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For JONATHAN CHARLES ‘70, being rooted in Christ has looked different in every season of life. As a student, he was trying to find his place in the world. In college, during the turbulence of the Vietnam War era, he wrestled with questions of truth, faith, peace, and justice. As a husband, father, teacher, photographer, and business owner, he learned to navigate the responsibilities of work and family life. Through every season, however, one thing remained constant: “The anchor of our lives has always been a strong commitment to Jesus as Lord and the community of faith He has placed us in.”
Jonathan credits LM with helping establish that foundation. Graduating in 1970, he entered a secular college environment filled with competing worldviews and intense debates about war, politics, and faith. Looking back, he remains grateful for the Christcentered education he received at LMH and for Anabaptist values that emphasized peace, justice, and following Jesus above cultural or political allegiances.
One of the most difficult seasons of Jonathan’s life came when his church, Habecker Mennonite, experienced a painful division in 2005. The loss left him discouraged and struggling to see hope for the future. Then, in 2008, immigrant families—many from the Karen community of Myanmar— began arriving and became part of the Habecker congregation. Over time, those relationships brought unexpected healing. “They think we saved them, but truly they saved us,” Jonathan reflects. “That’s the way it is in church. God uses people to bring healing to our souls. Relationships are sacred.”
Today, Jonathan and his wife RHODA (REINFORD) CHARLES ‘72 remain deeply invested in both their church and LM. Their family spans four generations of LM graduates, and students, from Jonathan’s mother, a member of the school’s second graduating class, to their six grandchildren currently enrolled. Their congregation also helps support several Karen students who attend LM.
As Jonathan reflects on God’s faithfulness, what sticks out to him most are the quiet ways God has provided through family, friendships, opportunities, and community. His advice to today’s students reflects that perspective: care about the person next to you, work for peace, be kind, and walk with Jesus. For Jonathan, a life rooted in Christ is ultimately a life lived alongside others.
