Mennonite Church Alberta ‘in the black’
Vietnamese Mennonite Church in Edmonton may seem small, but it is a hosting powerhouse! On March 20 and 21, 2015, the congregation of about 70 adults and 23 youth welcomed pastors, delegates and visitors to the 86th annual session of Mennonite Church Alberta. Keynote speaker Brian Quan, lead pastor of three congregations at Toronto Chinese…
Edmonton congregation seeks to be openly inclusive
At the pastors council meeting, First Mennonite Church called for prayer as a letter that will be sent to all Mennonite Church Alberta congregations was shared. The letter presents a motion passed on Feb. 8: “As a congregation, we … would like to move toward becoming a publicly open and welcoming faith community for all…
‘We sit and eat at the same tables’
“Grab a coffee and go and sit down. You get served at the table. They’re really nice here,” said one guest to another on March 14 of the community dinners served every Saturday night from November through April at Stirling Avenue Mennonite Church in Kitchener. Lou Murray Gorvett, who coordinates the dinners, is clear that…
‘Showing up with each other’
Years ago, when Abe Janzen had just started his work as Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) director, he was taken to prison for a visit. There, he said, he “realized how biblical and terribly important and endlessly necessary” this ministry is. “It’s not about fixing things, but about showing up with each other.” On March 28,…
Not in his wildest imagination
When as a young teenager Larry Kehler delivered coal in the Altona, Man., area for his father, his wildest imagination could not have taken him to where his life eventually led. Born on Nov. 8, 1933, Kehler’s childhood was lived out in the Depression years and, although he knew he wanted to experience more of…
Canadian Mennonite bids farewell to Evelyn Rempel Petkau
Evelyn Rempel Petkau is retiring after more than 18 years of reporting for Canadian Mennonite. She was hired as the provincial editor for Manitoba in 1997, just after Mennonite Reporter changed its name and format to become Canadian Mennonite. Since 1990, when she began writing as a freelancer for Mennonite Reporter, she has written more…
SOS for Syria
In the early 1900s, SOS became the worldwide distress signal, but typically in maritime situations. These days it’s used as a sense of urgent message or appeal for help from anybody in any situation. That’s what Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) Ontario is doing. It’s sending out an urgent appeal for help on behalf of the…
‘Inspired by his own vision’
A one-of-a-kind collection of museum-quality art and artifact replicas has found a permanent home at Columbia Bible College. With the cut of a ribbon, the Metzger Historical Collection was officially opened to the public on March 14 in the basement of Columbia’s Resource Centre. The Metzger Collection contains more than 1,200 replicas of significant archeological…
‘The best possible reward’
“I’ll intentionally call you my sister, for I have two and I love them so much. Now I have three and I love them all to the degree that I’m ready to die for them. So you are really beyond a friend for me.” That is part of an e-mail that a man I will…
Growing Mennonite
It wasn’t until Grade 6 that I realized it was possible to be more than just a Mennonite. Our teacher asked us to come up with one word to described ourselves. One of my classmates chose the phrase, “Russian Mennonite.” It leaped out at me, along with a jealousy of my classmate’s confidence in claiming…
