The Weavers' Home Was A Haven Of Hospitality

Lloyd Sr. and Sarah Weaver had this house built on College Avenue when they moved from Newport News to retire in Harrisonburg in 1969.

In 1948 they had given up a thriving meat and cheese market business in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, to answer a call by the Virginia Mission Board to serve as urban missionaries in the rapidly expanding Newport News area. Their hospitable home there was called "House of Peace." Their work in the city evolved into a ministry to seamen from Japan and other east Asian countries, and the couple offered Christian-focused hospitality to countless numbers of international guests over the years they lived and served in the area.

Sam, their youngest son, reports on how the ministry began, “My father would eat at a coffee shop. One day, he saw an Asian man eating by himself, so he went over to talk with him and found out that this man was an officer on a Japanese ship. He had to stay in Newport News because of an injury. My father discovered that all of the officers could speak fluent English. So, in 1952 he and my mother started boarding the ships, developing relationships, writing letters and sharing the gospel.” Thus began the unique and fruitful ministry called “Church at Sea.” Sam recalls, “My dad counted 25 men who gave their lives to Christ in baptism during those years." (from an article by VMM's Carol Tobin)

The Weavers' new home on College Avenue in Park View continued to be known as a house of welcome, and the couple had a furnished bedroom in their basement designated as their "prophets room," a place for out of town guests. They also had a basement apartment for students and other tenants, including at times their own grandchildren.

The world needs more people like Lloyd and Sara, who not only made their home a place of winsome friendship for friends and strangers alike, but who saw each of their three children and many of their grandchildren serve in active leadership roles in the Mennonite Church. Their oldest, Sara Jane, with her husband Chester Wenger, served as a missionary to Ethiopia for many years (their daughter, Sara Wenger Shenk, became Dean of the Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary). Lloyd, the next oldest, who also married a Sarah (Yoder), was a pastor most of his adult life and a long time president of the Virginia Mennonite Mission Board. Kenneth became head of Mennonite Broadcasts (later Mennonite Media), and the youngest, Sam, was principal of Eastern Mennonite High School for many years, followed by a productive term of service as Virginia Mennonite Conference administrator. He and his wife, another Sarah (Alderfer) later moved into his parents' house after they were gone.

Recently the Virginia Mennonite Retirement Community acquired the property, which adjoins some of the Park Village duplexes in the southwest part of the campus, and plans to remove the house to make room for some added upscale retirement units. The Weaver house did need some significant repair, but I can't help but feel sad over the disappearance of this 50-year-old dwelling in our neighborhood. 

May its memory, and the memories of people like M. Lloyd and Sara Weaver, live on forever.

Lloyd Weaver, Sr., (center) ministered to Japanese and other officers in Newport News. “Our non-resistance witness has been a great help in our work. […] Our Japanese friends remember the bombs that were dropped on Nagasaki and Hiroshima. We are thankful to prove to them by the Scriptures that Jesus’ program is one of peace, and that the Christian’s is no less.” – Lloyd and Sara Weaver (courtesy of Carol Tobin, content editor of VMM's Transforming magazine)