People & events

Christian groups must commit to staying in the Katrina-affected area of the U.S. well past the departure of other nonprofits, says Mary Marr of the Christian Emergency Network. Studies show that people often ask “where is God in this?” after crisis events. Marr has been calling for a “prayer-care-share” response and reminding faith-based organizations their actions will be scrutinized and will influence how people view God during a time of high emotions.

—Evangelical Press News

Neil Snider, Trinity Western University’s (TWU) longest serving president, will retire from his post in June 2006, after 32 years. The board has begun a search for TWU’s third president and has announced it will appoint Snider as the university’s first chancellor – a public relations role. Snider led TWU’s development from a junior college of 350 students to a Christian university of more than 3500 students.

—TWU release

November 20, Canadians will join with churches from over 100 countries in prayer for those who are persecuted for their faith. A resource kit prepared by International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (IDOP), including a powerpoint presentation, sermon notes and children’s materials, is available online at IDOP Canada. The theme is “More than Conquerers” and the focus countries are Bangladesh, Myanmar, Saudi Arabia and Somalia.

—release

Billy Graham broke ground Aug. 26 for a library and museum at his Evangelistic Association’s headquarters in Charlotte, N.C. The $25 million, privately funded building will be designed to look like a dairy barn similar to the one on the farm where he grew up; it is expected to attract as many as 200,000 visitors annually. It will hold Graham’s archives and displays showing how God used Graham.

—Evangelical Press News

Call for nominations: the partnering group organizing the 2006 Leading Women conference, to be held in Calgary Mar. 2–4, invites nominations for awards to be presented to Canadian women of faith who are showing excellence and leadership in a variety of disciplines. Nomination forms are available at Leading Women.

—release

Three Anabaptist conferences in Colombia – the Mennonite Brethren, Brethren in Christ, and Mennonite Church – organized a dialogue with representatives of the Catholic Church in May. Some 50 church leaders persons discussed historical and theological relations as well as the goal of peacemaking in “the fractured and pained country.” Societal change and the need for reconciliation and justice are urgent, said Father Alberto Escheverri of the Jesuits. A recurring comment during discussion was the need to take the dialogue to the grassroots.

—Mennonite World Conference

Conrad Grebel University College, Waterloo, Ont., is offering a non-degree certificate program in conflict management for those involved in a faith community. Addressing issues unique to faith communities, such as those that stem from deeply-held values, identities, group dynamics, family systems and “personal conflict issues that can affect the faith community,” the program is the first of its kind in Canada.

—release

Robert J. (Jack) Suderman has been appointed as general secretary of Mennonite Church Canada, to succeed outgoing general secretary Dan Nighswander. Suderman has served the conference sine 1996, most recently as executive secretary of Mennonite Church Canada Witness, the mission and outreach ministry of the national church. He has also worked as a teacher, principal, facilitator and consultant.

—Canadian Mennonite

Christmas catalog: Mennonite Central Committee’s Christmas Giving Catalog is now available at MCC Christmas Giving Projects or in booklet form at MCC offices, filled with ideas for helping our global neighbours during this holiday season. For example, a donation of $12 will purchase 10 rapid HIV tests at the free HIV/AIDS testing and counselling centre in Mugumu, Tanzania.

—MCC News

By September 19, 3 weeks after hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf coast, Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) Canada had received over $450,000 in donations for response work. The MDS office in the U.S. received close to $3 million in the same period. “We are being stretched in ways we never imagined during this ‘never before experienced’ hurricance,” said MDS Canada coordinator Lois Nickel.

—Mennonite Disaster Service

10,000 volunteers from around the world are being sought by Christians in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to observe the country’s first democratic elections in 45 years. They are needed for a constitutional referendum this November and for elections sometime between March and June 2006. Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) and Congolese Mennonites and Mennonite Brethren, who number about 194,000 combined, are seeking up to 200 of these volunteers. Contact MCC at 717-859-1151.

—MCC News

Persecution against Christians in Turkey is becoming more overt. Along with the usual delays in granting permits to Protestant churches, Christians are seeing signs of open hostility, both verbal and violent, toward their faith. Incidents over the past year prompted former U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Eric Edelman to make formal inquiries to Turkish officials in April and June.

—Compass Direct