-
Play confronts Doctrine of Discovery
The Doctrine of Discovery is based on the Roman Catholic papal bull “Inter caetera.” Issued by Pope Alexander VI on May 4, 1493, it gave all the lands along a meridian west of the Cape Verde Islands, off the west coast of Africa, to the Spanish crown. The document stated that any lands discovered and…
-
Sponsors provide a welcome into their community
There are 23 million refugees around the world, with 1.2 million in need of resettlement outside of their home country or region. In 2017, Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) helped groups resettle 442 people through the Blended Visa Officer Referred (BVOR) program. That was about one-third of all people who arrived in Canada in that category.…
-
Building peace through teaching English
Transformative. That’s the word Cheryl Woelk uses to describe the impact of language teaching and learning on human relationships. She recently co-authored a book on the subject, together with Jan Edwards Dormer. Teaching English for Reconciliation: Pursuing Peace through Transformed Relationships in Language Learning and Teaching offers insights into using the English language-learning environment to…
-
Travel company and MCC collaborate for mutual benefit
Recognizing shared values and an overlap between TourMagination travellers and Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) donors, the for-profit business and non-profit organization recently signed a memorandum of understanding signaling their desire to collaborate more closely for mutual benefit. TourMagination is a travel company that has led faith-based group tours in more than 50 countries and to…
-
Mennonite pastors and scholars involved in ecumenical gathering
“I wonder whether Jesus’ call for Christian unity isn’t an invitation to focus on what unites rather than divides us, in order to see that everyone brings something valuable to God’s kingdom.” So said Kathy Koop, pastor of Winnipeg First Mennonite Church, in reflecting on a recent ecumenical gathering. On May 9, 2018, “Behold! I…
-
Venezuelan Mennonites share faith through food and shampoo
In the midst of constant inflation and economic uncertainty, Venezuelan Mennonites minister creatively in and through their churches, sharing food and supporting their communities. Iglesia Evangélica Menonita de Oriente (Evangelical Mennonite Church of the East, IEMO) coordinates efforts between two congregations on Isla Margarita, two on the mainland, and several additional study centres. According to…
-
Voices Together announced as title for new hymnal
The new worship and song collection for Mennonite Church U.S.A. and MC Canada will be called Voices Together. “In early February, more than 900 people responded to a title and cover survey we released via our MennoMedia Facebook page,” says Amy Gingerich, executive director and publisher at MennoMedia. “Of the four title choices offered,…
-
Bluffton archivist tells story of Ephrata ‘Martyrs Mirror’
At Bluffton (Ohio) University’s Musselman Library, archivist Carrie Phillips stores seven copies of the 1748 edition of the Ephrata Martyrs Mirror in boxes specially designed to keep them preserved. But this year, Phillips had multiple opportunities to take the books off the shelf and showcase both their religious and historical significance during presentations on and…
-
AMBS grads encouraged to fulfill ‘other half’ of Jesus’ mandate
Palmer Becker of Kitchener, Ont., told Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary graduates that, as followers of Jesus, they have not only been given a mandate to teach, but also to cast out broken and evil spirits. “We might define these spirits in different ways and have different methods for casting them out, but the mandate stands,”…
-
Gala celebrates 40 years of PACS with stories of peace
In celebration of the 40th anniversary of Peace and Conflict Studies (PACS), on April 20 Conrad Grebel University College hosted a sold-out gala dinner featuring Bob Rae, a former Ontario premier, as keynote speaker. Focusing on the theme of “Pursuing peace: stories from home and abroad,” the evening included alumni stories, acknowledgements of those who…
