Rev. Hugh Hollowell – Lab Director
Hugh Hollowell is the pastor of Open Door Mennonite Church. He served as Community Pastor between 2018 and 2023, when he was called by the congregation to be the senior pastor. Before coming to Open Door, he was the pastor of Love Wins Ministries in Raleigh, NC.
Hugh came to be a Mennonite in adulthood, lured in by hospitality, peacemaking, and potluck dinners. He is an active writer and speaker on issues of race, justice, and poverty, with his work being featured in places like The Washington Post and Sojourners. Hugh also serves on the board of Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) Central States Region.
His outside interests include gardening, cooking, and reading pulp fiction from the 1920’s. He is married to Renee, and they live in the Fondren neighborhood of Jackson with two cats and five chickens.
Paige Hysten – MCC Summer Assistant
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Rhoda Byler Yoder – Lab Organizer
Rhoda is a retired educator—English teacher, curriculum director, principal, and advocate for integrating arts into all types of learning. She is one of the founding members of Open Door Mennonite Church. Daughter of church planters, Raymond and Fannie Byler, she came to Jackson at age 18, and has been part of the church for over 50 years. Open Door is also where she fell in love with her husband Warren and where they raised their family.
Rhoda says her favorite thing about being retired is not needing to be somewhere at 7:00 with a smile on her face. Instead, she is on her deck—reading, meditating, enjoying the view of her flower beds and vegetable garden, playing word games, and listening to birdsong. Her favorite role these days is Gramma to three amazing grandchildren. She is also passionate about peace and justice and willing to leave the deck to make it happen. Her role in Peace Lab is organizing, recruiting, arranging the logistics, and designing the art activities.
Warren Yoder – Lab Manager
Warren Yoder is an entrepreneur working at the leading edge of what no one could have done until we got together and did it. He is helping launch the Peace Lab as the first project of the Southern Peace and Justice Center. And he is using artificial intelligence to develop his experimental philosophy at WarrenYoder.net. How many other old dudes are raising a digital baby named Jill?
Warren has a long and storied career leading two highly-effective nonprofit organizations, organizing vibrant community coalitions, and successfully lobbying for social wellbeing policies at the state and national level. He has consistently advocated for disenfranchised people, usually by organizing coalitions, but even when it meant standing alone.
Warren didn’t plan on spending his life in Mississippi when he came for a year of voluntary service back in the day. But he fell in love with Rhoda Byler, the pastor’s daughter, and all his plans went out the window.
Bobbie Jean Wilkerson – Cook and Advocate
Photo and bio coming soon.
Open Door Mennonite Church 