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Obituary: ‘Dan has left us’
The four short words of this obituary’s title, sent to Mennonite Church Alberta’s area church minister Tim Wiebe-Neufeld, heralded a large impact for the province’s churchgoers, for the Jack family, and for the many friends of Dan and Marguerite Jack. Jack, the moderator of MC Alberta, died peacefully on July 17 after a medical emergency…
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MC USA acknowledges ‘suffering’ of Jews, Palestinians
Culminating a three-year process, delegates at the Mennonite Church USA assembly in Orlando earlier this month adopted a resolution entitled “Seeking peace in Israel and Palestine,” with approximately 98 percent voting in favor. The resolution addresses the injustices of military occupation as well as the suffering caused by antisemitism. The resolution notes that “the suffering…
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A man worthy of his calling
Darrell W. Fast, born in Mountain Lake, Minn., passed away at the Leamington (Ont.) Mennonite Home, leaving Loretta Fast, his wife, his children Douglas (Michelle) Fast and Larissa Fast, two grandchildren, and many friends, relatives and former colleagues to mourn his passing. After graduating from Mennonite Biblical Seminary (now Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary), Elkhart, Ind.,…
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MWC says farewell to a faithful servant
You may not have heard of one of the longest-serving workers for Mennonite World Conference (MWC) who is retiring this year, but many will be familiar with his work. Glenn Fretz was at the beginning of his career as a designer when Paul Kraybill, a former MWC general secretary, contacted the resident of Waterloo, Ont.,…
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Walking together for peace in Colombia
Months after a peace accord was signed between the government and the country’s largest rebel group, Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) partners in Colombia are walking with people affected by more than 50 years of violence. At the end of 2016, the government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC-EP) guerrillas negotiated a deal in…
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Canada 150: Facing the long divide
On July 1, 1867, the concerted efforts of 36 male, ethnic-European politicians came to fruition, and the Dominion of Canada was born. At the time, they celebrated, and for more than a century, Canadians continued to commemorate that day. Now, 150 years later, some Canadians are approaching July 1 with lament. The friendly, peace-loving and…
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Working group tackles tasks of advocacy on Palestine and Israel
When delegates to the July 2016 assembly of Mennonite Church Canada passed a resolution on Palestine and Israel with an almost unanimous vote, reactions varied widely from within the denomination and from outside. Denominational staff and those involved in promoting the resolution received glowing words of commendation from organizations supporting Palestinian human rights, including the…
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Three stories of throwing
In March 2017, I spent 10 days in Hebron and observed three throwing situations that showed a microcosm of the occupation in that Palestinian city. Hebron, a major city in the southern West Bank, is where some 800 Jewish settlers, protected by hundreds of Israeli soldiers, have moved into the old city, among the Palestinian…
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Palestinian children face harsh realities
On May 24, 2017, we returned from a two-week learning tour of the West Bank and Israel, sponsored by Mennonite Central Committee (MCC). We were two among eleven participants, mostly from Mennonite churches and MCC staff in British Columbia. The tour included visits to holy sites, but it focused on visits to MCC’s partners working…
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A Jewish perspective on the Mennonite resolution on Palestine and Israel
This is an expanded report on an hour-long phone interview I did for the article “Muddying the waters on Israeli divestment.” In July 2016 Mennonite Church Canada delegates passed a resolution that calls on Mennonites to “avoid investing in or supporting companies that do business with Israeli settlements and the Israel Defense Forces, and companies…
