-
Veterans’ needs provide an opportunity for learning and ministry
A conversation about the needs and issues facing military veterans has been arising in an unexpected place this year: the halls of Eastern Mennonite Seminary (EMS). The dialogue has grown as several graduate students recently focussed their research projects for their master of divinity degrees on veterans’ concerns. They include Matt Stearn, who looked at…
-
TREE receives Hallman grant for peace education
The Ripple Effect Education (TREE), a peace education initiative based out of the Frank and Helen Epp Peace Incubator in the MSCU Centre for Peace Advancement on the campus of Conrad Grebel University College, is the beneficiary of a $150,000 grant from the Lyle S. Hallman Foundation over three years (2016-19). “The Lyle S. Hallman…
-
Grace New Life Mennonite turns 25, looks to future
After a quarter-century of shepherding Grace New Life Mennonite Church, Pastor Sririsach Saythavy—now in his late 50s and working two full-time jobs—is hoping a younger leader will arise to take on the Hamilton, Ont., congregation. His day job is making custom doors for homes, and his evening and weekend job is pastoring the congregation. Already…
-
Mennonites in Brazil face diversity and challenges
The first Mennonites arrived in Brazil in 1930, coming as refugees from Russia/Ukraine, where their property, churches and schools were taken over by the state during the Stalin years. In 1929 thousands of Mennonites (15,000–25,000) and other groups took their few belongings and travelled to Moscow to get visas. Only 5,000 received permission to leave…
-
A refugee finds a home
Soviet Ukraine was a traumatic place for a Mennonite kid. Peter Krause, born in 1935 and the youngest of four brothers, had to look after himself as a preschooler. Supervision was a luxury few could afford. His parents were working in the fields, and his brothers were at school. Once a day a gracious neighbour…
-
Action seeks solution for Israelis and Palestinians
On July 9, 2016, a clear majority of delegates to Mennonite Church Canada’s Assembly 2016 voted in favour of a resolution seeking non-violent solutions to injustices in Israel-Palestine. Only one of 343 registered delegates voted against the resolution. (The resolution can be seen below.) A similar resolution arose at the 2014 assembly, but was tabled…
-
Exploring tough subjects and intense spaces
David Driedger enjoys challenging stereotypes, pushing boundaries and making people think. “[He] often pushes against established practices and the beliefs of the church from the inside,” Ben Borne said, introducing Driedger as a speaker who loves the church and engages with tough subjects and discussions. Driedger said, “I sign up to lead [seminars] because I…
-
Good news sometimes comes in small packages
Someone once asked Sharon Schultz if she became pastor of Eyebrow (Sask.) Mennonite Church in order to help the church to die well. Schultz did some soul-searching and came to the conclusion that “I don’t think that’s why God brought us here.” Schultz and Lois Siemens, who is pastor of Superb Mennonite Church near Kerrobert,…
-
‘Partnering with God’s healing and hope’
That 14 people out of 38 who registered showed up for the “Partnering with God’s healing and hope” seminar may have indicated some wearying of Assembly 2016 participants. But those who came paid close attention to the presentation and asked good questions about what a mission partnership with a Mennonite Church Canada Witness worker or…
-
Seeing dystopian heroines as prophets
Readers of Canadian Mennonite know Vic Thiessen as a writer of thoughtful film reviews—an interpreter, as it were, of pop culture for Mennonites in Canada. In that same vein, he presented “The Divergent Mockingjay: Female prophets, dystopian films and life on earth in 2016” for Assembly 2016 participants. According to Thiessen, dystopian films have the…
