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“From the Schools to the Prisons: A Christian Response to Violence” will be held at 7 p.m. on April 23 and April 30 at Bakerview MB Church in Abbotsford, B.C. On April 23, Dale Lang, a pastor from Taber, Alta., will share how he chose an alternate response to revenge after his teenage son was killed by another student at his high school. On April 30, Dave Gustafson, co-director at Community Justice Initiative, will explore the biblical foundations of restorative justice and how that applies to crime and punishment from a Christian perspective. Stories will also be shared from M2W2, a Christian prison ministry helping to reintegrate criminals into society. The two-part event is a Restorative Justice Initiative of Mennonite Central Committee B.C. in partnership with the Fraser Region Community Justice Initiatives Association and M2W2. For more information, contact: Catherine Bargen at 604-534-5515, e-mail cjibc@axion.net, or Wayne Bremner at 604-850-6639, e-mail wbremner@mccbc.com. – Mennonite Central Committee B.C.
In one of the poorest regions of wartorn Somalia, Mennonite Central Committee is providing $10,000 worth of fishing equipment to 1200 families so that they can feed themselves. About a year ago, inter-clan violence swept through the northwest corner of the Jubba Valley, southern Somalia, where anarchy has reigned for over a decade. Thirteen villages of 250 homes each were burned to the ground, and the families affected lost everything, including the hooks, lines and nets they needed to fish in a nearby river. MCC also sponsored mediation through African Rescue Committee (AFREC), a Somali organization. By the height of the fishing season in late August, AFREC workers had distributed two hooks and 100 metres of line to each of the 1200 families. Recipients, nearly 70% of whom were women, were identified by local leaders as the poorest of the poor. – Mennonite Central Committee
Twenty Middle Eastern alumni of Eastern Mennonite University’s Summer Peacebuilding Institute (SPI) in Harrisonburg, Va. met together for a peacebuilding meeting in Amman, Jordan in early January. Sponsored by Mennonite Central Committee, the meeting encouraged the participants to share their experiences and plans for future co-operation. Participants included directors of local non-governmental organizations, a government employee, MCC staff and representatives of various grassroots organizations. For five years, MCC has sponsored peacemakers from the Middle East to attend SPI. – Mennonite Central Committee
Pope John Paul II led world religious leaders in praying for peace at a “peace pilgrimage” in January in Assisi, Italy, the birthplace of St. Francis. The historic gathering included leaders from the Protestant, Orthodox and Roman Catholic Christian traditions, 29 Muslim clerics, 10 Jewish rabbis, African animists, Sikhs and leaders of other religions. The religious leaders made a public commitment that religion would never again be used as a pretext for war, conflict or violence. Participants then separated to pray, each religious group praying in a separate room. – Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, National Post
Over 100 volunteers from Canada and the US have assisted in Mennonite Disaster Service’s Restoring Hope Project in New York City. MDS’s usual work of clean-up and repair after a disaster was not needed in New York. However, since Nov. 26, MDS teams have renovated seven Mennonite and Brethren in Christ churches in New York so that those churches will be more able to address the emotional, economic and community needs resulting from Sept. 11. – Mennonite Disaster Service
A poll conducted in March 2001 in the US found that 42% of those who oppose the death penalty for convicted murderers and 15% of those who support it, cite religious belief as the greatest influence on their position. – Sightings, The Martin Marty Center at the University of Chicago Divinity School
Dr. Stephen Dawson, a Christian family physician from Barrie, Ont., is facing disciplinary action from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario for refusing to prescribe birth control pills to unwed women. Four female patients filed formal complaints with the College last summer. Dr. Dawson refused to prescribe the birth control pills because he believed that would promote sex outside of marriage, which would be a violation of his religious beliefs. He has been charged with “professional misconduct in that he failed to meet the overall moral and professional standard of care”. He will face a disciplinary committee of the CPSO in April. If found guilty, Dr. Dawson could face a reprimand, suspension, imposition of conditions on his licence or the loss of his licence. – Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, Lifesite News, The Barrie Examiner, CBC News
Eleven church leaders were arrested Feb. 16 following a series of prayer meetings in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. The 10 men and one woman had been taking part in a series of interdenominational services organized by four churches to pray for peace in the presidential elections slated to start March 9. The participants planned to march from church to church in silent protest of the widespread political violence currently taking place. However, police had forbidden the march for “security reasons”, so participants decided to drive between the churches. Police were visible at each of the services. At the end of the final service, Noel Scott, an Anglican minister who had been leading the prayers, was arrested and detained under the Public Order and Security Act. This new law is intended to control public demonstrations. Critics of President Robert Mugabe and the ruling Zimbabwe African National Union say that the new law gives police unlimited power to stifle public protests and imprison opposition leaders. The other 10 Christians prayed outside the police office while Scott was inside and were arrested for obstruction, which carries a maximum two-year jail sentence. The church leaders were released on bail of $1000 each and have been told to report to police every week. A date for trial has not yet been set. Mugabe’s government has been accused of illegally confiscating property, arresting or expelling journalists and beatings. In January, 16 people were killed in the violence, most of them members of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change. – Compass Direct
36% of Canadian marriages are expected to end in divorce, a rate that has remained relatively stable for decades; the average duration of a marriage that ends, according to Statistics Canada, is just under 14 years. In the US, 43% of marriages fail. – Maclean’s
In a unanimous decision Jan. 15, the Ontario Court of Appeal upheld Section 43 of the Criminal Code, which gives parents and teachers the right to use “reasonable force” to discipline children in their care. The 3-0 ruling concludes a case whose hearings began in September 2001. The Court, however, agreed with the July 2000 ruling by a Superior Court justice that corporal punishment should not be used against children younger than two or against teenagers; should never involve the use of an object, such as a belt or ruler; and should never include hitting the head of the child. A recent survey found that 70% of Canadian parents have spanked their children and 84% said they do not believe spanking should be criminalized. – Christianweek
The Quebec government could recognize civil unions of gay and lesbian couples if legislation introduced in December 2001 passes this spring. That would make Quebec the second province after Nova Scotia to recognize same-sex civil unions, giving people in homosexual unions access to health and insurance benefits, protection after separation or death and power of attorney. Adoption by same-sex couples, however, was left out of the draft bill. The bill also does not mention marriage, the definition of which is a federal government responsibility. A province-wide survey of 500 people commissioned by La Presse in December found 47% of Quebeckers approved of giving same-sex couples the right to marry, a drop from last summer. Meanwhile, marriage of heterosexuals in Quebec is rising; data from the provincial government’s Institut de la Statistique du Quebec show there were 24,908 weddings performed in 2001, compared to 22,910 in 1999—a 9% increase. – Christianweek
Mennonite Central Committee is sponsoring a series of seven meetings across Canada to discuss the role of peace in wake of Sept. 11. “Pursuing Peace in Such a Time as This” is aimed to help Anabaptist church members articulate an Anabaptist peace theology in the current “war on terrorism” climate. The consultations will share a general format and will use key resource persons, focusing on three questions: 1) Who are we as Christians in the Anabaptist tradition? 2) How do we understand our world? and 3) How do we live faithfully in such a time? Each session will allow for small group discussion. Pursuing Peace will be held in the following dates and locations:
- Winnipeg, Fort Garry MB Church,
April 12-13
- Kitchener, Ont., Glencairn MB Church,
April 27
- Saskatoon, Wildwood Mennonite Church,
May 3-4
- Calgary, TBA,
May 11
- Abbotsford, B.C., TBA,
May 24-25
- Ste-Therese, Que., Ste-Therese MB Church,
June 15
- Bouctouche, N.B., Camp Wildwood,
Sept. 20-22
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Pursuing Peace is co-sponsored by Mennonite Church Canada, Brethren in Christ Conference, Evangelical Mennonite Conference, Evangelical Mennonite Mission Conference and the Canadian Mennonite Brethren Conference. More information may be obtained by contacting MCC at 888-622-6337. – Mennonite Central Committee Canada
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Last modified April 15, 2002.
© 2002 Mennonite Brethren Herald.
Published by the Canadian Conference of MB Churches.
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