Called from the Back Bench is the story of the life of Joseph O. Weaver, who served as a preacher and later as a bishop in the Weaverland Mennonite Conference in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Called to the ministry by his congregation during World War II, Joe Weaver served faithfully as a preacher and a bishop until his death in 1994. During his tenure, he and his wife Fannie faced various trials but also enjoyed the Lord’s blessings in their lives. Janeen Zimmerman used diaries and other sources to reconstruct Joe Weaver’s life and to put it into a story form that is easy to read.

• Called from the Back Bench: the Life of Bishop Joe Weaver
• By Janeen Zimmerman
• ISBN 9781959686019
• Published in 2026
• 280 pages
• Hardcover binding
• Some black & white photos