Tag: Opening Program

“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

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 CMU Press, Fall Festival, Gerald Gerbrandt, Opening Program

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

Events News Releases

CMU Community Celebrates at Fall Festival 2015

Post author By CMU
Post date September 30, 2015

Reunions, Concerts, Alumni Awards, and Donor Recognition Highlights of Annual Event

Although it’s only been five months since she graduated from Canadian Mennonite University, Amber Neufeld was eager to return to campus for Fall Festival.

Neufeld performed at the festival’s MPK folk concert, shopped at the farmers market, and attended the opening program. She hopes to attend more CMU events in the future because of the impact the university has had on her life.

“Not only did CMU teach me valuable things that are the foundation for my faith and education, it gave me some amazing people that I’m honoured to be friends,” Neufeld said.

More than 500 people gathered at CMU for Fall Festival this past weekend (Sept. 25-26).

President Cheryl Pauls addresses those gather for the Opening Program — CMU President Cheryl Pauls addresses those gathered for the Fall Festival 2015’s opening program

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 with the CMU community.

In addition to the folk music festival and farmers market, the weekend included class reunions, community meals, a Manitoba Cycling Association-sanctioned bicycle race, MCAC basketball games, and a tour of Marpeck Commons, the new building on campus that houses a library, a bookstore/resource centre, learning commons, and a café.

The weekend kicked off on Friday, Sept. 25 with a Face2Face community discussion exploring oil dependency.

After a full day of activity on a warm and windy Saturday (Sept. 26), Fall Festival wrapped up with CMU’s annual opening program, a time of worship to celebrate the start of a new school year.

For the first time ever, the opening program was held in Marpeck Commons, which opened at the end of November 2014.

Delivering a message based on CMU’s chapel theme for 2015-16, Behold the Beauty of the Lord (Psalm 27:4), CMU President Cheryl Pauls spoke of the ways in which beauty and inquiry work together.

Meditating on the popular phrase, “Leave it better than you found it,” Pauls talked about how that mentality has captured people’s imaginations as they work amidst the complex, strained matters of today, such as economic disparity, climate change, food security, human sexuality, and reconciliation with First Nation, Métis, and Inuit peoples.

“I’ve little doubt that the call ‘Better than we found it’ nurtures our commitments to these and many more hurting peoples and places,” Pauls said.

“I’ve also little doubt that the mission entrusted to this university requires action and reflection—action and reflection that’s animated by bending towards beauty. That is, through postures of prayer in the courage and humility of inquiry and awe, ever seeking of God clear, compelling ways forward with matters and relationships that confound and trouble us. And also, perhaps more importantly, by ever releasing and offering to God the very best of our persuasions and of all we think we now grasp.”

The opening program included the presentation of the 2015 Distinguished Alumni Awards, which annually recognize 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 Larry Plenert, an Olympian-turned-lawyer who has worked for the past eight years as an adjudicator of claims of serious abuse by former students of Indian Residential Schools; Cheryl Woelk, an educator and peace worker; Gerry Dyck, a businessman who has made significant contributions in the field of international development; and Arno and Lena Fast, a couple who have spent the past 46 years ministering at a church in Winnipeg’s North End.

DonorArt — Winnipeg artists Richard Finney (right) and Ray Dirks (left) with their art piece, which acknowledges those who donated to the construction of Marpeck Commons

Later in the program, Pauls noted that $12 million of the $14.4 million needed to pay for Marpeck Commons has been raised so far.

She unveiled a donor recognition wall, which features an art piece commemorating people who contribute money to the project.

Created by Winnipeg artists Richard Finney and Ray Dirks, the piece is made up of brushed metal and glass.

The glass features an etching of a tree made up of phrases from CMU’s mission statement.

The lower portions of the piece feature a laser cutting of the names of donors who contributed to the project, with room to add the names of future donors.

“It’s a field of names,” Pauls explained. “Each individual is a kernel, a kernel that matters and is vital to the actual, ongoing life of this place. As a collective, this field of names draws out the best of what is made possible through the learning, the conversation, the sharing together in this place.”

Vice President External Terry Schellenberg noted that Fall Festival is an important community builder for CMU.

“Once again, Fall Festival opened CMU to alumni, friends, and the broader community,” Schellenberg said.

“We were moved by a significant Face2Face conversation; inspired by stories of ministry, restorative justice, business, and peacemaking from five alumni award recipients; gratified by the generosity of CMU’s support community as we unveiled a beautiful donor wall in Marpeck Commons; and celebrated and blessed the start of a new academic year.”

For information about CMU visit www.cmu.ca.

Tags Arno and Lena Fast, Blazer Awards, Cheryl Pauls, Cheryl Woelk, Distinguished Alumni, Distinguished Alumnus Award, Fall Festival, Gerry Dyck, Larry Plenert, Marpeck Commons, Opening Program

Events News Releases

CMU Community Celebrates at Fall Festival 2014

Post author By CMU
Post date October 1, 2014

Reunions, Concerts, and Discussion Highlight of Annual Community-Building Event

When Brent Durksen and his wife, Kari Enns Durksen, found out that their graduating class would reunite at Canadian Mennonite University’s Fall Festival, they made plans to attend.

Brent Durksen and Kari Enns Durksen flew in from Calgary to reconnect with their Class of 2004 peers and the rest of the CMU community at Fall Festival.

The couple travelled from their home in Calgary to participate in their 10-year Class of 2004 reunion and visit friends, professors, and staff from the CMU community.

“It was a good opportunity to indulge in some nostalgia, stay connected to CMU, see the work being done on the new library, and visit our friends,” Durksen said. “We still have a lot of good friends from CMU that we’re connected with.”

Brent and Kari were two of the more than 500 people who came to CMU this past weekend, Sept. 27-28, for Fall Festival.

Celebrated annually, Fall Festival features opportunities for students, alumni, friends, donors, and community members to connect, learn, play, and celebrate with the CMU community.

In addition to class reunions, the weekend included a bicycle race, folk music festival, a farmers market with more than 25 vendors, and CMU Blazers basketball games.

The weekend opened on Friday, Sept. 26 with a Face2Face community discussion exploring shifting cultural sentiments and the complexity of end-of-life issues, euthanasia, and physician-assisted suicide.

Titled, “A Time to Die: Cultural and Faith Perspectives in the Face of Death,” the event featured Justin Neufeld, Lecturer in Philosophy at CMU; Dr. Cornelius Woelk, Medical Director of Palliative Care at Southern Health-Santé Sud, and the Honourable Steven Fletcher, Progressive Conservative Member of Parliament for Charleswood-St. James-Assiniboia.

Activities on Saturday, Sept. 27 culminated in CMU’s annual opening program, a time of worship to celebrate the start of a new school year.

Dr. Gordon Zerbe, who was appointed Vice President Academic this past June, delivered a message, titled “Citizenship and CMU.

President Academic Gordon Zerbe delivered the message at CMU’s opening program on Sept. 27, which capped off an exciting weekend of events at the university.

Drawing from Jeremiah, Matthew and Philippians, Zerbe spoke of the ways being a Christian is itself a kind of citizenship, and how the mission of Christian citizenship—and of CMU—is multidimensional.

“Christian citizenship practice… is about being on the move, along the ‘way,’ never quite knowing what is one’s true and only home, just as Jesus had nowhere to lay his head,” Zerbe said.

“Similarly, the practice of CMU as a Christian university in its multiple dimensions and multiple subjectives, will always be on the move—crossing boundaries, and not building walls. Resisting barriers, it will instead be building bridges.”

The opening program also included the presentation of the 2014 Blazer Distinguished Alumni Awards, which annually recognize alumni who, through their lives, embody CMU’s values and mission of service, leadership, and reconciliation in church and society.

Kathy Bergen (from left), Lorlie Barkman, John Neufeld, and Odette Mukole received the 2014 Blazer Distinguished Alumni Awards, which annually recognize alumni who, through their lives, embody CMU’s values and mission of service, leadership, and reconciliation in church and society.

President Cheryl Pauls presented the awards to Kathy Bergen, who has spent more than 30 years working for justice in Israel-Palestine; Lorlie Barkman, a pastor-turned-TV producer; John Neufeld, the executive director of an organization that serves low-income people in need or support; and Odette Mukole, a Congolese immigrant who helps newcomers to Canada adjust to life in a new country.

During a short speech, Abram Bergen, Director of Church and Alumni Relations, noted how far CMU has come in the 14 years since becoming a university. A residence has been built, a new science lab has been completed, and the new library, learning commons, and bridge will open on November 29.

Meanwhile, 1,000 students have graduated from CMU and 1,200 have completed its Outtatown Discipleship School.

“These graduates are impacting their workplaces, their communities, and their families,” Bergen said.

For Paul Dueck, a graduate of Canadian Mennonite Bible College, one of CMU’s predecessor institutions, the chance to reconnect with faculty is what drew him to Fall Festival. An avid musician, Dueck was impressed by the music performed at opening program.

CMU’s Class of 2004 reunited for its 10-year reunion at Fall Festival on Sept. 27.

“To hear the choir sing with this quality this early in the year is incredible,” Dueck said.

Daniel Friesen, a fourth-year Music student who participated in the MennoCross bike race and sung in the choir, was happy he attended Fall Festival.

“It’s cool to see the wider community of CMU supporters that you don’t necessarily think of when you’re a student,” Friesen said. “It’s cool to think you’re part of a larger group than just the student body.”

Vice President External Terry Schellenberg said Fall Festival is a marquee event on CMU’s calendar because it is a great community builder.

“Once again we brought together cyclocross racers—old and young—hundreds of community members for our Farmers Market, and a packed house for an important Face2Face community conversation,” Schellenberg said.

“We celebrated the impact of four of our alumni who have made an incredible difference in church and society, and we opened another school year with great energy. It was a wonderful weekend of fun and celebration.”

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, and graduate degrees in Theology and Ministry. CMU has over 1,600 students, including those enrolled in degree programs at the Shaftesbury Campus and in its Menno Simons College and Outtatown programs.

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 Alumni Reunions, Blazer Awards, Cornelius Woelk, Face2Face, Fall Festival, Farmers Market, Justin Neufeld, MennoCross, Opening Program, Steven Fletcher

Events General News News Releases

CMU Celebrates Start of School Year with Fall Festival and Opening Program

Post author By CMU
Post date September 30, 2013

Themes of bridges, building, and relying on Jesus Christ were explored as Canadian Mennonite University faculty, staff, students, alumni, and supporters gathered to mark the beginning of the 2013 school year.

“Walls, Bridges, and Living Stones” was the title of CMU’s opening program, a time of worship held on Saturday, Sept. 28 as part of the university’s Fall Festival.

In a meditation he gave during the program, Andrew Dyck, Assistant Professor of Ministry Studies, drew from 1 Peter 2:4-5, suggesting that each person in the room—students, donors, friends, and employees—were living stones.

At the centre of CMU’s mission statement is Jesus Christ, whose life, teachings, death, and resurrection moves and transforms the community, Dyck added.

“When we build on this living cornerstone—both wonderful and inscrutable—we will eventually discover that God is using our various efforts at building walls and bridges to accomplish something greater than anything we could ask or imagine: a house of healing, a house for all peoples, a house for God’s Spirit!”

Earlier in the program, during his CMU update, Vice President External Terry Schellenberg noted that the university’s enrolment is up two per cent from last year, with 629 students at the Shaftesbury campus. This includes students from 12 countries, including Chile, Cina, Congo, Germany, India, Kenya, Nigeria, Paraguay, South Korea, Taiwan, Ukraine, and Zimbabwe.

Schellenberg added that construction has started on CMU’s new Library, Learning Commons, and Bridge. $10.2 million of a total $14 million has been given and committed, and people are invited to contribute in a variety of ways.

“If it takes a village to raise a child, it certainly takes a generous and visionary community of supporters and alumni to move CMU forward for a new generation,” Schellenberg said. “Thank you for your support of this project and your interest in a vital university mission, of the church, in and for the world.”

The opening program was the culmination of Fall Festival, CMU’s annual homecoming weekend.

Fall Festival started on Friday, Sept. 27 with the presentation of the 2013 Blazer Distinguished Alumni Awards, which celebrate alumni who, through their lives, embody CMU’s values and mission of service, leadership, and reconciliation and society. CMU President Cheryl Pauls presented the awards to John Siebert, Leonard Doell, Robin & Zachary Heppner Entz, and Carol Penner.

Pauls also presented the Blazer Distinguished Community Service Award to Selma Loewen, Sara Stoesz, Susan Giesbrecht, and Linie Friesen, the four women who started the first Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) Thrift Shop.

The evening concluded with, “Oh My God! – Making Sense of Everyday Talk,” a presentation by CMU professors David Balzer and Gordon Matties on the use of the phrase “Oh my God” in today’s culture.

Earlier in the evening, CMU’s women’s and men’s basketball teams won their pre-season games, 62-45 and 101-85, respectively

Fall Festival continued on Saturday, Sept. 28 with a variety of different activities, including a farmer’s market that included more than 10 vendors from the community, as well as a pie bakeoff.

A bicycle race, folk music festival, learning samplers—where faculty and staff shared an aspect of their teaching and work—were also part of Fall Festival, as well as a community supper and class reunions.

Reflecting during opening program on her time at Canadian Mennonite Bible College (CMBC), one of CMU’s predecessor colleges, alumna Sherry Sawatzky-Dyck said that CMBC taught her that the love of God and the peace of Christ are the cornerstones of her faith and work.

“What I learned here, and who I learned it from, became my foundation,” she said. “Like those pillars that will support our new bridge over Grant Avenue, my foundation became strengthened.”

CMU President Cheryl Pauls talks about the university’s future during a learning sampler at Fall Festival 2013. Enrolment at the university is up for 2013-14, and construction began this past July on a new Library, Learning Commons, and Bridge.

During CMU’s opening program on Sept. 28, Vice President External Terry Schellenberg gave an update on the university and thanked the constituency for its support. “If it takes a village to raise a child, it certainly takes a generous and visionary community of supporters and alumni to move CMU forward for a new generation,” he said.

Seven alumni from the 1953 classes of two of CMU’s predecessor colleges, Canadian Mennonite Bible College and Mennonite Brethren Bible College, gathered for their 60-year reunion during Fall Festival.

Tags Blazer Awards, Fall Festival, Opening Program