Royals Athlete of the Week (Mount Sidney, Va./Fort Defiance) of the has a rigorous workout schedule and strong support system, and now these factors have gained him the success he has always dreamed of.

In May��2015, Thibodeaux won the 800m run at the Old Dominion Athletic Conference��(ODAC) Track and Field Championships.��Now in cross country season, the junior has taken to new heights and proved himself capable of running against D-I athletes.�� Yet he is determined on accomplishing more.

“I want to be an Academic All-American and cross country All-American (top 35 at nationals),” he revealed.

Unlike many athletes who have played their sport since they were little, Thibodeaux started running competitively his sophomore year of high school.�� Now in his sixth season of cross country, he accepts that running is an innate talent he must craft and perfect.

“Nowadays, most of my race paces in high school are now my workout paces in college,” Thibodeaux noted. ��“Sometimes I am a little bewildered by my improvements this year, but it would be foolish of me to say I don’t know how it happened.�� I am ecstatic with how my mentality and fitness has progressed, but I’m not where I want to be yet.”

At��the CNU Invitational, Thibodeaux finished in third place of the 8k run behind two runners from William and Mary, a respected D-I school.�� He set a new personal record with a time of 25:28, finishing 19 seconds before the nearest D-III runner, CNU’s Grayson Reid.

Many may wonder what a runner like Thibodeaux thinks as he’s running such a strenuous race.

“The typical things you would think someone running as fast as they can for five miles would be thinking,” he answered. ��“‘Is it over yet? ��Where’s the fourth mile at?�� Why do my feet hurt so badly?�� Where’s coach?’”

Before taking over as the men’s No. 1 this year, Thibodeaux was the No. 3 runner and had the privilege of training with and running behind former All-Region runners Ryan Gehman and Jacob Landis.

“It was phenomenal,” Thibodeaux said. “The opportunity to have people on your team that are currently training and racing at a place you’re trying to get to is something that can’t be taken for granted; especially those two guys. They were terrific role models for me, showing me what putting in the work actually meant and looked like day in and day out.”

Thibodeaux’s experience of running with Gehman and Landis heightened his discipline. He explained that in order to be a great runner you must work on a daily basis and days off are unacceptable.

“If you want to be a serious runner, or athlete in general, your work ethic cannot be questioned,” he explained. ��“This summer I put in 12 weeks of continuous work.�� That includes runs every day and specific lifting workouts two or three times a week.�� That is the ideal summer for a runner as it takes 24 weeks to fully develop.�� Right now, I am in week 21 of training so over half of my season was completed in the summer.�� If runners do not put in work during the summer, they cannot expect to fulfill their full potential or be in racing shape until the last couple of weeks of the season.�� A lot of runners that don’t get enough training in during the summer can also struggle tremendously with nagging injuries throughout the year.”

Teammates who are “willed to win” like Thibodeaux have made his experience at 91����Ƶ even greater; he acknowledged that without them the season would not be as fulfilling.�� In the spring Thibodeaux and his teammate (Bluffton, Ohio/Bluffton) coach a Harrisonburg area��youth track club. ��Last year they coached nine middle school girls twice a week and they’re hoping to expand and develop their program further this year.

Thibodeaux’s advice to other athletes is very simple: if you’re consistent and hardworking you’ll gain the success you want.�� One, two or three weeks of training will not excel your game; it has to be a daily effort.

“The biggest piece of advice I can give other runners is that no one workout will make you great, but a lot of good workouts over time can make you great,” Thibodeaux explained. ��“As for athletes in other sports, it’s the same concept.�� One or two weeks of fantastic training and effort does not make you a great athlete.�� It has to be day in and day out. ��I’ve only taken one day completely off from training since August 1. ��It’s all about consistency.”

Those honored from 91����Ƶ were:

(Bluffton, Ohio/Bluffton), Jr., Women’s Cross Country/Track & Field, Biology, 3.87 GPA.�� Chappell-Dick, also a Capitol One Academic All-American, reaped the benefits of her first fully healthy season, heading to the national meet in both the indoor and outdoor track seasons.�� The junior finished second at nationals in the indoor mile, and then added a bronze medal in the outdoor 1500m.�� She claimed All-America status both times, becoming the first 91����Ƶ track and field athlete to do so since 2007.�� Chappell-Dick was the ODAC Scholar-Athlete of the Year for cross country, indoor track and outdoor track, and earned six All-ODAC First Team honors this year in the three sports. The South/Southeast Region’s coaches also voted her Region Athlete of the Year twice.

(Perkasie, Pa./Christopher Dock), So., Men’s Cross Country/Track & Field, Biology/Pre-Med, 3.98 GPA.�� Denlinger was a point-scorer for the men in the middle distances, taking third place at the ODAC Championships in both the indoor and outdoor 800m.�� He earned the men’s ODAC Scholar-Athlete title for the indoor track season and was also Capitol One Academic All-District.

(Sterling, Ill./Sterling), Sr., Men’s Cross Country, Congregational Ministry/Biblical Studies, 3.94 GPA.�� Landis capped his collegiate career with a trip to the NCAA National Championships in cross country.�� He earned All-ODAC and All-Region honors along the way and was also voted the ODAC Scholar-Athlete of the Year for cross country, to go with a spot on the Academic All-District Team.�� Landis missed his final track season by studying in the Middle East during the spring semester.

(New Paris, Ind./Bethany Christian), Sr., Women’s Volleyball – Defensive Specialist, History, 3.98 GPA.�� Lehman returned to the court this year after missing her junior campaign to study in Spain and Morocco.�� She stepped into a role as a defensive specialist and racked up 178 digs, averaging 1.98 per set.�� Lehman also had 17 service aces.

(Manheim, Pa./Lancaster Mennonite), Jr., Women’s Basketball – Forward, Nursing, 3.95 GPA.�� Rheinheimer exploded in her first season as a full-time starter, averaging 20.0 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.5 steals and 0.9 blocks per game.�� She was named the ODAC Player of the Year and Virginia State Player of the Year.�� The versatile forward also landed on the All-South Region First Team and All-America Fourth Team.�� Rheinheimer was the ODAC Scholar-Athlete for women’s basketball and became the second junior ever to win the Jostens Trophy, an award based on excellence on the court, in the classroom and in the community.

(Harrisonburg, Va./Eastern Mennonite), Sr., Men’s Soccer – Keeper, Accounting/Economics, 3.95 GPA.�� Yoder joins Landis as a two-time Academic All-State honoree after completing one of his best statistical seasons on the pitch.�� A three-year starter in goal, Yoder had a career best .795 save percentage, allowing 1.37 goals per game.�� He was also the ODAC Scholar-Athlete for men’s soccer, the Royals grabbed a school-record seven such awards from the conference in 2014-15.

To earn VaSID Academic All-State honors, a student-athlete must have achieved at least a 3.25 grade point average and be at least a sophomore.�� Each school in the state is allowed six nominees.

VaSID is comprised of sports information or athletics communications professionals from intercollegiate institutions throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia. Membership is open to any individual affiliated with one of the state’s institutions at the NCAA Division I, Division II, Division III, NAIA, USCAA and community college levels, provided that individual’s area of responsibility lies within the realm of sports information.

Senior (Sterling, Ill./Sterling) and sophomore�� (Perkasie, Pa./Christopher Dock) each claimed their first Academic All-District honor, in a vote done by the district’s College Sports Information Directors of America members. Junior (Bluffton, Ohio/Bluffton) earned a spot on the women’s side, also a first for her.

Landis holds a 3.94 GPA as a double major in congregational and youth ministries along with biblical studies.�� He was named the ODAC’s Scholar-Athlete for men’s cross country, earning All-ODAC and All-Region honors en route to a trip to the NCAA National Championships.�� Landis has also been a Ministry Assistant at 91����Ƶ before missing the indoor and outdoor track seasons when he studied in the Middle East during the spring semester.

Denlinger carries a lofty 3.98 GPA through two years at Eastern Mennonite as a biology (pre-med) major. He was voted the ODAC’s Scholar-Athlete for men’s indoor track & field and earned All-ODAC Third Team honors in the both indoor and outdoor 800m. Denlinger is also a Community Advisor at 91����Ƶ and is part of the school’s Student Government Association.

Chappell-Dick has a 3.87 GPA as a biology major and recently completed a stellar season with a pair of All-America titles.�� The middle distance runner took third last weekend in the 1500m at the NCAA National Outdoor Track & Field Championships.�� At the indoor meet she placed second in the mile.�� Including cross country, Chappell-Dick landed six All-ODAC First Team honors this year and was named the South/Southeast Region Athlete of the Year for both indoor and outdoor track & field.�� She was also the ODAC Scholar-Athlete for cross country, indoor and outdoor track.

Eastern Mennonite helped the Old Dominion Athletic Conference to a dominant showing on the Academic All-District teams, as the conference staked 11 of the total possible 24 spots.

To be eligible for Academic All-America consideration, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative G.P.A. of 3.30 on a scale of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standings at his/her current institution and be nominated by his/her sports information director. Since the program’s inception in 1952, CoSIDA has bestowed Academic All-America honors on more than 20,000 student-athletes in Divisions I, II, III and NAIA, covering all NCAA championship sports.

All of the All-District honorees are now eligible for the All-America teams, which will be announced on June 23.

Faculty, staff and fellow students nominated the recipients, who were cited for their “significant and verifiable impact” on the university and on student life; for their contributions to developing the institution’s positive image; for substantial contributions to the Harrisonburg/ Rockingham County area and beyond; for their high academic and social standing; and their embodiment of 91����Ƶ’s shared values of Christian discipleship, community, service and peacebuilding.

They wore gold and blue cords during the graduation ceremony on Sunday, April 26.

Blue represents strength of conviction that one person can help to create a better institution or community.

Gold represents the love of spirit and yearning toward creating a better university environment or community.

2015 Cords of Distinction recipients

• Carissa Harnish, a major in biology and Spanish from Manheim, Pennsylvania
• Emma King, a major in digital media and communication and minor in journalism and photography from West Unity, Ohio
• Rachel King, a major in biology, from West Unity, Ohio
• Jacob Landis, a major in congregational and youth ministry and Biblical studies and minor in biology from Sterling, Illinois
• Rebecca Longenecker, a major in English and minor in mathematics from Lancaster, Pennsylvania
• Timothy (Jordan) Luther, a major in Biblical studies from Martinsville, Virginia
• Rebecca Martin, a major in history and minor in economics and Spanish from Akron, Pennsylvania
• Gee Paegar, Jr., a major in history and environmental sustainability and minor in political studies and international development from Monrovia, Liberia
• Erin Rheinheimer, a major in art with K-12 licensure and a minor in environmental sustainability from Alexandria, Virginia
• Emily Shenk, a major in liberal arts with an elementary education licensure from Goshen, Indiana

Freshman distance runner����(Dover, Ohio/Dover) cemented her status as an elite athlete, breaking 91����Ƶ’s record in the 5000m and taking second place overall at the mostly D-I meet. Lehman roasted the track to a finish of 17:43.77, finishing in between a pair of runners from the University of North Carolina. She destroyed her own 91����Ƶ record of 18:10.40, set in December.

��������������ٱ�����(Gig Harbor, Wash./Peninsula) broke her personal record in the event, crossing in 20:15.98 to also grab the No. 8 spot in 91����Ƶ’s history books.

In the 4x400m relay, the women’s foursome of����(King George, Va./King George),����(Virginia Beach, Va./Tallwood),����(Harrisonburg, Va./Spotswood) and����(Bluffton, Ohio/Bluffton) timed the No. 3 effort in program history at 4:20.40.

Chappell-Dick was the top D-III finisher in the mile run, taking a time of 5:16.47.����(Goshen, Ind./Goshen) clocked a season best in the 800m at 2:36.34, narrowly missing the ODAC qualifying time by 0.05 seconds. And Williams broke her PR in the 400m, timing at 1:04.62.

��(Bedford, Va./Liberty) landed a nice effort in the triple jump, measuring at 10.44m (34-3.00ft).�� Also in the field,����(Strasburg, Va./Strasburg) had a best toss of 13.02m (42-8.75ft) in the weight throw.

For the Eastern Mennonite men,����(Staunton, Va./Riverheads) had a monster toss in the shot put.�� His best heave of 14.00m (45-11.25ft) was not only the top D-III distance at the meet, but also put him third in 91����Ƶ history and with the second-best throw in the ODAC this season.�� He was also solid in the weight throw, landing at 11.93m (39-1.75ft)

��(Millersville, Pa./Lancaster Mennonite) punched an ODAC ticket in the 5000m, but more importantly earned the No. 2 time in the 91����Ƶ record books.�� His time of 15:49.48 was only behind cross country teammate��Jacob Landis‘ 15:41.94, a record set last year.

In the 800m run, sophomore����(Perkasie, Pa./Christopher Dock) earned the third-best finish in 91����Ƶ history with a time of 1:57.01.����(Staunton, Va./Fore Defiance) wasn’t far behind as he landed at No. 4 in the 91����Ƶ books at 1:57.77.

The duo also ran in the mile.�� Denlinger again crossed first in 4:31.19 to take seventh in program history, while Thibodeaux had his season best run at 4:35.20.

��(Philadelphia, Pa./La Salle) earned a trip to the ODAC Championships in the 200m, timing at 23.90.�� In the 400m, 91����Ƶ had two men qualify for ODACs, highlighted by����(Winchester, Va./Millbrook) PRing in 52.07.����(Pottstown, Pa./Owen J. Roberts) had a finish of 53.11.

��(Broadway, Va./Broadway) continued his road back in the 60m hurdles with a season best time of 8.79.

Then in the 4x400m relay, the Royals had a foursome cross in 3:30.16, which was just a tenth of a second behind a team from ODAC rival Washington and Lee.������(Lynchburg, Va./E.C. Glass), Bush, Denlinger and Faint combined for the No. 7 time in 91����Ƶ history.

And a foursome also landed in No. 7 in the distance medley relay, as��(Churchville, Va./Fort Defiance),����(Nelson, Va./Nelson County),����(Richmond, Va./Huguenot) and����(Lancaster, Pa./Lancaster Mennonite) clocked at 11:08.35.

��(Harrisonburg, Va./Eastern Mennonite) kept in his ODAC-leading shape by clearing 1.92m (6-3.5ft) in the high jump.

Eastern Mennonite’s teams are back in action next weekend, participating at the DuCharme Invitational in Carlisle, Pa., on Saturday.

Women’s runner����(Dover, Ohio/Dover) had the highest individual finish for 91����Ƶ. She traversed the 6k course in 24:02.2, crossing 202nd out of 275. Besides going to Nationals In her first collegiate season, Lehman was named All-Region, All-ODAC First Team and ODAC Rookie of the Year. She also took ODAC Runner of the Week honors three times.

On the men’s side, seniors����(Sterling, Ill./Sterling) and����(Millersville, Pa./Lancaster Mennonite) completed a roundabout journey on the national stage. The duo were teammates at Hesston College in the fall of 2011 before Gehman went to Montreat the next year. Both men transferred to Eastern Mennonite as juniors in 2013 and wrapped up their cross country eligibility together on Saturday.

Landis had a strong finish and clocked in at 26:03.6 in the talented national field, taking 216th out of 280 runners. Gehman, the South/Southeast Region Athlete of the Year, struggled getting out of the gate and played catch-up the entire race. He crossed in 26:15.8 and took 237th.

Gehman was All-Region, All-ODAC First Team and a three-time ODAC Runner of the Week this fall, while Landis earned All-Region, All-ODAC Second Team and ODAC/Virginia Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Men’s Cross Country Scholar-Athlete honors.

“Even though the results weren’t that great today, this race does not define the season these three runners had,” said Coach Jason Lewkowicz. “I am extremely proud of each of them and how they represented 91����Ƶ today and all season.”

Gehman led the field of 201 runners, breaking the tape of the 8k course in 25:32.36. He crossed a full two seconds ahead of ODAC rival Harrison Toney from Roanoke, who was second in 25:34.42. It was Gehman’s second individual win of the season, having also taken medalist honors at the Shenandoah Valley Invitational, but this win was obviously the biggest. Gehman not only earned his second consecutive All-Region honor with the finish, but earned the first spot out of the region at the NCAA National Championships, which are next Saturday in Mason, Ohio.

Fellow senior����(Sterling, Ill./Sterling) also earned himself one more race, as he finished 14th overall and claimed the final individual berth out of the region to Nationals. His time of 25:57.10 was nearly four seconds ahead of the next runner, and also put him as the seventh ODAC runner, giving him a big improvement after coming in tenth at the ODAC Championships. Landis also earned back-to-back All-Region accolades.

Sophomore����(Staunton, Va./Fort Defiance) made the move up to also gain All-Region honors. He took 33rd with a time of 26:38.93. He was 43rd in the region last year.

��(Lancaster, Pa./Lancaster Mennonite), 51st – 27:09.83, and����(Bluffton, Ohio/Bluffton), 71st – 27:37.36, rounded out 91����Ƶ’s top five, as the men totaled 170 points.�� They took fifth out of 28 as a team, one point ahead of Rhodes and just five behind Christopher Newport in fourth.

The team finish is the best regional mark in the “modern” era for Eastern Mennonite.�� The Royals were second in the region in 1979, in a race featuring just four teams.�� They won a seven-team meet in 1978.

“I was so proud of how the men came out and competed,” said Coach Jason Lewkowicz. ��“Their goal all year was to earn a top-5 region finish and they went out and did that in a tough region.”

��(Harrisonburg, Va./Harrisonburg) added to the top seven by coming in 79th in 27:46.80.������(Wichita, Kan./Wichita East) was 89th in 27:56.46.

Emory won the team title with 62 points, just ahead of ODAC rival Bridgewater with 65.

Gehman and Landis will be joined at Nationals by����(Dover, Ohio/Dover), who��.�� That meet is this coming Saturday in Ohio and will be run on the same course that the Royals used for the NCAA D-III Pre-Nationals on Sept. 27.

Gehman had his best collegiate effort and took nearly 1:17 off his PR in the 8k race, coming in at 24:15.71. His previous best had been 25:32.3 from last year’s regional meet.

Fellow senior����(Sterling, Ill./Sterling) was 91����Ƶ’s number two runner and took 1:24 of his PR. Landis finished 36th at the race with a time of 24:52.01, bettering his PR of 26:17.7, also from the 2013 regional meet.

��(Staunton, Va./Fort Defiance) came in 83rd with a time of 25:35.88.����(Wichita, Kan./Wichita East) was 165th in 26:35.25, while����(Lancaster, Pa./Lancaster Mennonite) rounded out the top five in 187th in 26:50.00.

��(Harrisonburg, Va./Harrisonburg) was 200th with a time of 26:57.49 while����(Perkasie, Pa./Christopher Dock) clocked at 27:11.07 to come in 213th.

Each of 91����Ƶ’s top seven finishers set their PRs in the race.

“The men ran really, really well,” said Coach Jason Lewkowicz. “Ryan was up there running with All-Americans, with some big time runners.”

Lewkowicz said the Royals responded well to the crowded course, which will also host the National Championship Meet on Nov. 22.

“Everybody ran ridiculous PRs,” he explained. “The course was a little short, but everybody ran really well.”

The Royals totaled 365 points to finish 11th out of 31 teams. They finished in between two South/Southeast Region teams, Bridgewater (356) and Centre (367).

North Central (Ill.), the 2013 national runner-up, dominated the race with five of the top six finishers, putting in 16 points for the team title. Troy Kelleher, from North Central, won the individual medal by 18 seconds, finishing in 23:36.28.

Eastern Mennonite has another break in the schedule before their next meet, the 91����Ƶ XC Relay Challenge on Oct. 10. Lewkowicz and his staff designed a light-hearted meet, which will feature four-person relay teams, with each runner traversing a two-mile loop on Elk Run Trails in Elkton, Va.

Women’s cross-country team

The cross country women also ran well on their biggest stage so far this season, duplicating the men’s performance by taking 11th out of 27 teams.��The women totaled 319 points.

91����Ƶ came in behind Hanover (306) but ahead of Waynesburg (328).�� Geneseo State ran away with the team title with 34 points.�� They also had the top two runners, with Cassie Goodman winning in 20:54.55. Read more about the

]]> /now/news/2014/emu-men-women-claim-top-spot-at-shenandoah-invitational/ Mon, 22 Sep 2014 14:59:33 +0000 http://emu.edu/now/news/?p=21798 The 91����Ƶ women’s cross country team finished with the lowest possible team score, winning the meet, while the 91����Ƶ men also brought home top honors at the Shenandoah Valley Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 20. Both teams will run at the��NCAA D-III Pre-Nationals next Saturday, Sept. 27, in Mason, Ohio.

91����Ƶ Women Perfect With Top Five Finishers

So this is what they are capable of.

Running with a full team on Saturday, the Eastern Mennonite women were perfect. Literally. The Royals charted the lowest possible team score with 15 points, and won the Shenandoah Valley Invitational over co-host Bridgewater College, who had 40.

91����Ƶ’s women were not at full strength in their only other meet so far this season, taking third at the ODAC Preview on Aug. 29.

Although assistant coach Breanna Newton actually won the individual title on Saturday, the Royals had the top five collegiate runners. Freshman����(Dover, Ohio/Dover) led the way, cruising in with a time of 19:27 on the 5k course. Running in her first race of 2014,����(Bluffton, Ohio/Bluffton), an NCAA nationals participant last year, was next with a time of 20:03.

��(Harrisonburg, Va./Broadway) cruised in at 20:14 followed by��(Quarryville, Pa./Solanco) in 20:17.����(St. Joseph, Ill./St. Joseph-Odgen), who also missed the ODAC Preview, rounded out the scoring five in 20:31.

The dominating performance helped 91����Ƶ easily beat Bridgewater, the defending ODAC champions, who are ranked No. 2 in the South/Southeast Region. The Eagles had a pack of five runners do their scoring, and they all finished 28-33 seconds behind Paden. The Royals had not been listed among the top 10 teams in the region so far this year, but should expect to appear on the list this week.

��(Gig Harbor, Wash./Peninsula) and����(Puyallup, Wash./Mountainview International) finished 91����Ƶ’s top seven. Eldridge was 18th in 21:24 while Patterson was 21st in 21:27.

Men Top Bridgewater And Win Shenandoah Valley Invite

With the way they looked on Saturday, you wouldn’t have known that the 91����Ƶ men hadn’t run a competitive race in three weeks. The Royals landed the top three finishers at the Shenandoah Valley Invitational in Elkton, Va., and beat co-host Bridgewater College, the No. 1 team in the South/Southeast Region.

Senior����(Millersville, Pa./Lancaster Mennonite) headed the charge, as he earned the gold medal as the top finisher. Gehman crossed the four-mile course on Elk Run Trails in 21:03, a full 16 seconds ahead of his nearest competition.�� His nearest racer turned out to be a teammate in��(Staunton, Va./Fort Defiance), who took silver in 21:19.������(Sterling, Ill./Sterling) was right behind him, taking third in 21:24.

Bridgewater had the next six finishers, but 91����Ƶ rounded out their scoring with��(Wichita, Kan./Wichita East) landing 10th in 22:03 and����(Bluffton, Ohio/Bluffton) in 12th at 22:06.

��(Harrisonburg, Va./Harrisonburg) was 14th in 22:17, with����(Lancaster, Pa./Lancaster Mennonite) taking 21st in 22:25.����(Perkasie, Pa./Christopher Dock) was just a few steps behind his teammate in 22nd at 22:28.

Eastern Mennonite totaled just 28 points with their top five runners, edging past the Eagles who had 30. After winning the South/Southeast Regional Meet last fall, BC has been ranked No. 1 in both rankings so far this year. The Royals charted at No. 8 this past week.

All of 91����Ƶ’s ODAC-sponsored sports were represented on the All-Academic Team.�� Men’s volleyball competes in the Continental Volleyball Conference and is not eligible for the ODAC team.

The ODAC All-Academic Team eclipsed 1,000 student-athletes for the eighth consecutive year and set a new high-water mark for conference honorees for the fifth year in a row.�� With representatives from each of the 17 ODAC institutions (including Catholic University for football only and Greensboro College and Notre Dame of Maryland University for swimming only), 1,558 student-athletes earned recognition on the 2013-14 ODAC All-Academic Team.

Eligibility for the ODAC All-Academic Team is open to any student-athlete that competes in a conference-sponsored sport, regardless of academic class.�� He or she must achieve at least a 3.25 grade point average for the year to be considered for an ODAC All-Academic Award.

For more information, visit the ODAC’s home on the Internet at��. ��Don’t forget to become a fan of the ODAC on����and follow����on Twitter.

The entire list of Royals named to the ODAC All-Academic Team is listed below.����

91����Ƶ’s ODAC All-Academic Team
Elizabeth Alderfer – Women’s Cross Country, Track & Field
Kayley Argenbright – Women’s Volleyball
Jordan Aylor – Softball
Becky Barrett – Women’s Basketball
Trey Barrett – Men’s Basketball
Tyler Brenneman – Men’s Soccer
Carol Brinkley – Field Hockey
Jonathan Bush – Men’s Soccer, Track & Field
Lauren Campbell – Softball
McKenna Carter – Women’s Volleyball
Hannah Chappell-Dick – Women’s Cross Country, Track & Field
Robert Cook – Men’s Cross Country, Track & Field
Melissa Cox – Field Hockey
Nicolette Cuevas – Softball
Hannah Daley – Field Hockey
Mary Beth Danaher – Field Hockey
Patty Danaher – Women’s Cross Country, Track & Field
Paige DeBell – Field Hockey
Tyler Denlinger – Men’s Cross Country, Track & Field
Jenessa Derstine – Field Hockey
Erica Detweiler – Women’s Soccer
Katie Eckman – Women’s Cross Country
Mariah Foltz – Softball
Daniel Friesen – Men’s Soccer
Erica Garber – Women’s Track & Field
Carlos Garcia – Men’s Track & Field
Abi Gardner – Field Hockey
Jessica Goertzen – Women’s Volleyball
Naomi Good – Women’s Soccer
Joe Hall – Baseball
Rebecca Hardy – Women’s Volleyball
Derek Harnish – Men’s Soccer
Bethany Hench – Field Hockey
Ryan Henschel – Baseball
Brooke Hensley – Softball
Morgan Hill – Women’s Soccer
Jordan Hollinger – Men’s Soccer
David Hooley – Men’s Soccer
Brendan Jeschke – Men’s Soccer, Track & Field
Viktor Kaltenstein – Men’s Soccer
Brianna Kauffman – Field Hockey
Rachel Kennel – Women’s Volleyball
Louise Krall – Field Hockey
Lanae Kreider – Women’s Cross Country, Track & Field
Jacob Landis – Men’s Cross Country, Track & Field
Jordan Leaman – Men’s Cross Country, Track & Field
Parker Leap – Men’s Soccer
Mollie Lehman – Field Hockey
Jake Lind – Men’s Soccer
Lexi Link – Women’s Volleyball
Mariah Martin – Field Hockey
Tim Martin – Men’s Cross Country, Track & Field
Dilmer Martinez – Men’s Soccer
Mark Mast – Men’s Soccer
Saralyn Mast – Women’s Cross Country, Track & Field
Brad Matthias – Baseball
Brittany McDonaldson – Women’s Golf
Macson McGuigan – Men’s Soccer
Chris Miller – Men’s Track & Field
Katie Miller – Women’s Volleyball
Austin Mumaw – Men’s Soccer
Jonathan Nisly – Men’s Cross Country, Track & Field
Ian Norris – Baseball
Nora Osei – Women’s Soccer, Women’s Basketball
Jolee Paden – Women’s Cross Country
Jesse Parker – Men’s Cross Country
Hannah Patterson – Women’s Cross Country, Track & Field
Dylan Polley – Men’s Soccer
Alicia Poplett – Women’s Soccer
D Probst – Women’s Volleyball
Casey Racer – Softball
Jess Rheinheimer – Women’s Basketball
Steph Rheinheimer – Women’s Basketball
Krista Rittenhouse – Women’s Cross Country, Track & Field
Kyle Salladay – Baseball
Juni Schirch – Women’s Cross Country, Track & Field
Caleb Schlabach – Men’s Golf
Chanel Shands – Women’s Basketball
Jacob Shank – Men’s Soccer
Kayla Smeltzer – Women’s Volleyball
Molly Smith – Softball
Nicole Smith – Softball
Ashten Spencer – Women’s Soccer
Mandy Stowers – Field Hockey
Ryan Thomas – Men’s Soccer
Shannan Thompson – Women’s Basketball
John Toney – Men’s Golf
Londen Wheeler – Men’s Track & Field
Camille Williams – Field Hockey
Alex Wynn – Men’s Track & Field
Bianca Ygarza – Women’s Basketball
Alena Yoder – Women’s Volleyball
Andrew Yoder – Men’s Soccer
Chris Yoder – Men’s Basketball
Michelle Zook – Field Hockey
Marla zumFelde – Women’s Basketball

Those honored from 91����Ƶ were:

��(Hickory, N.C./Fred T. Foard), Sr., Women’s Soccer – Defender, Environmental Sustainability, 3.95 GPA.�� Detweiler helped solidify the back row on the soccer team, starting all 19 games for a team which posted five shutouts.�� She scored one goal and added two assists.�� Detweiler also was named CoSIDA Capital One Academic All-District and earned 91����Ƶ’s President Award, which is the highest honor an 91����Ƶ student-athlete can receive.

��(Elkton, Va./Spotswood), Sr., Softball – Shortstop, Nursing, 3.63 GPA.�� Hensley was a four-year starter at shortstop for the Royals, very effectively balancing an All-ODAC and All-Region career on the field with 91����Ƶ’s tough nursing major in the classroom.�� She batted .306 this year 21 RBIs and a team-best 25 runs.�� Hensley graduates with 91����Ƶ records for career hits (186), career singles (129) and career assists (367).

��(Parkesburg, Pa./Lancaster Mennonite), Sr., Women’s Volleyball – Middle Hitter, Nursing, 3.81 GPA.�� Kennel also successfully balanced the demands of a sport and the nursing major.�� On the court, she led the Royals in a resurgent year with 217 kills.�� Kennel was second on the team with 2.19 kills and 0.52 blocks per set.

��(Sterling, Ill./Sterling), Jr., Men’s Cross Country/Track & Field, Congregational Ministry, 3.91 GPA.�� Transferring in from Hesston College this year, Landis had a slow start in the fall recovering from an injury, but was hitting his stride by the end of cross country season.�� He grabbed All-Region status by running a PR of 26:17.69 at the regional meet, and then broke a program record in the track season.�� At the ODAC indoor meet, Landis set 91����Ƶ’s record in the 5000m, crossing in 15:41.94.�� He is also second in the outdoor 5000m (15:25.08) and third in the indoor 3000m (9:06.57).

��(Mt. Pleasant, Pa./Mt. Pleasant Area), Sr., Women’s Cross Country/Track & Field, Liberal Arts, 3.93 GPA.�� Rittenhouse was part of the distance medley relay team which broke an 91����Ƶ record and won gold at the ODAC Championships with a time of 13:17.17.�� She also landed at No. 8 in the 91����Ƶ history books in outdoor 5000m (19:29.20) and No. 9 in the indoor mile (5:47.15).

��(Harrisonburg, Va./Eastern Mennonite), Jr., Men’s Soccer – Keeper, Accounting/Economics, 3.95 GPA.�� Completing his second season as 91����Ƶ’s starting keeper, Yoder made 78 saves in 17 games.�� He twice tied his career high with 10 stops in a game and was named to the All-Cialella Classic Team for his play at a tourney the second weekend of the season.

To earn VaSID Academic All-State honors, a student-athlete must have achieved at least a 3.25 grade point average and be at least a sophomore.�� Each school in the state is allowed six nominees.

VaSID is comprised of sports information or athletics communications professionals from intercollegiate institutions throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia. Membership is open to any individual affiliated with one of the state’s institutions at the NCAA Division I, Division II, Division III, NAIA, USCAA and community college levels, provided that individual’s area of responsibility lies within the realm of sports information.

Women’s track and field

Sophomore����(Bluffton, Ohio/Bluffton) highlighted the 91����Ƶ track & field women at the ODAC Championships as she won two individual titles and broke a record.�� Roanoke College hosted the conference’s title meet in Salem, Va.

Chappell-Dick claimed a pair of gold medals with the resulting All-ODAC First Team status.�� In the 1500m, Chappell-Dick had a huge PR to break the ODAC Championships record.�� The sophomore crossed in 4:38.61, out-pacing rival Annalise Madison of Washington and Lee by a full second.�� Both runners broke the meet record of 4:43.08, set by All-American Carmen Graves in 2012.�� It was also an 91����Ƶ record for Chappell-Dick, who easily broke her own mark of 4:47.12 from last spring.

Chappell-Dick and Madison went head-to-head again in the 800m, with Chappell-Dick again coming out on top.�� She ran off her 91����Ƶ record time, but still cleared the field by three seconds with a time of 2:18.31.�� Teammate����(Goshen, Ind./Goshen) had a great race and PRed in 2:25.23.�� She finished eighth and just missed pointing by a mere nine-tenths of a second.

In the javelin,����(Gig Harbor, Wash./Peninsula) just missed All-ODAC honors with a fourth-place finish.�� Borg’s best spear landed at 29.32m to just edge out W&L’s Leigh Dannhauser on her final effort.

The 4x400m relay team grabbed sixth, as����(Puyallup, Wash./Mountainview International), Schirch,����(Harrisonburg, Va./Broadway) and Chappell-Dick combined to time at 4:27.36.

��(Strasburg, Va./Strasburg) snuck a point in the discus, finishing sixth at 31.45m.

Senior����(Mt. Pleasant, Pa./Mt. Pleasant Area) finished her career well, setting her PR in the 5000m with a time of 19:29.20.�� Similar to Schirch, Rittenhouse finished eighth, with the top six in each event earning points to the team total.

The Royals totaled 26 points to finished seventh out of nine teams at the meet.�� Roanoke won the team title with 150.33 points.

Men’s track and field

It was almost expected, but the 91����Ƶ men’s track & field team made a clean sweep of the high jump medals at the 2014 Old Dominion Athletic Conference Championship meet.�� Roanoke hosted the two-day event in Salem, Va., on Friday and Saturday.

91����Ƶ entered the ODAC Championships with three of the top four heights in the high jump during the season.�� They made it a top-three sweep.������(Dalton, Ohio/Central Christian) earned his fourth consecutive indoor and outdoor title, as the senior had no problem in clearing 2.04m (6-8.25ft) to win the meet and set a new 91����Ƶ record.������(Richmond, Va./Highland Springs) had the most surprising finish, claiming the silver at 2.02m (6-7.5ft).�� Moore recently joined the team after the completion of the men’s volleyball season a few weeks ago.�� Sophomore����(Harrisonburg, Va./Eastern Mennonite) was third at 1.91m (6-3.25ft).�� All three claim All-ODAC status, and each also have a shot at qualifying for the national meet.

��(Mechanicsville, Va./Atlee) just claimed a spot in the finals of the 400m dash, standing sixth after the preliminaries with a time of :50.41.�� The freshman then set his PR in the finals, finishing fourth with a time of :50.20.

��(Lancaster, Pa./Lancaster Mennonite) took points in the 3000m steeplechase, earning fifth with a time of 10:19.7.

The 4x400m relay team of����(Pottstown, Pa./Owen J. Roberts), Winters,����(Staunton, Va./Fort Defiance) and��(Philadelphia, Pa./La Salle) was fifth as well, combining for a time of 3:25.08 and a photo finish ahead of Roanoke’s time of 3:25.13.

Thibodeaux and����(Perkasie, Pa./ Christopher Dock) continued their season-long efforts at pushing each other in the 800m.�� Thibodeaux crossed sixth to grab the final point toward the team total, timing at 1:57.88.�� He was just three-tenths of a second from jumping into fourth place.�� Denlinger then took seventh place in 1:58.33.

��(Millersville, Pa./Lancaster Mennonite) set his PR by more than seven seconds in the 5000m run, crossing in 15:26.11 to take sixth place.�� ��������������ٱ�����(Sterling, Ill./Sterling) was one position behind him with a time of 15:37.21.

��(Lynchburg, Va./Heritage) and����(Broadway, Va./Broadway) each qualified for the finals of 110m hurdles, with Cox grabbing sixth place in :16.07.

��(Harrisonburg, Va./Harrisonburg) was one spot from pointing in the 10,000m run, crossing seventh in 34:22.97.

��(Staunton, Va./Riverheads) topped his PR on three different efforts in the shot put, and finished eighth with his best heave at 12.38m (40-7.4ft).�� He also destroyed his PR in the discus, landing at 34.12m (111-11.3ft).

Eastern Mennonite finished seventh in a very tight grouping in the men’s team standings.�� 91����Ƶ had 35 points, but was within three points of fourth-place Roanoke at 38.�� Virginia Wesleyan was fifth with 37 while Shenandoah was sixth at 36.

This was the final meet of the year for most of the Royals, although a few athletes will stick around in efforts to prepare for a potential trip to the NCAA National Championships, which are May 22-24 in Delaware, Ohio.�� The first meet scheduled as part of that stretch run is the Liberty Twilight Qualifier on Wednesday, April 30.

Chappell-Dick�� took second place in the 800m, and was easily the top D-III finisher, as she broke her own school record with a time of 2:12.95.�� Her record from last spring was 2:13.19.�� The next D-III runner was more than seven seconds behind Chappell-Dick.������(Goshen, Ind./Goshen) also had a solid finish in the event, crossing 13th in 2:26.95.�� She was third among runners from 91����Ƶ’s level.

Bane also broke her own school mark in the hammer throw, landing at 39.28m (128-10ft).�� Her previous best was 38.43m (126-1ft), also set in 2013.

��(Mt. Pleasant, Pa./Mt. Pleasant Area) moved into 91����Ƶ’s top 10 in the 5000m, setting her PR at 19:37.29.

On the men’s side, the Royals had eight top-10 finishes and three new ODAC qualifiers.

The highest finish went to����(Lancaster, Pa./Lancaster Mennonite), who ran the 3000m steeplechase and took fourth with a final time of 10:21.78.�� The finish pits him fifth in 91����Ƶ history.

Meanwhile the 4x100m relay team crossed in fifth with a time of 43.69.������(Freeman, S.D./Freeman Academy),����(Virginia Beach, Va./Bayside),����(Nelson, Va./Nelson County) and����(Mechanicsville, Va./Atlee) combined for the No. 5 time in the program’s books.

��(Millersville, Pa./Lancaster Mennonite) and����(Sterling, Ill./Sterling) looked good in the 5000m, finishing sixth and seventh, respectively.�� Gehman was the top D-III finisher in 15:45.92, while Landis was right behind in 15:48.88.������(Harrisonburg, Va./Harrisonburg) tallied 13th and was the fourth D-III runner with a time of 16:28.89.

In the 400m, Winters was seventh and the top D-III male with his time of 50.41.�� He earns a trip to the ODAC Championships with his finish and is sixth in program history.������(Philadelphia, Pa./La Salle) was three spots behind Winters in tenth with a time of 51.74.

��(Perkasie, Pa./Christopher Dock) had an eighth-place finish in the 800m, timing at 1:57.54.������(Staunton, Va./Fort Defiance) was just outside of the top 10 in 11th, with his finish of 1:59.31.�� He was also 11th in the 1500m in 4:07.30, qualifying for ODACs in the process.

��(Richmond, Va./Highland Springs), who joined the team with the recent completion of the men’s volleyball season, finished tenth with his first efforts in the long jump.�� He also earned a trip to the ODAC meet with a landing at 6.37m (20-10.75ft).�� Moore was also the top D-III finisher.

The Eastern Mennonite track teams are back in action next Saturday at the Mason Spring Invitational, hosted by D-I George Mason University in Fairfax, Va.

Sophomore����(Bluffton, Oh./Bluffton) had the only gold for the weekend, winning the 800m in 2:17.21.�� She was nearly two seconds ahead of her nearest competitor in a large field of 41 women.�� Chappell-Dick also finished fifth in the 400m, clocking at 1:00.72.�� That race had a tight finish, as she was within a quarter of a second of third place.

Elsewhere for the women in Lexington,����(Goshen, Ind./Goshen) and����(Puyallup, Wash./Mountainview International) qualified for ODAC in the 400m, crossing in 1:04.99 and 1:07.12, respectively.�� Schirch also earned a ticket in the 800m with a time of 2:27.70.

The Royals qualified three runners in the 5000m, led by����(Harrisonburg, Va./Broadway) in 11th place with a time of 19:32.58.������(Mt. Pleasant, Pa./Mt. Pleasant Area)crossed in 19:52.71 and����(Matoaca, Va./Matoaca) clocked at 20:33.23, easily breaking the 21-minute barrier for the first time in her career.

��(Strasburg, Va./Strasburg) and����(Gig Harbor, Wash./Peninsula) participated in the Roanoke meet, and both had runner-up finishes there.�� Bane took second in the discus with a PR throw of 33.20m (108-11ft).�� She just missed third in the hammer throw, settling for fourth at 34.95m (114-8ft).�� Borg PRed in the javelin, taking silver with a distance of 30.78m (101-0ft).

The men had the second- and third-place finishers in the high jump at the W&L Carnival.�� Sophomore����(Harrisonburg, Va./Eastern Mennonite) took silver with the No. 5 jump in 91����Ƶ history, clearing 1.97m (6-5.5ft).������(Dalton, Oh./Central Christian) earned the bronze, having a best height of 1.92m (6-3.5ft).

��(Lancaster, Pa./Lancaster Mennonite) took a conservative approach to his first 3,000m steeplechase experience but still came through with an ODAC qualifying time of 10:45.01 which places him seventh on the 91����Ƶ top-10 list.

��(Sterling, Ill./Sterling) made his outdoor 5,000m debut a solid one as the junior came through with a time of 15:25.08 which was good for seventh place. The time also places him No. 2 on the 91����Ƶ top-10 list. ����(Millersville, Pa./Lancaster Mennonite) now sits at No. 5 on the 91����Ƶ list with his time of 15:33.46. ����(Bluffton, Oh./Bluffton) also had a solid showing in his outdoor 5000m debut running a personal best time of 16:16.43.

��(Staunton, Va./Fort Defiance) finished third in the 800m, clocking at 1:57.06.�� He was just over one second out of first place.����(Perkasie, Pa./Christopher Dock) crossed seventh in 1:58.62.�� Both men also qualified for ODACs in the 400m, with Thibodeaux registering a time of :52.30 and Denlinger coming in at :52.79.

Sophomore����(Pottstown, Pa./Owen J. Roberts) led a large 91����Ƶ contingent in the event, taking tenth in :51.65.������(Philadelphia, Pa./La Salle) wasn’t far behind in :52.03, while����(Nelson, Va./Nelson County) was the last of the five Royals in :53.46.

Sprinter����(Mechanicsville, Va./Atlee) was sixth in the 200m, timing at :22.62, and was tenth in the 100m in :11.31.������(Appomattox, Va./Appomattox) also qualified for ODACs in the 200m, coming in at :23.16.

��(Staunton Va./Riverheads) highlighted his day by taking third in the shot put in Roanoke, landing at 11.96m (39-3ft).

Coach Jason Lewkowicz said he was very pleased with the start to the outdoor season.

“We had a hard week of training across the board and to see the team perform this well on tired legs is a great sign,” he explained. ��“We were blessed with great weather and great competitive atmospheres.�� With such a young team, it is important that we take each opportunity to go out, compete, and show consistent improvement. ��This weekend was a great step in the right direction.�� We look forward to having a lot of fans come out to support us next Saturday at Bridgewater!”

The Eastern Mennonite track teams give their fans the best chance of the year to see them participate next Saturday, when they compete at the Dr. Harry GM Jopson Invitational hosted by Bridgewater College.

Keynote speaker , an 91����Ƶ professor internationally known for her work, asked the 100 conference participants to craft a confession of their faith, informed by 500 years of peacemaking experience. The resultant statement reached fruition on Feb. 24, exactly 487 years from the day that the Schleitheim Confession was issued.

The original document represented “a watershed articulation of certain Anabaptist distinctives,” wrote C. Arnold Snyder, in the of the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online.

The Shenandoah Confession – printed below – encompasses themes of love and compassion as well as calls to radical nonviolent action. “It heavily stresses the peace principles that set the Anabaptists apart from many other faith streams,” said professor , adding that it was “drafted in group process and finalized by a student-led committee.”

The document follows in the tradition of “speaking boldly” as part of the “priesthood of all believers,” said senior Evan Knappenberger. He led the process through a half-dozen drafts, working with seniors Jacob Landis, Aaron Erb, Christine Baer and Krista Nyce. (Baer and Nyce also organized the conference.) Knappenberger said Heisey, Schirch and other 91����Ƶ faculty members significantly contributed to the process.

The Shenandoah Confession consists of 11 articles comprising 1,668 words. 91����Ƶ Bible and religion professor calls its language “robustly theological.”

“The same spirit of radical community still hangs in the air, waiting for the right moment to spark something new,” said Knappenberger.

The Intercollegiate Peace Fellowship of Mennonite and Affiliated Colleges aims to “promote the cause of biblical nonresistance by providing various channels for sharing ideas among the college peace groups,” according to its 1953 constitution. Its annual conference rotates among host institutions.

��* * *

The Shenandoah Confession

Presented this 24^th day of February, 2014, on behalf of those gathered in Christ at the Intercollegiate Peace Fellowship of Anabaptist colleges meeting at 91����Ƶ, to our various communities around the world. Written by participants with inspiration from previous Anabaptist confessions of faith.

Preface.

May peace, fellowship, patience and the truth of the love of God be with all who love God.�� Beloved brothers and sisters in the Lord, may the care of the good shepherd and the strength of the lamb who was slain sustain you in your efforts to recognize God’s Kingdom which, according to the most holy teacher and savior, Jesus of Nazareth, exists among and within all creation and is the source of life everywhere.

Dear brothers and sisters, we who have been assembled for the 2014 Intercollegiate Peace Fellowship Conference, in the Lord at Eastern Mennonite Seminary in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, make known to all that we have been united in the spirit of fellowship to the common goal of building the peace of a loving and merciful God.�� The articles to which we confess ourselves we announce here in the spirit of those Anabaptist brothers and sisters who before us made confession together at Schleitheim on the 24^th day of February in the year 1527, and Dordrecht in 1632, including the various conclusions that have been amended to it by the church since.�� As those dear brothers and sisters made formal confession into a foundational action of the Anabaptist church, so let us confess ourselves in the hopes of a new and prophetic life in Immanuel, who is God with us.

The eleven articles of confession.

The articles of our confession are as follows.

1.�������� Confession of faith in Christ as the foundation of peace.

2.�������� Love as the root of all things.

3.�������� The call of the spirit of God to all for radical pacifist action.

4.�������� Acceptance of the truth of the full humanity of all God’s children.

5.�������� Inclusion as the guiding principle of action within the spirit.

6.�������� Accountability of historical wrongs, especially colonialisms.

7.�������� An abiding desire to participate in resilient and just economies.

8.�������� The full and unflinching engagement of creative faculties of believers in service of peace.

9.�������� Embrace of lives of radical simplicity following the truth of God’s peace on Earth.

10.�� Commitment to deep listening and dialogue as the prophetic intention of Christian pacifism.

11.�� Recognition of failures and continued re-commitment to our principles within community.

Explication of articles.

Confession of faith in Christ as the foundation of peace.�� We confess our faith in the peace of Christ that surpasses understanding, and our dedication to the principled peace of the Lord and savior Jesus who taught a bold humility. ��We embrace the faith even as we work for the good of all people, including people with whom we disagree, or people of other faiths, and even those who proclaim themselves our enemies and seek to do us harm.�� We seek the realization of the one we follow, Jesus, that the good of all is the work of servants; and in the tradition of him who laid down his life for all people, we embrace our identities as his followers knowing well the consequences of the burden of the cross.�� We admit that there can be no higher calling than the gospel call to nonviolent action in accordance with the will of the Holy Spirit, and the imminent fullness of the kingdom of the lamb, who does justice with mercy.

Love as the root of all things.�� Being created in the spirit of love, and saved by the love of Jesus who is our redeemed example of love, we here confess that love to be at the heart of all things.�� We confess to loving ourselves and others without the world’s judgment and vanities; we commit to loving the earth and protecting God’s gift of life, the spirit of God itself, and our enemies and neighbors, in praise and thanksgiving.�� We also confess our belief that our love must be one that challenges those around us to become better followers of Jesus.�� Love must be mission, holding others accountable and building them up.�� True love, we hold, calls people to action in its embodiment and by its very example.

The call of the spirit of God to all for radical pacifist action.�� ��This gospel call to act as servants we confess to be the central tenant of the Christian faith.�� Peace is the vocation of all things made by a just and good creator, we believe. ��Peace shapes our daily lives and actions whether or not we are aware of it; it is our intention to practice this peace conscientiously around the world and amongst neighbors.�� The spirit of God calls all God’s life back to God, clothed in the raiment of nonviolence, worshiping the wonderful counselor who does justice and loves mercy.�� We confess that we seek to build institutions upon the shoulders of Christ, the servant who yearns for right relationship among the children of God.

Acceptance of the truth of the full humanity of all God’s children.�� We affirm all brothers and sisters to be equal in Christ.�� We call for the full privileges and rights of Christ to be granted them without delay.�� We honor the power and beauty of all life, and seek to enter relationship with it, not avoiding but rather walking toward conflict in the spirit of peace and fellowship.�� Along with this, we confess that our communities must become places of deep healing, sustainable praxis, nonviolent education and radical acceptance, where brothers and sisters can seek their identities in Christ freely, without fear of prejudice or categorical pre-judgement.

Inclusion as the guiding principle of action within the spirit.�� We confess that the guiding principle of prophetic action within the will of the spirit is one of active inclusion. ��In Christ there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, nor male and female.�� All people, created in the image of God, are unconditionally welcomed to God’s table and to God’s salvation.

Accountability of historical wrong, especially colonialisms.�� We hereby pledge solidarity and yield up positions of leadership to those communities who have been historically marginalized.�� We seek to affirm their leadership and support peace and nonviolence education by upholding the principles of peacebuilding in our own local and historical contexts.�� As North American Anabaptists, we confess our need to challenge and reform our own government and lay out peacebuilding alternatives to violence and war.

An abiding desire to participate in resilient and just economies.�� We see that our world suffers from a lack of care for God’s living environment, and we grieve the lack of our participation in an economy that is environmentally sustainable and socially just. ��We confess our desire to support local enterprise, invest prudently in clean energy, and remain mindful of our impact on and our role within God’s loving creation. ��We seek to embrace trickle-up change, and we commit to imagining innovative communities along these principles near to our homes, even as we seek God’s peace farther from our immediate spheres of influence.

The full and unflinching engagement of creative faculties of believers in service of peace.�� We confess that we look for creative engagement within our hearts and communities in order to nonviolently pursue restorative justice in the name of a righteous God of wholeness. Violence stifles creative impulses and inhibits our ability to seek the peace of God. ��We believe in appealing for peace to the creativity of the Spirit, which is that of Jesus, and of the one who sent him.

Embrace of lives of radical simplicity following the truth of God’s peace on Earth.�� In order to focus our lives to the call of God’s peace on Earth, we hereby uphold the life of the servant Christ in its simplicity and mission-orientation as the model for all conscientious human activity.�� We seek to affirm the intentional community of believers without excluding other brothers and sisters, and we disavow egotistical ambition as a basis for peace and faith work.�� We recognize the impossibility of following two masters, and chose to follow the way of peace despite the possibilities of worldly poverty which can sometimes overshadow it.

Commitment to deep listening and dialogue as the prophetic intention of Christian pacifism.�� We assert principles of right relationship to neighbor, enemy and self to be the following: deep listening as a means of connection and dialogue; openness to change of identity and opinion; mutual transformation in partnership and in the spirit of the creator; deep reflection before action; and nonviolence.

Recognition of failures and continued re-commitment to our principles within community.�� We confess that we have at times failed to embody the principles of community.�� With contrition we earnestly implore God’s forgiveness.�� We have not loved our neighbors as ourselves, we have not honored God’s creation, and we have often left the work of peace undone.�� Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us recognize our many vanities, our mindless consumerisms. Let us hereby recommit ourselves to the principles of Christian pacifism, the articles of confession above, and the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth in the way of nonviolence.

��Postlude.

Brothers and sisters in God, we most earnestly confess these points to you in hope that they move in your hearts, and excite within you a desire to confess them also.�� May your roots – watered in the innocence and strength of the lamb of God – nourish your spirits and give you rest and joy.�� Also may your wings – lifted by the breath of the Holy Spirit – shield you in the protection of the most high and allow you to walk and not grow faint, to run and not become weary, to soar as eagles.�� May the peace of God be with you now and always, and may the teachings of the Prince of Peace guide you to the realization of God’s presence among us.�� Amen.