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CONNECT Campaign reaches $14.4 million goal

A fundraising campaign to build Marpeck Commons, the library, learning commons, and bridge at Canadian Mennonite University (CMU), has reached its goal.

“It is our great pleasure and gratitude to announce that the CONNECT Campaign goal of $14.4 million has been achieved in gifts and commitments,” CMU President Dr. Cheryl Pauls said during a speech she gave on Saturday, November 25 at the university’s annual Christmas concert.

Marpeck Commons, housing the CMU Library, CommonWord Bookstore and Resource Centre, folio café, and a learning commons.

Plans for Marpeck Commons started taking shape in 2009, when leadership at CMU began envisioning a building that would get the university’s library out of the basement, as well as create a learning commons with light and space.

The building would include a pedestrian bridge linking the two sides of CMU’s Shaftesbury campus and ensuring safe passageway across Grant Avenue. It would be a space drawing together the community within and surrounding CMU—the community of students, staff, and faculty, as well as the community of neighbours and constituents.

That dream became a reality when CMU opened the doors of Marpeck Commons on January 5, 2015.

Since then, Marpeck Commons has had a measurable and transformative impact for CMU students, faculty, and the broader community. The CMU Library, for example, annually receives more than three times the number of visitors it received in its previous location.

The building includes an inviting café, along with a bookstore and resource centre with the most extensive selection of theological resources anywhere in the province.

The pedestrian bridge, which spans Grant Avenue, connects the north and south sides of CMU’s Shaftesbury campus.

This has been the largest fundraising campaign in CMU’s history.

Nine hundred donors contributed, with 60 per cent of those contributions coming from Manitoba and 40 per cent coming from out of province. The donations included those of alumni and supporters who purchased 459 engraved bridge tiles.

“We are honoured by the generous investment of 900 families, individuals, foundations, and churches who collectively paid for the whole of Marpeck Commons,” Pauls said. “Their vision has created a cherished gathering place, which we are delighted to share with thousands of people annually.”

The volunteer leadership of the CONNECT Campaign Cabinet, a group characterized by deep generosity and vision, has been critical to the success of this fundraising endeavour.

Led by campaign chair Elmer Hildebrand, CEO of Golden West Broadcasting, Ltd, the cabinet included Arthur DeFehr, Philipp R. Ens, Bill Fast, Janice Filmon, Albert Friesen, Charles Loewen, Jake Rempel, and Tamara Roehr.

“I am really pleased with the way all of the members of our campaign cabinet stepped up to meet the challenge,” Hildebrand said. “It was a real pleasure to work with this group of visionary and generous individuals.”

 

 

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

For information about CMU visit www.cmu.ca.

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

 

 

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CMU faculty awarded prestigious federal grants

Two professors from Canadian Mennonite University’s Menno Simons College (MSC) are recipients of prestigious federal grant funds through the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).

Dr. Jerry Buckland, Professor of International Development Studies, received a grant worth $263,000. Dr. Kirit Patel, Assistant Professor of International Development Studies, received $75,000.

“These successful grants are a testament to the impressive research track-records of these two professors,” said Dr. Neil Funk-Unrau, Associate Dean of the college. “For MSC, it is an affirmation of the academic community that sustains and supports the work done by our researchers.”​

Dr. Jerry Buckland, Professor of International Development Studies
Dr. Jerry Buckland, Professor of International Development Studies

Buckland’s grant is for a five-year project using financial diaries to better understand the finances of vulnerable Canadians, with a view to financial empowerment.

In two phases, Buckland and his team will explore the economic, social, and regulatory implications of financial products and policies for vulnerable Canadians.

The first phase will look at the financial patterns of participants from Winnipeg and the surrounding area over an 18-month period. The second will follow participants for a further 18 months, but this time the team plans to intervene, providing financial tools for financial empowerment.

“The economy is becoming more financially challenging,” Buckland said. “There are more financial products, more decisions to be made. We’re facing more complicated choices, so we want to understand how vulnerable people work through these complicated choices and difficult challenges.”

Patel’s grant of $75,000 will go toward researching the impacts of Green Benches of State High Courts and National Green Tribunals on disadvantaged communities in Tamil Nadu, Kamataka, and Gujarat states in India.

Dr. Kirit Patel, Assistant Professor of International Development Studies
Dr. Kirit Patel, Assistant Professor of International Development Studies

“Just as divorce cases go before the Family Court, and criminal cases go before the Criminal Courts, in India, environmental cases go before the Environmental Courts,” Patel said. “It’s an innovative idea, and we want to understand the intended and unintended impacts.”

In this initial phase, Patel will examine participation in the environmental judiciary through the lens of local NGOs, women, and the science of Environmental Impact Assessments.

“In developing countries, issues of poverty and the environment are overlapping more and more,” Patel said. “And in these cases, there are often tradeoffs between the environment and the poor.”

SSHRC mandates the training of students, whether undergraduate or graduate.

To that end, Patel and his team have hired three MSC undergraduate students as research interns.

In the fall, Buckland and his team have plans to hire senior undergraduate and graduate students to participate in data collection from the financial diaries.

Both professors are excited to receive funding from SSHRC.

“It was a long process. I would say it was a year in the making,” Buckland said. “SSHRC has a highly acclaimed process for vetting applications. That I got this the first time I applied, I was just thrilled.”

 

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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CMU announces 2017 Leadership Scholarship winners

Canadian Mennonite University (CMU) is pleased to name the recipients of this year’s Leadership Scholarships: Nathan Dueck, Westgate Mennonite Collegiate; Bryn Friesen Epp, Westgate Mennonite Collegiate; Joefin Mildred Peter, Johnston Heights Secondary School; Nicole Ternowesky, Vincent Massey High School.

2017 CMU Leadership Scholarship Recipients
2017 CMU Leadership Scholarship Winners: (clock-wise from top left) Nathan Dueck, Bryn Friesen Epp, Joefin Mildred Peter, and Nicole Ternowesky

Four Leadership Scholarships are offered to students who demonstrate significant leadership ability, academic excellence, personal character, service, and vision. Worth up to $14,000 over four years, the Leadership Scholarship is awarded to recent high school graduates.

“CMU received many outstanding submissions for the Leadership Scholarship,” says Lois Nickel, Director of Enrolment Services. “I found this year’s recipients particularly engaging and articulate. We look forward to having them at CMU this fall.”

Students applying for the Leadership Scholarships are required to provide a resume of their leadership involvement, along with two letters of recommendation, and an essay reflecting on a leader who inspires them.

“I am thrilled to have the opportunity to pursue a humanities degree in a Christian setting,” says Nathan Dueck, whose inspiration comes from Sir Thomas More, a 16th Century lawyer, politician, and later, Catholic Saint.

More’s devotion to public service and the courage to abide by his convictions are traits Dueck hopes to emulate.

Bryn Friesen Epp draws inspiration from Clare Schellenberg, Pastor at Hope Mennonite Church in Winnipeg, who he says, exhibits vulnerability, strength, integrity, and commitment to service—important qualities of good leadership.

“Clare modelled great leadership for me, and I look forward to learning from more great mentors at CMU,” says Friesen Epp.

Joefin Mildred Peter is inspired by Emily Stowe, an educator, women’s right’s activist, and Canada’s first female medical doctor. Stowe’s perseverance, passion, and willingness to share ideas are what stand out for Peter.

“God paves a great path for everyone,” she says. “CMU is an opportunity for me to spread my wings, without hesitation.”

For Nicole Ternowesky, her grade nine social studies teacher, Ms. Harvey’s compassion, and dedication to social justice and service, inspired her to get involved in her local community.

Now Ternowesky is looking forward to getting involved at CMU.

“I’m very grateful and humbled to have the opportunity to study in an environment rich in diversity, compassion, and love for God,” says Ternowesky.

 

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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CMU to present Christian Peacemaker Teams with CMU PAX Award

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

 

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

For information about CMU visit www.cmu.ca.

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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CMU welcomes Dori Zerbe Cornelsen as Director of Development

Canadian Mennonite University (CMU) is pleased to announce the appointment of Dori Zerbe Cornelsen as Director of Development.

Zerbe Cornelsen comes to CMU following nine years of experience in donor relations as a Gift Planning Consultant with Abundance Canada, the organization formerly known as Mennonite Foundation of Canada.

Dori Zerbe Cornelsen
Dori Zerbe Cornelsen

“We’re thrilled to have Dori join CMU as Director of Development,” says Terry Schellenberg, Vice President External. “Dori’s strength in relating to donors and her experience opening gift planning opportunities will be a real asset.”

Zerbe Cornelsen, who has two adult children who have graduated from CMU in recent years, is excited to work for an organization committed to learning and growth.

“We need places like CMU to root us in values and faith, so that we’re better able to embody lives of service, leadership, and reconciliation,” she says.

Prior to her work with Abundance Canada, Zerbe Cornelsen served as a pastor. Before that, she was the coordinator of Open Circle, a program that provides relationships of integrity and faith for prisoners and people who have committed offenses.

She holds a Master of Divinity degree from Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary in Elkhart, IN; a Bachelor of Arts degree majoring in Cultural Anthropology from the University of Winnipeg; and a diploma in Biblical Studies from Columbia Bible College in Abbotsford, BC.

“We’re grateful for what Dori’s earlier pastoral experience, along with her ongoing commitment to the church and to CMU’s mission, will bring to her work with us,” Schellenberg says.

Zerbe Cornelsen is looking forward to starting her work at CMU on April 3.

“I’m looking forward to getting to know others who feel strongly about the mission of CMU, who want to live out their values by making gifts to a place that allows for the potential of a future that we all want to see,” she says. “We all want to see a world of more compassion, grace, and ability to live better together, and CMU nurtures that kind of passion.”

 

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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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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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

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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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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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CMU theology professor to celebrate publication of new book at launch event

‘Take and Read’ includes essays reflecting theologically on books

Canadian Mennonite University invites the public to a launch event celebrating the release of Take and Read: Reflecting Theologically on Books, a new book written by Dr. Paul Doerksen, Associate Professor of Theology and Anabaptist Studies.

The event takes place Sunday, December 4 at 2:00 PM in the Atrium at McNally Robinson Booksellers (1120 Grant Ave.). Admission to the book launch is free, and all are welcome to attend.

Take and ReadPublished by Wipf and Stock, Take and Read is a collection of essays first presented as oral theological reflections on books, written to stimulate conversations among diverse groups of readers.

These reflections introduce and offer samples of theological readings of a variety of books. The result is a collection of essays addressing a wide range of topics from food security to violence, from dementia to indigenous issues.

“I hope that anyone interested in joining conversations about any number of issues will read this book, because it really is a series of conversations with other books which address various topics,” Doerksen says.

Take and Read takes its name from a theological book discussion group that Doerksen has led since 2004 as part of CMU’s continuing education initiatives.

The group has included farmers, physicians, teachers, poets, novelists, scientists, people involved in business, finance, relief work, and many other walks of life, ranging in age from 20-something to 80.

PaulDoerksenOct2016
Dr. Paul Doerksen, author and Associate Professor of Theology and Anabaptist Studies at CMU

Doerksen’s prepared reflections for these gatherings are never meant to draw conclusions about the books themselves, or about the topics addressed by the authors. Rather, the reflections serve as a starting point for the group’s conversation.

Reading the literary works that Doerksen discusses in his new book is not a prerequisite for enjoying the volume.

“My hope is that if you haven’t read the book and you read the essay about the book, it will drive you to it,” Doerksen says. “If you have, I hope the essay brings up connections and questions, and some evaluative dimensions in response to the book.”

Ultimately, Take and Read is a theological enterprise. The book is perhaps best described as an invitation to joining a conversation about books, and more importantly, about God.

“I hope that in reading the book, people join a conversation about something that is meaningful to them, and that they find something theologically meaningful in joining that conversation,” Doerksen says.

A professor at CMU since 2011, Doerksen has a PhD in Western Religious Thought from McMaster University. He also holds degrees from Conrad Grebel University College, the University of Winnipeg, and Briercrest Bible College.

He is the author of Beyond Suspicion: Post-Christendom Protestant Political Theology in John Howard Yoder and Oliver O`Donovan (Wipf and Stock, 2009).

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