Geralde Reesor-Grooters
This list is based on the workshop, “How Can Church be Autism-Friendly?” led by Geralde Reesor-Grooters. The workshop was held on July 24, 2015 at the Mennonite World Conference assembly in Harrisburg, Pa.
With several other delegates, Chris Brnjas (center back row), Mennonite Church Canada’s delegate to Global Youth Summit 2015, shared reflections of the event during one of the closing sessions. (Mennonite Church Canada photo)
Chris Brnjas felt a deep kinship with fellow delegates to the Global Youth Summit (GYS) held in Pennsylvania July 17-19, 2015. In a report following the event he wrote, “We were separated by language, ethnicity, and even theological differences. And yet, we felt like family. One American delegate commented during the delegate sessions that he felt like he was ‘amongst my people.’”
The presidents of Eastern Mennonite University (EMU) and Goshen College (GC) announced their voluntary withdrawals from the Council of Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) today.
Abdel el-Razek, his wife and their youngest daughter stand in the Jordanian countryside, where they have managed to put up their tent. Back home in Syria, el-Razek was a car salesman. Now he works for minimal wages at various labouring jobs. (Photo courtesy of Canadian Foodgrains Bank)
Fatima and her brother Muhammed were forced from their home in Syria when violence overtook their town. They now live in a chicken barn in Lebanon. The farmer who owned the barn found it more profitable to rent out his shed to Syrian refugees rather than continue raising chickens. (Photo courtesy of Canadian Foodgrains Bank)
Not long after a heart-wrenching photo of a refugee toddler lying lifeless on a Turkish beach hit the news, phones at Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) Canada began ringing off their hooks. People were calling to find out how they could help refugees fleeing violence in Iraq and Syria.
Vernon Leis
Mennonite Church Eastern Canada (MCEC) has received an allegation of sexual and ethical misconduct against a former credentialed pastor, the late Vernon Leis. “It is a painful recognition of human sin and failure,” says an August 31 news release from MCEC. “In the midst of this challenging and painful situation, MCEC will do its best to walk alongside all those who are impacted.”
Nearly 500 years ago, the Anabaptist movement centred on rediscovering Jesus and applying what he taught to all aspects of life. The Mennonite World Conference assembly, held in July 2015 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, U.S., was an opportunity for followers of that tradition to focus on what binds them together. The theme of the assembly was “Walking with God.”
Youth help build a Mennonite Disaster Service house at Mennonite World Conference assembly. A new bursary will help youth who have volunteered with MDS pay for their studies. (Photo by Dale D. Gehman for Meetinghouse)
A new bursary will make it possible for students who volunteer with Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) to receive financial help for their higher education.
Canadian students can now earn a Master of Divinity at AMBS without moving to the campus in Indiana. (AMBS photo)
Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary (AMBS) has received long-awaited approval for students from Canada to study in the seminary’s distance program, Master of Divinity Connect.
Canadian Darnell Barkman took part in the 2015 Canadian School of Peacebuilding, along with 85 students from around the world, representing various faiths and identity groups. (CMU photo)
When Darnell Barkman found out he would be home in Canada during the Canadian School of Peacebuilding (CSOP), he had to enrol. Barkman was one of 84 students from around the world who gathered at Canadian Mennonite University (CMU) June 15-26, 2015, for two weeks of courses for peacebuilders from all faiths, countries, and identity groups.
More than 100 Anabaptist educators attended a global education conference July 16-19, 2015, just before Mennonite World Conference assembly. The summit, held at Christopher Dock Mennonite High School, attracted educators and leaders from 13 countries around the world.
