Spring commencement season

A number of schools celebrated their commencement within the past weeks. Students were recognized for achievements and wished well for their future endeavours.

Canadian Mennonite University

Canadian Mennonite University conferred 69 degrees to the class of 2005 at their graduation ceremony April 24 at Portage Ave. MB Church, Winnipeg. This equals last year’s record graduating class for the five-year-old university. Degrees were awarded in Arts, Church Ministries, Church Music, Musical Arts and Theology.

Valedictorian Niki Enns compared the characteristics of a CMU education to those of seeds. A seed doesn’t spend its time thinking about growing; “it simply grows,” she said, citing how professors have modelled values such as peace and stewardship.

Commencement speaker and Anglican clergyman, Dr. David Widdicombe, reflected on the words of the apostle Paul, “This know also, that in the last days perilous times should come. For men shall be ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” Widdicombe used this text to examine the role of a Christian as public intellectual, saying that one of those roles is that of gadfly – someone who can speak as the conscience of society.

Other events of the weekend were a celebration of music featuring CMU’s seven choral and ensemble groups, and the Sunday morning baccalaureate service where graduates reflected on their time at CMU. Jamie Bergman said that CMU helped him embrace leadership and realize that it is possible for him to make a difference in people’s lives.

Other news from CMU:

• CMU is launching a new degree program in music therapy. CMU will be the only university among prairie provinces that offers a Bachelor of Music Therapy, and it will be the only university music therapy program offered within a Christian context. The program will be headed up by Jim Wiebe. Wiebe has been employed as a music therapist at Eden Health Care Services in Winkler for the past 15 years.
• Another new program being developed at CMU is one in communications. John Longhurst, formerly with Marketplace (MEDA), has been appointed Director of Communications and Marketing for CMU and part of his responsibility will be to develop this new program. He replaces Kevin Heinrichs who has been with CMU since 2001.

Canadian Mennonite University graduating class of 2005.

Outatown

CMU’s Outatown program graduated 76 students from the two-semester program April 16. John Unger, pastor of Fort Garry MB Church, Winnipeg, and former Concord College president told students that life after Outatown might seem very ordinary, but encouraged them to keep on being servants. An additional 13 graduated from the one-semester Thailand last December.

Mennonite Brethren Biblical Seminary

This spring, 49 graduates received degrees through MB Biblical Seminary’s campuses in Fresno, Calif. and Langley, B.C. Fifteen received Master of Divinity degrees, 33 Master or Arts degrees and one received a Diploma in Christian Studies. More than half the graduates will be serving in pastoral ministry positions in North America and around the world.

The Fresno ceremonies were held May 1 and featured Dr. Chris Erdman, senior pastor at University Presbyterian Church, as speaker. He encouraged students to be reliant on God as they go out into their individual ministries.

In B.C., MBBS is part of the Associated Canadian Theological Schools (ACTS), a consortium of six seminaries. The class of 14 was the largest MBBS ACTS class in the five years the seminary has been part of the consortium. The ACTS graduation was held at South Delta Baptist Church.

In related MBBS news, nine students were awarded Honors Scholarships:

• The Helen Janz Mission Memorial Scholarship, established to recognize Janz’s heart for and commitment to mission, was awarded to Andrej Janzen of Germany.
• Elizabeth Conkle of Fresno was given the Nettie Toews Honors Scholarship. This scholarship honours Nettie Toews, wife of the late president emeritus J.B.Toews, and is given to a female student with promise of effectiveness in ministry.
• The John and Catherine Froese Preachers of Promise Award was given to Merlin Enns of Brandon, Man. The purpose of the award is to encourage the development of pastors in becoming outstanding communicators of the gospel.
• An Alumni Scholarship, initiated by the class of 1996, was presented to Ryan Schellenberg of Morden, Man.
• The Mental Health and Integration Scholarship was given to Christel Gnonhousou of Republic of Benin. This scholarship honours men and women in the Mennonite community who have made a significant contribution to the dialogue of faith and mental health. This year the scholarship was given in honour of Allen Guenther, professor emeritus of MBBS. Guenther was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and began a very personal journey of integrating spirituality with issues of psychosocial health.
• The first Lynette Friesen Memorial Theology Scholarship was presented to Jennica Geddert of Saskatoon, Sask. The scholarship was established to support women studying theology.

Providence College

Providence College had its largest-ever graduating class this year when 92 degrees were conferred. Although not a Mennonite Brethren school, a goodly number of MB students attend.

—from reports from the schools