Author: CMU

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General News News Releases

Mennonite Heritage Centre Archives & Gallery to continue under new structure

Joint News Release by:
Mennonite Church Canada,
Canadian Mennonite University
Centre for Transnational Mennonite Studies

The Mennonite Heritage Centre including its Archive and Art Gallery programs, is being reorganized under a new partnership and name.

Discussions over the last months between Mennonite Church Canada (MC Canada), Canadian Mennonite University (CMU), and the Center for Transnational Mennonite Studies (CTMS) at the University of Winnipeg culminated in a proposal for CMU to assume full ownership of the Mennonite Heritage Centre building, and programming of the faith-based Art Gallery, while the archives will be managed and funded by a three-way partnership of MC Canada, CMU, and CTMS. CTMS is a partnership between the University of Winnipeg’s Chair in Mennonite Studies and the D.F. Plett Historical Research Foundation Inc.

Mennonite Heritage Centre, located on the CMU campus
Mennonite Heritage Centre, located on the CMU campus

Per the proposal, CMU will own and maintain the Mennonite Heritage Centre infrastructure with staff of both the Archives and Gallery integrated in CMU’s human resources complement.  Operational details within the partnership will be further clarified over the coming months. The proposal was accepted by MC Canada’s General Board at a January 13, 2017 meeting. The Mennonite Heritage Centre will be re-named to become “Mennonite Heritage Archives” (MHA) on June, 1, 2017, the anticipated transfer date to the new partnership.

To facilitate the transition to the new structure, MC Canada will be releasing the current Archives program’s staff. The full-time position of Director is being eliminated, while the archivist position is being expanded to full time as part of the new partnership. Further announcements for re-staffing the new MHA are pending. A committee representing the three partners will provide leadership to the MHA.

The partnership will seek to continue and to deepen the existing mandate of the Archives program, including present and future deposits to the collections of MC Canada and other Mennonite denominations. At the same time, it will expand the focus to include resources that document the transnational Anabaptist experience, including materials related to church communities in the global south, the Mennonite sojourn in Russia, and the Low German Mennonites of the Americas.

The Archives program has a distinguished record of service to the church community by storing and indexing congregational, area church, and national church records. These records, such as baptismal and church membership information, also constitute a primary source of data for church and family researchers and genealogists. The program also receives donations of records from education faculty, church leaders, and others.

The operations of the Art Gallery will be assumed entirely by CMU on June 1, 2017.

The Art Gallery is a bridge between Mennonites and other faith communities, featuring visual arts that share our own faith story within our community as well as bringing the faith stories of other religious groups to the Mennonite community. While the Gallery is based in Winnipeg, travelling exhibits have been featured in congregations, campuses, and events such as MC Canada Assemblies and Mennonite World Conference.

“CMU recognizes the significant value of both the Mennonite Heritage Centre’s Archives and Gallery as valuable resources for the Mennonite community,” says Gordon Zerbe, Vice President Academic at CMU. “CMU has a strong commitment to deepening the existing and ongoing mandate of these programs.”

“The new MHA will continue to serve our congregations as an important depository for their historic records. We encourage the continued and strong support of the MHA, not only through the contribution of congregational records, but also the financial support that makes this work possible,” said Coreena Stewart, Chief Administrative Officer for Mennonite Church Canada.

“CTMS is committed to preserving and telling the evolving Anabaptist story,” said Hans Werner, Executive Director, D.F. Plett Historical Research Foundation, Inc. “The archives are important in insuring that the rich transnational story of Mennonite faith, life and community can be told for generations to come.”

Mennonite Church Canada is made up of over 33,000 baptized members, 225 congregations and 5 area conferences. For more information, contact Dan Dyck, 600 Shaftesbury Blvd., Winnipeg, MB R3P 0M4, 204-888-6781, ddyck@mennonitechurch.ca.

A Christian university in the Anabaptist tradition, Canadian Mennonite University 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. For more information, contact Kevin Kilbrei 500 Shaftesbury Blvd., Winnipeg, MB R3P 2N2, 204-487-3300, kkilbrei@cmu.ca.

The Center for Transnational Mennonite Studies is a Centre of the University of Winnipeg and partnership between the D.F. Historical Research Foundation, Inc. and the Chair in Mennonite Studies. For more information contact: Hans Werner, 515 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg, Manitoba, MB R3B 2E9, 204-786-9352, h.werner@uwinnipeg.ca.

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Video

2017 Scientist in Residence Presentations (Videos)

Dr. Katharine Hayhoe

Named to TIME magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World list for 2014, Dr. Katharine Hayhoe is an atmospheric scientist who studies climate change, one of the most pressing issues facing humanity today. But Hayhoe may be best-known to many people because of how she’s bridging the broad, deep gap between scientists and some Christians—work she does in part because she’s a Christian herself.

Together with her husband Andrew Farley, a professor of applied linguistics, pastor of Church without Religion, and best-selling author, Hayhoe wrote A Climate for Change: Global Warming Facts for Faith-Based Decisions, a book that untangles the complex science and tackles many long-held misconceptions about global warming. Her work as a climate change evangelist has been featured on the Emmy award-winning documentary series “Years of Living Dangerously” and “The Secret Life of Scientists and Engineers.”

Hayhoe is a professor at Texas Tech University, and the director of its Climate Science Center. She has a BSc in Physics from the University of Toronto and an MS and PhD in Atmospheric Science from the University of Illinois. Hayhoe is currently serving as lead author for the upcoming Fourth U.S. National Climate Assessment and producing her new PBS Digital Studios short series, Global Weirding: Climate, Politics and Religion (see the Global Weirding Facebook page for more on the series).

January 30 | Student Forum
Science in a Post-Truth World: A Climate Scientist’s Perspective​

In public discourse today, opinions often overwhelm facts. Both science and faith, however, are based on immutable truths. The reality of God doesn’t depend on whether we believe in Him or not—and if we step off a cliff, we’re going down, regardless of our opinion on gravity.

How can we be “salt and light” in a world that rejects the existence of unchanging truth? Join Dr. Hayhoe as she shares from her experiences from the field of climate science.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSTDIvn63ZU[/youtube]

January 31 | Chapel
Listening to God’s Creation: A Faith Story

When we listen to God’s creation, what is it telling us?

Join Dr. Hayhoe as she shares what we know about our planet today, and reflects on a Christian response to the responsibility we’ve been given to care for it.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBU5FvWMH0c[/youtube]

February 1 | Public Lecture
Talking Climate: Why Facts are Not Enough

Is climate really changing? Are humans responsible, or is this just a natural cycle like we’ve seen before? And even if it is warming, who cares—wouldn’t we all prefer a little less snow?

Join Dr. Hayhoe as she discusses the compelling science behind a changing climate, describes the innovative solutions that are already being implemented today, and explores the importance of connecting our hearts to our heads when it comes to caring about the impacts of a changing climate on this planet and the people who live on it.

[youtube]https://youtu.be/GR-DVKgRaHk?t=4m44s[/youtube]

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General News News Releases

Canadian Mennonite University announces new faculty appointments

Canadian Mennonite University (CMU) is pleased to announce three new faculty appointments, all to start in their roles on July 1, 2017.

jonathan dueckDr. Jonathan Dueck, Vice President Academic and Academic Dean: Dueck holds a PhD from the University of Alberta in Music (Ethnomusicology). He is currently Assistant Professor of Writing and Deputy Director of Writing in the Disciplines at the George Washington University in Washington, D.C., an interdisciplinary position that gives Dueck the opportunity to work with scholars and students in a variety of different faculties. He previously taught at Duke University, the University of Maryland, and the University of Alberta.

Dueck does research in the areas of writing and music. He is coeditor of The Oxford Handbook of Music and World Christianities (2016) and author of Congregational Music, Conflict, and Community (forthcoming 2017, Routledge) as well as Performing Basketball (Oxford, under contract).

He is a graduate of Canadian Mennonite Bible College; during studies at CMBC he also took courses at Concord College and Menno Simons College. With familiarity for all three colleges that merged to form CMU, he looks forward to working at the ongoing development of the university.

“Seeing the institution that CMU has become, and the way that it’s engaging the community and church and world, are really exciting for me, and something I’ve long wanted to be a part of,” Dueck says. “I’m more convinced than ever of the vibrancy, potential, and energy of CMU.”

Dueck brings impressive insight into the good of the university for church and society, says CMU President Cheryl Pauls.

“Dr. Dueck is inspired by the mission entrusted to CMU: centred on Christ, imaginative and wide-ranging in terms of inquiry, oriented toward servanthood and peacebuilding, and inter-culturally engaged,” Pauls says. “The CMU learning community is deeply enthusiastic about the quality education that Jonathan will continue to envision and inspire through CMU.”

Rosemary VogtDr. Rosemary Vogt, Assistant Professor of Business: Vogt holds a PhD in Education, with a concentration in Leadership and Administration, from the University of North Dakota. She has worked as an instructor at CMU and Red River College, and done consulting work in the areas of forging strategic partnerships between industry, government, and higher education; leadership/management development; Indigenous education and training; counseling and conflict resolution; program evaluation; and researching, developing and evaluating policies and programs.

Her research interests include the way universities partner with, and serve the needs of, the communities in which they are situated. She brings considerable practical experience in various community organizations to her role as a business professor.

“I am passionate about students and I am passionate about teaching,” Vogt says. “I’m looking forward to joining the faculty at CMU full-time and investing in the lives of students.”

JMJJames Magnus-Johnston, Instructor of Social Innovation/Director, Centre for Ecological and Economic Resilience (CEER: Magnus-Johnston holds an MPhil in Economics from Cambridge University and has taught political studies and economics at CMU. He is interested in the political, cultural, and institutional shift towards ecological resilience, principally through the application of “steady-state” economic policies.

His research is informed by professional experience in the insolvency field, in policy positions with organizations and lawmakers, and in the communications industry as an editor.

Magnus-Johnston says that one of the things he is looking forward to about his involvement with the CEER is working with students.

“There’s nothing I find more exciting than working one on one with students and finding out what problems they’re seeking answers to,” he says, adding that he enjoys working at CMU because the students are motivated by a greater purpose than making a buck or getting a job.

“CMU is practicing a lot of the change that we want to see in the world,” he says.

 

Other notable CMU faculty updates

  • Assistant Professor of Music Therapy, .5: Michelle Yaciuk
  • Assistant Professor of Music Therapy, .5: Lee-Anne Adams
  • Ongoing appointment as Instructor of Conflict Resolution Studies: Karen Ridd
  • Tenure as Associate Professor of Theology: Dr. Paul Doerksen
 

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

Categories
Faculty Profiles

Faculty: In Their Own Words – Dr. Delmar Epp

12 - Delmar Epp (January 2017) 01Dr. Delmar Epp, Associate Professor of Psychology, has taught at CMU since 2000.

What are you teaching right now that you’re most excited about?

Two courses come to mind. One is Psychology of Motivation, which explores the underlying needs that drive a lot of our everyday behaviour. That course comes closest to my own research interests. The other course is The Neuroscience of Social Behaviour, which describes the interactions between our behaviours and brain activity in the course of everyday life. This is really where the cutting edge in my discipline is, and it’s just absolutely fascinating to explore.

What are you researching and writing?

I’ve been working for a number of years at projects having to do with self-protection. My argument is that whenever we feel discomfort or feel threatened, or we feel that we are somehow at risk, we act in ways to preserve and protect things that are important to ourselves—our self-image, our self-esteem, our reputation, or more tangible things we think we’re at risk of losing. One of the outcomes of that motive to self-protect is that when we feel that we’re at risk, we tend to draw away from people who might represent that threat—people who are sometimes different than we are. I’ve been looking at this in various contexts.

What you are reading for enjoyment?

I’ve just begun a book called Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance. It describes his experience growing up in what is sometimes referred to as the decaying heartland of America—the sense of hopelessness, the sense of risk and loss that many folks experience in that environment, and what this does in terms of their social attitudes and their relationships with other groups of people. I also recently finished a book of stories by Robert Louis Stevenson.

What do you most long for in your work?

For people to appreciate that a psychological understanding of themselves and their interactions with others can be a real benefit in terms of how we relate to one another, how we appreciate one another, and how we understand what others are experiencing. Additionally, I want my students in particular to know that a psychological/scientific understanding is not incompatible with an understanding of ourselves from a Christian perspective. They can complement and enhance one another. I want to emphasize that holistic view.

Do you have any interesting projects underway in the broader community or church?

The third iteration of the Great CMU Psychological Health Survey is about to get underway. It’s something we started back in 2013 in response to some published reports of significant psychological health concerns at larger Canadian universities. We wondered whether we might see similar sorts of issues on a much smaller campus like CMU, particularly one where we invest significantly in ensuring the connectedness and wellbeing of our students through our Student Life program and various other activites. Overall, what we’ve found thus far is encouraging.

What saying or motto inspires you?

The French poet and philosopher Paul Valéry said, “The purpose of psychology is to give us a completely different idea of the things we know best.” That idea inspires the work that I do. I’m always fascinated with the fact that we’re learning more and more about how we ought to understand ourselves.

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Events General News News Releases

Ministry workers invited to conference at CMU that will focus on becoming global

“Becoming global congregations” is the focus of an upcoming conference for those in ministry that will be held at Canadian Mennonite University.

ReNew: Resourcing Pastors for Ministry takes place Monday, February 6 to Wednesday, February 8 at CMU (500 Shaftesbury Blvd.). The three-day event will feature stimulating Bible studies, inspiring worship, powerful stories, and enriching fellowship.

Dr. Jonathan Bonk, an expert in missions and evangelism, will appear at the conference as the keynote speaker. Bonk is Executive Director Emeritus of the Overseas Ministry Study Centre in New Haven, CT, a research professor of mission at Boston University, and author of Missions and Money: Affluence as a Western Missionary Problem.

Renew“CMU and its predecessor colleges have a long history of holding conferences meant to resource pastors,” says Andrew Dyck, Assistant Professor of Ministry Studies and one of the conference’s organizers. “We are committed to helping support, encourage, and resource church leaders.”

The Christian Church is the body of Christ worldwide. It transcends geographical and denominational boundaries. Despite this conviction, and despite technology that makes the world smaller, it is easy for congregations to succumb to localism. 

This year’s ReNew conference, titled, “Opening Our Maps: Becoming Global Congregations” will explore questions such as: How might congregations become more global in their worldview, practices, and endeavours? What might it mean to be a globally minded congregation, in relationship with the church in other lands, the church of other denominations, and the ethnically diverse church at home?

Representatives from a handful of churches in Alberta and Manitoba will share stories about what their congregations are doing. The churches range from a congregation doing evangelism in inner city Winnipeg, to a rural church where three different denominations gather together for worship services.

“We’ve worked really hard to include church leaders from a variety of ethnic backgrounds, including newcomers to Canada, so that we can learn from their experiences,” Dyck says. “I’m excited to hear what they have got to teach all of us.”

CMU faculty will lead workshops exploring the theological foundations of the Church as the body of Christ; innovative congregational partnerships; indigenous peoples as part of the global church; and more.

“Christ calls us to take the extra mile of welcoming people that we haven’t welcomed before,” Dyck says. “I hope this conference helps all of us reach just a little further and take a little more initiative to extend grace and welcome to people that we haven’t welcomed before.”

ReNew is intended for all who are involved in ministry. For more information and to register, visit cmu.ca/renew.

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

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Events Lectures News Releases Uncategorized

Panelists to explore how their different faiths intersect at Face2Face discussion

A Jew, Muslim, and Christian will dialogue about what lies at the core of their faith heritages and how people from these distinct faith traditions might work together for peace and justice, at Canadian Mennonite University’s next Face2Face community discussion.

Titled, “A Conversation within an Abrahamic Tent: A Jew, Muslim, and Christian in Dialogue,” the event happens Tuesday, February 7 at 7:00 PM in Marpeck Commons (2299 Grant Ave.). Admission is free, and everyone is welcome to attend.

F2F iContactParticipating in the discussion will be Dr. Karl Koop, Professor of History and Theology at CMU, who will represent the Christian tradition; Dr. Ruth Ashrafi, Judaic Studies Advisor at Gray’s Academy, who will represent the Jewish tradition; and Shahina Siddiqui, founder and Executive Director of the Islamic Social Services Association, who will represent the Muslim tradition.

Conversations like these are important because Jews, Muslims, and Christians share a common humanity as well as a significant portion of scripture and faith tradition, says Dr. Harry Huebner, Professor Emeritus of Philosophy and Theology at CMU, who will moderate the discussion.

“We’ve gone in different directions and we have different specific traditions, but we are part of a common people struggling for the meaning of life,” says Huebner, who also serves as Director of International and Inter-Faith Theological Initiatives at CMU.

Although there is significant divergence and diversity within each of these faith traditions, and only one person will be at the event to represent each tradition, dialogues like this can still have value, Huebner adds.

“It’s important that we speak and listen to each other, even out of a context of imperfection and incompleteness,” he says.

Panelists will talk about what lies at the core of their faith heritage, and what gift or contribution their faith tradition brings to its adherents and to society.

They will also discuss the challenges their faith traditions face, as well as what their faith tradition values most in the other two faith traditions represented.

Panelists will also share their thoughts on how Jews, Muslims, and Christians might be able to work together for peace and justice in the world.

“Adherents of these different faiths are often seen as in some ways competing with each other, and we don’t need to,” Huebner says. “I hope what people see in an event like this is the possibility for there to be mutual respect and significant openness for difference among the adherents of these different faiths. We don’t have to be the same in order to live in peaceful and just relationship with one another.”

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

“A Conversation within an Abrahamic Tent” is the third of four Face2Face events CMU is scheduled to host during the 2016-17 school year. For details, visit cmu.ca/face2face.

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

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Events News Releases

CMU welcomes renowned climate change expert as Scientist in Residence

Dr. Katharine Hayhoe set to speak about science in a ‘post-truth’ world

Canadian Mennonite University is pleased to announce it will host acclaimed atmospheric scientist Dr. Katharine Hayhoe as its 2017 Scientist in Residence.

Katharine Hayhoe
Dr. Katherine Hayhoe
Photo: Ashley Rodgers, Texas Tech University

Hayhoe is a professor at Texas Tech University and the director of its Climate Science Center. In 2014, TIME magazine listed her as one of the 100 most influential people in the world.

Hayhoe will appear on campus January 30−February 1 to share her insights, observations, experience, and personal reflections in a number of speaking events open to the public.

As a means to minimize carbon emissions related to these speaking events on the topic of climate change, Hayhoe’s appearances will be via two-way video conference technology.

CMU is looking forward to hosting Hayhoe, says Dr. Tim Rogalsky, Associate Professor of Mathematics and Chair of the Science and Faith Advisory Committee.

“Katharine is a renowned researcher with more than 120 peer-reviewed publications in the top journals in her field,” Rogalsky says. “More than that, she’s a fantastic communicator with a remarkable ability to talk about the connections between science and faith.”

Dr. Hayhoe’s confirmed speaking engagements are as follows:

A student forum titled, “Science in a Post-Truth World: A Climate Scientist’s Perspective,” on Monday, January 30 from 11:30 AM to 12:00 PM in the CMU Chapel (600 Shaftesbury Blvd.).

 2017_01.SIR.poster.finalproof.wifi[1]A chapel titled “Listening to God’s Creation – A Faith Story,” on Tuesday, January 31 from 11:30 AM to 12:00 PM in the CMU Chapel.

A lecture on Wednesday, February 1 at 7:00 PM in Marpeck Commons (2299 Grant Ave). The lecture is titled, “Talking Climate: Why Facts Are Not Enough.”

For the first time ever, all of these presentations will be streamed live on YouTube, allowing anyone from anywhere in the world to watch and participate in the discussion. It’s an exciting aspect of this year’s events, Rogalsky says.

“It really allows us to involve people from off campus in ways we haven’t in the past,” he says.

Hayhoe says she is looking forward to her time as Scientist in Residence because it will give her the opportunity to talk about both science and faith in the same breath.

“So often the two are completely separated in our society and even in our Christian communities,” she says. “The reality, though, is that if we truly believe that God created this amazing universe that we live in, then what is science, other than trying to figure out what He was thinking when He created it?”

While Hayhoe has been named one of Foreign Policy’s 100 Leading Global Thinkers, as well as one of POLITICO’s 50 thinkers, doers, and visionaries transforming American politics, she may be best-known to many people because of how she’s bridging the broad, deep gap between scientists and Christians—work she does in part because she’s a Christian herself.

Together with her husband Andrew Farley, a professor of applied linguistics, pastor of Church without Religion, and best-selling author, Katharine wrote A Climate for Change: Global Warming Facts for Faith-Based Decisions, a book that untangles the complex science and tackles many long-held misconceptions about global warming. 

Her work as a climate change evangelist has been featured on the Emmy award-winning documentary series Years of Living Dangerously and The Secret Life of Scientists and Engineers. In 2012, she was named by Christianity Today as one of their “50 Women to Watch.”

Hayhoe has a BSc in Physics from the University of Toronto and an MS and PhD in Atmospheric Science from the University of Illinois. Hayhoe is currently serving as lead author for the upcoming Fourth U.S. National Climate Assessment and producing her new PBS Digital Studios short series, Global Weirding: Climate, Politics and Religion.

“My hope is that people walk away from these events with a better understanding of climate change and the role they can play in caring for our planet,” says Rogalsky.

All of the Scientist in Residence events are free and open to the public. For more information, visit cmu.ca/sir.

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

Categories
Faculty Profiles

Faculty: In Their Own Words – Wendy Kroeker

WK01Wendy Kroeker, Instructor in Peace and Conflict Transformation Studies and Co-Director of the Canadian School of Peacebuilding, has taught at CMU since 2011.

What do you love about your work here?

Working at CMU gives us the opportunity to get to know students over a period of time, interacting with them during significant moments of life decision-making. Watching them take opportunities to engage in community events and issues gives me hope for the world.

What are you teaching right now that you’re most excited about?

This past semester, I taught an upper level PACTS course called Cultures of Violence, Cultures of Peace. I wanted to find ways for students to begin to love and appreciate theory. I’m thrilled if I’ve been part of inspiring an activist or the heart of an activist in someone, but as someone who’s doing my own academic work and working in an academic institution, I do want to excite students about theory. If we aren’t grounding ourselves in really thinking through things substantially, how do we move into meaningful action?

What are you researching and writing?

I am currently working on my PhD dissertation. I’m using the Philippines as a case study. I interviewed 36 Filipinos who are deeply engaged in peacebuilding, who come from highly colonial, conflict-impacted trauma environments, and I’m trying to honour their stories by creating some theory out of the patterns of what I’m hearing from them. Although I’m using the Philippines as my case study right now, I will eventually turn the findings from this dissertation project into looking at our Canadian context, and how the learnings from courageous local peacebuilders in the Philippines might lead to creative ways in which we can follow the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s calls for action.

Where or how do students give you hope?

In November, a group of students went to a Standing Rock protest at Portage and Main. At a certain moment, they all went over the barricades and shut down Portage and Main at rush hour. One student spoke about her experience in chapel. Hearing her talk about moving over the barricades and realizing her own agency—that gave me some hope. It shows me that the things we talk about in class are moving deeper than the surface.

What do you most long for in your work?

I want students to look for opportunities and possibilities where they won’t just be bystanders, but upstanders – people who see a wrong and act upon it. They may not be at Portage and Main, but I want everyone to see possible ways of honouring the dignity and integrity of each person around them and see that there’s some way they can stand with people.

Do you have any interesting projects underway in the broader community or church?

Clairissa Kelly and I have begun a series of exchanges between my students and students in the Peguis Post-Secondary Transition Program. Clairissa and I have committed ourselves to thinking through how we can find ways to, with students, take steps of reconciliation. I invited the Peguis group to join the intro PACTS class in doing the blanket exercise, an interactive learning experience that teaches little-known indigenous rights history. Afterward, one of the participants shared about community experiences of residential schools. Her openness was a gift to all of us around the circle. That was a profound moment.

Categories
General News News Releases

CMU announces $1.7 million Centre for Ecological and Economic Resilience

Canadian Mennonite University is pleased to announce the creation of a new centre that will incubate and nurture social enterprises.

The Centre for Ecological and Economic Resilience will develop policy, design, and enterprise innovations for a resilient economy that improves social equity and environmental protection.

The centre will occupy 6,500 square feet of space on the fourth floor of CMU’s building at 500 Shaftesbury Blvd., formerly the School for the Deaf.

“This Centre will serve as a generative hub of partnering social enterprises with mandates towards economic and environmental health and well being,” said CMU President Dr. Cheryl Pauls. “As partnering entities take tenancy in the space they will form a collective incubator.”

“These enterprises also will extend their thinking and doing through partnership with the education, research and service of CMU,” Pauls added. “Diverse fields of study and community engagement will connect through the Centre.”

James Magnus-Johnston, Instructor of Political Studies and Economics at CMU, has been contracted as Director of the Centre.

In addition to his academic background, Magnus-Johnston has entrepreneurial experience as one of the co-owners of Fools & Horses Coffee. He also serves with a number of organizations, including Assiniboine Credit Union, the Centre for the Advancement of the Steady State Economy, the Green Action Centre, and Transition Winnipeg. He is also a singer and actor.

“James’ entrepreneurship at the crux of business, economic, environmental, political, societal, cultural, spiritual and performing arts communities rings true in the classroom for CMU students, and will soundly shape the development of this Centre,” Pauls said.

Magnus-Johnston began his work last month and says that one of the things that excites him about the Centre is that it is designed specifically for collaboration.

The Centre will serve as an academic hub, allowing partnering organizations to collaborate on research among other partners at the centre, take part in educational and research seminars, consultations, and conferences, as well as present opportunities for students at the university to take part in various experiential learning or “co-op” options.

“There is a lot of grassroots enthusiasm about this initiative from folks who are interested in taking up residence or collaborating on projects” Magnus-Johnston said. “When you can get innovative thinkers from intersecting disciplines in the same room together, I think we can move some projects forward more effectively.”

Ian Wishart, Manitoba's Minister of Education (left) and Doug Eyolfson, MP for Charleswood-St. James-Assiniboia-Headingley, announced the support of the provincial and federal governments for the Centre. President Cheryl Pauls says the Centre will support small enterprises working to make a positive impact in community & environment.
CMU President Cheryl Pauls and CEER Director James Magnus-Johnston are joined by Ian Wishart, Manitoba’s Minister of Education (left) and Doug Eyolfson, MP for Charleswood-St. James-Assiniboia-Headingley (right)

Earlier this month, the provincial and federal governments announced more than $1.1 million in joint funding to create the Centre, which will cost about $1.7 million. CMU will contribute the remainder of the balance.

Education and Training Minister Ian Wishart and Doug Eyolfson, MP for Charleswood – St. James – Assiniboia – Headingley joined CMU President Cheryl Pauls at the announcement, which took place on Friday, December 9 on campus in Marpeck Commons.

“Investing in research facilities that create stronger linkages between post-secondary and local research institutions will create new opportunities for Manitoba students to gain hands-on experience and build a promising career,” Wishart said. “We are pleased to support this initiative that will encourage dynamic partnerships and help spur innovation in our economy, while strengthening Manitoba’s position as a leader in environmental stewardship.”

Eyolfson added that the government is proud to support the project.

“This investment is indicative of the important work CMU is doing to focus on the needs of the community, as well as providing students with the education and training they need to join a strong, healthy middle class,” he said.

The Centre for Ecological and Economic Resilience is slated to open in spring 2018.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3-KZsYz5I4[/youtube]

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Faculty: In Their Own Words – Dr. Gordon Matties

10 - Gordon Matties (November 2016)Dr. Gordon Matties, Professor of Biblical Studies and Theology, will retire at the end of December after more than 30 years teaching at CMU and one of its predecessor colleges, Mennonite Brethren Bible College.

What do you love about your work here?

I love my colleagues and the students. I love that we worship together regularly. All of us are involved in a project of formation. We—faculty, staff, and students—are interested in becoming the kinds of human beings God intends for us to be: those who love beauty, goodness, and truth wherever those might be found; who long for healing, hope, and transformation in our world; and who are learning to imagine what living into God’s vision for a new heaven and a new earth might look like.

What are you teaching right now that most excites you?

Because I love movies and enjoy reflecting critically on the experience of watching movies, I continue to appreciate the course Film, Faith, & Popular Culture. I think movies have a unique capacity to offer us windows into the human condition and hold up mirrors of our joys and struggles. We see light refracted through the prism of particular stories into the colorful variety of human experience. Movies draw us deeply into the worldview questions: Where are we? Who are we? What’s wrong? Is there a remedy?

What are you researching and writing?

Recently I contributed an essay to A University of the Church for the World: Essays in Honour of Gerald Gerbrandt. The essay’s title is “Slow Food: Feasting Sustainably on Scripture.” I’m thinking about developing the idea of that essay into a book-length project. It has to do with what we expect to get from our reading of Scripture. I advocate for patient attentiveness, in contrast to the fast food approach to Scripture that assumes there’s always something in it for me on my terms now. It’s a project on biblical spirituality that focuses on ways of becoming formed slowly by Scripture.

What you are reading for enjoyment?

Besides the excellent articles posted by friends on Facebook and The Globe and Mail, I am reading Barkskins by Annie Proulx. It’s about the early settler and indigenous contact, the beginning of the global lumber industry, and the decimation of the world’s forests. I’m also reading Very Married: Field Notes on Love and Fidelity by Katherine Willis Pershey, Rumours of Glory: A Memoir by Bruce Cockburn, The Inner Voice of Love by Henri Nouwen, and You Are What You Love: The Spiritual Power of Habit by James Smith.

Where or how do students give you hope?

So many of our students are activists. They want to live out their dreams and work to change the world. They aren’t afraid of taking risks. They are impatient with thinking without doing.

What saying or motto inspires you?

In my first few years of teaching, I developed this motto: Nurturing the Mind; Minding the Heart; Mending the World. I’ve now got it tacked up on the bulletin board beside my office door. It’s my philosophy of education in a nutshell. I developed the motto after reading Parker Palmer’s book To Know as We are Known: A Spirituality of Education, which I recommend highly.