Category: General News

CMU to celebrate publication of Philippians with book launch event

Post author By CMU
Post date November 17, 2016

Commentary by Gordon Zerbe emphasizes citizenship, partnership, and joy

Canadian Mennonite University invites the public to a book launch celebrating the release of Philippians, a new Bible commentary by New Testament scholar Dr. Gordon Zerbe.

The event takes place Thursday, November 24 at 7:00 PM in Marpeck Commons (2299 Grant Ave.). In addition to hearing from Zerbe, who will lead attendees on a “virtual tour through Paul’s Philippi,” people will have the one-time opportunity to purchase copies of the book at a 30 per cent discount at CommonWord Bookstore and Resource Centre.

Admission to the book launch is free, and all are welcome to attend.

Published by Herald Press, Philippians is the 31^st volume in the Believers Church Bible Commentary series.

In the commentary, Zerbe challenges readers to allow Paul’s prison letter to interpret their own lives—not by extracting lessons out of historical and cultural context, but by imagining themselves in the ancient Roman world.

“Paul’s wisdom in the letter can mirror back to us some of our own circumstances and questions,” says Zerbe, who is Vice President Academic at CMU. “Once we live into the world of that text, we can look back at ourselves in a new way.”

He adds that to understand Paul and his beloved and beleaguered congregation in Philippi, we must learn to see him as a leader transformed by grace and passionate about enlivening patriotic loyalty to Jesus alone.

In the commentary, Zerbe emphasizes four main themes: citizenship, partnership, high-low inversion, and joy.

“What it means to fully realize the vision of partnership and mutuality that Paul articulated, and what it means to faithfully practice the way of being in solidarity with the lowly, are imperatives as relevant today as they were two thousand years ago,” Zerbe says.

He adds that he accepted the invitation to write the commentary because he has been absorbed in work on Paul and his letters ever since the days of his doctoral studies at Princeton Theological Seminary.

“This was a great opportunity to deepen my understanding of one letter,” Zerbe says. “In addition, I was already convinced that some new thinking about Paul and Philippians could make for an exciting new venture in a commentary.”

The Believers Church Bible Commentary series is designed to be accessible to lay readers, useful in preaching and pastoral care, helpful for Bible study groups and Sunday school teachers, and academically sound. The series also carries an underlying Anabaptist reading of Scripture.

The volumes are a cooperative project of Brethren in Christ Church, Brethren Church, Church of the Brethren, Mennonite Brethren Church, Mennonite Church Canada, and Mennonite Church USA.

In addition to a PhD from Princeton, Zerbe holds degrees from Western Washington University, Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary, Tabor College, and Columbia Bible College. He is the author of Citizenship: Paul on Peace and Politics.

After growing up in Japan as a child of mission workers, a highlight in his career was a series of years (1996–98, 2002–04) in the Philippines as visiting professor at the Silliman University Divinity School under the auspices of Mennonite Central Committee.

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 Believers Church Bible Commentary, Book Launch, Gordon Zerbe, Philippians

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Mary Reimer visits CMU as Pastor-in-Residence

Post author By CMU
Post date October 18, 2016

Teacher, pastor, and spiritual director hopes students will ‘courageously look at their lives’

Canadian Mennonite University is pleased to welcome Mary Reimer as Pastor-in-Residence later this month.

Reimer, a spiritual director and the former co-pastor at FaithWorks, a Mennonite Brethren congregation in Winnipeg, will be on campus Monday, October 31 to Friday, November 4.

Reimer hopes to inspire people to “courageously look at their lives.”

“(I want to inspire them) to stop and learn some of the strategies for living an examined life in the light of Christ, because I really believe that that is the key to spiritual formation, that is the key to community life and the church,” Reimer says. “It all begins with that right relationship with Christ and then overflows into all the other attachments in our lives.

Mary Reimer will be CMU’s Pastor-in-Residence from October 31 to November 4.

“If I can inspire anyone to begin that journey or to continue it if they’re already on it, then it will be worth it.”

Now in its seventh year, CMU’s Pastor-in-Residence program is designed to encourage pastors to live in residence and participate in the life of the CMU community.

The Pastor-in-Residence provides spiritual care in various ways, including speaking in chapel sessions, visiting classrooms, participating in lunch-hour discussions for students interested in vocational ministry, and informal conversations throughout the week.

“Mary has a true love for people and an incredible ability to sit and be fully present when she meets with you,” says Danielle Morton, Spiritual Life Facilitator at CMU. “She will bring a different voice and a different feel… My big hope is that students will sit with her and sink into that.”

Reimer has a Bachelor of Education degree from the University of Manitoba and was a teacher for 20 years. A call to church ministry came in the form of an internship, which led to an Associate Pastor position at Fort Garry Mennonite Brethren Church for six years.

In 2002, Reimer and a colleague planted FaithWorks. While pastoring at FaithWorks, she pursued a Master’s degree in Spiritual Formation and Leadership from Spring Arbor University in Michigan, where she studied under renowned scholars Richard Foster and Dallas Willard. She graduated in 2009.

Through this experience, Reimer was drawn to the practice of spiritual direction and has been practicing ever since. She has been a director in spiritual exercises of St. Ignatius and draws on the wisdom of both Ignatian and Benedictine teaching in her practice of direction.

Additionally, Reimer and her daughter, Heidi Reimer-Epp, co-founded Botanical Paperworks in 1996. The company creates eco-friendly plantable stationery, invitations, favours and promotional products embedded with wildflower seeds that bloom into flowers when planted. The company’s clients include National Geographic, Starbucks, and Toyota.

Reimer and her husband, Gary, have three adult children and two granddaughters. In her spare time, Reimer enjoys painting with watercolours, and she is currently learning how to play the mandolin.

Reimer describes herself as “just an ordinary little old lady” who wasn’t sure what she could offer the CMU community when she was first asked to be Pastor-in-Residence.

Then she came across Psalm 131, which reads in part: “O Lord, I am not proud; I have no haughty looks. I do not occupy myself with great matters, or with things that are too hard for me. But I still my soul and make it quiet, like a child upon its mother’s breast; my soul is quieted within me.”

“That’s what I have learned something about—about how to be quiet in order to listen,” Reimer says. “What I can offer the CMU community is Christ’s invitation to come away, to learn to live an examined life in order to live in a right relationship to all things.”

About CMU

For information about CMU visit www.cmu.ca.

Tags Mary Reimer, pastor-in-residence

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Dr. Cheryl Pauls reappointed CMU President

Post author By CMU
Post date October 7, 2016

Canadian Mennonite University (CMU) is pleased to announce that it has reappointed President Dr. Cheryl Pauls to a second term.

“We are extremely excited and gratified that Cheryl has accepted the call to a second term,” says CMU Board of Governors Chair Gordon Daman. “We are also extremely thankful for the humble service and leadership she provides.”

Pauls says that she is excited to continue to serve in her role as President.

“What I love most about CMU is the character of faith, courage, and vulnerability with which students, faculty, staff and surrounding communities collectively seek trustworthy understandings,” Pauls says. “It is an honour and joy to nurture the avenues and relationships that sustain this vibrant university community.”

Pauls’ reappointment follows an extensive review of her first term that the Board conducted this past spring. The review included stakeholder feedback from faculty, staff, alumni, donors, sister institutions, Council and Board members, church leaders, and students.

“The gifts Cheryl has, and the commitment to service she exhibits each and every day, made the decision of a second call one that was not only easy to make, but one that was exciting for the Board,” Daman says.

Pauls’ second term, slated to last five years, will begin in the summer of 2017.

Pauls first began her work as President in November 2012. During her first term, Pauls oversaw the construction of Marpeck Commons, the university’s new Library, Learning Commons, and Pedestrian Bridge.

During Pauls’ administration, the university has introduced two new graduate studies programs: a Master of Arts in Peacebuilding and Collaborative Development, as well as a Collaborative Master of Business Administration program jointly offered by CMU, Eastern Mennonite University, Goshen College, and Bluffton University.

Since Pauls became President, CMU has also started offering a new undergraduate major in Environmental Studies.

In addition to these academic changes, Pauls has been a strong proponent of Indigenous education.

Also under her leadership, the university began hosting the Peguis First Nation post-secondary Indigenous transition program, a 10-month program that assists students in the transition from high school to post-secondary education, from the reserve to an urban setting.

Additionally, Pauls joined other post-secondary educational institutions in Manitoba last December in a commitment to advance Indigenous education and reconciliation by signing the Indigenous Education Blueprint.

Pauls succeeded President Dr. Gerald Gerbrandt, who served as President from 2003 until his retirement in June 2012, and Interim President Dr. Earl Davey, who served in this capacity from July to October 2012.

Pauls is a graduate of one of CMU’s predecessor colleges, Mennonite Brethren Bible College, and holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of British Columbia. Prior to becoming President, she served as Professor in Piano and Music Theory at CMU.

Pauls has made her home in Manitoba since 1983. She and her husband Bryan Harder have two sons, Nicholas and William. The family attends River East Mennonite Brethren Church.

About CMU

For information about CMU visit www.cmu.ca.

Tags Cheryl Pauls, CMU President Cheryl Pauls, CMU President Dr. Cheryl Pauls

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“Festschrift” honours CMU President Emeritus Gerald Gerbrandt

Post author By CMU
Post date September 29, 2016

CMU Press is pleased to announce the release of a Festschrift honouring Dr. Gerald Gerbrandt, who served as Canadian Mennonite University’s first sole President.

Titled A University of the Church for the World: Essays in Honour of Gerald Gerbrandt, the Festschrift—a German word for a collection of writing that is meant to honour a scholar—is a series of essays that reflect on what it means to be a Mennonite university.

“The essays are high quality. The writers were clearly engaged in a labour of love that called forth their best efforts in honouring this leader and friend,” said CMU Press editor Dr. Paul Doerksen. “All of the essays have something to do with what it might mean to be a Christian university. On that level, it’s an important contribution.”

The book, which takes its name from a phrase Gerbrandt coined to describe CMU, was co-edited by Dr. Paul Dyck, Professor of English, and Dr. Harry Huebner, Professor Emeritus of Philosophy and Theology.

Dyck and Huebner presented the book to Gerbrandt during CMU’s 2016-17 opening program on Saturday, September 24.

President Emeritus Gerald Gerbrant — President Emeritus Gerald Gerbrandt comments on *A University of the Church for the World: Essays in Honour of Gerald Gerbrandt, the Festschrift*—a gift from CMU faculty presented to Gerbrandt at CMU’s 2016 Opening Program

Huebner noted that as president, Gerbrandt shaped CMU’s vision and mission, gave leadership in molding its faculty, and created a climate of open, free exchange of ideas and respect for difference.

“The essays in this book are all written out of a deep appreciation for this culture of open discussion, of open debate, guided by a commitment to the Christian faith,” Huebner said. “In a small way, it is an example of what a university of the church for the world might look like.”

Dyck added that the aim of the book was to bring together the various disciplines and activities at CMU and give readers an in-depth look at the life of the university.

It features 17 essays, including contributions from CMU faculty who teach international development, biblical and theological studies, music, English literature, biology, and math.

The book also includes essays on academic freedom, co-curricular activities at CMU, and CMU’s practicum program.

Additionally, the book features essays by University of Manitoba President David Barnard, Bluffton University President James Harder, church leaders David Wiebe and Robert J. Suderman, and more.

“We recommend the book to you as an example of the intellectual life of this university, both in the insights of its chapters and in the joyful interaction of them between these covers,” Dyck said at opening program.

Gerbrandt expressed his deep thanks for the book, particularly to the authors who took time to contribute essays.

“I really do look forward to reading each one of your reflections and seeing what I can learn from them,” Gerbrandt said, adding later: “I do trust that… the various contributions in it serve to help CMU and perhaps other universities to become more effective to serve the world and the church.”

Born in Chihuahua, Mexico and raised in Altona, MB, Gerbrandt earned his Bachelor of Christian Education from Canadian Mennonite Brethren Bible College (CMBC), one of CMU’s predecessor institutions. He went on to earn a Master of Divinity degree from Mennonite Biblical Seminary in Elkhart, Indiana as well as a PhD in Old Testament from Union Theological Seminary in Richmond, Virginia.

After working for many years as a professor at CMBC, he was appointed the college’s Academic Dean, a position he held from 1982 to 1997. From 1997 to 2003, he served as President of CMBC, and from 2003 until his retirement in 2012, he served as President of CMU.

Gerbrandt and his wife, Esther, are active members at Bethel Mennonite Church, Winnipeg. They have three adult children, Nathan (Ang), Brad (Natalie), and Virginia (Andrew), and four grandchildren.

About CMU

For information about CMU visit www.cmu.ca.

Tags CMU Press, Fall Festival, Gerald Gerbrandt, Opening Program

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CMU celebrates start of school year with Fall Festival and opening program

Post author By CMU
Post date September 28, 2016

Distinguished Alumni Award recipients:

For Eric Wiebe, attending Canadian Mennonite University’s annual Fall Festival event this past weekend was like coming home.

Wiebe, a retired high school physics teacher who lives in Kamloops, BC, graduated from Canadian Mennonite Bible College, one of CMU’s predecessor institutions, in 1966. He wanted to be at Fall Festival because members from his graduating class were gathering for their 50-year reunion.

“I haven’t seen many of them in the interim, so it was interesting to see what they’ve done with their lives,” Wiebe said, adding that attending Fall Festival was a reminder of “how significant CMU is.”

Wiebe was one of more than 1,000 people who gathered at Fall Festival Sept. 23-24.

FallFest2016 Celebrated at the end of each September, Fall Festival features opportunities for students, alumni, friends, donors, and community members to connect, learn, play, and celebrate the CMU community.

In addition to class reunions, the weekend included community meals, a farmers market, a folk music festival, a bicycle race, a CMU basketball game, and a Face2Face community discussion featuring Reserve 107: Reconciliation on the Prairies, a 30-minute documentary by alumnus Brad Leitch that explores Indigenous-settler relations in the small town of Laird, SK.

Fall Festival concluded with CMU’s annual opening program, a time of worship to celebrate the start of a new school year.

CMU President Dr. Cheryl Pauls delivered a message based on CMU’s chapel theme for 2016-17, If We Walk in the Light (1 John 1:5-7).

“We seek to witness to the truth that God is light,” Pauls said. “My prayer is that the light of Christ will emanate through all who are touched by this learning community in some way—students, staff, faculty, board, council, alumni, friends, guests of all sorts, and many others.”

Distinguished Alumni Award recipients: — Distinguished Alumni Award recipients (l-r): Adrienne Wiebe, Peter Guenther, Ron Toews, and Brad Leith

The opening program included the presentation of the 2016 Distinguished Alumni Awards, which annually recognizes alumni who, through their lives, embody CMU’s values and mission of service, leadership, and reconciliation in church and society.

Pauls presented the awards to Peter Guenther, who served as the head of numerous correctional institutions during a 39-year career; Adrienne Wiebe, an international development worker; Ron Toews, a pastor and professor committed to leadership development in the Mennonite Brethren Church; and Brad Leitch, a filmmaker and peacebuilder.

At its best, CMU’s impact is evidenced in the life stories of alumni, said Vice President External Terry Schellenberg.

“While we would never claim full credit for who our alumni become or the good they contribute, we know that CMU does open imagination and passion and skill, and that this university lays foundations for faithfulness,” Schellenberg said.

Later in the program, Dr. Harry Huebner, Professor Emeritus of Philosophy and Theology, and Dr. Paul Dyck, Professor of English, presented a Festschrift honouring Dr. Gerald Gerbrandt, who served as CMU’s first sole President from 2003 to 2012.

President Emeritus Gerald Gerbrandt comments on *A University of the Church for the World: Essays in Honour of Gerald Gerbrandt, the Festschrift*—a gift from CMU faculty to honour Gerbrandt’s impact on CMU during his administration.

The book takes its name from a phrase Gerbrandt coined to describe CMU. Huebner noted that as president, Gerbrandt shaped CMU’s vision and mission, gave leadership in molding its faculty, and created a climate of open, free exchange of ideas and respect for difference.

Gerbrandt expressed his thanks for the book, particularly to the authors who took time to write essays for it.

Ultimately, opening program—and Fall Festival as a whole—was about gratitude; gratitude not only for the contribution of alumni and a former President, but gratitude for the community that supports CMU.

“CMU’s present and its future is nowhere if it’s not held within a network of friends and alumni, parents and grandparents, (and) congregations who undergird the possibilities of this university,” Schellenberg said.

About CMU

For information about CMU visit www.cmu.ca.

Tags Alumni Awards, Distinguished Alumni Awards, Face2Face, Fall Festival

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2016 Fall Enrolment Numbers Show Stability at CMU

Post author By CMU
Post date September 8, 2016

Preliminary fall enrolment at Canadian Mennonite University (CMU) shows stability of student registrations across all programs, with an overall Full Time Equivalent (FTE) of 829.

Fall registrations at the university’s Shaftesbury campus have increased over last year by 2%, with 630 students and a FTE of 601. Marginal growth reflects an increase in international student enrolment.

Registrations at CMU’s downtown site, Menno Simons College, also are stable with a FTE of 268.

About CMU

For information about CMU visit www.cmu.ca.

General News News Releases

CMU Recognizes Distinguished Alumni with 2016 Awards

Post author By CMU
Post date September 7, 2016

A former penitentiary warden, an international development worker, a pastor-academic committed to leadership development, and a 30-year-old who combines filmmaking with peacebuilding are the recipients of Canadian Mennonite University’s (CMU) 2016 Distinguished Alumni Awards.

CMU President Cheryl Pauls is pleased to present the awards to Peter Guenther, Adrienne Wiebe, Ron Toews, and Brad Leitch on Saturday, September 24.

The Distinguished Alumni Awards celebrate alumni who, through their lives, embody CMU’s values and mission of service, leadership, and reconciliation in church and society. The awards are presented to alumni from CMU and its predecessor colleges: Canadian Mennonite Bible College (CMBC) and Mennonite Brethren Bible College (MBBC)/Concord College.

“It is in the stories of the lives of alumni that the good of a university education is made true,” Pauls says. “CMU is honoured by the generosity of thoughtfulness with which this year’s Distinguished Alumni Award recipients are feeding church and society.”

Pauls will present the awards during CMU’s Opening Program at 7:00 PM on Saturday, September 24 in Marpeck Commons (2299 Grant Ave.) as part of CMU’s Fall Festival.

Prior to the Opening Program, the public is invited to meet and interact with Guenther, Wiebe, Toews, and Leitch during an event at 4:00 PM in CMU’s Laudamus Auditorium (500 Shaftesbury Blvd.). During this hour, each recipient will be introduced, and each will reflect on their personal and professional journeys. There will be time for questions and interaction.

Information about the award recipients:

Peter Guenther (CMBC ’69) worked for 39 years in corrections, serving as the head of numerous correctional institutions including director of the Saskatoon Correctional Centre, warden of the Saskatchewan Penitentiary, and executive director of the Regional Psychiatric Centre in Saskatoon. He is known as a compassionate, principled, and respected leader who worked to reduce harm, violence, and recidivism. Guenther’s volunteer work includes service on the board of Saskatoon Community Mediation and the advisory committee for Circles of Support and Accountability. He and his wife, Marilyn, live in Saskatoon and attend Nutana Park Mennonite Church. They have three adult sons.

Adrienne Wiebe (MBBC 1976-78) has spent the last 30 years working in international development. Her career includes earning a PhD in Anthropology from the University of Alberta, as well as working in Ecuador, Guatemala, and Mexico. Wiebe has also worked with a variety of organizations in Edmonton that help refugees and Indigenous communities. She currently works for Oxfam Canada, doing evaluation and learning related to the organization’s global programs and campaigns on ending violence against women and girls around the world. Wiebe and her husband, Arturo Avila, attend Lendrum Mennonite Brethren Church in Edmonton. They have two adult children.

Ron Toews (MBBC ’84) is the Director of Leadership Development for the Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches. His focus is serving pastors and churches by making tools available to leaders that are based upon their needs and ministry contexts. Toews holds a DMin from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, IL. From 1987 to 2002, he and his wife, Dianne, pastored two churches. Afterward, he became Assistant Professor of Leadership Studies at the MBBS-ACTS seminary in Langley, B.C. After a short stint as interim principal at ACTS, he transitioned to his current role. Toews and his wife live near Abbotsford, B.C. and attend The Life Centre. They have nine grandchildren.

Brad Leitch (nee Langendoen, CMU ’13) is an award-winning filmmaker and peacebuilder who approaches difficult topics with empathy, compassion, deep listening, and boundless energy. He is the executive producer and founder of Rebel Sky Media, a film and video production company in Winnipeg, MB. His directorial work has explored topics of peace and justice in Canada, Iraqi-Kurdistan, Israel, Palestine, and the United Kingdom. His work is currently featured in the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg, and in a permanent exhibit at the Pier 21 Museum of Immigration in Halifax, NS. Leitch and his wife, Adrienne, attend Hope Mennonite Church.

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 Adrienne Wiebe, Brad Leitch, Distinguished Alumni, Distinguished Alumni Awards, Fall Festival, Opening Program, Peter Guenther, Ron Toews

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CMU thanks philanthropic men’s group for advancing Christian education

Post author By CMU
Post date June 29, 2016

Christian Investors in Education makes final donation before disbanding

Canadian Mennonite University (CMU) is thankful for the generosity of a Winnipeg-based group of men known as the Christian Investors in Education (CIE) who contributed more than $80,000 to the university over the past 30 years.

CMU President Cheryl Pauls receives a cheque from Henry Neufeld, chair of the CIE

The group recently disbanded due to aging membership and a recognition that the group had run its course, but not before making a final donation that will amount to more than $115,000 over the next 20 years.

“Working with (CMU) on this level over many years has given us a great deal of satisfaction,” said Henry Neufeld, chair of the CIE. “(We) trust that the spinoffs of this support might continue to be a blessing for all involved.”

CMU President Dr. Cheryl Pauls praised the group’s generosity.

“People who invest in education demonstrate trust,” Pauls said. “They are not trying to control immediate outcomes, but invest in people and in the ongoing generation of faithful imaginations through time.”

CMU will use $8,000 from the donation annually for the next two decades to fund new and ongoing Indigenous initiatives, bursary support for international students, and practicum support for students doing an intensive, cross-cultural practicum, particularly students involved in practica in Indigenous communities.

The CIE started its operation 52 years ago with the goal of assisting various forms of education.

The Christian Investors in Education: (left to right) Henry Schulz, Gerald Neufeld, Henry Neufeld, Tim Dirks, John Wiebe, Alvin Wieler, Arthur Driedger

Projects included buying and operating a trading post in Pauingassi, a First Nation community located 280 km. northeast of Winnipeg, to assist Indigenous persons living there.

The CIE also purchased a property in Winnipeg’s North End for a Mennonite Central Committee outreach project.

After selling its properties, the CIE invested the proceeds.

Starting in 1984, earnings from the proceeds, plus additional donations by members, supported cross-cultural practica at CMU as well as bursaries for international students.

Some years, as many as 30 members were active in the group. By 2016, that number had dwindled to 10 and the CIE decided to cease operations.

“We have come to the decision to gracefully dissolve our organization,” said Neufeld, who joined the CIE in 1970. “To disperse the remaining funds, we have selected several appropriate projects to support… We would like to hand over to (CMU) the balance of our funds.”

In addition to being a philanthropic endeavour, the CIE served as a fellowship group for its members, who met monthly. Each of their meetings included scripture reading, prayer, and time for sharing personal concerns.

Group members also met twice each year with their spouses for a summer barbeque and a Christmas banquet.

“We developed a very meaningful relationship with each other,” said Alvin Wieler, who joined the CIE in the 1960s and was its longest standing member. “We all grew together.”

Arthur Driedger, a CIE member for 15 years, added that he enjoyed hearing reports from students who were supported by CIE Funds. Driedger is sad to see the group disband.

“Every report (the students) gave us was just so well done,” he said. “It was encouraging for us older people.”

Pauls said that she has been inspired and encouraged by the good that resulted from the CIE’s fellowship.

“I love the multi-dimensionality of what this group has been,” she said. “Through nurturing one another personally and spiritually, they have advanced Christian education collectively.”

About CMU

For information about CMU visit www.cmu.ca.

Tags Christian Investors in Education, CIE

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CMU announces 2016 High School Essay Contest winners

Post author By CMU
Post date June 15, 2016

CMU is pleased to announce the winners of its 2016 Essay Contest for High School Students. Congratulations to Nathan Dueck, Westgate Mennonite Collegiate; Luke Olfert, Mennonite Brethren Collegiate Institute; and Ben Shelton, Mennonite Brethren Collegiate Institute.

Students were asked to respond formally in a 950–1,100 word essay to one of three questions.

How can truth be served by fiction?
Can faith be best understood as a noun or a verb?
Is religious commitment a threat to diversity? If so, should Canadians think twice before opening our doors to refugees with strong religious commitments?

Dueck’s essay “How can truth be served by fiction?” placed first, earning him $300 in cash and $200 in tuition credit. Second and third place of $100 cash and $200 in tuition credit were awarded to Olfert for his essay “The duality of faith” and Shelton for his essay “Fiction’s role in truth.”

Associate Professor of English Paul Dyck, who organized the contest, says the essay contest questions are designed to have a broad appeal yet be specific enough to draw out particular responses.

“Essays are where students think their way through things,” says Dyck. “In an essay, students are discovering their thoughts on a topic and working through them in a focused way.”

This year CMU received the highest number of essay submissions in the contest’s history.

About CMU

For information about CMU visit www.cmu.ca.

Tags Ben Shelton, CMU Leadership Scholarship, Leadership, Luke Olfert, Nathan Dueck

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Graduates receive award from CMU president

Post author By CMU
Post date June 2, 2016

Kathleen Bergen and Jonas Cornelsen are the 2016 recipients of Canadian Mennonite University’s (CMU) President’s Medal Awards.

CMU President Cheryl Pauls presented the awards during CMU’s 2016 Graduation Exercises on April 24. Bergen and Cornelsen received the awards in recognition of their qualities of scholarship, leadership, and service.

“I feel very honoured,” Bergen says. “CMU has challenged me and expanded my thinking.”

Bergen, 21, and Cornelsen, 22, were chosen from a group of 84 graduates.

Bergen, who is from Edmonton, AB, graduated with a four-year Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Biblical and Theological Studies.

2016 President’s Medal winners Kathleen Bergen and Jonas Cornelsen with CMU President Cheryl Pauls

She immersed herself in university life by serving on CMU Student Council, singing in choirs, and performing with worship bands.

This past school year, Bergen was involved with Emerging Voices, a group formed by CMU students in an effort to respond to Mennonite Church Canada’s Future Directions Task Force.

Bergen is an active member of First Mennonite Church in Edmonton and has spent numerous summers working as a camp counsellor at Camp Valaqua, located one hour northwest of Calgary, AB.

Cornelsen grew up in Winnipeg and graduated with a four-year Bachelor of Arts, double majoring in Political Studies as well as Communications and Media.

Receiving the President’s Medal was the culmination of an impressive undergraduate career that began in Grade 12 when Cornelsen won a CMU Leadership Scholarship, worth $14,000 over four years.

During his time at CMU, Cornelsen worked as a residence assistant, sang in choirs, played bass in chapel services, served on student council, and provided colour commentary as an announcer for the university’s athletics department.

An active member of Hope Mennonite Church in downtown Winnipeg, Cornelsen also volunteered with the music program at West Broadway Youth Outreach, helped with the Manitoba Children’s Museum summer day camps, and worked as the Bible instructor at Camp Koinonia, one of three camps run by Mennonite Church Manitoba’s Camps with Meaning ministry.

Cornelsen was also chosen by his Class of 2016 classmates to be their valedictorian.

Cornelsen says it is the “threads of hospitality” and graciousness that ran through his time at CMU that stick out the most when he looks back on the last five years.

He recalls a powerful moment he experienced as a first-year student during a foot washing ceremony in a chapel service.

“My choir conductor washed my feet,” Cornelsen says. “I thought it was remarkable that someone with that much authority showed that hospitality and Christian service to (a) lowly first-year.”

For Bergen, highlights of studying at CMU included growing deeper in her faith and exploring her interests in ministry.

She points to touring through Alberta and Saskatchewan with the CMU Chamber Choir in spring 2015 as a highlight of her undergraduate experience. The tour stopped at churches where Bergen knows many people.

“It was really exciting to sing for those people who love me and know me and support me, and to share with them in that way a big part of what I’ve been doing at CMU,” Bergen says.

Now that graduating is over, Bergen has moved back to Edmonton. She will begin studying for her Master of Science in Occupational Therapy at the University of Alberta in September 2017.

“I’ve always been really interested in the way the human body works, particularly how it heals,” Bergen says. “Being an occupational therapist will allow me to build relationships with the people I work with and use my creativity to problem-solve.”

Cornelsen will spend the coming year living with his 97-year-old grandfather in Vancouver, BC, where he will serve as his grandfather’s caregiver.

“It’s another one of those things that makes perfect sense to me now, but if I hadn’t gone to CMU, I’m not sure if I’d be that interested in doing it,” Cornelsen says. “I’m really hoping I learn a lot and come away from it somehow changed.”

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Tags Grad 2016, Jonas Cornelsen, Kathleen Bergen, President's Medals