The Sailors: Linford and Janet Stutzman
Linford and Janet both were born and raised in two different communities in Oregon – Linford in a logging community in the Cascades mountains, and Janet in the Willamette Valley and on a large grass-seed farm.
Linford and Janet share a life-long passion for exploring the world, backpacking through Europe in the early seventies and working on a kibbutz in Israel. They also are committed to being a blessing to everyone wherever they go, serving in ministry assignments with the Mennonite Church in Jerusalem, Israel; Munich, Germany; and Perth, Australia.
Linford holds a Ph.D. from The Catholic University of America, a MA in religion from Eastern Mennonite Seminary, and a BA in Bible from Eastern Mennonite University. Since 1993 he has been teaching courses in religion, culture, and mission at Eastern Mennonite University, and directing the Coffman Center at Eastern Mennonite Seminary, and the Seminary’s new Biblical Lands Educational Seminars and Service graduate study program.
Janet has a MA in church leadership from Eastern Mennonite Seminary. For 13 years she served as director of Parent and Alumni Relations at Eastern Mennonite University, a position she resigned in 2004 in order to be part of the Sailing Acts sabbatical project. Janet currently serves as the director of development for Virginia Mennonite Missions.
Together, Linford and Janet have led Eastern Mennonite University’s cross-cultural study semester to the Middle East numerous times, as well as summer study programs to Albania, Lithuania, Greece and Turkey.
From May, 2004 through August, 2005 Janet and Linford Stutzman lived aboard their sailboat SailingActs, following the sea routes and retracing the land routes of Paul, visiting every site mentioned in the book of Acts connected with Paul. (Greece and islands of the Aegean, Turkey, Greek and Turkish Cyprus, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Crete, Malta, Italy.) In the summers, they continue to explore the Mediterranean and Paul’s legacy aboard SailingActs.
For the past number of years, Linford and Janet have given numerous multi-media presentations on their experiences and research aboard SailingActs, as well as the life and work of Paul, the early Christian Movement, and related themes to churches, universities, schools, conferences, retirement homes, and retreats.
They have two grown sons, David, a church leader in Mannheim, Germany, and Jonathan, a professional actor in Seattle.
Linford’s publications include:
Sailing Acts: Following An Ancient Voyage (Good Books, 2006)
