Volume 27 Issue 2

Guardians of the past

Victor Wiebe and Lorene Nickel with a “Deed of Gift” form. (Photo by Emily Summach)

This vinyl record is one of the more unique items in the MHSS collection. (Photo by Emily Summach)

Books in the collection of the Mennonite Historical Society of Saskatchewan archives. (Photo by Emily Summach)

(Photo by Emily Summach)

Through an easily overlooked side door and down two flights of stairs at Bethany Manor Senior Living Complex in Saskatoon one will find the archival rooms of the Mennonite Historical Society of Saskatchewan (MHSS).

Gift for the Queen

(Photo: David L. Hunsberger/Mennonite Archives of Ontario)

Fifty years ago, in June 1973, Queen Elizabeth II visited the Waterloo region. What gift could she be given to represent the area? These two bronze figures of an Old Order couple by Waterloo artist Renie Ellis were chosen. At the time, Mennonites constituted about 10 percent of the area’s population.

Welding a Mennonite reality

Unfinished, food bank-inspired bookends on Ed Olfert’s workbench. (Photo by Ed Olfert)

In January I was tasked with providing a meditation on Anabaptist World Fellowship Sunday at a local church. As I peck out this column, that day has not yet arrived and I’m spending my time welding up a sermon.

I’m not an historian, nor a learned interpreter of our faith heritage, so I am grounded in nothing . . . but reality.

Quilting across continents

L to R: Gayle Zacharias, Kathryn Derksen, Michelle Hildebrand, Susanna Derksen, Judy Hildebrand and Jake Plett. (Photo courtesy of Judy Hildebrand)

Addlight Mudombo of Joseph Village, Zimbabwe with comforters she sewed by hand from used clothing. (MCC photo by Meghan Mast)

Great winter warm-up

By Nikki Hamm Gwala
Mennonite Central Committee Manitoba

For Judy Hildebrand of Crystal City, Man., brightly coloured comforters add cheer to long prairie winters.

Meet MC Canada’s new Indigenous relations coordinator

Melanie and Jonathan Neufeld. (Photo courtesy of Jonathan Neufeld)

If there are places where the church is centring the voices of people on the margins, Jonathan Neufeld wants to be there.

“Theologically, that’s my home,” says Neufeld, Mennonite Church Canada’s Indigenous relations coordinator.

Neufeld began his work at MC Canada, based in Winnipeg, in November. He also works half-time as pastor at Charleswood Mennonite in Winnipeg.

Mennonites respond to recent military spending

F-35A Lighting II:
Length: 51.4 ft/15.7 m,
Wingspan: 35 ft/10.7 m,
Internal Fuel Capacity: 18,250 lbs/8,278 kg,
Weapons Payload: 18,000 lbs/8,160 kg,
Speed (Full Internal Weapons Load): Mach 1.6 (~1,200 mph),
Range: 2,200km
(Source: F35.com) (Photo released by Lockheed Martin)

From Dirk Willems loving his enemy in 1569 to Colombian Mennonites building peace today, Anabaptists have offered a bold peace witness. But being a peace church is complicated.

Steinbach writer explores ‘Mennotoba’

Erin Koop Unger, pictured last year at the Mennonite Heritage Village in Steinbach. (Photo by Andrew Unger)

Erin Koop Unger has travelled the world, but these days it’s Manitoba and the Mennonites who live there that have captured her imagination.

Koop Unger is the creator of Mennotoba.com, a website where she writes about Mennonite history and culture in the keystone province.

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