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…
One decade, two deaths and a wealth of affirmation
On my first day as senior writer for Canadian Mennonite, one of the two most important elders in my life died. Gene Herr, along with his wife Mary, created the Hermitage, a spiritual retreat centre in Michigan, which served as a spiritual home for myself and many others. Gene died on Jan. 1, 2012. Then,…
CM online event asks ‘Why are you a Mennonite?’
“Why are you a Mennonite?” That question is the basis of Canadian Mennonite’s next online event. Hosted by Aaron Epp, CM’s online media manager, the event will take place on Zoom on Nov. 16 at 8:00 p.m. EST. Register to attend at canadianmennonite .org/events. Justin Sun, Moses Falco and Kim Penner will join Epp on…
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…
Finding and calling a pastoral leader
Times have changed. Few argue the accuracy of that statement as it relates to congregations seeking and calling individuals for pastoral leadership. Congregations rarely receive multiple candidates to fill an opening for a pastoral leader. Congregations need to anticipate that it could take 12 months for a search process to conclude. This can feel discouraging.…
What is the future of Mennonite church leadership?
Like Amos, I am neither a prophet nor the son of a prophet. Yet it is apparent to most people involved in church ministry that, to quote another non-prophet prophet, Bob Dylan: “The times, they are a-changin’.” The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed fragility and fault lines in our ways of being and doing church. It…
