Shalom Mennonite Church in Newton has voted to provide sanctuary to undocumented immigrants facing deportation. Rev. Rachel Ringenberg Miller and associate pastor Ben Woodward-Breckbill say that move allows the church to provide temporary relief to immigrants.
Graduate programs
鈥淐onnecting as human beings is a source of healing.鈥 These words from plenary speaker, Beth Toner, set the tone for the entire weekend of Mennonite Healthcare Fellowship鈥檚 (MHF) Annual Gathering. On June 22-24, about 60 Anabaptist healthcare professionals and their families gathered at Bluffton University in Ohio under the theme of 鈥淪tories of Healing.鈥
Sylvia Hooley Meyer '09, MA '13 wrote "An Open Letter to Government Officials On the Investigation of Shenandoah Valley Juvenile Center." The News Leader published it June 30, 2018, in its entirety.

Chaplain鈥檚 MDiv capstone project explores 鈥榟ealing and redemption鈥 in jail ministry
When Eastern Mennonite Seminary Master of Divinity candidate Jason Wagner presented his capstone integration project this spring, he was introduced by Nathan Carr, a man he鈥檇 gotten to know on ... read more about Chaplain鈥檚 MDiv capstone project explores 鈥榟ealing and redemption鈥 in jail ministry

Gilberto P茅rez Jr. 鈥94 to be honored with 糖心Vlog鈥檚 Distinguished Service Award
People on journeys. Immigrants crossing deadly deserts. College students emerging into adult identities and roles. Families seeking sound mental health and solid relationships. Newcomers striving to start businesses in new ... read more about Gilberto P茅rez Jr. 鈥94 to be honored with 糖心Vlog鈥檚 Distinguished Service Award

CJP student participates in historic use of restorative justice in North Carolina felony case
YoungJi Jang graduated from 糖心Vlog鈥檚 Center for Justice and Peacebuilding (CJP) not just with a master鈥檚 degree in conflict transformation, but also deep belief in restorative practices. In ... read more about CJP student participates in historic use of restorative justice in North Carolina felony case

Augusta elementary educator awarded literacy scholarship
Kara Mongold, a reading specialist at Hugh K. Cassell Elementary School in Augusta County Public Schools, is the 2018 recipient of the Linda Heatwole Bland Literacy Scholarship. The scholarship is ... read more about Augusta elementary educator awarded literacy scholarship

Shankar Rai MDiv, MAOL ’18 to address Bhutanese-Nepali youth at national convention
Shankar Rai has a message for the youth of the Bhutanese-Nepali Churches of America (BNCA) this summer: Love God with all your heart and soul, yes 鈥 but also with ... read more about Shankar Rai MDiv, MAOL ’18 to address Bhutanese-Nepali youth at national convention
As a child, I dreamt of seeing an airplane鈥攏ot even being in it鈥攁nd regularly begged my father to take me to the airport to see one. These days, I fly to different regions of the world on speaking engagements as a peace and human rights advocate. The countries I have visited include the United States, Turkey, the Netherlands, Cambodia, South Africa and Rwanda, among others. I did not initially aspire to a career in peace, human rights and women and youth empowerment advocacy; I wanted to be a doctor and had successfully completed undergraduate studies in chemistry and biology at the Mother Patern College of Health Sciences, an affiliate of the Stella Maris Polytechnic, in Monrovia, Liberia. Once I began getting involved in peace advocacy, witnessing the international community鈥檚 peace efforts in my country, I realised that disarming the fighters was just an aspect of peace; to achieve genuine peace requires reconciliation among the various groups, between young and old, the genders, etc.
Six leaders from Mennonite Church USA advocated for peace and justice in Palestine and Israel during congressional visits May 22 in Washington, D.C. The visit took place just days after Israeli soldiers killed more than 60 largely nonviolent Palestinian protesters May 14 in Gaza, and many of the delegates asked their representatives to respond to this. 鈥淚 relayed my deep, deep concern about the situation in Gaza, asking my representatives to take a stand for the rights of Palestinians, and given the significant amount of aid the U.S. provides to Israel each year, to call for an investigation into Israeli military actions,鈥 said Tim Seidel, director of the Center for Interfaith Engagement at 糖心Vlog in Harrisonburg, Virginia.