Sherwood Galen Lingenfelter

When a friend asked Sherwood if he could have any job in the world, what would he choose, he replied “I would still want to be an anthropologist.” Among the many traits of those who study the cultural aspects of living are a desire to learn, to ask good questions, and to listen to people everywhere. Sherwood possessed these traits in abundance, and his professional career started with a summer on the Navajo reservation, moved on to a two year stint in Micronesia, then finally as an anthropologist for the kingdom of God, serving mission agencies when they asked.

Sherwood and his wife Judith have conducted anthropological research in the Yap Islands of Micronesia, first in 1967-79, 1970, and again in 1979-80 with Jennifer and their son, Joel. Sherwood carried out shorter term research projects with Wycliffe Bible Translators/SIL in Brazil, Cameroun, and Suriname. They have been privileged to serve as training consultants to Wycliffe/SIL from 1977 to 2017 in Papua New Guinea, Borneo, Philippines, Africa and Latin America. Sherwood has contributed regularly to mission conferences and to missionary candidate training for other evangelical mission organizations. His publications on missions include Ministering Cross-Culturally (1986, 2016), Transforming Culture (1992, 1998), Agents of Transformation (1996), Teaching Cross-culturally (with Dr. Judith Lingenfelter, 2003), Leading Cross-culturally (2008), Leadership in the Way of the Cross (2018) and Teamwork Cross-culturally (2022). In 2006, he co-authored with Paul R. (Bobby) Gupta Breaking Tradition to Accomplish Vision: Training Leaders for a Church-Planting Movement.

During all these years, Sherwood and Judith housed and nurtured five teens from Yap—Susan, Cy, Mike, Sylvia and Helen; and collected Trudy from Burma, and Lisa from New York as family as well. In addition, they housed many international students in their home in Pasadena, CA.

In his retirement years, Sherwood has learned that over a life-time he has been anxious about many things, most of which were unimportant. But one thing he sought daily was to be “clothed with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience, and to set aside any grievance with others, and to forgive as he has been forgiven in Christ.” Whether he was successful or not, only others can tell.

As to what his life should be about, in his retirement years he spent most of his time in preparation for and teaching of the scriptures, and in encouraging and mentoring people, family, colleagues, and friends, past and present, who asked for help. He enjoyed African Violets and Orchids, and considered himself a dandelion, able to survive and blossom anywhere he was placed. And, he cleaned the apartment, washed dishes, and did the laundry as long as he was able.

As for last words—“to God be the glory; everything I am and have is from Him.”

Family will receive friends, Friday June 12, 2026 at Lancaster Evangelical Free Church, 419 Pierson Rd, Lititz, PA 17543, from 2pm to 3pm with a memorial service to honor Sherwood’s life to begin at 3pm which will be livestreamed by the church.