HARRISONBURG, Va. (Mennonite Mission Network/Eastern Mennonite University) — Norman H. Derstine, who devoted more than 50 years to church ministry in educational, pastoral mission and communication settings, died Nov. 4 at Park Place, Virginia Mennonite Retirement Community. He was 85.
Derstine spent a decade narrating an hour-long radio program which debuted in 1951 as “Crusaders for Christ.” A year later, the show became “The Mennonite Hour” and aired weekly until 1979. Besides his role as on-air voice, Derstine also became the program director and associate pastor for the program produced by Mennonite Broadcasts, Inc., now Mennonite Media.
Lewis Strite, former Mennonite Broadcasts board president, said Derstine fit well into the ministry. “He was a religious man and was capable of expressing himself quite well,” said Strite. “He was good, dependable, and had something to say.”
At his memorial service Nov. 7 at Park View Mennonite Church in Harrisonburg, Barbara Moyer Lehman, Park View associate pastor, said Derstine recently told her that his time with “The Mennonite Hour” was the most meaningful 10 years of his life.
At age 21, Derstine traveled by motorcycle from his home in Doylestown, Pa., to finish his last two years of high school at Eastern Mennonite School, graduating in 1943. He earned a bachelor of theology degree from Eastern Mennonite College (now Eastern Mennonite University) in 1946.
He went on to teach high school Bible and later was dean of high school boys and dean of men at EMU.
On May 27, 1944, he married Virginia M. Martin who survives with a son, Jerry Derstine and his wife, Jan Garrett, of Snowmass, Colo.; a daughter, Jean Cubbage, and her husband James Cubbage of Harrisonburg; one brother; one sister; four grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
Derstine was ordained to the ministry on Feb. 10, 1952, at Trissels Mennonite Church near Broadway, Va., and served there for four years. In 1962, he accepted the pastorate at Roanoke Mennonite Church, Eureka, Ill., and served there for seven years.
He then returned to the former Eastern Mennonite College to become the first director of church relations. During this time, he led two Holy Land tours and produced "Moments at EMC," a weekly 15-minute radio program aimed at connecting the college to the community.
Following an assignment from 1976-78 as director of religious broadcasting in Botswana, Africa, Derstine returned to Harrisonburg and became director of seminary admissions and grantsman at the college.
Following his retirement from EMU in 1984, he served as interim pastor for congregations in Kalona, Iowa; Salem, Ore.; Phoenix; and Lebanon, Ore.
Through the years, Derstine has written numerous articles for church publications and frequently wrote letters to the editor for many newspapers.
In 2002, Eastern Mennonite Seminary recognized Derstine for 50 years of church-related ministry.
A memorial service was held Nov. 7 at Park View Mennonite Church in Harrisonburg, with interment at the Lindale Mennonite Church cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to Virginia Mennonite Retirement Center’s Compassion Fund, 1501 Virginia Ave., Harrisonburg, VA 22802.
