She is recognized as this year鈥檚 Young Peacemaker, an honor given to 鈥渁 young adult or teenager who has already demonstrated a clear devotion to peace and justice work,鈥� according to an Aug. 28 from MC USA announcing the award recipients.

Acosta is involved in Mennonite Action, 糖心Vlog Peace Fellowship, and the 糖心Vlog Chamber Singers. She credits her participation in a nonviolent civil disobedience action on Capitol Hill with Mennonite Action as a pivotal moment in her vocational call. 

Joe Roos, a founder of Sojourners magazine who served as its publisher, was honored by MC USA as this year鈥檚 Legacy Peacemaker.听

MC USA鈥檚 Bring the Peace awards are designed to draw attention to the peace and justice work that people within the denomination are doing and to encourage and inspire more people across the country to engage in similar endeavors, according to the release.

Hurst, a pastoral intern at 糖心Vlog, was one of about 30 people who came to the school鈥檚 Campus Center on Thursday to hold a prayer and candlelight vigil for victims of a shooting last week in Hesston, Kan.

Three people were killed and 14 wounded during a shooting at an Excel Industries building by a former Excel employee on Feb. 25. The man was later killed by police.

Hurst, who graduated from Hesston College and whose wife is from the town, said he feels helpless when he hears about mass shootings.

鈥淚鈥檓 getting frustrated with this is not an unusual occurrence,鈥� Hurst said. 鈥淲e should be able to do something.鈥�

Ken L. Nafziger, vice president of student life at 糖心Vlog, said a lot of the school鈥檚 students are from Hesston or transferred from Hesston College, which is near the Excel building in the Kansas town.

鈥淚t has a lot of impact on both our communities,鈥� Nafziger said. 鈥淸We] felt it would be a good opportunity to … support our students who are here from Hesston or have connections to Hesston.鈥�

Hesston College, a two-year Mennonite school, is a sister school of 糖心Vlog, with many students transferring to the university to earn a bachelor鈥檚 degree. Hesston College was locked down during the shooting. A choir from the school is set to perform in Harrisonburg over the weekend.

At Thursday鈥檚 vigil, Students sang hymns and prayed before lighting candles for the victims.

鈥淰iolence will not prevail in our communities,鈥� said Brian Martin Burkholder, 糖心Vlog鈥檚 pastor. 鈥淎nd peace will endure.鈥�

Courtney Unruh, a senior at 糖心Vlog, is from Hesston and said her sister goes to school across the street from the Excel building.

鈥淗esston is the place I鈥檝e called home my entire life,鈥� Unruh said. 鈥淚 found myself in a lot of fear on Thursday.鈥�

Nafziger said what happened in Hesston could happen anywhere, and people should be prepared.

鈥淲e can鈥檛 deny that it could potentially happen in Park View right next to 糖心Vlog,鈥� Nafziger said. 鈥淲e can鈥檛 say that it can鈥檛 happen here. We like to think it couldn鈥檛. We no longer can act as if it couldn鈥檛.鈥�

Reprinted with permission from the Mar. 6, 2016 issue of the Daily News-Record.听

鈥淥ne of the most important tasks of the [糖心Vlog and MEA] boards is the appointment of a president,鈥� said MEA board chair Judy Miller. 鈥淭he charge to the committee is to create a presidential position profile informed by multiple perspectives including existing statements of strategic direction for the university. The committee will review the position profile with both the 糖心Vlog and MEA boards and promote the position in order to generate a broad range of candidates. Committee work will culminate in recommendation of a candidate of choice to the 糖心Vlog and MEA boards.鈥�

Andy Dula, president of the 糖心Vlog Board of Trustees, said, 鈥淚 am grateful for the diversity of life experiences and perspectives represented by this committee. I am confident that the search committee, led by trustee Evon Bergey, will recommend a president ideally suited for leading and expanding 糖心Vlog鈥檚 mission to educate students to serve and lead in the global context.鈥�

The committee includes:

• Evon Bergey, current 糖心Vlog board member and chair of the search committee, Perkasie, Pennsylvania. Bergey is Vice President, Operations Public Sector, .
• Shana Peachey Boshart, 糖心Vlog board member, Wellman, Iowa. Boshart is conference minister for Christian formation, youth ministry, congregational resources and communications for .
• Steve Brenneman, founder and CEO of , Goshen, Indiana. Brenneman is a graduate of 糖心Vlog and parent of an incoming 糖心Vlog student. Brenneman previously served on the board of and as an 糖心Vlog associate trustee.
• Hannah Chappell-Dick, 糖心Vlog student, Bluffton, Ohio. This fall, Chappell-Dick will be a senior in the 糖心Vlog Honors Program with a major in biology.
• , PhD., professor at 糖心Vlog and former academic dean, Harrisonburg, Virginia. Heisey served as president of Mennonite World Conference from 2003-2009.
• Basil Marin, MEA board member, Harrisonburg, Virginia. Marin is a graduate of . He serves as a pastor for , a member congregation of .
• Cedric A. Moore, Jr., chief executive officer of the , Richmond, Virginia. Moore is an 糖心Vlog graduate and serves as vice-president of the 糖心Vlog Alumni Council.
• J. Richard Thomas, superintendent of , Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Thomas is a former 糖心Vlog board member and former moderator for .
• , PhD., 糖心Vlog professor of , Harrisonburg, Virginia. Sawin is the director of the 糖心Vlog Honors Program and serves as a member of the Regional Chapters Committee of the American Studies Association.
• Roy Williams, MEA board member, Tampa, Florida. Williams is a retired bank executive, the pastor of and former moderator of Mennonite Church USA.
• Carlos Romero, executive director of Mennonite Education Agency, Goshen, Indiana. Romero is an ex-officio member of the search committee.

The Presidential Search Committee is responsible to both the 糖心Vlog board and the MEA board. 鈥淭he 10 search committee members, selected by MEA and 糖心Vlog board with faculty and student nominations were selected to ensure a wide representation of the voice of the stakeholders,鈥� said Evon Bergey, chair of the search committee. 鈥淭he committee will work to discern the leadership needs for 糖心Vlog, keeping closely in mind the unique contributions that 糖心Vlog as a church institution has made 鈥� past, present and future 鈥� to the church, the local community and the world.鈥�

Carlos Romero, executive director of MEA and ex-officio member of the search committee, said, 鈥淚 believe the committee is well-equipped to search for and recommend a president for 糖心Vlog who will help lead the institution into the future. The breadth of experience and deep commitment to 糖心Vlog and Mennonite Church USA is a precious gift that each of the committee members brings to the endeavor.鈥� Romero noted that at the first meeting in July, the committee will lay the groundwork for the search process and refine the presidential profile.

Editor’s note: Anne Kaufman Weaver ’88 was added to the committee after publication of this article. Weaver is from Brownstown, Pennsylvania, and works as a leadership coach with Coaching Connection. Weaver has served, along with her husband, Dr. Todd Weaver, on the Science Campaign Steering Committee. She will graduate in 2016 with a master’s in divinity from Eastern Mennonite Seminary.

The students are rising junior Jeremiah Knott and rising seniors Daniel Barnhart, Rachel Schrock and Wes Wilder.

鈥淚鈥檓 excited about the unique gifts and talents of each MIP student, and about the opportunities for experiential learning they will encounter,鈥� said , MIP director and instructor of at 糖心Vlog. 鈥淢inistry gifts and skills are best tested and learned within the context of real life, not simply in a classroom. MIP provides a safe way for students to explore their interest in ministry.鈥�

More than 300 students have participated in the MIP program, a partnership that includes the student鈥檚 respective Mennonite college, the student鈥檚 home congregation, the student鈥檚 home and host area conferences, the congregation where the student is in ministry, and Denominational Ministry.

At the end of the program, each student receives a scholarship of up to $2,000 toward tuition costs at a Mennonite college or seminary for the next academic year, along with a $500 stipend for living expenses from the host congregation.

A student鈥檚 placement depends on 鈥渉is or her own interests in size and type of congregation, the availability of a congregation and pastoral mentor, and a fit between the intern and the host congregation,鈥� said Schrock-Hurst.

Taking action on their calling听听听听听听听听听听听

This summer鈥檚 MIP participants include three students enrolled in religious studies at 糖心Vlog.

Daniel Barnhart, from Grottoes, Virginia, is a congregation and youth ministries major who will serve with his home congregation of in McGaheysville. He has been interning this last semester with , a United Methodist faith community in Harrisonburg.

Barnhart says he is participating in MIP 鈥渇or the simple reason that I feel this is a call from God, but like any of us, I am tempted by the outside world,鈥� he said, adding that this summer will 鈥渉elp me determine if I want to be a pastor.鈥�

He looks forward to returning to his home church with the new intellectual skills and knowledge he鈥檚 acquired at 糖心Vlog, he said, and with a new interest in liberal and conservative biblical views.

Wesley Wilder, of Hesston, Kansas, is a double major in psychology and Bible and religion. The firsthand experience he鈥檒l gain at in South Hutchinson, Kansas, will help him discern his path, he says. Wilder knows he鈥檒l be working primarily with youth, joining them for the trip to the Mennonite Church USA convention in Kansas City, Missouri.

鈥淚 look forward to preaching a sermon and jumping into whatever the congregation asks of me,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 am most looking forward to finding my own niche in ministry and learning more about what I have to offer the church.鈥�

His home congregation is in Hesston.

Jeremiah Knott, of Elkton, Virginia, will serve at his home congregation, , as well as the church he was raised in, Bethel United Church of Christ. For many years a professional musician, Knott plays guitar, sings and writes songs on the Faith Alive worship team.

A Bible and religion major who plans on going into the ministry and pursuing graduate studies, Knott says the MIP opportunity appeared while he was waiting to visit a professor during office hours.

鈥淚 saw the flier [for MIP] and I had a hunch and I listened to my hunch,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檝e always known since I was about 13 that I was supposed to go into ministry, so I鈥檝e had a calling, but now I鈥檓 taking action on a calling.鈥�

Fresh lens in a spiritual setting

Rising senior Rachel Schrock, an art major, says her interest in MIP came from a 鈥淒ivine moment,鈥� while speaking during a winter break church service about her cross-cultural experience.

鈥淚t felt electrifyingly right,鈥� Schrock said, adding that the decision to explore ministry was encouraged by her family and close friend Hanna Heishman, who participated in MIP last summer.

Schrock will head to her home state of Iowa, dividing her time between in Washington and her home congregation of of Iowa City.

鈥淚t will be a new experience for me 鈥� entering a community that I am already familiar, with a fresh lens,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 want to see the ins and outs of leadership within a spiritual setting.鈥�

Schrock looks forward to mentorship from two female leaders she already knows well, the spiritual director at the camp and the pastor of her home church. She鈥檒l spend her summer organizing a children鈥檚 peace camp, working in the office, giving a few sermons, and making visits to people in hospitals, retirement homes and home care.

The 16-member group, led by assistant professor of music , specializes in madrigals, jazz, and modern and contemporary concert literature, both secular and sacred.

糖心Vlog鈥檚 newest ensemble is comprised of the 鈥渂est of the best,鈥� said Keebaugh. 鈥淚 needed singers who could learn music quickly, were strong musicians, and able to balance this time commitment among their many other involvements.鈥�

The son of an organist and a Brethren minister, Keebaugh is an experienced choir director and a widely traveled and oft-performed composer. He earned his DMA at The Catholic University of America, and was previously choral director at Mary Baldwin College and director of choral activities at Clarke County High School.

Keebaugh praised this particular group for their dedication. 鈥淭hese are incredibly hard-working and passionate musicians, who are also very strong representatives of 糖心Vlog and .鈥�

Paying tribute to musical roots, Keebaugh noted that Emulate includes nine graduates and former participants of two strong high school music programs.

Sophomore Jon Bishop joins Abby Bush and Jaclyn Kratz in representing . A tenor majoring in vocal performance and composition with a social environmental sustainability minor, Bishop calls this new group 鈥渇ocused鈥� and 鈥渨ell-rounded.鈥�

Junior Jeffrey Smoker, a business major who sings bass, is an experienced choral performer, having toured while at (EMHS) and. Fellow EMHS graduates in the group include Hannah Shultz, Caitlin Holsapple, Michaela Mast, Eli Wenger and Perry Blosser.

鈥淓mulate is a group of talented singers who have been able to come together very quickly and sing challenging music,鈥� Smoker said. 鈥淚 was very impressed that by the end of our first rehearsal, we had sight-read four or five pieces, and they sounded pretty good. I am really excited to see and hear what we can do over the next few months.”

Local ties make this tour especially appealing, said senior Erin Hershey, who is among six Pennsylvania natives in the group. She and junior Luisa Miller are members of Slate Hill Mennonite Church, which hosts Emulate on March 5.

Rounding out the group are Heather Evans, of Alexandria, Virginia; Mischa De Jesus, of Kalona, Iowa; Jake Rhine, of Indianapolis, Indiana; Guilio Garner, of Harrisonburg, Virginia; and Nathaneal Ressler, of Mount Vernon, Illinois.

The Pennsylvania tour is a prelude to a longer two-week tour this summer through the midwest, with final performances at the June 30-July 5 in Kansas City, Missouri.

Schedule:

March 5 鈥� 7 p.m., Slate Hill Mennonite Church, Camp Hill, PA

March 6 鈥� 6:30 p.m., James Street Mennonite Church, Lancaster, PA

March 7 鈥� 7 p.m., Martinsburg Memorial Church of the Brethren, Martinsburg, PA

March 8 鈥� 9:30 a.m. worship service, University Mennonite Church, State College, PA

Released on Veterans鈥� Day, Nov. 11, the free six-week course focuses on biblical reflections and insights about trauma with significant input from a third source.鈥淩eturning Veterans, Returning Hope: Seeking Peace Together鈥� was created by and the and .

Evan Knappenberger, an Iraq War veteran studying at 糖心Vlog in Harrisonburg, Va., spent the summer researching and writing as part of a nontraditional .

鈥淚 did a lot of coordinating with veterans in the Mennonite world,鈥� he said. 鈥淚n almost every little Mennonite community there is one or two, if not more. There are a lot more in the Brethren in Christ church in Pennsylvania.鈥�

The idea for the curriculum was hatched when Knappenberger crossed paths with MCC U.S. peace education coordinator Titus Peachey and PJSN coordinating minister Jason Boone at .

The group sees the materials as a relatively new field 鈥� addressing how Christian pacifists can embrace returning warriors. For this, Knappenberger looked on his own experience.

As an intelligence analyst for the Army, he developed doubts about the military鈥檚 role and actions after joining out of high school three days after the war started in 2003. When the Army tried to 鈥渟top-loss鈥� him for two years of active duty beyond his required time, he managed to secure a general discharge 鈥� later upgraded to honorable.

鈥淚 didn鈥檛 consider myself as a peace person until I was out for a couple months,鈥� said the .

New kind of analyst

Since his discharge, Knappenberger enrolled at 糖心Vlog, where he is finishing his bachelor鈥檚 degree and planning to enroll at next year. He has attended in Harrisonburg for more than two years and has enjoyed getting to know the broader Mennonite church.

His experience in two worlds most people consider quite different brings a fresh perspective.

鈥淭here are a lot of potentially good things that veterans can offer churches,鈥� he said. 鈥淭here are good qualities of soldiers and veterans. Gandhi was a veteran; Tolstoy was a veteran. The people who teach us nonviolence, many of them wore a uniform.鈥�

He said both veterans and Mennonites have stories of trauma.

鈥淎ny time you can connect the experience of trauma in a community that is focused on wholeness like the Anabaptists are, that鈥檚 helpful for both sides,鈥� he said.

鈥� . . . Veterans are very mission-oriented people. That鈥檚 part of our indoctrination 鈥� mission first 鈥� and that鈥檚 also a value of at least some parts of the Mennonite world. There鈥檚 also a big focus in the military on community.鈥�

Making community isn鈥檛 always easy. Knappenberger acknowledged fundamental differences could lead to misunderstandings and misconceptions, but that鈥檚 not a reason to avoid each other.

鈥淚 think the thing to remember is that it is going to be messy,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut I think if it鈥檚 done in the spirit of love, the messiness won鈥檛 override the intention, which is good.鈥�

The curriculum is available at no cost online at听听辞谤听.

Courtesy of听Mennonite World Review, Dec. 15, 2014

Heishman, a junior majoring in at 糖心Vlog, was part of the of . She spent 11 weeks at in a stately old church shared by three congregations and numerous ministries. She got a taste of what it would be like to be a pastor by participating in the day-to-day activities of church ministry.

Was Heishman still intimidated by the end of the summer? 鈥淣o,鈥� she said, 鈥淚 was pleasantly surprised by how well we all got along.鈥�

鈥淗anna brought new energy to our church office,鈥� said Pastor Lorie Hershey. 鈥淪he values self-awareness, listening and learning, and brought that into her tasks and responsibilities, such as facilitating a weekly women鈥檚 group.鈥� Hershey, who is a 2005 graduate of 糖心Vlog鈥檚 , said she enjoyed her many in-depth conversations with Heishman.

Three other 糖心Vlog students participated in the 2014 Ministry Inquiry Program:

Nathanael Ressler, a junior major from Mount Vernon, Illinois, was a pastoral intern at in Goshen, Indiana. 鈥淢y father is a pastor, so I had some idea of what to expect,鈥� he said. His duties included visitation, planning and leading worship, writing for the newsletter, attending meetings and even preaching. 鈥淏ut I found that the life of a pastor is filled with miscellaneous jobs as well,鈥� said Ressler, a transfer student from two-year in Kansas.

Chris Parks, a senior major from Philadelphia, was a pastoral intern at in Maryland, just outside Washington D.C. He spent time with the youth in their various activities, led worship and singing, preached, worked at a soup kitchen and met individually with members. One day a week he volunteered at the . 鈥淚 learned that in order to truly follow God, I need to serve on my knees, live in God鈥檚 abundant gifts and grace, and 鈥榳aste鈥� my life for the Kingdom,鈥� he said.

Evan Knappenberger, a senior major from Charlottesville, Virginia, had a different kind of experience. He interned with the peace education director of and the peace/justice coordinator of Mennonite Church USA. He helped build a 鈥減rayers for peace鈥� resource, worked on a Sunday school curriculum, wrote web content, and interviewed military veterans who are members of Mennonite Church USA or involved in the .

鈥淭his summer project was interesting both from a veterans鈥� community point-of-view and from a Mennonite point-of-view,鈥� said Knappenberger, an Iraq War veteran who is now a pacifist. 鈥淢y long-term project is the founding of the field of veterans鈥� studies.鈥�

The Ministry Inquiry Program is typically funded by Mennonite Church USA, the participating colleges, area conferences, the students鈥� home churches and the host congregations. Heishman, Ressler and Parks each received a $2,000 scholarship for application to their fall semester. Their host churches provided housing and a $500 allowance. Knappenberger鈥檚 internship was funded differently, through Mennonite Central Committee, the peace office of Mennonite Church USA, and 糖心Vlog.

鈥淭hrough this program, students experience first hand what ministry is, and they test their gifts and sense of call,鈥� said , the 糖心Vlog coordinator of the program and instructor in the .

鈥淭he class of 2018 is the most racially, ethnically, and nationally diverse incoming class in the history of 糖心Vlog,鈥� told a capacity crowd of 900 in Lehman Auditorium on Aug. 27. Thirty-six percent of the incoming class is not white. Kniss challenged each listener to identify a difference with another person before the end of the day and to make a point of viewing it as “an invitation to engage,” rather than something to be feared.

“As an institution of higher learning, we know that the best way to develop ourselves and our students intellectually is to engage the new and the strange…,” he said. “You [students] will engage with people who are different from you in significant ways in your residence halls, in your athletic and intramural competitions, in your extracurricular activities, and in your religious lives.”

For students, faculty and staff, Kniss said diversity 鈥渆nriches our shared life as a community of learning.鈥� He lamented the examples in the United States and elsewhere in the world where 鈥減eople have been destroying each other rather than embracing diversity and welcoming the stranger.鈥� He pointed to Gaza, Syria, Iraq, Ukraine, and Ferguson, Missouri, as examples of this.

Underscoring the Christian foundation of 糖心Vlog Kniss said, 鈥淲e navigate our way through the complexities and ambiguities of modern life by following the way of Jesus in welcoming strangers, embracing people who are different and perhaps marginalized, and engaging new ideas that may be threatening to our old ways of seeing the world. 鈥�

picked up on this theme with that was both amusing and parable-like, describing the way his farm-rooted family was loyal to the Sperry-New Holland line of farm machinery while they sniffed at those loyal to John Deere equipment 鈥� that is, until he married a woman from a 鈥淛ohn Deere family.鈥�

Both Kniss and Swartzendruber were carrying forward ideas that , 糖心Vlog鈥檚 vice president for enrollment, has promoted in speeches and in writing since he became a member of the president鈥檚 cabinet in 2011.

In a 2012 talk to the Mennonite Higher Education Faculty Conference (published in three parts in May 2014 on the and on ), Hartman said:

Studies on cognitive development show that critical thinking, problem-solving capacities and cognitive complexity increase for all students exposed to diversity on campus and in the classroom. Diversity leads to the possibility of an enriched and engaging environment where greater learning and skill development is possible. It broadens perspectives, it provides increased exposure to alternative viewpoints, and brings more complex discussions and analysis.

Both Hartman and Kniss stressed that college should be the opposite of a cocoon of familiarity, because, in Hartman鈥檚 words, this 鈥渋mpedes the personal struggle and conscious thought that are so important for identity development.鈥�

This year鈥檚 convocation expanded on a theme introduced in the, when university leaders stressed the importance of embracing each other within the 糖心Vlog community, appreciating the gifts and diversity that each student, staffer and faculty member brings to this community of mutual learners. The talks given at this year’s convocation can be heard via podcast .

What does faithful living look like in an institution that participates in a capitalistic endeavor? I think it means investigating our institutional policies that may perpetuate power and privilege in an unintended manner. It also means naming the invisible barriers which may limit accessibly for students who are other-cultured.

鈥淢ennonite affirmative action鈥� is a term I often use when participating in the awarding of scholarships at our Mennonite colleges and universities. Roughly twelve years ago I read an article in the New York Times that listed academic success by denomination. Mennonites were ranked in the top five.

In other words, Mennonite students overall do very well academically in higher education and are a safe student to recruit. At one Mennonite institution the average retention rate of a cohort of Mennonite students entering the fourth fall semester since the year 2000 was 78.5%, while 47.8% of students who did not come from a Mennonite background were retained.

The disparity in retention rate between Mennonite students and those who are not Mennonite is glaring and speaks to a serious incongruous cultural dilemma. There is also a connection between dominance and sub-ordinance when it comes to retention.

Returning to the topic of accessibility, Mennonite students who are predominantly white receive the majority of institutional merit scholarships. On top of merit institutional aid, if a student is a member of a Mennonite church he or she usually receives a match of institutional funds. Stacked upon that, if a student attends the university as a 鈥渓egacy鈥� student, meaning a parent attended the predominantly white Mennonite college or university, then there is additional institutional aid provided. Finally, our very best students who are often Mennonite receive endowed scholarships on top of all the previous listed funds.

What one must remember is that every time a Mennonite student receives additional institutional resources it takes away from the very same pool used to support diversity efforts. I have found that many Mennonite parishioners speak boldly about social justice until it impacts their wallet.

Many Mennonite families opt to send their own child to a local state school when the institutional aid is not provided at a disproportionately favorable level, regardless of one鈥檚 income level.

In my sixteen years as both an undergraduate and graduate faculty member I observed that faculties tended to be more supportive of diversity initiatives to the extent that diverse students did not create additional workload or require additional time and energy. After all, we as faculty enter the academy in part, for the rewards of time and freedom.

When focusing specifically on admissions criteria and the work of admissions committees the question I often wonder is, 鈥淚f the academic criterion for other-cultured individuals is the same as for all students, without taking culture into consideration, are non-cognitive factors being considered?鈥� Are resources invested in preparatory summer academies for underprepared students? And are diverse student unions and clubs supported for cultural respite?

The role of the institution, when living out responsibly the Christian life, is to commit to developing inclusive communities and placing diversity more closely to the overall mission of the institution. It means moving forward with serious inquiry like we do with so many other endeavors.

We must conduct introspective analysis of the institution. We must incorporate a diversity plan that becomes systemic and transformational. So often we settle for projects, special programs, short-term initiatives, and other efforts that are not sustainable and are difficult to evaluate.[1]

Conclusion

As a former student of color, faculty of color, and administrator of color at predominantly white Mennonite campuses, my experiences of inclusivity did not come from a project, or program, or diversity initiative. It came from professors who understood the true meaning of Educare: To bring out that which is from within.

The legendary psychology and education professors Judy Mullet and Jean Roth Hawk became my white allies, seeing me as a student who brought a unique experience and perspective that could enrich the teaching and learning process. When I experienced constructive criticism through time and relational support, I did not need a program to have others better accept my racial difference.

When Dr. Mullet and Dr. Hawk met with me as an advisee and challenged me, I felt valued and encouraged, as opposed to being reduced to a systemic chore or one-more-good-deed-to-be-taken-care-of on behalf of the servant-driven institution.

With all that they were, they said, 鈥淲e are here to assist you on this academic journey, we will be your lantern, your knowledgeable other, walking with you from where you are to where you want to be.鈥澨� Dr. Mullet and Dr. Hawk along with many others in Mennonite higher education recognized the extraordinary value of diversity and saw me as a gift and responded with sacrificial, relational faithful living.听鈥淒iversity鈥� can be synonymous with community, and inclusivity can become unity when we see each student as a gift with something to offer and together commit to faithful living as Christians.

听

In a 1997 article entitled听Down with Diversity, Keith Denton, from Missouri State University, posited that diversity has the potential to dilute the cultural identity of an organization.[1] It appears that our institutions of higher learning may have that same fear because we sincerely speak politically correct rhetoric but seem hesitant to bring in the very students who threaten historical narratives and cultural values.

The need to preserve the university鈥檚 core values and beliefs makes it difficult for it to fully embrace those who do not look nor believe like the majority of its constituents. Our emphasis on peace and social justice and living in community ought to position us perfectly in the 21st听century to embrace diversity in all its fullness.

An additional observation is that, at times, Mennonite colleges tend to be more active in explicitly welcoming and accepting international diversity as compared to domestic diversity. This allows the institution to maintain a sense of segregated pluralism.

While working at one particular Mennonite institution I noticed the campus was enriched by a large percentage of international students, more than any of the other Mennonite schools at the time. This deserved to be celebrated, and yet it did not equal the full reality of diversity, including all its domestic dimensions.

I want Mennonite colleges and universities to perceive diversity not in terms of a hierarchical value of cultures, but as an opportunity to create a culture of acceptance. This fosters a sense of belonging among all persons by recognizing and respecting difference and in doing so, promoting a sense of loyalty to the college or university.

Our diversity cannot just be a diversity of assimilation and acculturation. This suggests that as long as one behaves like the dominant campus group, sheds a particular set of values, norms and/or beliefs and especially does not over emphasize individual cultural distinctiveness then, and only then, will there be a welcoming and acceptance into the larger community.

Studies on cognitive development show that critical thinking, problem-solving capacities and cognitive complexity increase for all students exposed to diversity on campus and in the classroom. 听Diversity leads to the possibility of an enriched and engaging environment where greater learning and skill development is possible. It broadens perspectives, it provides increased exposure to alternative viewpoints, and brings more complex discussions and analysis.

Educational researchers state that attending college in one鈥檚 home environment or replicating the home community鈥檚 social life and expectations in a homogeneous college impedes the personal struggle and conscious thought that are so important for identity development.

The biblical text says that a 鈥渕ixed multitude鈥� came up out of Egypt with Moses.听 (Exodus 12:27-38).听The NIV says 鈥渕any other people went up with them.鈥澨� In other words it wasn鈥檛 just the descendants of Abraham that came out of Egypt.听 Many others that the Egyptians had enslaved came out with them.

The Exodus passage stands in contrast to Ezra and Nehemiah after the Babylonian exile. Those passages told the Israelites to put away their foreign wives and the children they had with them. The Ezra and Nehemiah passages cared more about maintaining ethnic purity and racial exclusiveness than they did about being a light to the Gentiles as the people of God.

By the end of the Old Testament story, Israel moved from celebrating diversity and inclusion to an exclusive group with a singular narrative. It asserted that God could not work with any more and thus we have the coming of Jesus to start over.

Jesus celebrates diversity as seen in the twelve disciples he called.听 Jesus even uses the contextual oxymoron, 鈥渢he Good Samaritan.鈥� He treats tax collectors and Roman soldiers with respect. He elevates women in a way unheard of in his day.听In 1 Corinthians 12:12-22, Paul discusses how the Christian body is composed of a variety of people and that it is this diversity which adds to the effectiveness and giftedness of the body as a whole.

鈥淎nd if they were all one member, where would the body be? But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. And the eye cannot say to the hand, 鈥淚 have no need of you鈥�; nor again the head to the feet, 鈥淚 have no need of you.鈥� (New King James Version)

Acts 10:34-35 states, 鈥淭hen Peter replied, 鈥業 see very clearly that God doesn鈥檛 show partiality.鈥欌��

Many conversations that I am a part of as the Vice President for Enrollment at 糖心Vlog have budget implications. Questions arise such as:

• Do we put additional resources into increasing the discount rate in order to attract additional students?
• Do we put resources toward a cost-of-living adjustment to compensate the over taxed faculty?
• Maybe resources should be allotted to the renovation of a building to accommodate a new program which will generate additional future revenue?

All of these conversations are done in the name of perpetuating our overall mission, and creating a new type of individual, one who embodies the values of the Christian faith.

These are tough economic times.听 Skyrocketing tuition has hit the mainstream media. Mennonite institutions are all clamoring over appropriate discount rates, attempting to make our institutions affordable while emphasizing the values-difference compared to our state school competitors.

Now the topic of diversity has moved from the periphery to a more central position within our strategic master plans. This is a time when some universities are asking the question, 鈥淗ow important is diversity?鈥� Many of these universities then reduce the topic to: resources, political correctness, accreditation, and current politics in general.

It is at this time that I hear the Mennonite Education Agency saying boldly that the importance of diversity at our Mennonite institutions of higher education should not be determined by affordability or political determination but by a biblical mandate. 鈥淚f you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, 鈥榶ou shall love your neighbor as yourself,鈥� you do well; but if you show partiality, you commit sin, and are convicted by the law of transgressors.鈥� (James 2:8-9). The bottom line is鈥�..Diversity is not a choice!

It has been 15 years since Michigan State University and Virginia Tech both conducted a study where they surveyed their entire campus communities. Over 50% of faculty and staff and 38% of the student body responded to the survey.

In both studies, nearly all respondents suggested that diversity was good for their respective institutions and should be promoted. This would suggest that there was, and most likely still is, general and genuine support for the institutions commitment to a more diverse community.

I am convinced after serving as a faculty member or administrator at 3 out of the 5 U.S. Mennonite institutions of higher education that Mennonite colleges and universities would arrive overwhelmingly at the very same conclusion: that diversity should be promoted. We are all for inclusivity and can even document this desire, however, in practice the question must be asked, 鈥淎re we actually doing what we say we support?鈥�

In most of our college and university settings there continues to be a perpetuation of a colonial education model, where a dominant group educates a subordinate group from only the dominant world view. 听The disconnect begins to appear when the very persons who are in agreement with the principles of diversity in practice are content to leave things as they are or begin to voice in a more passive way the discomfort with the demographic shifts (i.e., 鈥渘ot a good fit鈥�, 鈥渢his may lead to the lowering of our academic standards鈥� or 鈥渇aculty are not prepared for the underprepared student鈥�).

James Anderson the chancellor of an Arkansas university says it like this, 鈥淭hose who claim a perceived threat to institutional quality and reputation such as lowered standards, political correctness are only trying to generate anxieties that are misplaced and to maintain the status quo.鈥�

We all know that historically the original intentions of higher education were for the upper class. This assertion still informs the present social perception of who deserves advanced education. The perception is that some students just can鈥檛 cut it in college and if you admit too many of these students it could create an inferior product which would then be detrimental to the reputation of the institution.

The essential question we face is, 鈥淗ow does a Mennonite college or university preserve a particular campus ethos, rooted in a historical Swiss-German ethnic Anabaptist narrative, while providing validity to multiple narratives which can enrich the entire campus community?鈥� Is diversity synonymous with community? Does inclusivity prevent unity?

These graduates have big plans for ministry. Some expect to be pastors in the United Methodist Church. Some expect to be chaplains or work in pastoral counseling settings. Some are planning for church planting or ministry combined with work in another field. Others are still waiting to see where God calls. The 11 graduates and 6 certificate students are United Methodist, Mennonite, Episcopalian, and 鈥渘one of the above.鈥�

The diversity of their calls to ministry can be seen in the capstone presentations of the 10 master of divinity graduates. The topics ranged from 鈥溾�� by Brittany Conley, who is now leading a small church plant in Staunton, Virginia, to 鈥溾�� by Melanie Lewis, a chaplain at the .

The capstone presentations were part of the final coursework for , a required course for all MDiv students. Other topics included: finding hope in the midst of conflict; how to perform Christian funerals; and how the shepherd metaphor is dangerous to church leaders. Each student chooses a topic that he or she thinks will be relevant to ministry in the future.

In these projects students have already begun the work that Elizabeth Soto Albrecht, the seminary commencement speaker, encouraged them to do.

鈥淵ou are asking how to be church differently,鈥� Soto Albrecht said. 鈥淓xamine the container that we call church and examine what we put in the container. Sometimes the church becomes a holy bubble that no one can touch. Sometimes we need to burst that bubble.鈥�

Soto Albrecht is the first Hispanic woman to be moderator of . She is also coordinator of field education at Lancaster (Pa.) Theological Seminary.

鈥淟ike trees in a forest, the roots of all our denominations are interconnected. We are not individuals doing our own thing.听鈥淭he church is in the middle of major changes. Lift up your prophetic voices, but always stay within the church, because once you are outside you can鈥檛 change it. Be the change you wish to see.鈥�

Class president Clayton Payne spoke of students鈥� unexpected changes during their seminary journeys and noted that this would undoubtedly continue: 鈥淲e need to water our souls with the transformational narrative of Jesus.鈥�

Ten students received master of divinity degrees this year. One student received a master of arts in church leadership degree, and six students received certificates in ministry studies. This was a small class by recent standards, but vice-president and seminary dean noted that class sizes typically vary year to year and the graduating class of 2015 is expected to be larger than usual.

More from commencement weekend:

听(video)

Cords of Distinction ceremony听(podcast)

Seminary commencement ceremony听(podcast)

“” – WHSV/TV3 (video)

Nurses’ pinning ceremony听(podcast)

Seminary Baccalaureate听(podcast)

has recently published the alumna鈥檚 first book, a devotional memoir, . She also keeps a blog, , in which she explores the intersection of parenting, faith, and work. Gerber is head of youth ministries for .

鈥淚. Don鈥檛. Know. Anything,鈥� Gerber recalls thinking when she was handed her first son, Owen, in 2006. With a cursory introduction to where the diapers, onesies, and wipes were found in the hospital鈥檚 nursery bassinet, a nurse left Gerber and her husband, Shawn, on their own.

Ordinary Miracles uses the story of Jesus鈥� walk to Emmaus after his resurrection to help readers see incidents in their own family鈥檚 daily life and challenges as normal and instructional. As readers follow the dark days and disillusionment of the disciples after the death of Jesus, to the moment in which their 鈥渆yes are opened鈥� and they see Jesus in the ordinary breaking of bread, Gerber learns to discover the gifts and holy calling hidden in the events of harried family life.

鈥淚t has been a joy to learn from the often crazy and unpredictable and disorienting days that parenting young children can bring,鈥� says Gerber in reflecting on the book. 鈥淚n the most mundane and ordinary days of motherhood, and in moments of exhilaration, joy, and beauty, God is present.鈥�

Gerber works half-time as the Mennonite Church USA denominational minister of youth and young adults. She partners with the Youth Ministry Council, , and Mennonite Church USA convention planning staff on Christian formation and leadership development initiatives. She has also worked in ministerial positions for Mennonite congregations in Colorado and Indiana. Gerber has written curricula, devotionals, and articles for a variety of publications on a range of topics from spiritual formation to dramatic skits. She and her family live in Bloomington, Ind.

The book is available for $12.99 from . For more information, contact Melodie Davis at 540-574-4874 or MelodieD@mennomedia.org.