Tribute to the Founder

ZOLLIKON INSTITUTE / About / Tribute to the Founder

Tribute to the Founder

Norita Yoder, founder of Zollikon Institute, envisioned a community shaped by the teachings of Christ and rooted in Anabaptist principles. She believed transformation required relinquishing personal ambition to embrace love and service to others, inspired by John 12:24-25. Her mission was to equip individuals with faith, integrity, and practical skills, fostering a generation of leaders to carry the message of two-kingdom theology—a call to live set apart from the world while embodying God’s love—into their communities.

Norita’s educational journey was unconventional. A married, veil-wearing conservative Mennonite pastor’s wife, she pursued higher education later in life despite cultural and personal challenges. Encouraged by her mother and following a deep sense of calling, she graduated summa cum laude from Ohio State University and earned a Master’s in the History of Christianity from Yale University. Her university experiences reinforced her belief that two-kingdom theology was a vital message, ultimately leading her to establish Zollikon Institute to share these values with others.

Throughout her journey, Norita recognized the importance of creating opportunities for women in education, especially within her conservative community. Norita wrote that, “[the] Gospel is about laying down power and walking together with those who have less – less opportunity, less wealth, less social status, less power.” She was committed to ensuring that women had the space to grow intellectually and spiritually, believing their contributions were essential to the future of the church.

Click below to read Norita’s own reflections on founding Zollikon.