Life in the 80s
From southern Manitoba to B.C., and from Idaho to India, Bill Block had a long and varied career as a pastor. Along the way, he and his wife Dolores, who died in 2019, raised four children. Block, who is a founding member of Hope Mennonite Church in Winnipeg, spoke with Canadian Mennonite four days after…
Four pieces of art by Ray Dirks
The Mennonite Heritage Centre (MHC) Gallery is featuring Ray Dirks’ exhibit, Thankful: moments, memories, and some art, in which the gallery founder and retired curator reflects on his lifetime of work. The exhibit runs until Jan. 14 at the gallery on the grounds of Canadian Mennonite University in Winnipeg. Dirks’ art weaves together vibrant colours…
Meet MC Canada’s new climate coordinator
Sandy Plett of Morden, Man., is the new climate action coordinator for Mennonite Church Canada. Having started the half-time role on Nov. 28, Plett shared some thoughts with Canadian Mennonite correspondent Amy Rinner Waddell. This interview has been edited for length. Amy Rinner Waddell: How did you get into climate work? Sandy Plett: I grew…
Leaving a legacy of good works
In his 15 years as executive minister of Mennonite Church B.C., Garry Janzen ordained, preached, led, coordinated and worked to inspire the pastors and congregations of the regional church. Now, as he looks to retirement, he reflects gratefully on his years in the position. Although the title is executive minister, Janzen says, “I’m one who’s…
Meet MC Canada’s new moderator, Geraldine Balzer
Geraldine Balzer, a member of Nutana Park Mennonite Church in Saskatoon, was elected moderator of Mennonite Church Canada in July, replacing Calvin Quan, who served in the role for six years. We asked her to share about her life and vision. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Emily Summach: Where did you…
‘MDS was such a big part of her life’
All was quiet on Sept. 6, at 9 a.m., as Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) volunteers in Monte Lake put down their tools and paused for a moment of silence. They were doing it in memory of Evelyn Greenwood, a long-time volunteer with MDS, who was killed in a tragic accident exactly one year earlier. They…
An ‘accidental’ visiting scholar
Like a gem miner with a headlamp, Natalyia Venger scans microfilms, hunting for treasures rescued from Russian archives now stored at the Mennonite Heritage Archives (MHA) in Winnipeg. She is here from Ukraine to study Mennonite colonies under Russian nationalism in the early 20th century. It was a time of great upheaval for Mennonites. She…
Passing the conductor’s baton
“I remember so fondly the tours and travelling,” says Richard Janzen, the long-time music educator and choir director at RJC High School. “In 2002, we went on a tour along the Oregon coast of the United States. We stopped by the Oregon state legislature building, just to take a peek around. There was this massive…
The sweet solace of polarization, Part 3
I’m nervous about presenting non-orthodox views about COVID. Some of my mandate-abiding friends will look askance. “Yes, but . . . ,” they will say, then demarcate limits of tolerance. Rigidity was a spiritual variant of COVID. Questions became unwelcome. A singularity of narrative prevailed, spawning a minority reaction. Friendships withered. Families ruptured. Churches bled…
Growing hope, one acre at a time
“We all believe that in our core values it’s important that if there is something that you can do, you do it,” says Emily Lappage of Gatez Farms. She is the eldest daughter of Blaine and Laura Gatez, and has grown up surrounded by farm life and family values. Gatez Farms is a third-generation family…
