Call for prayer amid violence in Burkina Faso
The following update and prayer request was sent by Siaka Traoré to Tany Warkentin of Mennonite Church Canada on August 30. Traoré is the Mennonite World Conference regional representative for Central and West Africa as well as a long-time church leader in Burkina Faso. Burkina Faso is going through a dark period in this second…
Doing church conflict well: Q&A with Janet Schmidt
Janet Schmidt has worked in mediation, facilitation, coaching and training for 35-plus years. She also taught related university courses from 1994 to 2009. Schmidt attends River East Church in Winnipeg. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Q. What unique dynamics come into play when conflict occurs in the church context? A. Two…
Two years in
Since March 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic came into the lives of Canadians, this magazine has published many accounts of life in pandemic times. There have been reports on how Mennonite churches and organizations have adapted to health restrictions, found new ways to care for others, and even managed to have fun, despite the challenges.…
In the face of in/difference
As I write this I am flying over the ocean, returning from an international ecumenical gathering in the north of Italy. People from across the world were there, including some from countries I had never met people from. Places like Myanmar. Places like Senegal. And places like Germany, Italy, U.S.A, Argentina, Costa Rica, Mexico, Iraq,…
Muslim, Jewish and Christian Relationships
Classes are going very well. Students are appreciating the role-plays, practical illustrations, and the newly published textbook, which was partially funded by Waterloo North Mennonite Church (Waterloo, Ont.). Some people are of the opinion that Jews and Muslims have always been, and always will be, in conflict. This is not true. Ishmael and Isaac both…
The Stories We Tell
Much has been written on this blog about the stories we tell. This narrative perspective is becoming a stronger one in many fields of study, including therapy, education, conflict resolution, and negotiation. The basic concept is described well in Bruner’s Acts of Meaning (link). Bruner describes human efforts at making meaning as collecting information in…
Recent Korea Reflections
Recently, I’ve been asked a lot of questions about “things” in Korea. It’s hard to know what to think about the recent violence on the peninsula from the English and Korean media I read and the comments from friends and family around Seoul. I may write more in the future, but I wanted to share…
