Author: gws

New book interprets church apologies

In recent years, churches have repented for historical wrongs. In his new book, Ecclesial Repentance: The Churches Confront Their Sinful Pasts, Jeremy M. Bergen tells the story of these apologies and analyzes the theological issues they raise about the nature and mission of the church.

“In a context in which churches, as well as national governments, are increasingly offering public apologies for past acts of injustice and failure,” Bergen’s book, Ecclesial Repentance: The Churches Confront Their Sinful Pasts, “represents an important contribution.” In a review by Christopher Craig Brittain of the University of Aberdeen, Britton continues, “rather than seeing ecclesial repentance as undermining the Church’s reputation, or functioning as a self-serving public relations strategy, Bergen offers a theological account of how they help the Church be faithful to its mission. The result is a sensitive reflection on the complexities and perils of public apologies, as well as a thoughtful appreciation for their potential to facilitate the healing of past wounds.’ Continue reading “New book interprets church apologies” →

Mennonite nuns?

This might be old news for a few Mennonites involved in Bridgefolk, but since they’ve never spoken up, it will be new news to others:

Anabaptist and Mennonite churches have long had deaconesses.  But only a few years ago, well into the 20th century, the practice took a form that looks very much like a Catholic religious order, according to the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online:

By the 1950s 62 sisters had become members of the Bethel Deaconess sisterhood, 26 of whom were associated with the sisterhood in 1955. The deaconesses of this institution wore a special garb and were ordained by the church. Each sister had her place in the mother house, received full maintenance, a monthly allowance, an annual vacation, and a vacation allowance. She was expected to remain loyal and faithful to her calling but did not take an oath of celibacy. Should a deaconess change her mind, believing it to be God’s will that she serve in some other sphere apart from the sisterhood, she presented her resignation and received an honorable discharge.

We thought you’d want to know!

For source and additional information see:

Neff, Christian and Lena Mae Smith. “Deaconess.” Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1956. Web.  http://www.gameo.org/encyclopedia/contents/deaconess.

Mennonites begin ecumenical dialogue with Seventh-Day Adventists

Silver Spring, Maryland, USA– Representatives of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists and the Mennonite World Conference held the first of several theological conversations June 28 to July 1, 2011 at the world headquarters of the 17 million-member Seventh-day Adventist Church in Silver Spring, Maryland. Continue reading “Mennonites begin ecumenical dialogue with Seventh-Day Adventists” →

Bridgefolk celebrates the fruit God brings through human failure

News release on 2011 Bridgefolk conference

By Gerald W. Schlabach

Bridgefolk co-founder Ivan Kauffman speaks during discussion following panel on common worship. Panel members, left to right: Stanley Kropf (moderator), Mary Schertz and Alice Noe.

Akron, Pennsylvania (BRIDGEFOLK) – “The Holy Spirit works in and through human failure, not around it,” Mennonite biblical scholar Mary Schertz told Catholics and Mennonites gathered at the headquarters of Mennonite Central Committee August 4-7 for the 2011 conference of Bridgefolk, a grassroots movement for dialogue and unity between Mennonites and Roman Catholics.

Peter was in a position to deny Jesus only because he was trying to be faithful to his promise, Schertz explained.  He risked his life to follow Jesus into the courtyard near where he stood trial.  “God worked the birth of the church out of human failure,” noted the Bridgefolk board member and professor of New Testament at Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary.  “Failure will always be present in the life of the church, but it doesn’t have to have the last word.  So too with Bridgefolk.  God has been at work through our failure.”

Schertz’s insight helped conference participants name the mix of joy and pain that they continue to share as Bridgefolk enters its second decade as a movement.  “This was Bridgefolk’s tenth annual conference,” Bridgefolk co-founder Weldon Nisly commented later, “and I think we have matured.  We feel the pain of church disunity as acutely as ever.  But holding that pain together has also led to a deep trust and mutual love.  We are clearer than ever that it is only ours to live in hope, not to ‘fix’ the church’s disunity.   Yet we find ourselves celebrating the fruit that God has brought from our failure.” Continue reading “Bridgefolk celebrates the fruit God brings through human failure” →

Introducing César García, in-coming MWC General Secretary

Mennonite World Conference 
news release

By Kathy Heinrichs Wiest

As one amateur Mennonite historian likes to point out, the only real Mennonite name is Menno Simons. From there on down through history, the rest of the family names are just “add-ons.” After a series of Mennonite World Conference (MWC) secretaries named Dyck (1961-73), Kraybill (1973-90) and Miller (1990-2011) the name of García stands out as an historically recent addition to the Anabaptist family.

César García’s personal story with the Mennonite family began in Bogotá, Colombia, when his mother took him and his sister to several churches in search of a new church home. Eleven-year-old César chose the Iglesia Hermanos Menonitas Dios es Amor (God is Love Mennonite Brethren Church) as the place they would settle.

That choice was the first step on a continuing journey for García, who has come to treasure Anabaptist theology and history and has given his life to scholarship, to mission and to shaping the church from an Anabaptist perspective. Continue reading “Introducing César García, in-coming MWC General Secretary” →

Death of Doris Murphy

We have just received news of the death of Doris Murphy, a Bridgefolk friend who contributed enthusiastically to some of our early conferences.  Her obituary follows.

Doris Helen Murphy, age 74, of Ellsworth, Wis., passed away at home on Aug. 11 after a short illness.

She was cared for in her final weeks by her family.

Doris was born on Feb. 7, 1937, in Big River, to the late Edward Bernard Murphy and Edna Anna (Schommer) Murphy.

She was a member of the Benedictine Religious Community until 1987. She earned a degree in education from Viterbo College, a master’s degree in music history with a concentration in liturgical music from The Catholic University of America, and a master’s degree in theology from St. John’s University School of Theology. Continue reading “Death of Doris Murphy” →

Woman’s journey from Mennonite to Catholic is a two-way street

Bridgefolk brings 2 churches together for dialog, worship

Dorothy Harnish

Dorothy Harnish is one of the local organizers for this year’s Bridgefolk conference in Akron, Pennsylvania.  A local paper in Lancaster did the following feature story on her:

By JOAN KERN
Correspondent
Lancaster Intelligencer-Journal / New Era

Dorothy Harnish was a cradle Mennonite. And a teen Mennonite and a young adult Mennonite and a middle-aged Mennonite.

But now she’s a senior citizen Catholic, a member of Lancaster’s St. Leo the Great Catholic Church.

Harnish, 69, of Landisville, will gather with about 75 other Catholics and Mennonites at the 11th annual Bridgefolk Conference, Thursday through Sunday, Aug. 7. Continue reading “Woman’s journey from Mennonite to Catholic is a two-way street” →

Uncovering ancient rhythms of daily prayer

Day by Day These Things We Pray

WATERLOO, Ont. and SCOTTDALE, Pa. (Herald Press)— When he was a young adult, Arthur Boers’ 17 year-old sister died of leukemia. Torn by grief and unable to understand how God could allow such a terrible thing, he found himself unable to pray.

“At times I had nothing to say to God or did not know how to voice my prayers,” says Boers, author of the new Herald Press book Day by Day These Things We Pray: Uncovering Ancient Rhythms of Prayer.

“Sometimes I could think of things that I wanted to tell God, but was not sure whether they were legitimate or blasphemous,” he says. “So I clamped my mouth and my mind shut when thoughts turned toward God.”

Then a friend introduced him to the practice of using a prayer book for daily prayers.

“I was comforted because that volume gave me words to pray,” he says. “It helped me voice laments and also encouraged me to put my situation into a wider context. Slowly I learned to pray again.”

Today Boers wants to help others who are struggling with prayer find ways to connect with God though the use of set prayers and prayer books. Continue reading “Uncovering ancient rhythms of daily prayer” →