The Mennonite Church USA Executive Board staff cabinet has called together a panel to continue the work of healing and prevention of sexual abuse within the denomination. The panel’s formation is a response to the Churchwide Statement on Sexual Abuse passed this summer by the delegate assembly at the MC USA convention in Kansas City, Mo.
Bluffton (Ohio) University has become the third Mennonite college this year to leave the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities after expanding its nondiscrimination hiring policy. The Bluffton board of trustees voted unanimously Oct. 10 to include sexual orientation and gender identity in its employment policy.
Among several large Anabaptist conventions and assemblies in North America this year, the biggest was put on by a relatively small denomination. The Church of God in Christ, Mennonite, held its general conference — its first since 2003 — Nov. 17-20 in Tupelo, Miss.
FRESNO, Calif. — Paul Toews, a leading Mennonite Brethren historian who taught for 44 years at Fresno Pacific University and did groundbreaking research on Mennonites in Russia, died Nov. 27. He was 75.
A donation shortfall has prompted Mennonite Church Canada to reduce staff and accelerate structural change, placing more ministry activities at the provincial level. A Nov. 28 news release cited “a pressing financial necessity” to implement changes proposed by the Future Directions Task Force earlier than expected.
GOSHEN, Ind. — By invitation, Goshen College President Jim Brenneman took part in a higher education climate roundtable discussion Nov. 19 at the White House, as part of the American Campuses Act on Climate day of action. About 50 colleges and universities were represented.
ORANGE WALK, Belize — More than 40 adults and children participated in the 10th anniversary celebration of Jesus’ Deaf Church Oct. 11. Nancy Marshall, a worker with Virginia Mennonite Missions and Eastern Mennonite Missions, started the church and continues to pastor the group.
Franconia Mennonite Conference addressed fractious times within Mennonite Church USA by focusing its annual assembly on being the church together. In a series of statements submitted by congregations, refined by a committee and passed by delegates Nov. 13-14 at Penn View Christian School in Souderton, Pa., FMC acknowledged differences but affirmed staying together as a conference and with MC USA.
Taking in refugees from Syria wasn’t the initial plan of Forest Hills Mennonite Church in Leola, Pa. “In February, our winter Bible school focused on immigration,” lead pastor Jon Carlson said. “This was long before the Syrian refugee crisis made headlines. Syria wasn’t on our radar.”
Representatives of every stream of global Christianity met Nov. 1-5 in Tirana, Albania, for a consultation on “Discrimination, Persecution, Martyrdom: Following Christ Together.” The event was convened by the Global Christian Forum.
None of Mennonite Mission Network’s five international personnel in or near Paris was hurt in the Nov. 13 terrorist bombings, although each has been affected by them. “It took a little while to confirm that our five workers in Paris were all safe, and I found them to be sad, concerned and prayerful,” said Tim Foley, MMN director for international ministries.
