Sponsors sought for Afghan Christian refugee families
Mennonite church leaders in Canada are appealing to their congregations to help bring 100 Afghan Christian refugee families to this country. The appeal comes from the Canadian Council of Anabaptist Leaders, which is made up of leaders from the Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches, the Evangelical Mennonite Conference, Mennonite Church Canada, the Evangelical Mennonite…
MCC partners in Ukraine work to meet physical and spiritual needs
In the silence that lived between the deadly warnings of air raid sirens, the sound of a small choir, singing a song of praise, echoed out of a church sanctuary in western Ukraine. Just the night before, Anna, administrative coordinator for Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) Ukraine, had absent-mindedly hummed a few bars of the song…
Mennonite organizations providing aid in Ukraine
A humanitarian aid organization in Molochansk, Ukraine, founded by Canadian Mennonites continues to help the community amidst Russia’s ongoing invasion. Staff at the Mennonite Centre have spent the last three weeks serving food and occasionally providing shelter to embattled Ukrainians in Molochansk, which is occupied by Russian forces. The staff is also helping to fill…
Mennonites in angst over Ukraine invasion
It’s 10:30 a.m. in Winnipeg, but for Valerie Alipova, it might as well be after supper. Alipova, associate pastor of Bethel Mennonite Church in Winnipeg, has been living eight hours out of sync with the rest of Manitoba ever since Russia invaded Ukraine towards the end of February. Alipova was born and raised…
Watch: MCC partner in Ukraine asks for prayer
A Mennonite Central Committee partner in Ukraine requests prayer in a video clip the relief organization posted on YouTube earlier today. In the video, which was filmed on Monday, Feb. 28, Maxym Oliferovski describes what life was like for him in Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, a few days after Russian military forces began invading the country by…
Winter lectures address global social concerns
Coming in March, Conrad Grebel University College is hosting two distinct winter lectures, offered by Sofia Samatar and Regina Shands-Stoltzfus. The presentations are focused on addressing global social concerns and raising awareness about oppression. “We are eagerly anticipating the 2022 Bechtel and Sawatsky lectures,” said Troy Osborne, dean at Conrad Grebel. “They will be excellent…
MCC pulls staff from Ukraine
Russia has begun military operations against Ukraine, but North American Mennonite Central Committee staff who were working in the latter country are safe. That includes Winnipegger Andrea Shalay, the charity’s peace engagement co-ordinator for Europe. Shalay and three other staff, all Americans, were evacuated from Ukraine more than a week ago. “I had just 36…
Mennonites, Catholics reunite Ontario family
A family separated by illness is being reunited through the joint efforts of the Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) Ontario Unit and the Roman Catholic Knights of Columbus. Through the project, Marc and Carole Jobin and their nine children will be able to live together in the same house after the family was separated three years…
How do churches practise creation care?
A global survey conducted by Mennonite World Conference (MWC) shows that Mennonite-Anabaptist congregations around the world are being impacted by environmental issues such as climate change in diverse ways, are feeling anxious and sad due to those impacts, and are talking about creation care in their churches. To find out how churches are responding, the…
Watch: MWC looks back on 2021
If you’re curious about what Mennonites around the world were up to in 2021, look no further than Mennonite World Conference’s (MWC) year-in-review video. Released at the end of December, the five-minute video explores the ways the global Anabaptist-Mennonite family strengthened relationships through local gatherings and international webinars. Significant attention is paid to ongoing preparations…
