Arno Wendell Enns

Arno was born in 1924 to George Enns and Helen Suderman in Reedley, CA. He completed an undergraduate degree in religion at the University of California Berkeley. He went on to complete a BDiv (and later an MDiv) from Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, CA as a precursor to overseas missionary service.

Enns and his wife Cora Lee Schehrer were appointed by Conservative Baptist Foreign Mission Society (now WorldVenture) in 1952 to serve in Argentina, South America to start churches and train church leaders. After 18 successful years in Salta, Jujuy and Tucuman, Arno Enns was invited to fill a leadership role at WorldVenture’s main office in Wheaton, IL. For the next 20 years Arno directed the mission’s work in South America and Europe. Before retirement he launched WorldVenture’s Missionary Development Department, one of the mission community’s earliest efforts to help missionaries thrive in the midst of cross-cultural life and work. Arno truly loved and labored for those around him no matter the country.

Arno will be lovingly remembered by his wife of 68 years, Cora Lee and his children, Debbie (Tim) Hoops, Sanny (Dennis) Sutton, Markie (Brad) Anderson, Laurie (Bruce) Swanson. He will be fondly remembered by his grandchildren, Calvin (Staci) Hoops, Shannon (Owen) Ripley, Kristen (John) MacDonald, Bradley (Sheri) Sutton, Carrie Sutton, Alyssa Anderson, Nat Anderson, Dan (Erica) Swanson, Christie (Michael) Stalcup, Andrea (Jason) Hedger. His great grandchildren, Joelle, Mavis, Carter, Quinton, Lilianna, Malachi, Grace, Cora, Isaiah, and Jackson will benefit from his legacy of service and godliness. Arno is survived by his brother George Marlan Enns; they were preceded in death by their sister Margaret Marie Noble in 2015.

A memorial service will be held in Wheat Ridge, CO. at 2:00 PM on Saturday, March 3, 2018 at Trinity Baptist Church (4490 Newland St, Wheat Ridge, CO 80033).

In lieu of flowers, a memorial fund has been established to support the very work to which he devoted his life. All gifts will be given to WorldVenture’s “Engage the World” 75th Anniversary Fund, helping new missionaries get to the field and create new work among unreached peoples around the world. Arno and Cora Lee Enns were a significant part of 66 of those 75 years, serving as prime examples of what it means to engage the world for gospel impact.