Peter "P.C." Hiebert, Mennonite Brethren educator, minister, and relief agency leader. He was born 5 April 1870, the son of Kornelius and Katherine Wiens Hiebert, who came to Kansas in 1876 from South Russia. Kornelius served as farmer-minister in the Ebenfeld Mennonite Brethren congregation, the first organized Mennonite Brethren congregation in North America (1876).

After completing country school, Peter attended Hillsboro High School. He studied at McPherson College (AB, 1906), the Baptist seminary in Rochester, NY, and the University of Kansas (MA). He married Katherine Nikkel in 1907. Hiebert taught in rural schools in Kansas for five years and then, together with H. W. Lohrenz, helped establish Tabor College in Hillsboro, KS, 1908. Here he served as teacher, dean, vice president, and president (1932-1934) for 25 years. Then he taught at Sterling College for 13 additional years. He was a strong advocate for Christian liberal arts education.

Ordained as minister by the Ebenfeld Church, he served his conference as secretary or chairman of the Board of Home Missions for 18 years; moderator of Pacific District, Southern District, and the Mennonite Brethren general conference; chairman of the Relief Committee (MB) for 40 years; chairman of the committee which compiled the 1953 hymnal; and as traveling minister for over 60 years in United States, Canada, Europe, Russia, and South America. He represented the North American Mennonite Brethren conference at the Mennonite World Conference three times.

P. C. Hiebert helped organize the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) and served as its chairman for the first 33 years. He first met Orie Miller at an organizational meeting in the Prairie Street Mennonite Church, Elkhart, Indiana in 1920. Here a friendship and partnership developed that enriched the lives of thousands with whom they worked through the MCC around the world. P. C's work with the MCC began with a trip to South Russia in 1922 to aid Mennonites in the colonies suffering from famine, drought, and revolution. Between the wars Hiebert worked hard to keep the MCC alive through projects related to colonization, refugees, and relief. He was the first chairman of the MCC Peace Committee (Peace Section) and helped develop, in collaboration with the Church of the Brethren and Friends, "A Plan for Action for the Mennonites in Case of War." He helped organize the National Service Board for Religious Objectors (NSBRO), an agency through which the historic peace churches could together deal with Selective Service (US). This, in turn, led to the establishment of the Civilian Public Service Camps.

Hiebert's leadership touched the lives of people around the world through service "in the name of Christ." His life was deeply colored by the Anabaptist vision of Christian discipleship. His witness was focused by two crosses—the cross of Christ's atonement and the disciple's cross. These two crosses gave unity and purpose to his life.

P.C. Hiebert died 27 May 1963. 

Bibliography

Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Scottdale, Pennsylvania, and Waterloo, Ontario, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 5, pp. 370-371. All rights reserved. For information on ordering the encyclopedia visit the Herald Press website.

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