Writers’ Guide

About the Herald

Mennonite Brethren Herald is a periodical of the Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches. The conference purchases subscriptions for every member in our constituency, bringing the magazine’s total circulation to approximately 17,500. Our readers are a diverse group of people across the country, spanning generations, ethnic backgrounds, worship styles, and socio-economic levels.

Mennonite Brethren Herald is published monthly by the conference, primarily for the use of its members, to build a Canadian MB community of faith. We seek to

1. share the life and story of the church by nurturing relationships among members and engaging in dialogue and reflection;
2. teach and equip for ministry by reflecting MB theology, values, and heritage, and by sharing the Good News;
3. enable communication by serving conference ministries and informing our members about the church and the world.

However, the opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the MB church as a whole. Advertising and inserts should not be considered to carry editorial endorsement.

While the Herald welcomes and publishes freelance articles from a variety of sources, primary consideration is given to Mennonite Brethren writers, specifically Canadian Mennonite Brethren writers.

Article specifications

• Feature articles – We will accept articles between 250 and 2000 words. A normal two-page spread is 1200 words. Upcoming publication themes are available online or upon request. We look for detail and life application, rather than vague generalities in lead articles.
• Testimonies – These are personal stories or tributes, highlighting God’s activity in an individual’s life or in the life of a congregation. Word count is usually 500–750 words.
• Crosscurrents – Reviews are usually assigned; please query re. specific books, movies, or CDs. Word count for articles of reflection on aspects of culture, such as music, books, technology, television and other media, is 500 words.
• News stories – We welcome reports from regional writers covering conferences, events, and achievements that would be of interest to our national audience. Word count is usually 300–500 words.
• Letters to the editor – Maximum length is approximately 200 words. The Herald welcomes letters on issues relevant to the MB Church, especially in response to material published in the Herald. Please include name, address, phone number, and keep your letters courteous, brief, and about one subject only. We will edit letters for length and clarity. We will not publish letters sent anonymously, although we may withhold names from publication at the request of the letter writer and at our discretion. Publication is also subject to space limitations.
• Columns – Recurring columns (such as Viewpoint, Question of Faith, or Out front) express Christian opinions on a current topic in church or society – e.g. unique thoughts on marriage, politics, money, prayer, or leadership. We publish articles that will stimulate conversation and creativity in readers. Word count is about 500 words.
• Devotionals – During seasonal church celebrations, such as Christmas or Easter, we may carry short devotional thoughts or biblical expositions. The tone of these can be more informal than our regular Bible studies. Word count is usually 500–750 words.
• Poetry – We occasionally carry poetry. There is no official word limit, but we are unlikely to publish anything longer than about 25 lines. Preference will be given to free verse poetry.
• Obituaries – Maximum length is approximately 200–250 words. The Herald publishes obituaries at no cost to families as a service to its members. Obituaries are usually edited for style and length, based on space restrictions. Photos may be submitted in hard copy or electronically as a separate high-resolution jpeg or tif file.

General style and submission information

We look for articles with clear and engaging style, contemporary language, thoughtful analysis, real-life examples, and fresh ideas. Our audience is diverse, representing different geographical regions, generations, worship practices, ethnic backgrounds, and socio-economic levels, so we encourage writers to consider this when submitting work. Writers should avoid religious clichés, biblical proof-texting, or an overly didactic style. Please cite references where appropriate, including online sources.

If possible, manuscripts should be submitted by e-mail to the editor. Articles may also be submitted as typed and double-spaced hard copy (see Contact Us for address). Query letters are not required; we prefer completed manuscripts. Every submission is considered, and the editor tries to reply within six months.

Submission of a manuscript constitutes permission to publish. All submissions are subject to editing.

Please include a sentence of author identification at the end of the article (e.g. Jan Smith is a member of Linden [Alta.] MB Church, or, Jan Smith is a freelance writer from Sherwood Park, Alta.), including mailing address and phone number.

When quoting Scripture, please use the New International Version (NIV) or Today’s New International Version (TNIV). If using another translation, please indicate. We reserve the right to substitute the NIV for another translation.

Gender-inclusive language must be used in all manuscripts.

We use Canadian spelling throughout the magazine. Mennonite Brethren Herald uses the Canadian Oxford Dictionary, the Canadian Press Stylebook, and the Mennonite Publishing Network Supplement to the Chicago Manual of Style.

Mennonite Brethren Herald buys one-time printing rights on behalf of the four periodicals of the Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches (MB Herald, Mennonitische Rundschau, Chinese Herald, Le Lien). As such, all conference periodicals hold equal rights to purchased works and may publish and/or translate a piece in any of those periodicals, either in print or online, without further permission or payment. Authors maintain full rights to their work after publication by the MB Conference, but periodicals request a note be made regarding previous publication. Payment is provided upon publication.

Author payment guides are available upon request.

Articles and manuscripts not accepted for publication will be returned if a self-addressed, stamped envelope (Canadian stamps or international coupons) is provided by the writer. If an article meets our criteria, we reserve the right to hold it for a future issue.

Mennonite Brethren Herald supports the MB Confession of Faith.

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