News

In celebration of the 40th anniversary of Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of Waterloo, on April 20 Conrad Grebel University College hosted a sold-out gala dinner featuring the Honourable Bob Rae as keynote speaker. Focusing on the theme of “Pursuing Peace: Stories from Home and Abroad,” the evening included alumni stories, acknowledgements of those who have impacted the PACS program, as well as Bob Rae’s reflections on the pursuit of peace.

Professor Emeritus Werner O. Packull passed away on April 27, 2018 at the age of 76. Werner began his teaching career at Renison College at the University of Waterloo and later moved to Grebel. Upon the urging of former president Rod Sawatsky, Werner joined the Grebel faculty in 1983 to teach Reformation history and pursue Anabaptist studies. He was a mentor to many, and his passionate teaching inspired generations of students.

Musicologist Dr. Katherine Kennedy Steiner will join Conrad Grebel University College’s faculty as Assistant Professor of Music, starting July 1, 2018. Teaching a range of courses from broad musicology surveys, to music of the Renaissance and medieval eras, to church music and worship, Steiner will engage with diverse groups of students across the University of Waterloo campus. She will also direct the College’s Chapel Choir.

The Institute of Anabaptist and Mennonite Studies at Conrad Grebel University College announces the 2018/2019 recipient of the J. Winfield Fretz Fellowship in Mennonite Studies, Dr. Ben Nobbs-Thiessen.  A Latin American historian whose research focuses on the evolving history of the low-German Mennonite diaspora in the region, he completed his PhD at Emory University in 2016 and is currently a postdoctoral researcher in the School of Transborder Studies at Arizona State University. 

Conrad Grebel University College is hiring for 3 contract positions! The Office Assistant and Receptionist (9-month contract) ensures that the main office runs smoothly and efficiently while providing a warm and welcoming atmosphere to students and visitors. The Conference, Bookings, and Events Coordinator (10-month contract) ensures that conferences and events are well-planned and organized. The Administrative Assistant to Theological Studies & the Anabaptist Learning Workshop (2-year contract) is responsible for attending to the administrative tasks that of the Theological Studies department and the ALW program. This position requires an individual with strong organizational skills, excellent interpersonal skills and outstanding attention to detail. Apply by April 25, 2018. Read complete job descriptions at www.grebel.ca/positions.

In North American Mennonite theological education, a regional focus is emerging as students prefer to access seminary education closer to home. Uprooting families and finding employment for a spouse in another country have become increasingly difficult.

To address this reality for students and to serve the changing needs of the church, Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary (AMBS) in Elkhart, Indiana, and Conrad Grebel University College in Waterloo, Ontario, have established a collaborative arrangement in which Canadian students can use the same course credits to earn sequential degrees from both Grebel and AMBS.

Working toward reconciliation with Indigenous neighbours takes time and requires building awareness and understanding. Following the report from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), Justice Murray Sinclair issued this challenge: “We have described for you the mountain. We have shown you the path to the top. We call upon you to do the climbing.”

Representatives of Anglican, United, Lutheran, and Mennonite Settler communities are lacing up for the climb. Muriel Bechtel, a retired Mennonite pastor says, “We are well aware that re-educating ourselves about our colonial history takes courage. We believe building awareness is a vital step in the reconciliation process for churches, governments, and all people who call this land our home.

Four productions of Discovery: A Comic Lament will occur in Waterloo Region from May 31 to June 3. As chair of the planning committee, Bechtel says “Only as we acknowledge our complicity in the displacement and dispossession of Indigenous communities, will we be able to move beyond our paralysis and confusion to deeper listening and action in partnership with Indigenous-led healing and justice efforts. We believe that this drama will inspire and motivate us for the climb ahead.”

“I always find hope in the resilience of the Rohingya people — in their dignity in the face of incredible abuse,” remarked the Honorable Bob Rae, in a CBC interview in early March. Currently working as Canada’s Special Envoy to Myanmar, Rae has spent four months traveling to Indonesia, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Vietnam, and the UN in New York. Tasked with investigating the humanitarian crisis, Rae is actively assessing efforts required to ensure the secure return of refugees to their homes, and gathering evidence of breaches of law and human rights. He reports that Canada has been “publicly associated with the peace process, with the dialogue on governance and pluralism, and with a number of other critical issues, and this engagement needs to continue.”

Have you ever been in a place, space, or community where you have been encouraged to try something new? Have you been challenged to take risks and leap out of your comfort zone? Have you tasted the confidence that comes with mastering new skills?

At summer camp, youth often have the opportunity to take these risks in the form of tackling a high ropes course, canoeing for the first time, or performing in a talent show. These experiences at summer camp are transformative and life-long confidence builders.

At Peace Camp, jumping out of your comfort zone looks a bit different. It’s practicing a new conflict resolution strategy and learning how to advocate for an issue you’re passionate about. It’s having a dialogue with someone who has different experiences and learning that together, we can make a difference.

For more than fifty years, Conrad Grebel University College at the University of Waterloo has cultivated a unique post at the College. Nestled in the heart of the Grebel residence building, alongside 142 undergraduate students sharing double rooms, lives a young married couple in a cute little apartment unit.