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
News & Stories
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)
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 in the village of Chortitza. 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
Pictured clockwise from top right: host Aaron Epp and panellists Allegra Friesen Epp, Doyle Wiebe and Niigaan Sinclair.
This September, Canada marked its second annual National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Throughout the month, people talked around dinner tables, in the media and at workplace... Read More
October 26, 2022 | News | Nicolien Klassen-Wiebe
The first families of First Mennonite Church, Kelowna, B.C., gathered for worship in homes. (Archival photo supplied by First Mennonite Church, Kelowna)
Members and friends gathered to mark the 75th anniversary of First Mennonite Church, Kelowna, in a celebration service on Sept. 11. The service was a time of reflection on the... Read More
October 26, 2022 | News | Fran Siemens
Lethbridge Mennonite Church and L’Arche join for worship, pre-pandemic. (Photo by Ryan Dueck)
“When L’Arche comes, the lack of pretense, the joy, the enthusiasm, the simple faith and the light in Jesus, it was and is so refreshing,” says Ryan Dueck, pastor of Lethbridge... Read More
October 26, 2022 | News | Jessica Evans
Richard Janzen poses with the cast of Anastasia after RJC High School’s final performance in June. It was also Janzen’s final performance. (Photo courtesy of Richard Janzen)
“I remember so fondly the tours and travelling,” says Richard Janzen, the long-time music educator and choir director at RJC High School. “In 2002, we went on a tour along the... Read More
October 26, 2022 | People | Emily Summach
A bridge over Highway 6 near Twin Butte in southern Alberta, 2022. (Photo by Will Braun)
I’m nervous about presenting non-orthodox views about COVID. Some of my mandate-abiding friends will look askance. “Yes, but . . . ,” they will say, then demarcate limits of... Read More
October 26, 2022 | People | Will Braun
The Meeting Place meets at 541 Eatery and Exchange in Hamilton. (Photo courtesy of Facebook.com/541Barton)
The Meeting Place started under the leadership of Sue Carr. (Photo courtesy of fivefortyone.ca) Earlier this year, the Meeting Place, an urban church plant in Hamilton, Ont.,... Read More
October 24, 2022 | Web First | Maria H. Klassen
Helga Bergen sews in a panel on an article of clothing. (Photo by Maria H. Klassen)
Working in a long-term-care home in Vineland, Ont., Helga Bergen saw a need among the elderly residents. She came up with an idea to alter clothing for the bed-ridden residents,... Read More
October 24, 2022 | Web First | Maria H. Klassen
A small group of participants race through a course of off-road bicycling, canoeing and kayaking around Camp Assiniboia’s new lake and running through the forest. (Photos by Darryl Neustaedter Barg)
The first adventure race fundraiser for Camps with Meaning (CwM) brought more than a hundred people to Camp Assiniboia on Sept. 18 to celebrate another summer of camp and to... Read More
October 12, 2022 | News | Nicolien Klassen-Wiebe