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CMU Celebrates Class of 2013

Dr. Cheryl Pauls awards 95 degrees, two certificates during first Graduation Service as CMU’s president

Winnipeg, April 29, 2013 – Canadian Mennonite University recognized the accomplishments of its students this past weekend, awarding degrees to 95 graduates and presenting program certificates to two recipients during its 2013 Graduation Exercises.

The event, held on Sunday afternoon, April 28, at Immanuel Pentecostal Church, was the culmination of a weekend filled with reflection, laughter, and tears as graduates and families enjoyed times of sharing through stories, songs, presentations, and meals along with CMU faculty, staff, and current students.

CMU President Pauls addresses the graduating class of 2013 at Immanuel Pentecostal Church
CMU President Pauls addresses the graduating class of 2013 at Immanuel Pentecostal Church

Presiding over graduation ceremonies for the first time, Dr. Cheryl Pauls—who became President of CMU this past November—welcomed everyone to the event by saying CMU faculty and staff felt honoured to celebrate the graduates’ achievements.

“These are people who have blessed us with their stories and insights, their passion and inventiveness,” she said. “These are people whose imaginations for new possibilities, and faithfulness as citizens of God’s world, have been growing at much the same rate. For all of these things, we are grateful to God.”

Raya Cornelsen (BA, Four-Year, Mathematics Major) gave the Valedictory Address, speaking about conversation as “the greatest catalyst for change and personal or professional development,” and elaborating that CMU has helped each graduate hone their conversation skills.

She encouraged her fellow graduates to keep having conversations that include reflection, engagement, vulnerability, and excitement.

Raya Cornelsen delivers her Valedictory Address; "We are the voices—the pastors, the teachers, the counsellors, the leaders, and yes, even the baristas—who will carry on the least and the greatest conversations that this world has ever known.”
Raya Cornelsen delivers her Valedictory Address; “We are the voices—the pastors, the teachers, the counsellors, the leaders, and yes, even the baristas—who will carry on the least and the greatest conversations that this world has ever known.”

“As we leave CMU today, we cannot cut off and lock away all that we have learned, experienced, and want to share,” she said. “We are the voices—the pastors, the teachers, the counsellors, the leaders, and yes, even the baristas—who will carry on the least and the greatest conversations that this world has ever known.”

Dr. Reg Litz, a professor at the University of Manitoba’s Asper School of Business, delivered the Graduation Address. Litz encouraged graduates to “think small”—tackle large problems by breaking them into little pieces, and then get one small thing done at a time. This builds momentum that eventually will help get big things done.

This way of thinking will help graduates as they face a world where things like global warming, fiscal deficits, and political instability are realities.

“We do have some big problems—after all, this is a fallen world,” Litz said. “But that said, we are not alone, and our choices matter.”

“Small wins before a big God are still wins that matter,” he added, before congratulating the graduates for their achievements.

“I encourage you to build on the foundation CMU has helped you lay,” Litz said. “I believe that as you look and act, He who calls you will help you find [the] way.”

CMU President Pauls with 2013 President’s Medal winners Nicole Richard and David Thiessen
CMU President Pauls with 2013 President’s Medal winners Nicole Richard and David Thiessen

In addition to conferring 95 degrees and two certificates, Pauls also awarded President’s Medals to Nicole Richard (Bachelor of Music Therapy) and David Thiessen (BA, Four-Year Honours, Biblical and Theological Studies Major) in recognition of their qualities of scholarship, leadership, and service.

The April 28 Graduation Service was the culmination of a number of other events that made the weekend special for graduates and their families, as well as for current students and visitors. These included a gala dinner Friday, April 26, CMU’s annual In Gratitude presentation and Spring Concert on Saturday, April 27, and the Baccalaureate Service the morning of April 28.

 

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Outtatown participants celebrate returning home and finishing program

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The 30 students who traveled to Guatemala as part of the 2012/2013 Outtatown Discipleship School sing and dance at their graduation ceremony. Another 31 students traveled to South Africa.

Winnipeg, April 23, 2013 – Stories of love, hope, community and transformation characterized the 2012/2013 Outtatown Discipleship School Graduation Celebration on Sunday, April 14 as 61 young people graduated from the program.

“For years to come, we will be influenced by the experiences we’ve had as a community, as well as the things we have learned individually,” Ross van Gaalen, a student from Outtatown’s Site 2 South Africa group, shared with the crowd of family and friends who gathered to welcome the students back home after their semester abroad.

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“For years to come, we will be influenced by the experiences we’ve had as a community, as well as the things we have learned individually,” Ross van Gaalen, a student from Outtatown’s Site 2 South Africa group, shared at the graduation ceremony.

“No matter how impactful our relationships have been, no matter which crazy stories will stick with us, and no matter which lessons or insights will affect us most deeply, I believe this year has made us all better prepared to face the rest of our lives.”

Bethany Bustard, a leader from Outtatown’s Site 1 Guatemala group, shared that she and the students learned of God’s transformative love during their time together.

“God’s love is not passive or timid,” Bustard said. “It is a powerful and active force as Christ offers to live in us, place his love in our hearts, and empowers us to go forward giving, receiving, and finding love in both expected and unexpected places.”

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L to R: Erin Harder, Brette Elias, Erica Deighton, Tara Hansen, and Louisa Hofer from the 2012/2013 Site 1 Guatemala group celebrate their graduation from the Outtatown Discipleship School.

The celebration included a time for worship as well as a message by Outtatown instructor Nathan Rieger, who challenged graduates to use their experiences from the program to look at the world differently.

“You have to see differently – that is the core of discipleship,” Rieger said. “To say, ‘Jesus, I want to see with your eyes.’”

Before praying for the graduates, CMU President Cheryl Pauls likened the university to a rich mosaic and spoke of Outtatown’s place in the mosaic.

“Outtatown is definitely a vital part of what makes it glistening and gritty, real and holy,” Pauls said.

Reflecting on the stories he heard students sharing about their experiences, Outtatown Director Cam Priebe said common themes included hope, freedom, and the value of learning in community.

“Our own journey impacts those around us, and their journey impacts ours,” Priebe said, pointing to Outtatown’s mission to inspire students in their life of discipleship with Jesus Christ in a journey towards knowing God, knowing yourself, and knowing the world.

“When that’s done on an individual level, it’s one thing,” Priebe said. “But when it’s done with others, there’s incredible value in that.”

In addition to the South Africa and Guatemala teams, this year’s Outtatown program also included a team that traveled to Burkina Faso. That team graduated this past December.

The Outtatown Discipleship School is a unique and enriching program of serving and learning for students seeking a life-changing experience of adventure, travel, service, and Christian studies.

Through participation in Outtatown, students may earn up to 18 university credit hours for the academic work completed during their programs. Outtatown offers two-semester programs at site locations in Guatemala and South Africa, and a one-semester program in French Africa.

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Verna Mae Janzen Music Competition Features Record Number of Competitors

Winnipeg, April 3, 2013 – The eighth annual Verna Mae Janzen Music Competition at Canadian Mennonite University featured 24 competitors at its preliminary round of competition—the competition’s biggest year yet.

Peter Janzen with winners (l-r) Jillian Reimer, Catherine Richard, and Kari Chastko
Peter Janzen with winners (l-r) Jillian Reimer, Catherine Richard, and Kari Chastko

“It is incredibly exciting to see students’ strong musical abilities and the results of their many hours of musical practice and dedication this competition highlights,” says Janet Brenneman, Dean of the CMU School of Music. “The Verna Mae Janzen Music Competition is an excellent performance opportunity for our students. We are grateful for the generosity of Peter Janzen in establishing this competition.”

Out of 24 initial competitors, eight students progressed to the final round of the competition. Those students were Josiah Brubacher, Kari Chastko, Stephanie Crampton, Rebecca Klassen-Wiebe, Catherine Richard, Jami Reimer, Jillian Reimer and Nathan Sawatzky-Dyck.

Catherine Richard, a second-year pianist, was awarded $700 and first place in the competition. Kari Chastko, a forth-year voice student, placed second and received $500.  Jillian Reimer, also a second-year pianist, came in third. She was awarded $300. All finalists are to be congratulated on their excellent performance at the final competition.

About 125 people attended the Verna Mae Janzen Music competition this year, held on March 21 at the Laudamus Auditorium.  The competition is made possible by Peter Janzen of Deep River, Ontario, and named in memory of his wife, Verna Mae, who died of cancer in 1989 at age 53.

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CMU Students Help in Minot, North Dakota

March 27, 2013 – In June, 2011, the Souris River—which divides the city of Minot, North Dakota in half—experienced record flooding. More than four thousand homes were destroyed in a disaster that displaced 12,000 people. On Saturday, February 17, eight Canadian Mennonite University (CMU) students as well as two staff, Sandra Loeppky and Rick Unger, left for North Dakota. Instead of relaxing, catching up on classes, or spending time with their families, the volunteers were willing to spend their reading break working in the community.

Clockwise, from bottom left: Sean Göerzen, Desiree Penner, Glen Torrie (from Orillia, ON), and Sandra Loeppky
Clockwise, from bottom left: Sean Göerzen, Desiree Penner, Glen Torrie (from Orillia, ON), and Sandra Loeppky

The students are being sent to Minot to help with the large-scale, multi-year MDS response to the flood, which is currently in its second year. CMU students were also sent out last year, and it is clear that their efforts made a difference. “In an interesting twist, we slept in the church that we helped build last year, on beds and bunks that we helped move,” says Sandra Loeppky, Coordinator of Commuter, Disability, and International Programs who helped plan both trips.

This year marked the first time in a while that Witness Through Service, a CMU Student Council Committee, was involved with the planning. Both of the leaders of the group, Christie Bueckert and Arlana Muller, joined the team in Minot this year. The committee helped with the organizing as well as the promotion of the trip. Bueckert says that she really enjoyed the experience because of the people she met in the community as well as the change of pace from the more mental work of school.

Students this year were involved in the construction of multiple homes, and worked in various roles, from painting to insulating to helping finish up drywall. At the end of the week, they were involved in a house dedication at the end of the week, giving the house they helped build to a couple, their daughter, and the daughters’ three children who lived with them. “Our students were asked to lead the singing for the dedication,” Loeppky says, calling the experience very touching.

Desiree Penner is a first year student at CMU. Recounting her experience, she said that “the hands on time spent repairing the homes affected by the flood was very worthwhile, but on top of that, I made amazing new life-long friends.” She was working on the team that helped repair the basement in a home. Desiree emphasized that she would love to go on the trip again next year. “It was definitely an experience that everyone should put on their bucket list!”

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Worship + Imagination Inspires and Equips

Powery
February 8, 2013 – CMU’s 2013 three-day, biennial music and worship conference, Worship + Imagination (W+I), opened on February 7 with CMU welcoming, among its special guests, Rev. Dr. Luke A. Powery, Dean of Duke Chapel and Associate Professor of the Practice of Homiletics at Duke Divinity School, and Graham Maule, liturgist, artist from the Iona Community, and trainer in lay leadership with Wild Goose Resource Group.

An influential church leader and keynote speaker, Powery led the plenary session, “More than a Song: Worship, Justice, and Suffering,” helping to set the tone for the conference. He also led the W+I clinic, Preaching in the Valley of Dry, exploring African American spirituals as resources for contemporary preaching.In 2008, the African American Pulpit named Powery to its “20 to watch” list, an honour given to outstanding black ministers under age 40 who are helping to shape future direction of the church.

MauleMaule, who studied Fine Art at Edinburgh College of Art, focuses in the areas of participative biblical exploration of worship, creative reflection, and lay adult training with the Wild Goose Resource Group (WGRG). Maule has published a wide range of books and recordings of liturgy and song with his colleague, John L. Bell, and, along with another colleague, Jo Love, he also co-ordinates “Holy City,” the WGRG’s monthly workshop and liturgy event in Glasgow. Maule, joined by others, lead the daily worship services, “Fencing God’s People In.”

The CMU Worship + Imagination conference, previously known as “Refreshing Winds,” brings people together to share music and participate in clinics and workshops that open the imagination to wonder and praise. “What began as a church music seminar decades ago has become a symposium that equips, inspires, and encourages persons involved in worship planning, worship leading, pastoring, preaching, music leading, and other church leading roles,” says conference co-organizer Abram Bergen, Church Relations Director at CMU.

Serving on the 2013 W+I organizing committee with Bergen were CMU faculty members Irma Fast Dueck, Dan Epp-Tiessen, Tim Rogalsky, and Rudy Schellenberg.

“The 2013 conference theme, “Worship & Witness,” invites us to consider how worship bears witness to the imagination of God in the world and shapes us for witness,” says Bergen. “Our times of worship, plenary addresses, workshops, clinics, field trips, and visual arts challenge us to greater faithfulness. We also explore how worship and the arts resist injustice and oppression and enable God’s peace and reconciliation in the world.”

“We were pleased to feature a commissioned work for Worship + Imagination, Psalm 46, by Tim Corlis, CMU music faculty member,” says Bergen. The CMU Singers and Conductor Rudy Schellenberg presented the choral work during the opening service.

“We extend our thanks to the many gifted leaders and engaged participants who are involved in the Conference, to our staff and volunteers working behind the scenes, and to exhibitors present at this year’s conference. Our prayer,” says Bergen, “is that during these days together, our imaginations will be sparked and our witness strengthened through worship, presentations conversations, and interactions.”

For detailed conference information, visit the CMU Worship + Imagination Conference website:
http://www.cmu.ca/wi/

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Weaver and Campbell Perform “Paraguay Primeval” at CMU

Weaver, on piano, and Campbell
Weaver, on piano, and Campbell

January 11, 2013 – CMU welcomed guest artists Carol Ann Weaver, composer and pianist, from Conrad Grebel College, University in Waterloo, Ontario, and Rebecca Campbell, singer and songwriter, to present their unique recital, titled, “Paraguay Primeval.” The recital took place on January 11, 2013 in CMU’s Laudamus Auditorium before an appreciative audience.

“Paraguay Primeval” by Carol Ann Weaver is a musical work featuring stories of Mennonites who fled to Paraguay from Russian and Canada in the 1920s and beyond.

“The January 2013 Manitoba tour takes this music to some of the very people who were born in Paraguay but have moved back to Canada,” says Dean of CMU’s School of Music, Dr. Janet Brenneman. The hope is that the stories will be thus celebrated.

Recently released on CD, “Paraguay Primeval” helps to tell the extraordinary story of Mennonites finding new “Promised Land” by moving to Paraguay from Canada in order to retain their own schools, and from Russia to flee the Bolshevik Revolution and the Stalinist regime. Once in Paraguay, theseMennonites settled in the “green hell” of the Chaco, suffering typhoid and other illnesses, but ever building colonies, growing crops, and maintaining livestock, while creating schools, churches, hospitals, and industries that lured back many indigenous peoples.

Weaver says about the work: “My brief visit to the Chaco, in July, 2009, following the Mennonite World Conference in Asuncion, Paraguay, was a moving experience. What stole my heart, while travelling to these colonies, was a sense of incredible dedication to this new land as voiced by these Mennonites in their strong singing. I was particularly struck by a statue of a woman behind a plow, representing women who had lost their husbands during Stalin years in Russia.”

Weaver notes that texts are derived from Rudy Wiebe’s Blue Mountains of China (with its vivid and poetically written Paraguayan sections), Dora Dueck’s Under The Still Standing Sun, and Henry and Esther Regehr’s translated Schoenbrunn Chronicles, compiled by Agnes Balzer and Lieselotte Dueck and written by Paraguayan Mennonite settlers. “Basic journal entries (in Schoenbrunn Chronicles) yield starkly perfect lyrics,” says Weaver, “especially those recounting deaths in the Harms family, or adventures of Uncle Hans in the well.”

Carol Ann Weaver is an eclectic composer, pianist, writer, and music professor atConrad Grebel University College, University of Waterloo. Her music has been heard throughout North America, in Europe, Africa, Korea and Paraguay.  She has produced seven CDs and tours extensively with vocalist Rebecca Campbell, often doing African or Mennonite-themed music. She previously taught at WLU, at [then] Mennonite Brethren Bible College (a founding college of CMU) in Winnipeg, and at EMU in Virginia.

Acclaimed singer and songwriter Rebecca Campbell is one of the most evocative, exquisite vocalists in Canada. Singing professionally since 1986, she has toured extensively with Justin Haynes, Jane Siberry, Fat Man Waving, Three Sheets to the Wind, Lynn Miles, Ian Tamblyn, and Carol Ann Weaver. She has performed across Canada, the United States, England, Ireland, Spain, and Trinidad-Tobago. Her CDs receive high critical acclaim.

For a description of the project and performers, recital schedules, and information on purchasing CDS, visit

http://arts.uwaterloo.ca/~caweaver/concert.html

 

 

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CMU Students Thank Portage Mennonite Church

IMG_5240 Portage la Prairie donors 112KB webDecember 13, 2012 – Portage Mennonite Church in Portage la Prairie may have had a small congregation, yet the vision of its members in leaving a legacy for the next generation is both generous and far-sighted. As a gift to CMU, Portage Mennonite Church, which closed on July 1, 2012, has created an endowed fund  that will generate two annual scholarships of $2,500 each to support the studies of future CMU students.

This special announcement was made by CMU Church Relations Director Abram Bergen as the Canadian Mennonite University community gathered to acknowledge appreciation to donors on November 26, 2012 at its annual Tuition Freedom Day celebration. This special student-run event recognizes the assistance of donors and of the Government of Manitoba for their generous contributions in support of higher educationthroughout the year.

“Portage Mennonite Church nurtured a small and faithful community for over thirty-five years,” notes Church Relations Director Abram Bergen. Exceptionally active for its size, it sent members to work with MCC, Canadian Foodgrains Bank, and Mennonite Church Canada programs, says Bergen.

Bergen was pleased to introduce Portage Mennonite Church congregation members Gerald and Grace Loeppky, Alma Pankratz, Tony and Astrid Peters, and Margaret Thiessen, who attended the celebration as representatives from their church.

One of the two annual awards will be given to an international student or to a student who is involved with a first or second generation church in Canada, and who will be entering or continuing full-time studies in CMU’s Master of Arts (Theological Studies or Christian Ministry) program, with the intent of preparing for a church leadership role.

The other award to be made annually will be for a full-time student entering or continuing in the Music Therapy program at CMU.

Awarding of the scholarships will begin in September 2013, continuing annually.

“We are grateful that Portage Mennonite Church has established this significant endowment to fund scholarships for our students,” says CMU President Cheryl Pauls. “This is a wonderful legacy by a caring church that clearly understood the value of higher education in a Christian setting. Thank you, friends of CMU.  Your gifts are deeply appreciated.”

 

Photo: Portage Congregation members accompanied by students and faculty and staff at CMU during their November 2012 scholarship announcement. Back row, l to r: CMU students Sheralynn Neff, Angela Neufeld, Arlana Mueller, Andrew Brown, Dean of Music Dr. Janet Brenneman, Margaret Thiessen. Front row, l to r: CMU Graduate School of Theology and Ministry Director Dr. Karl Koop, Astrid Peters, Tony Peters, Gerald Loeppky, Grace Loeppky, Alma Pankratz, and Church Relations Director Dr. Abram Bergen. 

 

 

 

 

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Conversations on Food, Faith, Eating, and the City

December 5, 2012 – On World Food Day 2012, Canadian Mennonite University (CMU) was excited to co-host the second event in the Germinating Conversations series on Food, Faith, Eating, and the City. The series is a partnership between CMU, the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) Manitoba Peace Program, and A Rocha Prairie Canada.

The October 16 event presented perspectives from five different urban dwellers, reflecting on their faith and how that impacts their food choices. They all answered the question: As an eater, what do you wish food growers understood about how you buy and eat food?

“We wanted to include diverse perspectives – from people who subscribe to the 100 Mile Diet to people who are fast food regulars,” said Kenton Lobe. “The idea was to bring these people together with food growers and other consumers and to create an environment for listening and learning.”

Deanna Zantingh, a CMU student, was one of the presenters. “As a rural farm girl turned urban eater, I have come to appreciate both sides of this complex conversation. My presentation was based on my ‘Alice in Wonderland’ experience of existing in two very different worlds that don’t always understand each other. Going in, my hope was to function as a bridge builder and lay a foundation for truthful engagement that incorporated all stakeholders – eaters and growers – without backing away from tough issues. I walked away very encouraged.”

Another presenter, DeLayne Toews, works at CMU Farms and Winnipeg Harvest. He shared his journey to incorporate the principles of Micah 6:8 – “…to do justice and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God” – in all areas of his life, including how he eats. “I’ve come to see that the food I eat is a way that I can live these passages out,” he explained. “For me, food has become one of those places where I can grasp how faith interacts concretely in my everyday life. I try to beenvironmentally and socially responsible in my choices, buying locally and directly whenever possible, and looking for products that are organic and fair trade. That said, there is so much to learn from nearly every place on the spectrum. God is at work at many places in the food system.”

“It was so encouraging to see the dialogue that came out of this event,” Lobe continued. “After the presentations were over, I watched as one of the Province’s largest conventional farmers and an organic 100-mile eater got into a really friendly conversation. It was wonderful to see.”

The event’s organizing partners are working to make the presentations available online and are considering future events. Visit www.mccmanitoba.ca for details.

A Christian university in the Anabaptist tradition, CMU offers undergraduate degrees in arts, business, humanities, music, sciences, and social sciences, as well as two graduate degree programs. CMU has over 1,600 students, including Menno Simons College and Outtatown students, and is a member of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC).

Article written by Lindsay Wright for CMU.

 

 

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CMU Installs New President Cheryl Pauls

December 4, 2012 – Canadian Mennonite University began a new era of leadership on November 25, 2012 at a Service of Installation for President Dr. Cheryl Pauls.  The Installation, held at River East Mennonite Brethren Church in Winnipeg, drew guests from local and national academic and church communities.

In his welcome, Dr. Paul Dyck, CMU faculty member who served as Worship Leader, framed the Installation as a gathering of a “University, in the presence of the church and the broader community, formalizing our call to one of our own to serve as President.”

Present on this occasion to bring greetings were Mennonite Brethren Church Manitoba Executive Director Elton DeSilva, and Mennonite Church Canada Executive Director Willard Metzger. Also among the guests greeting the new President were Canada’s Regional Minister for Manitoba, Hon. Vic Toews, Minister of Public Safefy; Hon. Erin Selby, Minister of Advanced Education & Literacy, Province of Manitoba; Dr. David Barnard, Chair, Committee of Presidents of Universities in Manitoba, and President & Vice-Chancellor, University of Manitoba; and Dr. Lloyd Axworthy, President & Vice-Chancellor, The University of Winnipeg.

During the Service, Dr. Pauls received a Charge from CMU Board of Governors Chair Marlene Janzen. “Canadian Mennonite University is at one of those irregular but reoccurring milestones that signal institutional progress and renewal,” said Janzen. “Behind lies a lengthy and honoured tradition of effective Christian education; ahead, significant opportunities and the challenge to create environments within and through partners outside the University in which the highest calling, thinking, action, and aspiration is supported and expected, to prepare our graduates for service in the church and society. We are grateful that Dr. Pauls has accepted this call and the responsibilities it entails.”

Reverend John Klassen, Pastor of Emmanuel Mennonite Church in Winkler, Manitoba, delivered the Homily, expressing his conviction that “the church embrace the invitation to be vital partners in the joyous mission of helping young adults see life through specific sets of lenses… I encourage all of us,” said Klassen, “to be sources of inspiration and encouragement as we support Cheryl’s work and as we run alongside her in the faith journey, and in shaping this incredible institution of learning and discipleship.”

In her response, Pauls invited those gathered to see the words, sounds, and symbols of the Installation as gifts, “and I receive them with honour on behalf of Canadian Mennonite University. At the same time, I invite you to share in the joy, the beckoning, and the challenge that rest in these gifts, for you are the cloud of witnesses that surrounds all that has been entrusted to this University.”

During a Community Blessing student, faculty, staff, alumni, Board, and constituency representatives symbolically placed scarves of support and blessing about the President’s shoulders.

Choral music and congregational singing were interwoven throughout and contributed richly to this important occasion.

Together Elton DeSilva and Willard Metzger, representing CMU’s church ownership bodies, shared in blessing Pauls. Speaking for the Mennonite Brethren church family, De Silva said, “CMU, as a university of the church, has an important place in shaping the leaders of tomorrow. We encourage you to keep your trust in God as your lead this University into the future. You stand supported by the prayers and encouragement of the faith community.”

“As Mennonite Church Canada, we renew our pledge to pray for Canadian Mennonite University, and to offer our ongoing support,” stated Mennonite Church Canada’s Willard Metzger. “It is in our efforts together that we experience the continued direction and renewal of the Holy Spirit. May our relationship always be aligned to the activity of God in our midst, that our present endeavours will continue to develop a future that will serve our church and society for the glory of God.”

Mary Anne Isaak, Pastor of River East Mennonite Brethren Church, offered the Closing Prayer.

Dr. Pauls and her husband Bryan Harder were accompanied on this occasion by their two boys, Nicholas and William, and by their parents and many close family members and friends.

CMU expressed appreciation to River East Mennonite Brethren Church for embracing the new role of their fellow-member, Dr. Cheryl Pauls, as Canadian Mennonite University’s President, and for graciously hosting the November 25, 2012 Service of Installation.

A Christian university in the Anabaptist tradition, CMU offers undergraduate degrees in arts, business, humanities, music, sciences, and social sciences, as well as two graduate degree programs. CMU has over 1,600 students, including Menno Simons College and Outtatown students, and is a member of the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC). 

Biography of Dr. Cheryl Pauls, PhD, President of Canadian Mennonite University

Dr. Cheryl Pauls became President of Canadian Mennonite University on November 1, 2012. Her Service of Installation as President was held November 25, 2012 at River East Mennonite Brethren Church in Winnipeg.

Cheryl Pauls began teaching at CMU’s predecessor colleges in 1994, and came to the position of CMU President from that of Associate Professor of Piano and Music Theory. For the past twenty years, Pauls has thrived on exploring a diverse range of things musical together with highly engaged students in both the classroom and the piano studio. As a faculty member, Pauls also played a significant role in the University’s administrative activities; from 2000-2007 as Music Department Chair, and from 2008-2012 as Campus Chair of CMU’s Shaftesbury Campus.

Alongside teaching, Pauls has enjoyed a career as a piano soloist, collaborating musician, and lecture recitalist. She performs a diverse spectrum of music and has made a few forays into harpsichord playing; however, she’s known best as a player and active apologist of new music. Pauls has been active in Winnipeg’s new music scene, curating concerts and performing regularly for GroundSwell and the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra’s New Music Festival; she also has been heard regularly on CBC radio broadcasts and in concert at universities, academic conferences, and concert series across the country. She credits Luciano Berio, György Ligeti, Elliott Carter, and many local composers for shaping her love of pieces for which there isn’t already a template of how the music goes. Pauls’ most recent project is a recording of Carter’s recent piano music. She considers this collection to be the most delightful set she’s ever encountered; Carter happened to pen these short pieces between the ages of 85 and 100.

Many of Pauls’ research projects seek to interface studies in music theory and performance with those in memory, physiology, liturgy, and cultural expression. Her recent publications include essays that engage the agency of musical metaphors within theological and socio-cultural studies. At the same time, she endeavours to explore what we think we’re doing with musical practices. Pauls also enjoys creating multi-media liturgical and concert projects in collaboration with her husband, Bryan Harder (and occasionally also their sons, Nicholas and William).

Pauls holds a doctorate in piano performance from the University of British Columbia where she studied piano with Jane Coop, Douglas Finch, and Robert Silverman, and music theory with John Roeder. Prior to that, she completed an M.Mus. degree at UBC, a B.Mus. at University of Manitoba, a BA from The University of Winnipeg, and a Bachelor of Religious Studies from one of CMU’s processor colleges, Mennonite Brethren Bible College.

Cheryl Pauls grew up in St. Catharines, Ontario, and came to Manitoba in 1983. Along with her husband and children, she is part of the River East Mennonite Brethren Church in Winnipeg, where she participates in worship leading and music and recently completed a four-year term as church moderator.

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CMU Co-hosts Germinating Conversations Series

October 15, 2012  – On October 15, 2012, the second event in the Germinating Conversations series on Food, Faith, Eating and the City will be hosted in Winnipeg by a partnership of Canadian Mennonite University, the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) Manitoba Peace Program, and A Rocha Prairie Canada.

The conversations invite growers and eaters to the table to listen to one another, and are intended to help bridge divides among people of faith. The desire is to promote an understanding of how land stewardship and food ethics are understood in both urban and rural contexts. Following the first converstation in Winkler in spring, this event will focus on perspectives of urban eaters and attempt to address challenging food issues such as satisfying food desires, contradictions seen in consumer practices, and how Christian faith impacts the selection and preparation of food.

“As farmers’ markets expand and the interest in “eating local” surges, there remains a tension between those who grow food and those who eat it,” says CMU Instructor Kenton Lobe, one of the event organizers. “Germinating Conversations explores what it means for people of faith to eat. How does one’s understanding of food as a gift from God impact daily decisions in the supermarket and in our kitchens?”

The public is invited to hear what five urban dwellers from different walks of life have to say about their food choices. Free to the public, the event will be held in the CMU Great Hall at 7:00 p.m., 500 Shaftesbury Blvd., Winnipeg.

A previous Germinating Conversations event, held in Winkler, MB on March 21, explored the perspectives of rural food growers.

For event information, contact Kenton Lobe at kalobe@cmu.ca