Ron Sawatsky’s untimely death at age 64—shortly before the 2014 assembly of Mennonite Church Canada—prompts memories of his years of leadership in the Canadian church. For several... Read More
News & Stories
Paul Heidebrecht
Paul Heidebrecht has been named director of the new Mennonite Savings and Credit Union Centre for Peace Advancement (CPA) at Conrad Grebel University College. Heidebrecht spent... Read More
July 17, 2014 | Web First |
If Christians stopped bickering about church, presenting sex as a first-order concern, telling other people how to lead their lives and lending our name to minor-league... Read More
July 15, 2014 | Web First | Tom Ehrich
While the violence escalates in Israel and Gaza, a movement is taking hold that unites Jews, Muslims and others in a campaign for peace. On Tuesday, July 15, 2014, a daylong fast... Read More
July 15, 2014 | Web First | Dale Hanson Bourke
In the song “ Working Holiday ” from his 2009 album Safe or Free, Matt Epp sings about Newfoundland, California and Alberta all feeling like home. The singer-songwriter grew up in... Read More
July 2, 2014 | Young Voices | Aaron Epp
Young adults are often transient people. They move away from home, go to school, find jobs, travel, serve abroad. While that’s challenging enough, finding a new community to... Read More
July 2, 2014 | Young Voices | Rachel Bergen
According to Merriam-Webster.com, the word “nerd” is defined as “a person who behaves awkwardly around other people and usually has unstylish clothes, hair, etc.” or “a person who... Read More
July 2, 2014 | Young Voices | Aaron Epp
The Goreme open air museum near Cappadocia, Turkey, includes rock-cut chapels that are part of an ancient Byzantine monastic settlement. A group of Ontario Mennonites visited the site in May as part of an intercultural learning tour.
On May 5, a group of eleven Mennonites from Kitchener-Waterloo area churches embarked on a ten day intercultural study tour of Turkey, sponsored by the Intercultural Dialogue... Read More
July 2, 2014 | God at work in the Church | By Amanda Witmer
Erwin Warkentin, a member of the Harmony Group and Willard Metzger, executive director of MC Canada.
Members of the Harmony Group , formed six years ago by Mennonites seeking inclusion of LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer) in Mennonite Church Canada, recently... Read More
July 2, 2014 | God at work in the Church | Story and photo by Evelyn Rempel Petkau
Chaplain Hank Dixon
After a series of bumps and scares in recent years, a new system of federal prison chaplaincy has emerged, with a single company, rather than individual denominations, holding the... Read More
July 2, 2014 | God at work in the Church | By Will Braun
Hannah Martens (left), Cindy Klassen, and Rebecca Janzen enjoy each other’s company at the “GO” booth where Martens and Janzen earned money for MCC by running and biking on the stationary equipment.
Alberta Mennonites have few opportunities for large fellowship gatherings. While the annual Mennonite Central Committee relief sale is a huge amount of work, when the weekend... Read More
July 2, 2014 | God at work in the World | Story and photos by Donita Wiebe-Neufeld
In his new book Rewriting the Break Event , Robert Zacharias identifies a major theme running through four works of Canadian Mennonite literature. The author is currently a... Read More
July 2, 2014 | Artbeat | By Maxwell Kennel
Syrian children participate in a World Vision remedial education program in Jordan. They are tutored in subjects like math, Arabic and English to help the catch up on the school they’ve missed fleeing the violence. (RNS photo courtesy World Vision)
Dominating the news on World Refugee Day (observed on June 20, 2014), the annual commemoration of displaced peoples were photos and videos of people fleeing Syria and Iraq. With... Read More
June 26, 2014 | Web First | Dale Hanson Bourke
Professor Jesse Mugambi of the University of Nairobi Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, says such cultic reactions are not unique to Africa. (RNS photo by Fredrick Nzwili)
In the days after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, al-Qaida became a household name. But today, other extremist Islamist groups, many in Africa, are vying for headlines. Recently,... Read More
June 26, 2014 | Web First | Frederick Nzwili
For thousands of years, Indigenous peoples from across Turtle Island regularly gathered where the Red and Assiniboine rivers meet in Winnipeg. From July 28-31, North Americans... Read More
June 25, 2014 | Web First | Deborah Froese
This past Mother’s Day I was reminded again of how fortunate I am to have been blessed with a wonderful family. My husband and I have four children, and we are so proud of each of... Read More
June 25, 2014 | Web First |
The Netherlands team star striker Robin Van Persie (#9), who scored two goals in the opening game on June 13. (Provided by author)
The Netherlands! At least ethnic Russian Mennonites should, those whose ancestors came to Canada primarily in the 1870s, 1920s, or 1950s and still form a good portion of the... Read More
June 19, 2014 | Web First | Bill Schroeder
As A Year of Reading Biblically continues, a handful of people have drawn my attention to a recent study on the Bible reading habits of Christians in Canada. “Are Canadians done... Read More
June 18, 2014 | Young Voices | Aaron Epp
The American dream is just that for many—a dream. For Latin Americans facing violence in their home communities, the journey to make that dream a reality can be a nightmare. The... Read More
June 18, 2014 | Young Voices | Rachel Bergen
Kyle Penner had one apple in his fridge and some leftover potatoes from his meagre meal the night before for lunch. After nearly a week of living on about five dollars worth of... Read More
June 18, 2014 | Young Voices | Rachel Bergen
Florence and Otto Driedger’s Regina living room is the opposite of the mega-church auditoriums that have become popular. On a typical Sunday, you might find a handful of refugees... Read More
June 18, 2014 | God at work in the Church | By Will Braun
Greg Boyd, a best-selling author and cofounder of Woodland Hills Church in St. Paul, Minn., was this year’s “peace and justice guest” at Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary in Elkhart, Ind.
“Look like Jesus, love like Jesus, serve like Jesus.” Greg Boyd, Ph.D., repeated this line several times during his visit to Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary (AMBS) over two... Read More
June 18, 2014 | God at work in the Church | By Mary E. Klassen
Patty Ollies (left), MCC Ontario thrift development officer and Kathleen Leadley, board chair, cut the cake celebrating the 40th anniversary of the thrift store in St. Catharines.
The Niagara-area Mennonite churches celebrated the 40th anniversary of the thrift stores in this area on March 24 with a dinner and potluck dessert. Over 200 past and present... Read More
June 18, 2014 | God at work in the World | Story and photo by Maria H. Klassen
Masie Sum, professor of music at Conrad Grebel University College, plays hand drum as part of the Grebel Gamelan players, at Sound in the Land on June 7. Gamelan are ensembles of Balinese percussion instruments. The Sound in the Land festival/conference was held at Grebel June 5-8, 2014.
Sound in the Land. Sound of the Land. Sound for the Land. Sound with and behalf of and from the Land. Sound. Land. Take your pick, there was something of all these in the 2014... Read More
June 18, 2014 | Artbeat | Story and Photos By Dave Rogalsky
Henry Neufeld holds an ornamental walking stick that he carved from wood he picked up at Camp Assiniboia.
A buzz of excitement filled the common room at Bethel Place on June 5. A button collection with buttons dating as far back as the 1700s, photos over 100 years old, a beautifully... Read More
June 18, 2014 | Artbeat | Story and photos by Evelyn Rempel Petkau