I grew up on a small mixed farm on the prairies, with a large garden that provided all of our fruits and vegetables for a year as well as providing some produce for market. I definitely took it for granted...
[read more]The Dec. 17 editorial, “Two Trends to Watch,” highlighted the was “loss of trust in institutions.” This should be understood as a deeper loss of connection to institutions. There is an epidemic of...
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Every Mennonite in the small town of Goessel, Kan., knows the date 1874. It is emblazoned on the “Turkey Red Wheat Palace,” erected on the centennial of Mennonites’ migration to the Great Plains from...
[read more]Despite being well-suited for Anabaptists, Iceland is devoid of them. Perhaps the most literate country in the world just hasn’t heard about our brand of faith yet. Maybe Arctic Circle agriculture’s brief...
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A lot of talk has been happening in the Mennonite Twitter world (which is a pretty weird overlap of two very different realms) in the past few days about changes in a master’s program at Fresno Pacific...
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As a child, one of the things that fascinated me about Mennonites of the past was dress, particularly the head covering. What would it have been like to be marked, physically, by your religion? To have people...
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A sign of the times, outside Goshen, Ind. The stories in Paul Schrag’s editorial (“Mysterious Initials,” Aug. 13) also represent a loss for progressive Mennonites. The frame of reference for who we are...
[read more]There’s nothing sacred about the word “Mennonite.” Nor is it anything to be ashamed of. Somewhere between those extremes is a venerable religious identity with a rich history, many positive connotations...
[read more]In “From Belief to Belonging: Open communion is on the rise in Mennonite Church Canada congregations”, Nicolien Klassen-Wiebe describes how open communion is on the rise in Mennonite Church Canada...
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MONTGOMERY, Ind. — Conservative Mennonite Conference has rebranded — for now — as CMC. In a move similar to that of Lancaster Mennonite Conference earlier this year, CMC ministers voted unanimously July...
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Tim Huber’s editorial, “A Name Worth Keeping” (March 12), supported keeping “Mennonite” as an identifier even though it raises questions among many people unfamiliar with us. I found it timely and...
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Growing up, I was mostly very compliant with rules of any sort. I didn’t just accept everything at face value — I often turned things over in my mind and tried to make sense of them — but I didn’t...
[read more]What’s in a name? For Tim Unruh of Hillsboro, Kan., it’s more than a hill of beans. His decision to name his Menno Beans coffee roasting venture after Menno Simons is an ode to his faith heritage and an...
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True evangelical coffee cannot lie dormant. With every batch of beans he roasts, Tim Unruh of Hillsboro, Kan., is putting his faith into practice. His product — Menno Beans — is a reflection not just of...
[read more]I thank God daily for the grace of growing up in a strong Mennonite community. As a prodigal returning to faith and looking for a church home, I applaud the great outreach and service of the Mennonite church....
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There are blonde jokes, lawyer jokes and Polish jokes. And then there are Mennonite jokes. As a Mennonite, and a plain Mennonite at that, I like the Mennonite jokes best. It is the perverse nature of humanity...
[read more]“True Evangelical Faith” by Paul Schrag and “Convictional Inaction” by Rachel Stella were inspiring, challenging and based on sound Anabaptist theology. As evangelical Christians, our first allegiance...
[read more]I appreciated your editorial, “True Evangelical Faith” (Jan. 1), but I wonder if your readers understand the difference between modern evangelical faith and true evangelical faith as understood by Menno...
[read more]HARRISONBURG, Va. — Suppose your job is to answer impossibly complex questions, sometimes dealing with theology and even eternal destiny. How do you respond? This was the volunteer task of Erwin and Angela...
[read more]Among the trends of 2017, tribalism stands out. All around us, people define themselves by separating one group from another. Republican or Democrat, black or white, Christian or Muslim. The distinctions...
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If the early Anabaptists were alive today, I am quite certain the Mennonite church would run them out of their congregations. I realize that’s a pretty strong statement, and not altogether fair. But I’m...
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KIDRON, Ohio — Conservative Mennonite Conference is keeping its name for now, but leaders will continue to look at possibilities for change. CMC’s delegate body of 98 ministers needed a two-thirds majority...
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The greatest success of the Civilian Public Service era is not the effect it had on the church during World War II, as significant as that was. Rather, its crowning achievement was the resulting ethos of...
[read more]From 2015 to 2017, Mennonite Church USA conventions changed drastically. Two years ago at Kansas City, debates over how to handle diverse views about LGBTQ people in the church cast a cloud of tension over the...
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In 1941, as German armies advanced across Europe, C. Henry Smith, a historian at Bluffton College, expressed his dismay at the enthusiastic support many German Mennonites had given to Adolf Hitler and the...
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