Malcolm Gladwell, a widely acclaimed writer and podcaster, drew a crowd of 650 people to a fundraising dinner hosted by Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) Ontario on Oct. 27 at... Read More
News & Stories
Ian Thomas, left, of Kindred Credit Union and Malcolm Gladwell. Kindred was an important sponsor of the MCC fundraising dinner. (MCC photo by Shoua Vang)
November 23, 2022 | News | Barb Draper
Jared Siebert, right, founder of the New Leaf Network, shares his story of encountering God in the failures of church planting, as Cindy Wallace of the Backyard Church in Saskatoon looks on.
In the current cultural climate, many churches, Mennonite ones included, are wrestling with the question of how to help members talk about faith and God’s work in their own lives... Read More
November 23, 2022 | News | Emily Summach
The annual Christian-Muslim Interfaith Dialogue at All Saints Anglican Cathedral in Edmonton. (Photo by Suzanne Gross)
“Our theme for the dialogue today is ‘Drawing the circle Bigger,’ ” said Scott Sharman, emcee for the annual Christian-Muslim Interfaith Dialogue, held on Oct. 29 in Edmonton. “We... Read More
November 23, 2022 | News | Jessica Evans
Greg Thiessen, manager of the Metzger Collection at Columbia Bible College, discusses the origins of dice, chess and other ancient games at the museum’s current display of ‘Let’s Play!’ The exhibit invites visitors to explore the origins of table games and their place in cultures throughout history. (Photo by Amy Rinner Waddell)
The commonality of playing games throughout history, and how and why civilizations have played those games, are the foci of the current featured exhibit, “Let’s Play!” at Columbia... Read More
November 23, 2022 | News | Amy Rinner Waddell
Evelyn Greenwood, who died a year ago in September, was remembered for her dedication to Mennonite Disaster Service’s mission at a ceremony in British Columbia, where her husband, son and son-in-law were volunteering in Monte Lake. (Photo by Kevin Greenwood)
All was quiet on Sept. 6, at 9 a.m., as Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) volunteers in Monte Lake put down their tools and paused for a moment of silence. They were doing it in... Read More
November 23, 2022 | People | John Longhurst
Joyce Ngumbao feeds the chickens on the family farm in Kwa Kavisi, Kenya. (MCC photo by Matthew Lester)
For Joyce Ngumbao, a mother of five living in Kenya, a brood of chickens has made all the difference. Joyce Ngumbao holds a chicken in the coop of her family’s farm. (MCC photo by... Read More
November 21, 2022 | Web First |
One of the soccer matches during the annual Mundialito por la Paz (Little World Cup for Peace) soccer tournament organized by MCC's partner Creciendo Juntos (Growing Together).
Each summer for the last four years, a community on the outskirts of Soacha, Colombia, has gathered to watch its children play in a soccer tournament for peace, their own local... Read More
November 21, 2022 | Web First | Laura Miller
A new denominational survey provides important insights into Mennonite Church U.S.A., says executive director Glen Guyton, pictured here in 2019. (MC U.S.A. photo)
Mennonite Church U.S.A. has released the completed report from its denominational survey, “The Mennonite Experience: MC USA Membership Study 2021-22.” “The Mennonite Experience:... Read More
November 18, 2022 | Web First |
Melanie Kampen speaks about making Christian theology trauma-informed and justice-making at the first event of Winnipeg First Mennonite Church’s queer theology series that ran from the end of October to late November. (Photo by Nicolien Klassen-Wiebe)
Affirming LGBTQ+ inclusion in the church has been discussed for years in many Christian circles, yet congregations and regional churches tend to not move beyond the initial... Read More
November 15, 2022 | Web First | Nicolien Klassen-Wiebe
On Sept. 30, the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation, Dave Neufeld and Rebecca Seiling talked about Indigenous history and issues as part of the Amish bicentennial celebrations. This side of “The Landed Buggy” exhibit depicts the Ojibwe creation story. (Photo by Fred Lichti)
Of all the events planned by the Amish bicentennial committee for this fall, the most popular were the hymn sings held at Maple View Mennonite Church near Wellesley, Ont., on Sept... Read More
November 9, 2022 | News | Barb Draper
On a Sunday in Advent, Point Grey traditionally sings the Christmas portions of Handel’s Messiah. This photo was from the fellowship’s 2015 rendition. (Photo by Janice Kreider)
Point Grey Inter-Mennonite Fellowship asked the British Columbia Conference of Mennonite Brethren (MB) Churches to be released from conference membership, which was granted on Aug... Read More
November 9, 2022 | News | Henry Neufeld
Mackenzie Nicolle was baptized by Pastor Judith Friesen Epp at Home Street Mennonite Church in Winnipeg, a year ago this month. She waited until Manitoba’s public-health restrictions were temporarily loosened to be baptized. The province went into a full lockdown the following month. (Photo by Brenda Suderman)
In a time when hope was hard to find, expressions of faith became even more significant. As a ritual necessitating proximity and touch, baptisms were something Mennonite churches... Read More
November 9, 2022 | News | Emma Siemens
The warring rulers, Hocken Grabber and Loopen Snatchem, seek to make amends as Selah and her father look on. (Photo by Emily Summach)
After a “too long” hiatus due to the pandemic, Theatre of the Beat is once again on tour. The theatre company, based out of Toronto, delighted audiences in Saskatchewan with its... Read More
November 9, 2022 | News | Emily Summach
Natalyia Venger leans against an offspring of the Chortitza oak tree in Ukraine on the campus of Canadian Mennonite University. The original Chortitza oak tree was an iconic landmark on Chortitza Island in the Dnieper River. It was estimated to be between 700 and 800 years old when it died. (Photo by Dan Dyck)
Like a gem miner with a headlamp, Natalyia Venger scans microfilms, hunting for treasures rescued from Russian archives now stored at the Mennonite Heritage Archives (MHA) in... Read More
November 9, 2022 | People | Dan Dyck
Theology, Spirituality Anabaptist Political Theology after Marpeck. Weaver, J. Denny, Gerald J. Mast and Trevor Bechtel, eds. Cascadia Publishing House, 2022, 262 pages. This... Read More
November 9, 2022 | Focus On Books & Resources | Barb Draper
‘A Mennonite Draft Dodger in Canada’ updates personal stories from Sam Steiner's blog.
While working on his book In Search of Promised Lands: A Religious History of Mennonites in Ontario , Sam Steiner began writing a weekly online blog about his research, and... Read More
November 9, 2022 | Focus On Books & Resources | Barb Draper
Erwin J. Wiens
How does one go about writing a novel? For author Erwin J. Wiens, the idea for his book To Antoine came to him about 30 years ago and haunted him for about 10 years before he... Read More
November 9, 2022 | Focus On Books & Resources | Maria H. Klassen
‘To Antoine’ is a powerful story, according to reviewer Barb Draper.
E.J. Wiens has written a powerful story that explores the question of Mennonite collaboration with the Nazis during the Second World War. Hesets this question within the broader... Read More
November 9, 2022 | Focus On Books & Resources | Barb Draper
It is heart-warming to read the stories in ‘Bridges Over Fences,’ writes reviewer Ernest Epp.
Bridges Over Fences provides in story form an impressive portrayal of first-hand experiences of non-Indigenous populations interacting with, and living next to and among,... Read More
November 9, 2022 | Focus On Books & Resources | Ernest Epp
Pictured from left to right: pastors Will Loewen, Bill Christieson, Caleb Kowalko, Ryan Dueck and Tany Warkentin enjoy coffee and a book at Blackwood Coffee Co. in Claresholm, Alta. (Supplied photo)
“We marked up our books like crazy with the things we wanted to talk about,” says Tany Warkentin, pastoral leader at Springridge Mennonite Church in Pincher Creek. A group of five... Read More
November 9, 2022 | Focus On Books & Resources | Jessica Evans
An image from the new documentary, ‘A Creative God.’ (YouTube screen shot)
A new group of resources on visual arts in worship is available from Together in Worship, an online collection of worship resources from Anabaptist sources. The centrepiece is “A... Read More
November 7, 2022 | Web First |
Three of MCC’s 2022-2023 U.S. canning crew are pictured from left to right: Sylvan Stoltzfus of Narvon, Pa., Kyle Keeler of Corry, Pa., and Han Erb of Dundee, Ohio. (MCC photo)
As Mennonite Central Committee begins its 2022-2023 meat canning season, the need for food in Ukraine and other countries around the world is growing. In Ukraine, millions of... Read More
November 7, 2022 | Web First |
Conrad Grebel University College president Marcus Shantz, pictured in 2020, provided an overview of Grebel’s new strategic plan during the school’s annual general meeting last month. (Photo courtesy of YouTube)
Marcus Shantz, Conrad Grebel University College’s president, provided an overview of Grebel’s new strategic plan during the school’s annual general meeting on Oct 4. Entitled “... Read More
November 7, 2022 | Web First |
Derek Suderman, pictured in this Conrad Grebel University College file photo, taught courses in Cuba and Thailand this past summer. (Photo courtesy of Conrad Grebel)
Derek Suderman, a professor at Conrad Grebel University College, is passionate about connecting with global Anabaptist churches and contributing to cross-cultural teaching. This... Read More
November 7, 2022 | Web First |
A group shot of Mennonite Fellowship of Montreal congregants at their fall retreat. (Photo by Yeabsra Agonfer)
Earlier this fall, members of the Mennonite Fellowship of Montreal had the chance to escape the bustle of the city and submerge ourselves in nature. For the first time in three... Read More
October 26, 2022 | News | Annika Krause