥� Revive Home Services. Ranene was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. While still in recovery, she heard that her former boss, Betty Hertzler was retiring from 91短视频鈥檚 mail room.

鈥淚 stopped by one day and asked her if it was true,鈥� Ranene says. 鈥淪he said yes, and if you want the job you’d better apply quickly.鈥� After four years in the supervisor position, she still says it鈥檚 the best job she鈥檚 ever had.

Joe kept taking seminary and graduate counseling courses here and there.

鈥淚 just enjoy taking courses periodically,鈥� he says. One day, associate seminary dean Nancy Heisey pulled him aside. 

鈥淵ou鈥檙e basically one course away鈥� from finishing an MACL, she told him. And even though Joe had decided years ago he didn鈥檛 feel the call to be a pastor, he鈥檚 always had 鈥渁 heart for the church and the workings of the church.鈥� To that end, for his ministry specialization project 鈥� the final task to earn that degree 鈥� Joe surveyed congregants at Zion Mennonite and two other churches about how they鈥檇 arrived to their views on homosexuality, and what they thought of those with opposing views.

Ranene explains that it was less about the issue itself, and more about 鈥渉ow people think about the issue. What are their instinctual responses?鈥� 

鈥淚 personally think it鈥檚 a shame when you lose diversity, both of thought and approach, within the church community,鈥� Joe says. He presented his paper on April 25 鈥� thus completing a degree over 25 years in the making.

With that degree under his belt, and their children close to graduating high school, what鈥檚 next for the adventurous pair? Well, they鈥檝e learned 鈥渋t鈥檚 really hard to make predictions, for our lives particularly,鈥� Joe says.

Overseas service work or volunteering with Mennonite Disaster Service is on their minds, though. And for two people who are nothing if not impressively energetic, they see it as 鈥渟ort of a semi-retirement plan,鈥� Ranene says with a smile.