Jonathan Lee Amstutz

On Wednesday afternoon, September 2, 2020, Jonathan Lee Amstutz, loving husband of Anna Lou Amstutz and father of three children, passed away peacefully at the age of 99 at Swiss Village in Berne, Indiana.

Jonathan was born on June 19, 1921 in Mattoon, Illinois to Menno and Louisa (Sprunger) Amstutz, of Kidron, Ohio. He was raised in a godly home as the son of a pastor along with his five siblings. He grew up in various towns, with his most formative teen years in Highland Park, Michigan. God called him to missionary service during that time, and he attended Nyack Missionary Training Institute (now Nyack College), graduating in 1944. He began his 30 years of missionary service in Maharashtra, India in March 1947, and continued his studies at Wheaton College, graduating in 1954. On June 12, 1954 he married Anna Louise Boehr. They raised two sons, Timothy and Steven, and one daughter, Priscilla, during their years of ministry in India. Jonathan completed his Master’s degree and graduated from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in 1973. Jonathan and Anna Lou retired from missionary service in 1977, settling in Berne, Indiana where Jonathan served in various roles, working for Textron (formerly Micro- Precision, Inc.), serving as Pastor of Springhill Church for three years, and as Visitation Pastor of First Missionary Church for 15 years (1992 – 2007).

Jonathan’s overriding passion was to share the Good News of Jesus with others. He dedicated himself fully to the study and teaching of Scripture, raising up and influencing the lives and ministry of many pastors and Bible teachers in India. After returning to the U.S., he shared his love for Jesus and care for others with the sick and those who were homebound during his pastoral ministry in Berne. Jonathan also had a great passion for music. He played the flute throughout his life, faithfully practicing daily, and sharing his musical gifts by playing in church, arranging hymns for instrumental ensembles, singing with his strong tenor voice in family hymn sings, and whistling joyfully wherever he went. Music imbued his life with infectious gratitude.

Jonathan was preceded in death by his father, Menno, his mother, Louisa, his sisters Magdalene, Mary, and Lois, and his brother, Mahlon.

He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Anna Lou, his sister, Elizabeth (Olan) Hendrix, his three children, Timothy (spouse Kathy), Steven, and Priscilla (spouse Dirk), six grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.

Visitation for the public will be held on Monday, September 7, 2020 at Zwick Funeral Home, Yager-Kirchhofer Chapel in Berne, Indiana from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. A small funeral service will be held for immediate family with Pastor Jim Schwartz and Pastor Dathen Foust officiating. For those who would like to watch the service on line, you will need to “like” the Facebook page of Zwick & Jahn where the service will posted later on Monday.

Preferred memorial can be given to The Christian and Missionary Alliance or First Missionary Church Missions Fund.

A memorial service to honor Jonathan with a broader group of family, friends and members of the community will be scheduled after the Covid pandemic has passed.

Arrangements are by Zwick & Jahn Funeral Home, Yager-Kirchhofer Chapel in Berne, Indiana.