Being Brethren in Christ in a Time of Violence

This Thursday (1/12) the Departments of History and Biblical and Religious Studies and the Sider Institute at Messiah College are sponsoring a talk entitled "Being Brethren in Christ in a Time of Violence:  Zimbabwe in the 1970s and 1980s."  This lecture will be presented by Wendy Urban-Mead, a history professor at Bard College.  She is completing a book on the history of the BIC Church in Zimbabwe which will be published by Ohio University Press.  The talk will be held in Boyer 131 from 4:00-5:00.

We hope to see you there! 

Anne Marie

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Christian-Muslim Relations in Ethiopia, March 28

The Departments of History and Biblical and Religious Studies and the Peace and Conflict Studies program are pleased to announce a talk by Jan Bender Shetler, Professor of History at Goshen College, on “Christian-Muslim Relations in Ethiopia:  What Can We Learn?”.  She will speak on Monday March 28th from 4:00-5:00 pm in Boyer 131.  This talk is also an Alternate Chapel.  Bender explores how Muslims and Orthodox Christians have been able to maintain peaceful relations, particularly in the ancient walled city of Harar, over the last century. She also examines the evangelism and peace efforts of the Mennonite-related Meserete Kristos Church in Ethiopia as a model for interreligious peacebuilding, while maintaining strong religious identity.  As Shetler notes, “The typical story of Africa is one where things have gone badly, and this is one where people have a culture of peace that’s long lasting and that comes out of grassroots organizations of people working together.”

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Anne Marie Stoner-Eby in the Harrisburg Patriot News

Dr. Stoner-Eby’s First Year Seminar, “Half of Our Family Earns $2 a Day,” is discussed in today’s Harrisburg Patriot-News.  Here is a snippet from the article, entitled “Monsters, UFOs Join College Curriculums.”

Messiah also offers “From Hollywood to Timbuktu,” a course that examines how Africa and Africans have been depicted in film from the African and Western viewpoints; “Strengthening Families Through Play,” about how sharing play and leisure activities strengthens families; and “Half of Our Family Earns $2 A Day,” a Christian look at poverty.

Anne Marie Stoner-Eby, Messiah associate professor of history, teaches the latter course.

“As Christians, we believe we are the global body of Christ,” she said. “We have to ask ourselves, What is our responsibility to other Christians? We have a huge economic divide that has gotten wider over 30 years. We may be rich in money, but others are richer in faith, community, family and culture. Half of our human family earns $2 a day.”

Stoner-Eby said she hopes that her capacity class of 18 students “thinks about all of this. My goal is to develop awareness why we have poverty and what people can do about it in the global Christian family.”

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“Zimbabwe: From the Top to the Bottom” – Lecture on September 15

The Peace and Conflict Studies program welcomes everyone to a public lecture by Esther Tchando and Marcellin Danhoundo on “Zimbabwe:  From the Top to the Bottom, the Story of a Struggling Country and Mennonite Central Committee’s Response” on Wednesday September 15th at 4:00 p.m. in Boyer 231.

Esther Tchando and Marcellin Danhoundo, a married couple originally from Benin in West Africa, currently serve as Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) Representatives in Zimbabwe.  They have been working in this role since 2007, living in Bulawayo with their two children.  They previously completed three years of MCC service in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and one year with MCC at Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg, Virginia.

The Peace and Conflict Studies program welcomes everyone to a public lecture by Esther Tchando and Marcellin Danhoundo on “Zimbabwe:  From the Top to the Bottom, the Story of a Struggling Country and Mennonite Central Committee’s Response” on Wednesday September 15th at 4:00 p.m. in Boyer 231.
Esther Tchando and Marcellin Danhoundo, a married couple originally from Benin in West Africa, currently serve as Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) Representatives in Zimbabwe.  They have been working in this role since 2007, living in Bulawayo with their two children.  They previously completed three years of MCC service in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and one year with MCC at Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg, Virginia.

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