Feature

Rubbing Shoulders with Anabaptists

Lienhard Wäber died in the early winter of 1631 in the village of Brütten just outside of Zurich. His death was self-inflicted. Anna Richi, his wife, found him hanging from a tree in an oak grove near their small home, having followed his footsteps through freshly fallen snow. Wäber’s passing shocked his community, not least the newly arrived Reformed minister Hans Rudolf Fischer, who was charged by the authorities with investigating how such a thing could have happened in his parish. The pastor had known Wäber only as a dedicated school teacher. But as he set out to canvas those in the area who had spent time with the deceased man, the pastor discovered that, despite outward appearances, Wäber had long been mired in deep turmoil.

Remembering Werner Packull

“I’m trying to broaden your mind.”

Sometime in 1993, in pursuit of a good mark in Reformation History, I went to my professor’s office to discuss an essay topic. Hoping to appear studious, I took copious notes during the meeting—until Professor Werner Packull told me to stop, in words I’ll never forget: “Put your pen down,” he said. “I’m not here to give you the answers; I’m trying to broaden your mind.”

The Legacy of Mennonite Studies and History at Grebel

Because Grebel’s mission and programs are rooted in and inspired by its Anabaptist/Mennonite heritage, the College puts a significant emphasis on teaching Mennonite studies and History. While Mennonite Studies wasn’t an official program from the outset, Grebel’s founders wanted to ensure that Mennonite students pursuing post-secondary education at a secular university still had some grounding in Mennonite education.

Alumni Careers Rooted in History

Over the past 60 years, thousands of Grebel alumni have taken individual Grebel courses in History and Mennonite Studies, while hundreds of Grebel alumni have received University of Waterloo Arts degrees with majors and minors in History, along with some who have pursued specializations and minors in Mennonite Studies. The following profiles highlight a few of these alumni—some who went into history professions and some who used history as a jumping point for their career. We asked alumni to reflect on these questions: Where has your background in History or Mennonite Studies taken you? How did your studies prepare you for your profession, hobby, research, or volunteer role? How has your education or profession enriched your life, taken your life in an unexpected direction, or led to an accomplishment you’re proud of? How did Grebel inspire this path?

#Grebelife

The first week of September brought an atmosphere of excitement to Grebel as a new batch of Grebelites arrived at the residence, joined by their parents and greeted by enthusiastic upper-year students. A spirit of new possibilities could be felt in the air—a spirit that has been gracing Grebel’s doorstep for the past 60 years.

60 Stories of Inspiring Alumni

Disney animator. CEOs. Lawyers. Musicians. Peacemakers centred in war zones. These are just a few of the fascinating folks who have graduated from Grebel over the last 60 years. Not only are these alumni making advances in their fields, but they’re also representing Grebel’s excellence on an international level, with careers in countries all across the world.

A Sampling of Scholarship

In addition to classroom teaching, faculty and other academic personnel at Grebel accomplish a wide range of scholarship and service in the academy, church, and community. Here is a sampling of recent activities and achievements.

COMMEMORATING 500 YEARS OF ANABAPTISM: FRIENDS OF GREBEL EUROPEAN TOUR

Grebel alumni, staff, and friends are getting ready to explore Anabaptist beginnings on a European tour in May 2025. Alongside faculty experts Troy Osborne and David Neufeld, travellers will follow this story from the Netherlands through Germany, France, and Switzerland, visiting the very places where events significant to this tradition occurred.

New Capital Campaign will Focus on Residence Renewal

A new capital campaign was announced at the 60th Anniversary Gala on October 11. This followed several ‘announcements’ from students, given in the lively spirit of Community Supper announcements. These included invitations to keep dorm room doors wide open during heat waves and a word of thanks to a clean up brigade who mopped up after a ‘waterfall’ down the stairs caused by a plumbing blockage.

New Director of Student Services

Jessica Reesor Rempel (BA 2011) has been appointed Conrad Grebel University College’s new Director of Student Services. She has already served with distinction in the roles of Interim Chaplain, Chaplain, and, for the past few months, as Acting Director. Jessie brings a wealth of experience in pastoral care, social services, and organizational leadership.

Radicals and Reformers: A New Anabaptist History Textbook

From renegade gatherings of Christian believers in the 1500s to a global communion of more than 2.1 million members, the Anabaptist-Mennonite movement has been marked by faithfulness and failure, continuity and conflict, radicalism and reformation. Grebel History Professor Troy Osborne was asked by MennoMedia to write a new textbook that draws from recent scholarship on the global church. “I thought that it could be an interesting challenge, and it would also be useful to produce a book I could use in my own courses,” Troy explained. “One of the attractions of the project was working with an advisory group that included professors from a wide variety of Mennonite colleges and universities.”

Recent History Grads Inspired by the Past

Three recent History graduates reflect on their careers.

Reconciliation in the Archives: What was lost, what remains, what is possible

Poet Jean Janzen offers a definition of “everything” as “what was lost, what remains, what is possible.” As an archivist I find this a useful definition. I once answered a phone call from an older British man with a common “Mennonite name.” He began quizzing me about local Mennonite genealogy. When I told him how common his name was in southwestern Ontario, he exclaimed incredulously, his voice crackling over the long-distance line, “but I thought I was the only one!” Here was a man, after decades of loss, reaching out for what remains and discovering new possibilities for understanding his personal past.

The Inexpressible, Intangible Music AND

Conrad Grebel University College is home to the University of Waterloo Music program. Tucked into spacious facilities on the lower level of the College “across the creek” from the sprawling campus of the University, the Department of Music welcomes a diverse student body to learn about and to make music. Over decades, hundreds of students have graduated from Waterloo with degrees in Music, and tens of thousands more have taken courses or participated in music ensembles. The Department of Music is large enough to create a vibrant and creative community of music-making and learning yet small enough that students get to know faculty, staff, and each other, personally.

Music is Instrumental to Many Waterloo Students

Students choose to integrate music into their university life for various purposes—to pursue their musical passion, be part of something bigger than themselves, or to build meaningful friendships. We asked a group of students from all faculties at the University of Waterloo to tell us how Music connects with their other academic pursuits. Their answers reveal that Music has contributed to a stimulating interdisciplinary environment, revealing surprising partnerships between different fields of study.

ALUMNI TIE MUSIC INTO THEIR LIVES

Grebel aims to be a space for conversation and connection among people of diverse backgrounds and academic disciplines. Because Grebel administers the University of Waterloo’s Music program, the College naturally attracts musically talented students from every faculty at Waterloo. Some Grebel alumni have gone on to have remarkable careers in music performance, composition, conducting, and teaching. Others have chosen to combine their love of music with other passions in complementary fields. The following profiles highlight a sampling of alumni who have merged their interests in music and another field. We asked: How are you combining music with another field or interest? How has this fusion enriched your life, taken your life in an unexpected direction, or led to an accomplishment you’re proud of? How did Grebel inspire this path?

Musicals and the Magic of a Multi-Year Residence

In 2002, students Kirk Schmidt and Leigh McClymont had an idea that Grebel students could produce a full-scale Broadway musical. It was an ambitious and seemingly unrealistic dream. But they wrote a business case and pitched it to Student Council. One year later, Grebel’s production of Godspell opened for a four-night run. Asked about that first production, Kirk reflected that “When we sold out three out of the four nights, we knew we had tapped into something within the Grebel zeitgeist.”

Music, Memories, and Belonging in Residential Care

“I don’t have much of a singing voice anymore,” is something I often heard when I first started inviting people to hymn sings. No wonder. In their 90s, without many people to talk to, let alone sing with, over the past few years of masking, our voices have deteriorated. And mine wasn’t great to start with. (My failed audition for the Grebel Chapel Choir 30-some years ago is evidence of this).

New Lichti Voice Studies Award to Support Inspired Singers

Vocal music students at Grebel and UWaterloo are now supported by a new scholarship open to students enrolled in Music Studio in voice and in Music Department choirs. The “Lichti Voice Studies Scholarship Award” was graciously established by Daniel Lichti, an Associate Professor Emeritus of the Faculty of Music at Wilfrid Laurier University (1998-2017).

Toronto Mennonite Theological Centre Activity Ends

Toronto Mennonite Theological Centre (TMTC) will end its operations this spring, following a decision of the Conrad Grebel University College Board of Governors at its February meeting.

Renewing an Inspired Community: A Strategic Plan Update

In April 2022, the Grebel Board of Governors approved the new “Strategic Plan 2022-2025 | Renewing an Inspired Community.” Since this adoption, the College has shifted some of its resources to the four areas of focus which centre attention on these core strategic areas: the student experience; relationships with key partners in the university, church, and wider community; excellence in learning; and resilience for the future. The chart below details some of the progress made in 2022-2023.

Cherished Spaces and Treasured Memories

At the end of each year, several graduating residence students are invited to reflect on their time at Grebel and offer words of wisdom to the rest of the Grebel community at Chapel or Community Supper. Here are several of this year’s reflections.

Convocation 2023: Transformation Happens in Community

At the end of April, Grebel’s graduating class of 2023 celebrated the end of their university journeys with one of the College’s beloved traditions—Convocation. Although many students had yet to finish final exams and papers, the afternoon served as a congratulations recognizing the hard work, drive, and dedication that undergraduate and graduate students had put toward their degree. Alongside their peers, families, faculty, and staff, graduates were blessed into their new beginnings with a heartfelt goodbye and warm wishes.

A Sampling of Scholarship

In addition to classroom teaching, faculty and other academic personnel at Grebel accomplish a wide range of scholarship and service in the academy, church, and community. Here is a sampling of recent activities and achievements.

Peace Scholar Brings Depth, Curiosity, Originality

Dr. Eric Lepp (BA 2005) will join the Grebel community as Assistant Professor of Peace and Conflict Studies (PACS) on July 1, 2023, becoming the College’s newest tenure-track faculty member. With expertise in conflict transformation, theories and practices of nonviolence and resistance, and peace and social justice movements, Eric brings experience, knowledge, and enthusiasm to this role at Grebel and the University of Waterloo.

Celebrating Ten Years of MPACS: Pursuing Transformative Peace and Justice

The world is filled with unique and diverse communities and cultures, friendship and family, love, and the resilient human spirit. However, the world is facing turbulent times with polarization, systemic violence, armed conflicts, and oppression on the uprise. “The Master of Peace and Conflict Studies community strives to transform conflicts, repair harms, and build flourishing communities,” said Reina Neufeldt, Chair and Associate Professor of Peace and Conflict Studies at Grebel.

Mapping Systems Clarifies Complex Problems

This April, Grebel hosted the University of Waterloo campus finals of the Map the System student research competition, a culmination of several months of work and research for student teams. A global competition developed by the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship at Oxford University, Map the System provides an opportunity for students to explore some of the most pressing issues of our time—from climate change to food insecurity—using a systems-thinking lens.

New Endowment will Fund Archives Activity

Supporting Grebel programs and capital campaigns has always been a priority for Grebel alumna Anita (Lehn) Tiessen (BA 1981) (second from right in photo) and her late husband Bob Tiessen (BMath 1974). While Bob was an actuary and loved numbers and spreadsheets, one of his favourite hobbies was history. He loved to expand his knowledge of world events and had an interest and respect for Mennonite history, particularly his own family’s history. One of Bob’s retirement projects was to sort through all the photos and documents left to him when his parents passed away. Some of these artifacts were donated to the Archives housed at Grebel, and have resulted in the Franz and Anna Tiessen fonds.

If at First You Don't Succeed...

In 1979, my father helped Cal Redekop launch a solar energy business. My dad, Milo Shantz, was an entrepreneur with a grade eight education, and was involved in many different small businesses. Cal was a professor of Sociology here at Grebel. The two were great (if somewhat unlikely) friends.

Tech for Good

“The role of technology in contemporary society is expanding every day, and critical reflection on the impact of technology now pervades a growing number of scholarly and popular contexts. Not only is it a struggle to keep up with accelerating technological developments, we can be overwhelmed by a deluge of observations, opinions, and analyses of these developments. Indeed, thanks to the rise of new technologies like social media, there are many more ways that our attention is being drawn to the impact of technology.”

ALUMNI CHANGING THE WORLD WITH TECH

Grebel alumni are involved in many interesting initiatives that use technology for good—in start-ups, projects, support roles, research, and hobbies. The following profiles highlight some alumni who are involved in activities that use technology to make a difference in society and the world. We asked them to reflect on these questions: How are you making the world a better place using technology? How has this involvement changed you, challenged you, or enriched your life? Why are you driven in this direction? How did Grebel inspire this path?

Tech, Spirituality, and Older Adults

Until recently, technology and older adults were unlikely friends. Now I’m not surprised when a 96-year-old scrolls through their tablet to show me their latest great-grandchild, or asks their smart tech device to play some music. For many, technology has become a vital link to their faith community.

Breaking Down Silos with PeaceTech

Throughout my four years at Grebel, of the many hats I have worn, the one that has had the most impact has been as a PeaceTecher. You might wonder, what is a PeaceTecher?

Issa Ebombolo: Building Peace in Zambia and Malawi

To look back on Issa Ebombolo’s (MPACS 2017) career thus far is to look back on a journey of leadership, collaboration, and great accomplishments. From developing a peace curriculum, helping develop programs and support for refugee camps, and now, in his current role, working with Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) as Peacebuilding Coordinator for Zambia and Malawi, he has helped promote peace and restorative justice in all that he does.

Small Fixes Can Lead to Large Solutions

“I’d rather repair something than replace it” is an uncommon statement to hear in a throwaway society, yet it is one voiced by Grebel resident Liam Armstrong.

Award Honours Grandmother's Dreams

Sara Froese Berg (1893-1979) had an unfulfilled dream to receive an education. This dream was fulfilled as granddaughter Geraldine Balzer and great-granddaughters Kerstin and Alina graduated from the University of Waterloo and attended Grebel.

Sculpture Completes New Dining Room

A glowing, curious object sits above the fireplace in the corner of the Grebel’s dining room. Its oranges, blues, and greens call from across the space, inviting closer inspection of the whimsical and intricate arrangement of shapes.

Award Supports Students from House of Friendship Programs

For two high school students who connect to House of Friendship programs in Waterloo Region, a substantial grant from the Lyle S Hallman Foundation will make the dream of a Grebel residence experience and a University of Waterloo degree a reality. Youth from community centres and family resource programs run by House of Friendship might not consider applying to UWaterloo if they can’t afford it. Even if they are able to cover tuition, living in residence is often out of the question.

Tremaine Map Finds a Home in Mennonite Archives of Ontario

his map of Waterloo County from 1861 Includes landmarks, buildings and lot demarcations along with the names of settlers.

New Perspectives on a Familiar Story

Grebel Professor Derek Suderman is passionate about connecting with global Anabaptist churches and contributing to cross-cultural teaching. This summer, he taught courses in Cuba and Thailand to resource the Global Mennonite Church.

A Sampling of Scholarship

In addition to classroom teaching, faculty and other academic personnel at Grebel accomplish a wide range of scholarship and service in the academy, church, and community. Here is a sampling of recent activities and achievements.

Concert Highlights Indigenous-Mennonite Relationships

As part of the Indigenous-Mennonite Encounters conference organized by Grebel in May 2022, Indigenous and Mennonite musicians offered a concert addressing relationships, beauty, nature, hope, and betrayal.

#Grebelife

The air was buzzing at Grebel on September 3, as new students moved into the residence, accompanied by their parents and welcomed by enthusiastic upper-year students.

Leading with Empathy and Care

It took a multitude of events to properly say goodbye to Mary Brubaker-Zehr, Grebel’s Director of Student Services since 1996.

Inspiring Academic Leader Marlene Epp Retires

The Grebel community celebrated Professor Marlene Epp’s 27 years of service at the end of June.

Transitions and Reappointments

Jennifer Ball has moved on from her role as Assistant Professor of Peace and Conflict Studies at Grebel after seven years.

Cheri Otterbein Retires

Cheri brought a lot of who she is to the role of manager. She gave more than 100 percent on many days. Not one to sit at her desk for long, she enjoyed being involved with the minute details, moving eight-foot tables by herself, using her collection of tools from her trusty toolbox to fix simple malfunctions, carefully packing a van full of food for the Silver Lake Retreat, helping out with dishes, and sharing her love of yoga with students. She also adhered to strict guidelines for health and safety.

Alumni Gatherings and Reunions

It’s been a joy to connect with many Grebel alumni and friends at gatherings and reunions during the past 6 months. Keep your eyes open for more events in 2023!

Setting a Foundation for Church Leadership

As part of Grebel’s mission to nurture faith in service to church and society, the College has woven many threads of opportunity into its programming. While Grebel students are on diverse career paths, those who want to build church leadership skills find ways to develop those gifts.

One Thousand Days without Pop

Tyler Allen works in the kitchen at Grebel, washing dishes and helping the cooks prepare and serve food. He always has a friendly word for staff and students, and is a reliable source for sports news—especially concerning the Toronto Maple Leafs.