Edmund Janzen, 88, president of Fresno Pacific University from 1975 to 1985 during a teaching career that included a stint at Tabor College and other church leadership roles, died April 14 at his home in Fresno, Calif.

Janzen sought to reestablish the credibility and confidence in the institution’s mission within the Mennonite Brethren constituency out of which the school was founded. He also sought to make FPU a welcoming place for all.

He wrote a statement called “Broadening the Base,” in which he sought to move the college beyond its Mennonite roots. In Janzen’s words, he wanted FPU to be a place that “invited people from all streams of life and faith to attend.”

Richard Kriegbaum, who served as president immediately after Janzen, noted that this was an instrumental decision for Fresno Pacific. “If that hadn’t happened, I don’t think there’d be a Fresno Pacific today, honestly,” Kriegbaum said. “That’s legacy.”

Janzen earned a bachelor’s degree in English from McMaster University, a bachelor of theology at Mennonite Brethren Bible College, a bachelor of divinity at Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary and a master of theology in missions and urbanology at Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary. In 2025, Janzen was awarded an honorary doctorate by Fresno Pacific University.

He was initially hired at then-Fresno Pacific College in 1968, serving as a faculty member in the biblical and religious studies division and as campus pastor. During this time, he was instrumental in creating a core FPU class called Jesus and the Christian Community. The course is still a cornerstone of the undergraduate experience.

After seven years at Fresno Pacific, he was appointed president.

Janzen returned to teaching after his presidency. He wrote in his book The Window Pane: “I was free to return to the delights of the classroom at last. . . . Over my more than 35 years at Fresno Pacific, what I enjoyed most was the teaching.”

To make room for the incoming president, Janzen moved to Hillsboro, Kan., to teach at Tabor College before being invited back to Fresno Pacific by Kriegbaum.

Janzen not only impacted Fresno ­Pacific but also left a mark on the ­global Anabaptist movement. He served as a pastor, administrator and conference speaker within the MB church. He is remembered as a man who helped bridge the worlds of academia and ministry, always pointing others toward Christ.

Janzen’s impact on FPU continues in the annual Edmund Janzen Lectureship in Biblical Studies, which began in 2005 to honor the 35 years he served at Fresno Pacific.

“Edmund’s life was one of legacy,” said FPU President André Stephens. “His life was marked by a deep and abiding faith in Christ and a genuine kindness that he extended so generously to me and to so many others.”

A memorial service was held April 20 at Butler Church in Fresno.