Mennonite
September 30, 2010
Professor of theology to reflect on parents’ war experiences
Ted Grimsrud, professor of theology at Eastern Mennonite University, will give a presentation entitled "The Long Shadow: World War II's Moral Legacy" at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 6 in Newcomer 17. Both of Grimsrud's parents participated in World War II; his father fought in the pacific war with his mother serving as a recruiter. Grimsrud was a teenager at the time of the Vietnam War, and valued war as positive and necessary growing up. He later began to question the moral legitimacy of war altogether. After becoming a Mennonite pacifist in his 20's, he's struggled with the question,...
September 23, 2010
EcoPax for an earth-conscious Relief Sale
This weekend when you're devouring a plate of doughnuts or consuming a haystack at the Michiana Mennonite Relief Sale, take a look at the material of the plate you're using--probably styrofoam. This year, the EcoPax club is making plans for changes concerning waste at the Relief Sale. "The people who used to do trash [at the Relief Sale] are no longer doing it, which provided the opportunity for the Relief Sale to be more earth-conscious," said Hannah Eberly, a sophomore and co-leader of EcoPax. This year, EcoPax will be in charge of properly disposing of the waste after the sale is...
September 15, 2010
Reflections on faithful living – retired professor publishes collection of essays
J.R. Burkholder had aspirations of joining the U.S. Air force when he was in high school, even making a painting that depicted an airplane dropping bombs and shooting another plane. Somewhere in the 65 years between his high school days and now, his mindset shifted from a militaristic viewpoint to a focus on peace. On Tuesday, Sept. 14, the retired Bible and Religion professor published “Prophetic Peacemaking,” a collection of essays on faithful living. Through his essays, dating from 1956 to 2004, Burkholder tackles the question of what it's like trying to be a faithful Christian in the 20th...
September 15, 2010
Men’s soccer defeat Bluffton, EMU in Menno Soccer Classic
Goshen soccer teams trekked East this past weekend to face off against Mennonite sister schools Bluffton University and Eastern Mennonite University. The games took place in Lansdale, PA, at Christopher Dock Mennonite High School on Saturday, Sept, 10 and Sunday, Sept. 11. The men’s team was happy to put an end to the four game losing streak that started the season. Goshen shutout both teams, beating Bluffton 5-0, and EMU 1-0. The team took an early lead against Bluffton, when Julian Sider, a junior, picked up a pass from sophomore Daniel Diwa, and put it into the back of...
September 9, 2010
Enrollment update
The class of 2014 adds 182 new faces to campus this fall, with a total of 239 new students including transfers. This year's first-year class total is down from last year's first-year class which set enrollment records as the highest in 17 years. According to Lynn Jackson, vice president for enrollment management, nursing is the most popular declared major among first-year students, followed by biology and then business and psychology. The largest group of new students are from Indiana, with 50 percent coming from within the state. Pennsylvania sends the second largest pool of new students, with 16. Among first-year...
January 27, 2010
College and community continue to donate for Haiti
After a devastating earthquake shook Haiti’s capital of Port-au-Prince on Jan. 12, relief aid swept the nation. Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), an Anabaptist ministry that “shares God’s love and compassion for all in the name of Christ by responding to basic human needs and working for peace and justice” has sent supplies, relief workers and money to Haiti. So far MCC has raised $4.8 million for relief and recovery efforts. Goshen College has been a part of this, already raising $1,164 for the relief effort. Collections at the women’s basketball game produced $444, Night at the RFC raised $65 and...
January 20, 2010
War, Peace, and Social Conscience: A life and times biography
A third of the “Mennonite trinity” was remembered on Tuesday as Theron Schlabach released his book, “War, Peace and Social Conscience: Guy F. Hershberger and Mennonite Ethics.” Schlabach, a 1960 Goshen College graduate, did not take classes with Hershberger, a professor at Goshen, until the late 1950s, but he worked as Hershberger's assistant in the history department for one semester. “He really is one of the important figures of that Goshen school age when Harold Bender—well, we used to call them the holy Mennonite trinity,” Schlabach said, explaining how Harold S. Bender’s initials earned him the nickname of "Holy Spirit,”...
January 20, 2010
Responding to tragedy: Goshen, MCC and Haiti
The Mennonite community has rallied together to organize relief and recovery efforts after a 7.0-magnitude earthquake destroyed the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince and surrounding areas on Jan. 12. Paul Antoine Bien-Aime, Haiti's interior minister, estimates that between 100,000 and 200,000 people have died, and hundreds of thousands more have been injured. Buildings all over the city have collapsed, including most hospitals, schools and countless homes. Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) has worked in Haiti since 1958. In recent years, its focus has been on reforestation, the promotion of food security and human rights. Fourteen MCC staff members are currently in Port-au-Prince...
January 20, 2010
MCC, Goshen College Respond to Tragedy in Haiti
The Mennonite community has rallied together to organize relief and recovery efforts after a 7.0-magnitude earthquake destroyed the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince and beyond on January 12. Paul Antoine Bien-Aime, Haiti's interior minister, estimates that between 100,000 and 200,000 people have died, with hundreds of thousands more injured. Buildings all over the city have collapsed, including most hospitals and schools and countless homes. Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) has worked in Haiti since 1958. In recent years, its focus has been on reforestation and the promotion of food security and human rights. MCC currently has 14 staff members in Port-au-Prince and...
November 19, 2009
Remembering resistance, 1960’s to today
J.R. Burkholder, professor emeritus of religion, along with members of the Peace, justice and conflict studies department, joined together with PAX club to hear stories of draft resistance last Saturday morning. The conference, titled "Resistance: Taking a Stand Against War: 1960s to Today" was an idea generated by Burkholder, who provided support to GC student draft resisters in the 1960s. Guest speakers included seven Mennonite draft resisters who shared their stories of resisting the Vietnam War draft during the late 1960s. Four of these men, Dennis Koehn, John Lind, J.D. Leu and Doug Baker, were part of a panel that...
October 14, 2009
Corinthian Plan to be implemented January 2010
The Corinthian Plan will officially be put into operation starting January 2010. According to a press release from Mennonite Church USA in early October, more than 50 congregations and their pastors will receive assistance with their health care. The press release also stated that at least 450 congregations are expected to participate. This will generate more that $500,000 for the Fair Balance Fund, which will provide assistance for these pastors. The Mennonite Church USA website states that “The Corinthian Plan offers all congregations the opportunity to share in the giving and receiving of resources, just as Paul urged the sharing...
September 30, 2009
Global Anabaptist Wiki Builds International Community
This article was reported by Andrew Shenk Goshen College’s Mennonite Historical Library has developed what it hopes will be an authoritative, expansive, and constantly evolving source for information about international Anabaptist-Mennonite groups. The library’s “Global Anabaptist Wiki” project, which went live at anabaptistwiki.org in the spring of 2009, uses the same software and approach to editorial control as the phenomenally popular online encyclopedia “Wikipedia.” It allows users worldwide to create and edit pages about their own communities and related historical issues by adding personal stories and reflections. The collaborative aspect also allows a more varied range of viewpoints, according to...
September 9, 2009
History Professor Completes Trilogy on Modern Mennonite Identity
After five years of research and writing, professor of history John D. Roth completed the last of three books about Mennonite identity in the 21st century. The third book, Practices: Mennonite Worship and Witness, was completed this June and focuses on Mennonite ethics as an expression of how Mennonites worship and are witness to their beliefs. The first book of the trilogy, Beliefs: Mennonite Faith and Practice, was published in 2005 and focuses on the theology of Mennonites. The second book, Stories: How Mennonites Came to Be, is primarily historical. “There is a sense in which every generation needs to...
April 8, 2009
Students piece fellowship with fabric
Hymns from the nearby sanctuary drift through the open door as both church women and college students settle in to quilt. Some days participants pin on a name tag and get right to work, while other weeks they eat soup and bread together before getting started. This is the scene at “Passing on Traditions” night at College Mennonite Church where Goshen College students meet church members to learn how to stitch. The Wednesday night program grew out of a Goshen College production of the musical “Quilters.” Deb Brubaker, professor of music and a quilter herself, helped direct the play last...