As a self-described church nerd, I love to learn about my larger church family, and I’ve found much to explore online related to the Anabaptist-Mennonite world. I’m curious about my faith family’s projects past and present; I appreciate hearing stories of faithfulness and failure; I gain insight into the values and vision that have guided my siblings in the faith. One of the joys of my work with Canadian Mennonite has been the privilege to explore and connect with “my” people in this way.

Roughly half the members of the Bible Missionary Church (BMC), a Mennonite denomination in Myanmar, are now displaced. An estimated 415 families, or 2,000 people, have fled to the jungle or elsewhere in the vicinity of the border with India to escape escalating civil unrest.

When I was a young adult volunteer in Jamaica, part of Mennonite Central Committee’s Serving and Learning Together (SALT) program, I brought a pie to a Mennonite church-sponsored baking competition and was disqualified because my mango pie did not fit the unstated criteria of being a sweet potato pudding. I realized that day my definition of “Mennonite baking” is not everyone’s definition. 

The idea that Christ will return someday “riding on a horse, galloping through town and lopping off heads, is a blatant misreading of what is going on here,” writes Jeremy Duncan about the book of Revelation. He argues that this final book of the New Testament must be read through the lens of Jesus as portrayed in the gospels. Contrary to the pop theology of the Left Behind series, Revelation is not a story of redemptive violence; it is a message of peace.

A chance connection on social media led Heidi Epp, a music teacher from B.C., to travel to Africa this summer to teach music and peace and conflict transformation.

Controversy over a new book commissioned by the Mennonite Brethren (MB) Historical Commission has resulted in attention drawn to the very thing church leaders were probably hoping to keep out of sight. When On Holy Ground: Stories By and About Women in Ministry Leadership in the Mennonite Brethren Church was launched in June, it was not widely known that three pages had been ordered removed and hundreds of books had been destroyed.

Danforth Mennonite Church is a small, urban congregation on the Danforth in Toronto. In late June, we met in person and virtually to celebrate 115 years as a congregation. It was also a special time to recognize our congregational transition following the retirement of our long-time pastor, Tim Reimer. Our interim pastor, Stephen Reist, led us in this time of reflection.

This summer, Alberta supporters of Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) and Camp Valaqua got physical to raise funds.

Rod and Susan Reynar made a huge life change in 2014 when they moved from Alberta to Manitoba and started Emmaus House, an intentional community for university students in Winnipeg. This spring, they said goodbye to their last group of students and closed their doors.

Special celebrations were held at two congregations in Saskatchewan this summer.

Gerald and Rie Neufeld, who left Canada for Japan last year, are taking an active part in the life of Japanese churches while still relating to their Surrey, B.C., congregation, where Gerald previously pastored.

“I have learned that there is an overwhelming amount of need and suffering in this world. It is not up to us to solve every problem out there, but we can start by helping one person,” says Jackie Karau, the migration and settlement program associate for Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) Alberta. She has experience in settlement work with Calgary agencies serving immigrants and has expansive knowledge in this area. Part of her role is to provide orientation on refugee sponsorship to interested congregations.

Delbert Erb, who served God in Argentina for more than seven decades, died June 14, in Buenos Aires. “He decided that his heart and ashes would remain in Choele Choel, [Argentina],” said Rafael Stábile, pastor of the Mennonite church where Delbert and his wife Frieda Schellenberg Erb were members.

David Waltner-Toews ’71, a 1971 Goshen College graduate, was recently appointed to the Order of Canada. He was appointed "for his leadership and expertise in ecosystem approaches to health, and for supporting development worldwide."