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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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MC Eastern Canada executive minister resigns
Mennonite Church Eastern Canada’s Executive Council regretfully announced the resignation of Leah Reesor-Keller, executive minister on Sept. 28. “We are grateful for Leah’s service and leadership over the last two years,” says Arli Klassen, chair of the Executive Council. “We remain committed to the identity, purpose, values, vision and priorities that were heartily approved at…
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The sweet solace of polarization, Part 2
Caleb Brown was a lead organizer of the Freedom Convoy protest outside the Manitoba legislative building last winter. I asked how he responds to people who dismiss all protesters as white nationalists. I asked how he felt about people who drove by and gave him the finger, as one of my friends did. To back…
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Sparking community life again at Nutana Park
“How can we bring people back to church?” It’s a familiar question for churches across the country and across the denominational spectrum. The arrival of COVID-19 in March 2020, and the ensuing public health restrictions kept many people home on Sunday mornings for months. Now, as the pandemic moves into endemic status, churches are wondering…
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Stories by the shore
After a rainy day on Aug. 30, about a hundred guests enjoyed a balmy evening on the shore of Lake Ontario, listening to stories shared by various Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) Ontario staff. Abe Epp, a longtime fruit farmer on Lakeshore Road in Niagara-on-the-Lake, invited MCC to use his beach-front property to host this event…
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The sweet solace of polarization, Part 1
I knew I would eventually have to interview my neighbours who staunchly resisted COVID-19 mandates and proudly supported the Ottawa trucker convoy. Actually I have many such neighbours. But it took a year of working through my pandemic enmity until I was ready to listen to them. Some readers will see more danger than value…
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Will Braun appointed as CM’s new executive editor
Will Braun will be Canadian Mennonite’s next executive editor. Canadian Mennonite Publishing Service Inc. hired Braun, who has spent the last decade as CM’s senior writer, to lead its magazine and digital news services, beginning on Nov. 1. Braun succeeds Virginia A. Hostetler, who is retiring after five-and-a-half years in the role. Since joining CM…
