Mennonite Men is excited to welcome Jon Zirkle to leadership as co-director of U.S. Mennonite Men with Steve Thomas. Jon has been on the board of Mennonite Men for past two years and involved with the work of JoinMen for men's growth and JoinTrees for creation care.
Jon brings a background in agriculture, land conservation, not-for-profit leadership, environmental education, and theological training. Jon is a member of Assembly Mennonite Church in Goshen where he helped form a men's group. He has an MA in Plant and Soil Science from University of Vermont and is a recent graduate of Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary with a M.A. in Christian Formation.
Jon will primarily focus on the JoinMen ministry for men and JoinHands grantmaking for new churches while Steve's focus will remain on development and the JoinTrees campaign for climate action. Jon will also coordinate growing involvement with Indigenous justice in partnership with the Coalition to Dismantle the Doctrine of Discovery.
"I'm excited to work together with Jon," says Steve. "He is passionate about integrating spiritual formation, social justice, and creation care with men. With his gifts and experience, Jon will provide strong leadership for our mission to engage men to grow, give, and serve as followers of Jesus for God's shalom."
The job-sharing arrangement was first prompted by Steve's cancer diagnosis and successful treatment. Of Jon's co-leadership, Steve believes that, "as a younger man Jon will help us navigate the next stage of Mennonite Men's ministry in MC USA."
In addition to working with Mennonite Men, Jon directs Bushelcraft Farm, an educational farm in Elkhart, IN he co-founded in 2020, and has worked for the land trust Wood-Land-Lakes that protects Indiana land from development. Jon notes that his "small-scale agriculture and environmental work gives [him] perspective on ways that [he has] seen men find meaningful contributions beyond themselves and find connection to the Earth—God's creation."
Jon is attracted to the holistic nature of Mennonite Men's intent to be refreshing and challenging by engaging men with a focus on the ways of Jesus. "Men who are Mennonite need spiritual support and community with other men," he shared. "I too was missing deeper community and spiritual support. Mennonite Men truly is helping men grow. It's an organization promoting healthy, faith-motivated men who are ready to listen, serve, tend to their inner life and outer lives, and walk alongside others seeking justice in the world."
Jon brings a vision of reaching younger men with diverse backgrounds and life experiences who are seeking community, friendship, and encouragement to deepen their spiritual lives.
"Many of us men have not felt we have permission or much reason to truly know ourselves---our personality type, our source of pain, our desires, our identities as God's Beloved," shares Jon. "This is essential work to invest time in, and needs to happen simultaneously with 'outer work.' Integrating prayer, community, and gratitude to God into our work is important, life-giving, and also challenging. I look forward to supporting fellow men in the journey of slowing down, identifying their core wounds, releasing control to God, prioritizing relationships, and seeking community."
In his work with JoinMen, he will develop new ways to connect with men through retreats, exploration of prayer practices, activism and justice work, outdoor experiences, promoting men's groups and individual spiritual care, and volunteering in the community.
Jon's leadership will facilitate Mennonite Men's growing involvement with Indigenous justice in partnership with the Coalition to Dismantle the Doctrine of Discovery. Of this connection, he says, "I am inspired to see Mennonite Men get relationally involved with indigenous communities and their struggles. I think many non-indigenous men could benefit from experiencing the power of worshipping outside, singing and dancing together, rediscovering rites of passage for boys and men, and finding inspiration to approach life with greater reverence, gratitude, prayer, celebration, and commitment to future generations."
Jon brings "tend the earth gifts" as well as interests in both the internal and external aspects of faith formation that are a huge asset to Mennonite Men at this stage of its ministry to Mennonite Church USA.