From the ‘centre of the military universe’ to central Alberta
Debbie Bledsoe wants people to know about the beauty she sees in the Mennonite Church. “I think people who grew up in it lose sight of what makes Anabaptism unique,” she says. Today, Bledsoe is the pastor at First Mennonite Church in Edmonton, Alberta. But her teenage years were spent in a Nazarene church in Fayetteville—a city in North Carolina next to Fort Liberty (formerly Fort Bragg), a military base once described…
Married In
Mennonites, they love sweet things,” Nicole Weber says with a laugh. “Mennonite stores make the best desserts, and if you go to a [Mennonite] party or event and bring sweets, they will love it.” Nicole is married to my cousin Josh. We attend the same family gatherings, and at those gatherings the dessert table is usually larger than the main dish table. Our family is Swiss Mennonite; Nicole is Chinese. Josh, who taught English in China, introduced her to Mennonite theology and values when they…
