Category: Events

Public invited to launch of new book detailing the life of educator and TV producer Vera Good

Post author By CMU
Post date November 30, 2017

SIMCOE, ON — The public is invited to a celebration for a new book detailing the life of Dr. Vera Good, a pioneering educator and television producer from Waterloo County.

Good and author Nancy Silcox will be on hand to launch The Exceptional Vera Good: A Life Beyond the Polka Dot Door on Sunday, December 10, 2017 at 2:00 PM. The launch will take place in the party room at Norview Lodge Retirement Home in Simcoe, ON (44 Rob Blake Way). All are welcome to attend.

Published by CMU Press, The Exceptional Vera Good traces Good’s life from her upbringing in an Old Order Mennonite family to her successful career as an executive producer of children’s programming for TVOntario from 1965 to 1981.

Vera Good with author Nancy Silcox — Nancy Silcox (right) has written a book about Vera Good (left), an award-winning TV producer and accomplished educator.

“Vera was a groundbreaker,” says Silcox, an award-winning writer who has penned a dozen books. “She climbed the ladder both educationally and professionally when there were no other women there, and she didn’t have an easy time of it, either. She is truly a remarkable person.”

Good laid the conceptual design and was the first executive producer for Polka Dot Door, an educational TV series for children that aired every weekday from the fall of 1971 until the show’s cancellation in 1993.

In recognition of her work on the show, Good received a Gemini Award in 2010 as part of the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television’s MasterWorks program, which honours culturally significant works.

Prior to her work in television, Good was highly regarded as an innovative educator.

She holds a PhD from Columbia University in New York City, and she was one of the first female principals in the Toronto school system. She was also the first female Inspector of Schools in Ontario.

Good resides at the retirement home where the book launch will take place. Aside from the fact that she is now blind, she is in excellent health. The launch will double as a celebration for her 102^nd birthday.

“Vera is excited about the launch, and so am I,” says Silcox, who became close to Good during the 18 months she spent researching and writing the book. “I consider myself most fortunate to have been given the chance to tell this story.”

Anyone planning to attend the book launch is asked to RSVP to Silcox by emailing silcox@cwisp.ca or phoning 519-662-9303.

About CMU Press
CMU Press is an academic publisher of scholarly, reference, and general interest books at Canadian Mennonite University (CMU) in Winnipeg, MB. Books from CMU Press address and inform interests and issues vital to the university, its constituency, and society. Areas of specialization include Mennonite studies, and works that are church-oriented or theologically engaged.

For information about CMU Press, visit: www.cmu.ca/cmupress.

About CMU
A Christian university in the Anabaptist tradition, CMU’s Shaftesbury campus offers undergraduate degrees in arts, business, humanities, music, sciences, and social sciences, as well as graduate degrees in theology, ministry, peacebuilding and collaborative development, and an MBA. CMU has over 900 full-time equivalent students, including those enrolled in degree programs at the Shaftesbury and Menno Simons College campuses and in its Outtatown certificate program.

For information about CMU visit www.cmu.ca.

For additional information, please contact:
Kevin Kilbrei, Director of Communications & Marketing
kkilbrei@cmu.ca; 204.487.3300 Ext. 621
Canadian Mennonite University
500 Shaftesbury Blvd., Winnipeg, MB R3P 2N2

Tags Book Launch, CMU Press, Nancy Silcox, Vera Good

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Community invited to celebrate Christmas at CMU

Post author By CMU
Post date November 20, 2017

There’s something for everyone at annual create-your-own-concert event

Do you hear what I hear? Canadian Mennonite University wants you to join in the festive fun at its annual Christmas at CMU concert.

The event takes place on Saturday, November 25 at the university (500 Shaftesbury Blvd.). There are two concerts: one at 2:00 PM and the other at 7:00 PM. Admission for both concerts is free.

“All are welcome to attend this magnificent event,” says Dr. Dietrich Bartel, Dean of the CMU School of Music. “The decorations have been hung with care, people are baking cookies, Father Christmas is preparing to join us, and musicians from the CMU community are eagerly anticipating their chance to perform.”

More than 100 performers are involved in the event, which features CMU choirs; vocal and instrumental jazz; a classical guitar ensemble; and performances by the university’s music faculty.

Christmas at CMU is a multi-generational, interactive event that allows family, friends, and neighbours of all ages to mingle in CMU’s beautiful heritage building.

Part of the event’s appeal is that people who attend do not have to sit in the same spot for an hour-and-a-half.

Music ensembles will be stationed in different parts of the university, allowing attendees to create their own concert by walking around the festively decorated campus—all while enjoying hot apple cider and cookies.

Now in its 17^th year, this year’s Christmas at CMU event once again features a couple of items on the schedule specifically for children.

Children and parents are welcome to make music with Music Therapy students at “Christmas for All Ages!” in CMU’s Faculty & Staff Lounge. Afterward, Bartel will read How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

“The entire CMU community comes together for this event,” Bartel says. “It’s wonderful to see.”

Christmas at CMU will end with an audience carol sing in the Loewen Athletic Centre, an annual tradition that always culminates with everyone singing Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus.

The carol sing will be accompanied by the university’s newest ensemble, the CMU Community Concert Band.

Since it was first held in 2001, Christmas at CMU has become an important event on the university’s calendar. Alumni and friends from across Canada travel to Winnipeg to attend.

“It’s always meaningful to connect with both old and new friends at Christmas at CMU,” Bartel says. “It’s a fun event, and a great way to kick off the holiday season.”

For the complete Christmas at CMU schedule, please visit cmu.ca/christmas.

For information about CMU visit www.cmu.ca.

Tags Christmas at CMU

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Panelists to explore the implications of legalizing marijuana at upcoming CMU discussion event

Post author By CMU
Post date November 9, 2017

A police officer, a pastor, a rehabilitation counsellor, and a producer of medical cannabis are set to participate in a panel discussion at Canadian Mennonite University (CMU) exploring the implications of legalizing marijuana.

Titled, “Our Need for Weed? Sparking Conversations in the Church and Community,” the discussion will take place Wednesday, November 15 at 7:00 PM in Marpeck Commons (2299 Grant Ave.). Admission is free, and everyone is welcome to attend.

Canada’s federal government is committed to implementing the legalized production, sale, and recreational consumption of marijuana by July 1, 2018.

“CMU is inviting people to join a conversation that broadens awareness, explores questions, and discerns ways forward as churches and communities confront this new reality,” says Terry Schellenberg, Vice President External at CMU.

Questions that panelists will discuss include:

Can we understand more clearly the government’s full intention and the implications that arise with legalization versus decriminalization?
What medical realities do we need to understand about cannabis use?
Can the church be a place for real conversation about this issue? What are our fears? What questions, theological and otherwise, should Christians and the church be asking?

The panelists are:

Max Waddell, commander with the Organized Crime Division of the Winnipeg Police Service;
Erin Morash, pastor at Crystal City Mennonite Church (Crystal City, MB) and Trinity Mennonite Church (Mather, MB);
Daniel Dacombe, rehabilitation counsellor with Addictions Foundation of Manitoba and addictions specialist with the Manitoba Government; and
Nelson Martens, member representative and business developer at Bonify, a licensed producer of medical cannabis located in Winnipeg.

Dr. Chris Huebner, Associate Professor of Theology and Philosophy at CMU, will moderate the 90-minute event, which will include opportunities for questions and comments from the audience.

“There are economic, social, moral, and ethical dimensions to all of this,” Schellenberg says. “We’re not professing to have all of the answers. Rather, we want to provide a respectful forum where people can begin to discuss the implications of legalizing marijuana.”

Started in 2013, Face2Face is a series of conversations organized by CMU, designed to engage the community on a wide variety of current events and issues at the intersection of faith and life.

“Our Need for Weed?” is the first of two Face2Face events CMU is scheduled to host during the 2017-18 school year. For details, visit cmu.ca/face2face.

For information about CMU visit www.cmu.ca.

Tags Chris Huebner, Daniel Dacombe, Erin Morash, Face2Face, marijuana, Max Waddell, Nelson Martens

Events News Releases

Art and Mennonite history book to be launched at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights

Post author By CMU
Post date October 26, 2017

Nearly 10 years in the making, the official book launch of Along the Road to Freedom – Mennonite women of courage and faith featuring the paintings of artist Ray Dirks will take place at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights on Wednesday, November 8 at 7:00 PM. All are invited, and admission is free.

The book includes comments from each Along the Road to Freedom committee member and Manitoba Lt. Gov. the Honourable Janice C. Filmon. The foreword by Dr. Marlene Epp, Professor of History and Peace and Conflict Studies, Conrad Grebel University College, offers a historical backdrop that connects with today. Dirks reveals his artmaking process and recounts his journey with each painting and sponsoring family.

Dirks, founder and curator of the MHC Gallery on the campus of Canadian Mennonite University, was visited by four senior citizens in 2008 who wanted to initiate a project honouring their mothers and others like them. These four individuals—Nettie Dueck, Hans Funk, Wanda Andres, Henry Bergen—escaped the Soviet Union during WW2 on what Mennonites call the Great Trek. In the midst of the war, 35,000 people, many widows with children, left their homes in what is now Ukraine and fled north and west, hoping to eventually reach Canada. Twelve thousand made it out to either Canada or Paraguay, while 23,000 did not make an escape.

Three of the four people had lost their fathers at an early age. The men were taken by the NKVD, secret police, and like so many others under Stalin, were either quickly murdered or shipped to Siberia where they died in the miserable gulag system. When it came time to flee, their mothers, alone, led them out under the worst of conditions.

Along the Road to Freedom has also been a travelling exhibition of large story paintings honouring women, most of them widowed, who led children to freedom either during the time of anarchy, famine, and chaos following the Russian Revolution or during WW2 on the Great Trek. The exhibition has toured to 20 venues in Canada and the US. The corresponding book will include all the paintings and stories on each of the women featured.

The book will be available for $35.00 plus GST.

BOOK ORDERING DETAILS FOR SINGLE AND MULTIPLE BOOK ORDERS WILL FOLLOW IN DAYS.

Please contact Connie Wiebe (cwiebe@cmu.ca; 204.487.3300, ext 344) for information on ordering book, including all bulk book orders.

Along the Road to Freedom Mennonite is a MHC Gallery project 100% funded and created by donations and in kind contributions from writers, editors, and artist/book designer Ray Dirks.

The MHC Gallery is a self-funded gallery of Canadian Mennonite University.

For more information, please contact:
Ray Dirks, curator
CMU Press/MHC Gallery
500 Shaftesbury Blvd.
Winnipeg, Manitoba R3P 2N2

To interview Ray Dirks, write to rdirks@cmu.ca or call 204.487.3300, ext 346. Print resolution images are available upon request.

Tags Along the Road to Freedom, Book Launch, MHC Gallery, Ray Dirks

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Lecture series to explore Protestant Reformation and its implications for today

Post author By CMU
Post date October 18, 2017

Acclaimed Anabaptist scholar Dr. C. Arnold Snyder scheduled to speak on campus

Canadian Mennonite University (CMU) will mark the 500^th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation with a special lecture series delivered by the world’s foremost scholar on Swiss Anabaptism.

Dr. C. Arnold Snyder will present the three-part series, titled, “Faith and Toleration: A Reformation Debate Revisited.” The lectures will take place in the CMU Chapel (600 Shaftesbury Blvd.) on Monday, October 30 at 7:30 PM and Tuesday, October 31 at 11:00 AM and 7:30 PM.

Snyder, Professor Emeritus of History at the University of Waterloo in Waterloo, ON, will ask the question: Should dissenting religious beliefs be tolerated on religious principle, and toleration established as civic policy?

The lectures will explore some of the events and debates that ensued 500 years ago when Martin Luther composed 95 theses for debate in Wittenberg, drawing some conclusions for our day.

“Dr. Snyder brings together incredible scholarly acumen, a love for the church, and an incredible ability to communicate to people at all levels,” says Dr. Karl Koop, Professor of History and Theology, and coordinator of CMU’s Biblical and Theological Studies program. “He is not afraid to explore a variety of Anabaptist issues.”

The lecture topics are as follows:

Lecture #1: “Scripture Alone, Faith Alone, Toleration Doubtful” – One might have thought that the central evangelical teaching that faith is a God-given, spiritual, inner, and personal matter would have led to a wave of religious toleration accompanying the Reformation. This never materialized. Instead, a tsunami of intolerance and violence swept away thousands of people into prison, exile, and martyrdom. What happened?

Lecture #2: “‘Compel them to come in’: The Theology of Intolerance Examined” – Protestant theologians, both Lutheran and Reformed, soon became champions of state churches that required all subjects and citizens to attend their churches and swear allegiance to state-sanctioned confessions of faith. How did these Christian theologians justify coercion, torture, and even execution in the name of true faith?

Lecture #3: “Hiding in Plain Sight: Anabaptism and Toleration in Switzerland” – Anabaptism was officially outlawed in every state of the Swiss Confederation, with all Reformed pastors and civil officials under oath to report violations. Nevertheless, Anabaptist communities survived into the seventeenth century. Archival records shed important light on the phenomenon of de facto toleration that made Anabaptist survival possible in Switzerland.

“The theme of faith and toleration is at the very centre of our global context,” Koop says. “In the news every day, we’re hearing about the clash of religions… It strikes me that this particular topic is really at the forefront of the issues that we’re dealing with presently.”

Snyder holds a PhD from McMaster University. His research focuses on sixteenth-century Anabaptism. He has written and edited several books on this topic, including Anabaptist History and Theology: An Introduction (Pandora Press, 1995), and Later Writings of the Swiss Anabaptists, 1529-1592 (Pandora Press, 2017).

Snyder’s lectures are co-presented by the J.J. Thiessen Lecture Series as well as the John and Margaret Friesen Lectures.

Founded in 1978 by one of CMU predecessor institutions, Canadian Mennonite Bible College (CMBC), the J.J. Thiessen Lectures are named in honour of a founder and long-time chairperson of the CMBC Board. The lectures seek to bring to the CMU community something of Thiessen’s breadth of vision for the church.

The John and Margaret Friesen Lectures in Anabaptist/Mennonite Studies are co-sponsored by CMU, the Mennonite Heritage Centre, and the Centre for Mennonite Brethren Studies. The inaugural lectures in November 2002 were delivered by Dr. Abraham Friesen (Professor of History, University of California, Santa Barbara), the generous donor who initiated the lecture series.

For details about this year’s lectures, visit cmu.ca/jjt.

About CMU
A Christian university in the Anabaptist tradition, CMU’s Shaftesbury campus offers undergraduate degrees in arts, business, humanities, music, sciences, and social sciences, as well as graduate degrees in theology, ministry, peacebuilding and collaborative development, and an MBA. CMU has over 800 full-time equivalent students, including those enrolled in degree programs at the Shaftesbury and Menno Simons College campuses and in its Outtatown certificate program.

For information about CMU visit www.cmu.ca.

Tags C. Arnold Snyder, J.J. Thiessen Lectures, John and Margaret Friesen Lecture, Lecture, Lectures

Events News Releases

CMU, community orchestra to celebrate the Reformation at special concert

Post author By CMU
Post date October 17, 2017

The public is invited to a concert at Canadian Mennonite University (CMU) celebrating the Protestant Reformation.

CMU, in collaboration with the Mennonite Community Orchestra, will present “Reformation 500” this coming Sunday, October 22 at 3:00 PM in the Loewen Athletic Centre (500 Shaftesbury Blvd.).

Tickets are $15 for adults and $5 for students, and are available at the door. Children 12 and under receive free admission.

The orchestra, under the direction of conductor Neil Weisensel, will perform Felix Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 5, also known as the Reformation symphony.

Dr. Janet Brenneman, Associate Professor of Music, will lead a choir made up of CMU alumni, the orchestra, and soloists in performing J.S. Bach’s Cantata No. 79 and Cantata No. 80.

Soloists include acclaimed Winnipeg singer Rachel Landrecht, as well as three members of CMU’s faculty: voice instructor Rose van der Hooft, political studies instructor James Magnus-Johnston, and music lecturer Matthew Pauls.

The concert is a way for CMU to celebrate the 500^th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation through music, says Dr. Dietrich Bartel, Dean of CMU’s School of Music, who will host Sunday’s concert.

The Reformation was sparked on October 31, 1517 when Martin Luther sent his Ninety-Five Theses on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences to the Archbishop of Mainz.

“My hope is that we can celebrate the Reformation as part of the story of the church, while also being careful to make sure that we also are critical of the story,” Bartel says.

He adds that the three musical pieces that will be performed are linked. Each significantly quotes “A Mighty Fortress is Out God,” one of Luther’s best known hymns.

“I always thought we should be putting our CMU choirs and the Mennonite Community Orchestra together,” Bartel says of the collaboration, adding that the rehearsals for the concert have gone well. “Everybody’s pretty excited about how things are coming together.”

“Things are sounding really great,” he adds. “It’s going to be grand.”

About CMU
A Christian university in the Anabaptist tradition, CMU’s Shaftesbury campus offers undergraduate degrees in arts, business, humanities, music, sciences, and social sciences, as well as graduate degrees in theology, ministry, peacebuilding and collaborative development, and an MBA. CMU has over 800 full-time equivalent students, including those enrolled in degree programs at the Shaftesbury and Menno Simons College campuses and in its Outtatown certificate program.

For information about CMU visit www.cmu.ca.

Tags choir, Mennonite Community Orchestra, School of Music

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Menno Simons College to host public lecture on interfaith peacebuilding

Post author By CMU
Post date October 4, 2017

Menno Simons College is pleased to present Dr. Jan Bender Shetler in a public lecture on interfaith relations in the city of Harar, Ethiopia, later this month.

Dr. Jan Bender Shelter — Dr. Bender Shetler of Gsohen College will speak at the University of Winnipeg on October 19.

The result of an eight-year collaborative research project between Dr. Bender Shetler and fellow academic Dawit Yehualashet, the lecture explores how Muslims and Christians have been able to maintain relatively peaceful relations in Harar over the last century, despite close and potentially volatile interaction.

“We like to examine conflict, to understand more deeply what happened and why, but spend less effort to understand peaceful relations,” says Neil Funk-Unrau, Associate Dean of Menno Simons College. “In a time of rising interreligious tensions, it is more important than ever to see how centuries of peaceful Christian-Muslim relations can be possible and sustainable.”

Over the course of the lecture, Dr. Bender Shetler, Professor of History at Goshen College in Indiana, and Chair of the History and Political Science Department, plans to show how this peace was achieved, despite the odds, why it was effective, and how these insights might be applied to our own context.

The lecture will take place at 7:00 PM on October 19, in the University of Winnipeg’s Convocation Hall.

For more information about the lecture, visit mscollege.ca/shetlerlecture or contact Neil Funk-Unrah at n.funk-unrau@uwinnipeg.ca.

Menno Simons College is a program of Canadian Mennonite University, affiliated with the University of Winnipeg.

About CMU
A Christian university in the Anabaptist tradition, CMU’s Shaftesbury campus offers undergraduate degrees in arts, business, humanities, music, sciences, and social sciences, as well as graduate degrees in theology, ministry, peacebuilding and collaborative development, and an MBA. CMU has over 800 full-time equivalent students, including those enrolled in degree programs at the Shaftesbury and Menno Simons College campuses and in its Outtatown certificate program.

For information about CMU, visit: www.cmu.ca.

For additional information, please contact:

Kevin Kilbrei, Director of Communications & Marketing
kkilbrei@cmu.ca; 204.487.3300 Ext. 621
Canadian Mennonite University
500 Shaftesbury Blvd., Winnipeg, MB R3P 2N2

Tags Inter-Faith Discussion, Jan Bender Shetler, Menno Simons College, MSC, peacebuilding

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Canadian Mennonite University celebrates Class of 2017

Post author By CMU
Post date April 27, 2017

Canadian Mennonite University recognized the accomplishments of the Class of 2017 during graduation weekend, held April 21 to April 23, a time filled with reflection, laughter, and tears.

The weekend culminated with CMU President Dr. Cheryl Pauls conferring 70 undergraduate degrees, seven graduate degrees, one undergraduate certificate, and three graduate certificates, at the graduation service held at Immanuel Pentecostal Church on Sunday, April 23.

“All of us, your teachers, are grateful to you graduands for opening our eyes to new ways of seeing, hearing, and reflecting,” Pauls said. “May the wonder of God’s love ever inspire the vocation of your hearts, hands, and minds as you move from this place.”

Pauls conferred two degrees for the first time ever: Anika Reynar became the first student to graduate with a Bachelor of Arts (Four-Year) in Interdisciplinary Studies; and Michael Duerksen and Wesley Ngwenya became the first students to graduate from CMU’s collaborative Master of Business Administration program.

Pauls awarded President’s Medals to Reynar and Nicholas Czehryn (BA, Four-Year, Psychology) in recognition of their qualities of scholarship, leadership, and service.

Anika Reynar delivers her valedictory address

Earlier in the service, Reynar delivered the valedictory address, based on the graduation verse from Proverbs 24:13-14: “My child, eat honey, for it is good, and the drippings of the honeycomb are sweet to your taste. Know that wisdom is such to your soul; if you find it, you will find a future, and your hope will not be cut off.

Reynar said that at CMU, she and her peers were encouraged to learn, think, question, and love, especially in those times when they felt lost, overwhelmed, and disoriented.

“Recognize that who you are and who you have become during your time at CMU is a gift from your friends, mentors, family members, and church community that surround you,” Reynar told her fellow graduates.

“Wherever you find yourself next, carry this place and these people with you,” she added. “When you are lost and overwhelmed, remember to take risks and to start learning, questioning, and loving. Ask for help connected to the community and place where you are; then you will continue to find the sweetness of friendship and to be surprised by the gift of wisdom.”

After Reynar spoke, Adrian Jacobs delivered the graduation address, titled, “Who Are You in a Kairos Moment?”

Adrian Jacobs, Keeper of the Circle at Sandy-Saulteaux Spiritual Centre, urged students to pursue peace and justice with integrity

Jacobs, who is Keeper of the Circle at Sandy-Saulteaux Spiritual Centre, an Aboriginal Theological and Ministry Training Program of the United Church of Canada in Beausejour, MB, pointed out that in 2017, Protestants are celebrating the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation, and Canadians are celebrating the 150th anniversary of confederation.

These are potentially kairos moments, Jacobs said: moments in which God is speaking in some way.

“Keeping up to date in your understanding of the times in which you live, and knowing for sure what God wants you to do, is key to fulfilling Creator’s purpose in your life,” Jacobs said, later challenging the graduates to live with integrity, working for peace and justice.

“Graduates of Canadian Mennonite University, who are you in this kairos moment of 2017?” Jacobs asked at the end of his address.

At With Gratitude, a CMU graduation weekend event at which graduates share their experiences through spoken word or musical performance, Hannah Stoesz (BA, Four-Year, Social Science – Counselling Studies) reflected on how CMU is an encouraging place where students can safely share their dreams, doubts, and goals.

CMU's class of 2017 — CMU’s class of 2017

“The things I have learned, and the people I have encountered at CMU, have helped me grow… and have given me a solid base from which I’m already beginning to interact with and find my place outside of CMU,” Stoesz said. “I will always be grateful for me time here.”

Speaking at the same event, Meara Sparling (BMus, Concentration: Music Education—Early/Middle Years) reflected on how much she has grown over the past four years.

“I was pushed out of my comfort zone over and over, and presented with opportunities I don’t believe I could find anywhere else,” she said.

At CMU, Sparling was encouraged to take on leadership roles in her church. The musical ideas and techniques she learned at CMU helped her as she led choirs and worship.

“I will be eternally grateful for the four years I’ve gotten to spend here,” Sparking said. “I know I will miss walking these halls.”

The Graduation Service and With Gratitude presentation were part of a number of events that occurred during graduation weekend, including a gala dinner on Friday, April 21, Spring Concert on Saturday, April 22, and a Baccalaureate Service the morning of April 23.

Commencement Ceremony (video)
Photo album – 2017 Graduation Events (unedited)

About CMU
A Christian university in the Anabaptist tradition, CMU’s Shaftesbury campus offers undergraduate degrees in arts, business, humanities, music, sciences, and social sciences, as well as graduate degrees in theology, ministry, peacebuilding and collaborative development, and an MBA. CMU has over 800 full-time equivalent students, including those enrolled in degree programs at the Shaftesbury and Menno Simons College campuses and in its Outtatown certificate program.

For information about CMU visit www.cmu.ca.

Tags Adrian Jacobs, Commencement, Grad, Grad 17, Graduation

Events General News News Releases

CMU to present Christian Peacemaker Teams with CMU PAX Award

Post author By CMU
Post date March 22, 2017

Peacemaking organization honoured for its dedication to service, leadership, and reconciliation

Canadian Mennonite University (CMU) is pleased to announce that it will present its CMU PAX Award to Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) next month.

CMU President Dr. Cheryl Pauls will present the award to Sarah Thompson, executive director of CPT, on Wednesday, April 5 at Gather. Give. Celebrate. Spring at CMU, an annual fundraiser in support of the university.

Sarah Thompson, Executive Director of Christian Peacemaker Teams, will be on-hand to receive the 2017 CMU PAX Award on April 5

“The work and witness of Christian Peacemaker Teams bring public attention to the beauty of courage and vulnerability that is vital to peacebuilding,” Pauls says. “The CMU learning community is inspired by the stories of CPT and its executive director, Sarah Thompson.”

The CMU PAX Award was created to honour people and organizations who are dedicated to service, leadership, and reconciliation in church and society.

“Christian Peacemaker Teams is deeply humbled to receive the CMU PAX Award,” Thompson says. “The journey towards peace is a long and challenging path. Yet, we know we are not walking alone on this journey.”

For nearly 30 years, CPT has sought to build partnerships to transform violence and oppression around the world.

Envisioning a world of communities that together embrace the diversity of the human family and live justly and peaceably with all creation, CPT has committed itself to work and relationships that honour and reflect the presence of faith and spirituality; strengthen grassroots initiatives; transform structures of domination and oppression; and embody creative non-violence and liberating love.

CPT was formed in 1986 out of a desire of the historic peace churches to seek new ways of expressing their faith. After the formation of a steering committee, the first staff person began work in 1988.

By 1992, CPT had put together a series of delegations to Haiti, Iraq and the West Bank. The steering committee then set a goal to develop a Christian Peacemaker Corps of 12 full-time persons, with a much larger number of reservists.

By the end of 1998, when the organization reached the goal of a 12-person peacemaker corps, it had set up and staffed violence-reduction projects in Haiti; Washington, D.C.; Richmond, VA; Hebron, West Bank; Bosnia; and Chiapas, Mexico.

Today, CPT has regional groups in Europe; the United Kingdom; Oceania (Australia, New Zealand, and Indonesia); Philippines; Colorado; northern Indiana; and Ontario. CPT has around 30 full- and part-time, stipended peacemakers and nearly 200 part-time volunteers who serve in violence-reduction projects around the world.

The CPT experience has demonstrated that small teams of four to six people trained in the skills of documentation, observation, nonviolent intervention, and various ministries of presence can make a striking difference in explosive situations.

Along the way, more than 30 alumni, faculty, and staff of CMU and its predecessor colleges have worked for CPT. That includes Dr. Harry Huebner, Professor Emeritus of Philosophy and Theology, who helped found the organization.

“CMU has been a place of nourishment for many CPTers,” Thompson says. “While (the CMU PAX Award) recognizes the peace work of CPT, we hope it also recognizes the deep relationship between CPT and CMU. As we continue to work for holistic peace and justice, with our neighbours across the street and our neighbours around the world, may we continue to challenge, nourish, and hold each other up.”

This is the third year that Canadian Mennonite University has given out the CMU PAX Award.

In 2015, it was awarded to Jean Vanier, who founded L’Arche, an international federation of communities for people with developmental disabilities and those who assist them. In 2016, the CMU PAX Award was presented to Art DeFehr, a humanitarian and business leader.

Gather. Give. Celebrate. Spring at CMU is an evening of story, song, and food in support of CMU. The event takes place at CMU (500 Shaftesbury Blvd.) from 7:00 PM until 9:00 PM.

About CMU
A Christian university in the Anabaptist tradition, CMU’s Shaftesbury campus offers undergraduate degrees in arts, business, humanities, music, sciences, and social sciences, as well as graduate degrees in theology, ministry, peacebuilding and collaborative development, and an MBA. CMU has over 800 full-time equivalent students, including those enrolled in degree programs at the Shaftesbury and Menno Simons College campuses and in its Outtatown certificate program.

For information about CMU visit www.cmu.ca.

Tags Christian Peacemaker Teams, CMU PAX Award, CPT, PAX Award, Spring at CMU

Events News Releases

CMU community to celebrate Bach’s birthday and World Poetry Day with special events

Post author By CMU
Post date March 16, 2017

Canadian Mennonite University (CMU) students and faculty will celebrate Bach and poetry at two separate special events, both happening on campus this coming Tuesday, March 21.

Both of these events are free and open to the public:

Bach on the Bridge will feature musicians from the CMU community performing the music of J.S. Bach on the Marpeck Commons pedestrian bridge (2299 Grant Ave.). There are two performances: one at 10:00-11:30 AM, and one at 12:00-1:30 PM. Bach on the Bridge coincides with Bach in the Subways, an annual celebration of Bach’s birthday that features musicians around the world performing his music for free in public spaces.

Born in Germany on March 21, 1685 to a renowned musical family, Johann Sebastian Bach was well-respected as an organist during his lifetime. Although he wrote some 1,100 items while he was alive, it wasn’t until 200 years after his death that Bach’s skills as a composer gained widespread recognition. Today, he is generally regarded as one of the greatest composers of all time.

Pop-Up Poetry will feature Winnipeg poets stationed at vintage typewriters in folio café (2299 Grant Ave.), writing poems on demand. You can approach one of the poets and name a topic, and the poet will write an original poem on the spot for you to keep. The CMU Department of English is organizing this event to celebrate World Poetry Day. It takes place 12:00-1:00 PM and will feature Sally Ito, Ariel Gordon, and Joanne Epp. “We want people to see that poets do important work in our society,” says Dr. Sue Sorensen, Associate Professor of English at CMU. “We’re also trying to make poetry fun, exciting, and spontaneous, so that people can get over their fear of poetry.”

March 21 was declared World Poetry Day by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1999. The day is meant to recognize the unique ability of poetry to capture the creative spirit of the human mind.

About CMU
A Christian university in the Anabaptist tradition, CMU’s Shaftesbury campus offers undergraduate degrees in arts, business, humanities, music, sciences, and social sciences, as well as graduate degrees in theology, ministry, peacebuilding and collaborative development, and an MBA. CMU has over 800 full-time equivalent students, including those enrolled in degree programs at the Shaftesbury and Menno Simons College campuses and in its Outtatown certificate program.

For information about CMU visit www.cmu.ca.