On Monday, March 23, Anabaptist and Jewish scholars and religious leaders gathered in the Strite Conference Room of 91短视频鈥檚 Campus Center for a consultation on Judaism, the Bible, and Anabaptism. The invite-only event was planned by Peter Dula, professor of religion and culture at 91短视频, and Trina Trotter Nussbaum, director of the Center for Interfaith Engagement (CIE), and included all-day discussions centering around the work of Matthew Thiessen and Daniel Weiss.

According to Dula, Thiessen, a Mennonite New Testament professor at McMaster University, is 鈥渙ne of the most influential voices in the 鈥楶aul within Judaism鈥� school of New Testament studies.鈥� The discussion of Thiessen鈥檚 work at the consultation centered around four articles of his.

Weiss, according to Dula, is a Jewish professor of Jewish studies and the philosophy of religion at the University of Cambridge, 鈥渨hose work at the intersection of early rabbinic literature and early Christian literature has significant resonances with traditional Anabaptist understandings of violence and the state and critiques of Constantinianism.鈥� Weiss also had four articles discussed.

The morning began with a presentation by Thiessen titled, 鈥淲hat Mennonites Need to Know 91短视频 Judaism,鈥� which introduced the work of Weiss. Weiss then responded, and there was time for some questions from the audience. Following a break, a panel engaged with some of Weiss鈥檚 research, including articles on Christians and Levites, and the possibility that early Christians did not baptize their children, instead letting them be born into salvation.

After a lunch break, Weiss took a turn introducing Thiessen鈥檚 work in a section called, 鈥淩eading the New Testament within Judaism.鈥� Thiessen then responded. A panel then engaged in Thiessen鈥檚 work, including reflections on how to read Paul with an awareness of Judaism, and whether Jesus meant to start a new religion.

Dula was the guiding force in bringing the two scholars together to have the event. 鈥淵ou鈥檝e got a Jewish scholar writing really perceptively about Anabaptist themes, and you have this Mennonite scholar writing really perceptively about Judaism,鈥� Dula said. 鈥淪o, I thought we should get them together.鈥�

Nussbaum reflected on the efficacy of the dialogue, and how it was in large part also due to the highlighted speakers. 鈥淚t worked because the two scholars we were highlighting shared the spotlight so well,鈥� she said. 鈥淗ow many times did we hear, 鈥榓nd now I want to open it up to you all?鈥欌��

Miranda Beidler, an 91短视频 senior who helped coordinate the event in her role as a student chaplain with the CIE, praised the event and guests for creating 鈥渋nherent dialogue.鈥� She said, 鈥淸The speakers] were so willing and open to talk about their beliefs, their theology, in ways that were open and curious about the others鈥� theology and beliefs, but without imposing their beliefs on somebody else.鈥�

Sara Kennel, another senior student chaplain at 91短视频, was struck by the openness and intellectualism of the event participants, saying, 鈥淚t felt like a gathering of a lot of people that care about understanding differences, but also are deeply intellectual. … I don鈥檛 think that I鈥檝e encountered that many spaces at 91短视频 that are that level of scholarship.鈥�

Nussbaum was struck by the impact of cross-religious dialogue, saying, 鈥淚t鈥檚 something pretty amazing that we can see ourselves in another faith. … It was a spiritual love-fest.鈥� Beidler, similarly, connected the event to CIE鈥檚鈥攁nd 91短视频鈥檚鈥攇oals of interfaith work, saying, 鈥淚t鈥檚 us putting into action when we say we care about learning from other people and from other cultures.鈥�

A new $11,905 grant from the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) will expand capacity at the 91短视频 Free Food Room to meet sharply rising demand. 

Funding will also provide enhanced outreach, better data tracking and reporting methods, and other improvements to the access and security of the campus food pantry.

Rising demand

Data collected from a door counter at the Free Food Room indicates that demand has risen sharply over the past two years. Average monthly usage (August through May) was 256 visits in 2023-24 and 318 visits in 2024-25, and is projected to reach 630 visits in 2025-26.

The cost of purchasing food has risen significantly to keep pace, increasing from $189 per month in 2023-24 to $263 in 2024-25, and is projected to reach $371 in 2025-26.

Based on utilization trends and observations, an estimated 25% of 91短视频 undergraduates experience some level of food insecurity each year, wrote Jonathan Swartz, dean of students, in a grant application. 鈥淕iven this data, our best estimate is that approximately 183 undergraduate students use the food pantry each year, most of them regularly,鈥� he wrote.

Partnerships and priorities

The Free Food Room has relied on the dedication of the Food Insecurity Task Force, a group led by 91短视频 staff members Brian Martin Burkholder, Celeste Thomas, and Trina Trotter Nussbaum, as well as donations and community partnerships with the local food bank and area farms.

Current funding sources are no longer sufficient to meet demand, underscoring the importance of grant support, Swartz wrote in the application.

Swartz said members of the task force submitted the application in mid-December, expecting to receive between $2,000 and $3,000 in funding. A month later, they learned they had been awarded $11,905.

鈥淭he Free Food Room has sustained itself but has had no significant budget, so any amount of money would鈥檝e helped us,鈥� Swartz said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e surprised and grateful to receive almost $12,000, which will help us more strategically increase the food supply.鈥�

Keeping students ‘on track’

91短视频鈥檚 grant is among a total $500,000 awarded to 48 colleges and universities throughout Virginia. 

According to a , Shenandoah Valley neighbors received the following funding: Mary Baldwin University, $14,882; Blue Ridge Community College, $11,905; Bridgewater College, $8,928; and James Madison University, $5,952.

The grants allow institutions to establish on-campus food pantries or partner with local food banks to provide food at no charge to students, the release states. In addition, grant funds can be used to increase partnerships and build more sustainable solutions for campus hunger. Funding amounts are based on the percentage of in-state Federal Pell Grant-eligible students enrolled at the institution.

鈥淢ore than 40% of college students experience food insecurity at some point, which can lead to several adverse outcomes, including dropping out of school. Virginia鈥檚 investment in campus food pantries will help keep our students on track to reach their educational goals,鈥� said Scott Fleming, SCHEV鈥檚 executive director, in the release.

The grants are funded by the enacted by the General Assembly in 2025. SCHEV published a on campus food insecurity in November 2024 that made several recommendations and offered resources for institutions.

Trina Trotter Nussbaum 鈥�00, MA 鈥�17 will never forget the first time she saw the view from the Campus Center balcony. Standing on the balcony overlooking the Front Lawn and gazing east toward the Blue Ridge Mountains, the then-first-year student recalled telling a friend: 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know what I鈥檓 going to study, but I know this is where I need to be. This is my place.鈥�

鈥淎ll it took was one look at those mountains, and they seemed to tell me, 鈥榊ou belong here,鈥欌�� Trotter Nussbaum said.听

That was nearly 30 years ago. Today, Trotter Nussbaum is the new director of the Center for Interfaith Engagement, a position she鈥檚 held since Jan. 1. She still feels that same sense of belonging at 91短视频 and works to ensure others on campus feel it too. Through her role at CIE, she celebrates and supports students, faculty and staff from a wide range of faith traditions and backgrounds.听

It was a long road that led her to 91短视频. After graduating from high school in North Lima, Ohio, Trotter Nussbaum, who was raised Mennonite, moved to Pittsburgh and completed travel agency school. She gradually learned that it wasn鈥檛 the career for her. Returning home to Ohio, she ran into a childhood friend about to graduate from 91短视频 who told her, 鈥淵ou should give 91短视频 a try.鈥� It was just the push she needed.听

Trotter Nussbaum arrived on campus in the fall of 1995 as a 22-year-old first-year English major. She was older than the others in her Northlawn dorm, but she saw that as a blessing. 鈥淚t helped me settle down and figure out what I wanted to do.鈥�

That turned out to be theater. Trotter Nussbaum credits 91短视频鈥檚 theater program with recognizing her strengths as a performer and teaching her invaluable listening and improv skills. During the second semester of her junior year, she added a psychology major. Though it delayed her graduation by another year, she said it ended up being one of the best decisions she ever made. 鈥淚 might not be acting or counseling right now, but I draw on those skills every day,鈥� Trotter Nussbaum said. She graduated in 2000 with bachelor鈥檚 degrees in theater and psychology, along with a minor in justice, peace and conflict studies. She said professors in her justice and theology classes challenged her faith with love and grace, ultimately strengthening it and shaping her into the faith-based peacebuilder she is today.

After a decade spent working at nonprofits and government agencies, Trotter Nussbaum returned to 91短视频 in 2013 as associate director of CIE. Fueled by formative experiences during a 1998 intercultural trip to Ireland and Northern Ireland, she began pursuing a master鈥檚 degree in conflict transformation at the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding. It took her another five years to complete the two-year program while working at CIE and raising two children. In 2017, she earned her MA.

Ever the lifelong learner, Trotter Nussbaum continues to seek out further education. She鈥檚 working toward earning MDiv equivalency so that she can enroll in the new Doctor of Ministry program at Eastern Mennonite Seminary.听

Over the years, she鈥檚 received numerous scholarships as a student. She said those scholarships, as well as 91短视频鈥檚 tuition benefits for employees, made it possible for her to continue her studies. 鈥淚 love how 91短视频 encourages its employees to take the classes they want to take,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he ability to take classes, even one at a time, for almost free is such a blessing.鈥�

Trotter Nussbaum and her husband, Brian Nussbaum 鈥�00, live in Harrisonburg with their two children. Her brother, Travis Trotter 鈥�99, serves as university registrar for 91短视频.

Your generous support helps students like Trotter Nussbaum pursue a quality college education without financial barriers. Join us for the 9th annual Lov91短视频 Giving Day and contribute to the scholarships that empower future 91短视频 students. Together, we can help write 91短视频鈥檚 next chapter.

Read the previous profiles in our A Royal Tale series:

The Free Food Room is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to 91短视频 students and employees in need. It is also an unsupervised space so that people can take what they need anonymously and with dignity. 

But times are tough, demand is high, and funding is scant. The organizers behind the Free Food Room initiative, which relies on donations to continue operating, say that it stays afloat 鈥渙n a wing and a prayer.鈥� And, they say that without more financial support, it won鈥檛 have enough funding to operate after this semester. 

With your help, you can contribute to keeping this invaluable resource alive. Make a gift to the Free Food Room fund, and ensure it will continue serving those in our campus community who experience food insecurity.

Donations of nonperishable food can be left inside the Free Food Room. People can also donate gift cards that will be used at grocery stores. 

The Free Food Room is a joint initiative of the Food Insecurity Task Force鈥攁 group comprising 91短视频 staff members Brian Martin Burkholder, Celeste Thomas and Trina Trotter Nussbaum鈥攁nd the Sustainable Food Initiative (SFI). Members of the task force collect donations, write grant requests, order monthly deliveries through their partnership with the (at discounted pricing), pay bills, and send emails about fresh fruits and vegetables when they arrive. 

The resource is a collaborative effort between various groups on campus. Work-study students through the Black Student Alliance and the Office of Faith and Spiritual Life sweep the floor, unload deliveries, restock shelves and check inventory. Students from SFI stock the freezer with meals from the dining hall and supply the room with fresh fruits and vegetables sourced from 91短视频 gardens. A list of the items grown on campus, dated from August, noted: Roma and Big Beef tomatoes, Swiss chard, figs, jalapenos, and bell and banana peppers.

Last year an agreement with Virginia Mennonite Retirement Community鈥檚 , just down the road on Harmony Drive, provided the Free Food Room with any produce that didn鈥檛 sell at its farm stand. Members of the task force anticipate partnering with VMRC鈥檚 USDA organic-certified farm again if possible.

The Free Food Room could use all the help it can get. According to data shared by task force organizers, its busiest month over the last school year, February 2024, saw 346 visitors (a sensor inside the room keeps a tally). Organizers spent $535 to order 1,110 pounds of food from the food bank that month.

Identifying a need

Food insecurity is an epidemic afflicting college campuses nationwide and 91短视频 is no exception. A federal analysis released in July estimated that 23% of college students in 2020, or about 3.8 million students, experienced food insecurity.

From a Sept. 9 article on :

鈥淭he report again shed light on what previous analysis of federal data have shown鈥攖hat a large share of students struggle to put food on the table. The study reported that about 2.2 million of those 3.8 million students had low food security, or ate less than they should or skipped meals altogether.鈥�

Prior to having its own space on campus, food assistance was funded through the Faith and Spiritual Life Compassion Fund, which helps students with emergency needs, and supported by Y-Serve food drives held twice a year. But the grassroots initiative was often disjointed and lacked a central system in place.

In 2018, after reading an in The Washington Post about the widespread hunger problem on campuses, a group at 91短视频 was spurred to action. The group identified food insecurity as a major need to address and began putting together the pieces that would eventually become the Free Food Room. In 2022, after years of talks and meetings, the Free Food Room began operating out of its current space in the Heatwole House. Organizers were approved for membership at the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank near the end of that year. The task force pays a yearly $50 membership fee, which is covered by Y-Serve.

The Free Food Room aligns with 91短视频鈥檚 2023-28 strategic plan, Pathways of Promise: Preparing Tomorrow鈥檚 Unifying Leaders, and its vision to open new pathways of access and achievement. As 91短视频 continues to live into its commitment to belonging鈥攖his year marked the most diverse incoming class in school history鈥攁nd provide access to more students in financial need, the task force aims to take a proactive approach to securing funding to sustain its services.

The Free Food Room experiences higher periods of need during school breaks when the dining hall is closed and cannot supply the pantry with frozen meals. Nussbaum said graduate and international students are among those most susceptible to food insecurity in the 91短视频 community. Many of them are far from home, have families to feed, and lack their own transportation.

鈥淧eople don鈥檛 often think about college students as being needy, whether in terms of food or shelter,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 think we鈥檙e attending to a need that might not be universally known.鈥�

A more welcoming space

This summer the Free Food Room received some much-needed updates. A grant from the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank was used to purchase a new two-door freezer, three-door cooler and shelving. The new appliances and shelves help create a more welcoming space, drawing in more visitors, and can store much more food than before.  

鈥淲e鈥檙e grateful for this grant,鈥� Thomas said. 鈥淲e鈥檒l now be able to accommodate larger orders from the food bank.鈥�

鈥淚t makes a huge difference,鈥� Nussbaum said.

The organizers say they have some ideas for future grant requests, which might include funding for hygiene products and signage.

For more information about the Free Food Room and ways to help out, contact: brian.burkholder@emu.edu, celeste.thomas@emu.edu, or trina.nussbaum@emu.edu

91短视频’s campus community entered into a wave of critical discussions about faith, race, and gender this semester. Three book clubs emerged independently, while yet another reading group and a film series came from projects in a graduate counseling course focusing on multiculturalism.

Faculty, staff, and student participants have wrestled with questions about how race, racism, faith, gender, and sexism influence power, theological formation, campus life, and beyond.听

These book studies are making visible normative structures in our community that limit our capacity to experience one another in all of our complexities. That is good work. We cannot correct that which we cannot, or refuse, to see. I think we are awakening to realities of the ways anti-blackness functions on our campus.听

Professor David Evans

Deep reading, deep listening

supported 10 faculty and staff with copies of by Willie James Jennings. Seminary instructor Sarah Bixler and Professor David Evans facilitated.

As part of the 2021 Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration, Evans and co-facilitator Ezrionna Prioleau ’17 led more than 20 faculty members and students in studying by Ibram X. Kendi.

Supported by the , a group of faculty and staff read three books on the themes of race, faith, and justice, contributing towards an action plan to develop and deepen commitment to and competency in interfaith engagement and racial justice. (Read more specifics below.) Facilitators were Tala Bautista, adjunct faculty for Center for Justice and Peacebuilding, and Mikayla Waters-Crittenton, associate director for student accountability and restorative justice.

Two groups of graduate students in Professor Jennifer Cline鈥檚 two-semester multicultural counseling course series created and co-facilitated community advocacy projects within the 91短视频 community: 

• Sarah Morehouse, Mary Rebekah Cox and Richard Grosse led 10 undergraduate and graduate students and staff members in studying by Rebecca Solnit.
• A larger group of 11 graduate students facilitated a semester-long series 鈥淪omethin’ to Talk 91短视频: A Film and Discussion Series Around Race.鈥� The three-part series included viewings of films ” (California Newsreel); ; and a pre-recorded open discussion on race and its personal impact between four of 91短视频’s graduate counseling students: two women of color and two white women. The events were open to the campus community.

鈥楢 deep interest and hunger鈥�

“There is a deep interest and hunger among students, staff, and faculty to engage in a process of reckoning and reform related to racial, sexual, and gender equality, as well as other identities,” said Morehouse, a student in the master’s in counseling program.

Men Explain Things to Me focuses “on how power is wielded in society and the resulting inequalities, and 鈥� the relationship between gendered language, the silencing of women and those with non-binary identities, disbelief in their experiences, and gender-based violence,” Morehouse said.

She and co-hosts Cox and Grosse were “impressed and heartened by the way that members engaged with the material and each other in a sensitive and impassioned way, recognizing the need for change at the individual, institutional, and cultural levels.”

Graduate student Helen Momoh went into the book club with measured expectations. However, “words cannot express the profound experience during the times we met,” Momoh said. “It was empowering, refreshing, and healing for me to be able to share within this space. I guess the space was such that it gave me comfort. Everyone was ready to listen, even when some of us just met for the first time.”

The interfaith group read , by angel Kyodo Rev. Williams, Lama Rod Owens, and Jasmine Syedullah; , by Saher Selod, and , by Felipe Hinojosa. 

In addition to personal engagement with Selod, a colloquium speaker this semester, the group also learned from guest speaker Dr. Cathy Campbell, associate professor in the nursing department and chair of acute and speciality care at University of Virginia. Campbel is an ordained Buddhist chaplain, according to group participant Trina Trotter Nussbaum, associate director at CIE. 鈥淒r. Campbell spoke with us from these vantage points while we were reading the Radical Dharma book and it was a huge privilege,鈥� she said. (On a side note, Hinojosa visited campus in 2018).

More than 20 faculty members and students have been meeting over Zoom to discuss How to Be an Antiracist.听The group is a long-term project linked to 91短视频鈥檚 Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration. The size of the group can be challenging for Evans and co-facilitator Prioleau.

“That said, I experience the group as open to new ideas and interested in growth,” Evans said. “We’ve wrestled with the strength of Kendi’s argument that one cannot take a neutral stance on racism, you are either acting in racist or antiracist ways. We’ve also wrestled with some concerns we have over Kendi’s analysis of power that seems to equate anti-blackness with anti-whiteness. These are crucial conversations for our learning community.”

After Whiteness has also sparked critical questions for the 10 faculty and staff studying it. Jennings explores how theological formation, when rooted in values of white, self-sufficient masculinity, shapes people for possession, control, and mastery; rather than connection with God, self, and others.

“We are digging deep to analyze how we educate theologically, interact as a community, and operate as an institution,” said Bixler, a co-facilitator. “We are imagining new ways of being and doing that move us toward holistic and life-giving formation that subverts the distorted formation Jennings describes.”

Evans acknowledged that book studies alone cannot heal communities, or ensure everyone feels seen and heard within them. But perhaps they can plant a seed. 

“These book studies are making visible normative structures in our community that limit our capacity to experience one another in all of our complexities. That is good work,” he said. “We cannot correct that which we cannot, or refuse, to see. I think we are awakening to realities of the ways anti-blackness functions on our campus. We are also growing in our awareness of the ways we are seduced into valuing whiteness in our assessments of students and our presentation of ourselves.”

What will a post-pandemic world look like? How is COVID-19 affecting each of us differently, and what are our responsibilities to one another in the face of those disparities? What do we know about the biology of the virus? And are there things that are changing for the better because of this crisis?

A free seven-week online course offered at 91短视频 this summer will delve into those questions and more. Community members are welcome. Students can opt for a pass/fail grade and will have online access to readings, videos, and other materials before each class. 

The course meets each Tuesday evening, beginning June 30, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. for seven weeks, with a different pair or trio of faculty and staff from different academic fields leading each class.

The lectures and Q and A will be recorded and available for viewing later.

The course is co-led by language and literature professor Kevin Seidel and chemistry professor Laurie Yoder.

鈥淲hat pulled me in at first was the possibility of teaching with faculty from all three schools 鈥� sciences, social sciences, and humanities 鈥� talking together and learning from one another about the virus,鈥� Seidel said. When the pandemic hit, he started fervently gathering information and perspective: from scientists, from fictive literature, and from poetry, trying to make sense of 鈥渢his strange new world.鈥� 

Week 1 | June 30, Tuesday, 6:30鈥�8:30 p.m.

Treating COVID-19

What do we know about the biology of COVID-19? What鈥檚 next in vaccine development? What public health measures are working to slow the spread of COVID-19?

Kristopher Schmidt, Associate Professor of Biology

Kate Clark, Assistant Professor of Nursing

Week 2 | July 7, Tuesday, 6:30鈥�8:30 p.m.

Pandemic History and Data

What can we learn from past pandemics about life after this one? What can we learn from visual presentations of data about the pandemic? 

Mary Sprunger, Professor of History

Daniel Showalter, Associate Professor of Mathematics

Week 3 | July 14, Tuesday, 6:30鈥�8:30 p.m.

Politics and Collective Trauma

Why has the U.S. response to COVID-19 been so contentious and uneven? What is collective trauma and what might it have to do with that response?

Mark Metzler Sawin, Professor of History

Ryan Thompson, Assistant Professor of Psychology

Trina Trotter Nussbaum, Associate Director, Center for Interfaith Engagement

Week 4 | July 21, Tuesday, 6:30鈥�8:30 p.m.

Zoonotic Viruses, Wet Markets, and the Economics of COVID-19

Where do coronaviruses come from? What are the links between environmental degradation and pandemics? What does COVID-19 have to teach us about how our economy is connected to the natural world? What are the economic impacts from a pandemic?

Jim Yoder, Professor of Biology

Jim Leaman, Associate Professor of Business and Leadership

Week 5 | July 28, Tuesday, 6:30鈥�8:30 p.m.

Our Life with Animals, Our Life with God

Why are so many people taking refuge in nature during the pandemic? Why is that refuge harder to come by for some people? What do the scriptures say about how our life with God is related to our life with animals? 

Steven Johnson, Professor of Visual and Communication Arts 

Andrea Saner, Associate Professor of Old Testament

Week 6 | August 4, Tuesday, 6:30鈥�8:30 p.m.

Systemic Racism in the U.S. before and after COVID-19

Why has COVID-19 hit African-Americans harder than other groups? Why does rural Navajo Nation have the highest infection rates in the country?

Jenni Holsinger, Associate Professor of Sociology 

Matt Tibbles, Teaching Fellow, Applied Social Sciences

Jim Yoder, Professor of Biology

Week 7 | August 11, Tuesday, 6:30鈥�8:30 p.m.

Resilience, Repair, and Transformation after COVID-19

How do we carry forward what we鈥檝e learned about COVID-19, trauma, and restorative justice? 

Johonna Turner, Assistant Professor of Restorative Justice and Peacebuilding

Katie Mansfield, Lead Trainer, Strategies for Trauma Awareness and Resilience (STAR)

Rabbi Dr. Niles Goldstein, asked to reflect on the impact of 91短视频’s Center for Interfaith Engagement on its 10th anniversary, called the organization 鈥渁 counterweight to today鈥檚 climate of tribalizm and demonization of the other.鈥�

Its work is 鈥渧ital to mutual understanding, breaking down stereotypes, and building bridges between and among religious and spiritual communities,鈥� said the former Jewish Visiting Scholar, who spent 2013 teaching and facilitating conversations at 91短视频.

Since 2010, CIE has worked to build interreligious and intercultural understanding, knowledge and friendship. Its impacts stretch from campus 鈥� with undergraduate and graduate courses taught by visiting scholars and the implementation of a new interfaith minor, among many other activities 鈥� to the Shenandoah Valley community to other regions of the United States and countries of the Middle East. 

The anniversary year is a time of reflection on past accomplishments and gratitude for 鈥渢hose who made this all possible,鈥� Director Tim Seidel noted, as well as a time to look ahead.

鈥淲e are particularly excited to continue to provide opportunities for 91短视频 students to interact with people of different faiths and to develop an understanding of the importance of interfaith engagement itself,鈥� Seidel said. 鈥淒eveloping the skills and sensibilities to relate across faith difference is critical to any vocation and career they may pursue.鈥�

Spring events

CIE鈥檚 anniversary events this spring and summer include a film series, a University Colloquium March 18-19 with scholar Saher Selod, student-focused sessions on interfaith understanding, and the June 2020 interfaith peace camp for children. 

A campus research project partially sponsored by the Interfaith Youth Core is also in progress this spring, with focus groups among 91短视频鈥檚 growing religiously diverse student body, and a goal of informing future programming.

CIE鈥檚 impact also stretches beyond the Shenandoah Valley. This past fall, staff consulted on programming and attended an interfaith event in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois.

Fall events also included an anniversary reception and an October University Colloquium with Amir Hussain, a professor of theological studies at Loyola Marymount University in California. In November, CIE partnered with the local group Faith in Action and the NAACP to host a Racial Equity Institute training. 

Notable accomplishments

Over the last 10 years, CIE efforts have contributed to historic accomplishments, including:

• the successful application for and hosting of 91短视频鈥檚 first Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence, Professor Syafaatun Almirzanah, of State Islamic University Sunan Kalijaga;
• Co-sponsorship of , the seventh of its kind over the past 16 years, bringing together Shi鈥檃 Muslim scholars from Qom, Iran, and Mennonite scholars from Canada and the U.S. 鈥� including 91短视频 professor Peter Dula;  
• Support of the Mennonite Jewish Relations Working Group of Mennonite Church USA, including research;
• The founding and ongoing support of a summer interfaith peace camp for children, a model which has been shared with other communities seeking similar educational interactions;
• A 2014 cross cultural trip to Iran for undergraduate and graduate students, a collaboration of 91短视频, Canadian Mennonite University, and the Imam Khomeini Education and Research Institute in Qom.

鈥楤rave and innovative鈥�: tributes from the former director and scholars

The tributes from those involved over the 10 years of its existence are moving testament to the organization鈥檚 far-reaching impact and its important work today:

Ed Martin, who directed the center for its first six years, says 鈥�91短视频 was both brave and innovative in creating CIE.  In our pluralistic society that includes persons of different faiths, it is important that graduates of 91短视频 know something about other religions and are comfortable interacting with people of different faith traditions. Today they will meet them in a variety of contexts.鈥�

Trina Trotter Nussbaum, associate director: When I have the chance to talk to staff and faculty at universities who are interested in doing interfaith work on their campuses, I am often met with several responses. One response is disbelief that a Christian university would have the courage and the foresight to develop and host a center devoted to interfaith engagement when many Christians in the U.S. have a lot of fear about the religious other. Many staff working in both secular and religious universities have expressed their wish to have a center at their university like we do at 91短视频.

I continue to be grateful to those who saw this need ten years ago, developed the possibility for a Center for Interfaith Engagement at 91短视频 and worked to bring it to life. I am excited for what the next ten years will bring. We need holistic and restorative interfaith engagement now more than ever.听

From Rabbi Dr. Niles Goldstein, visiting Jewish scholar in 2013: Working with my colleagues from other faith traditions was an enriching and inspiring experience, and I particularly enjoyed learning more about the Mennonite tradition and the spirit of ecumenical openness that made CIE possible. As a counterweight to today’s climate of tribalism and demonization of the other, the work of CIE is vital to mutual understanding, breaking down stereotypes, and building bridges between and among religious and spiritual communities. CIE has made me a better rabbi and a better man, and I will always be grateful to the men and women I worked with there and who have made such an important, relevant, and unique organization possible.

Amir Akrami, Phd, first visiting Muslim scholar at CIE from 2012 to 2015, sent hopes and prayers 鈥�that CIE will be further expanded and strengthened to be able to continue their wonderful job which aims at building bridges between people of different faiths at a time when more than before the US and the whole world need meaningful engagement, mutual understanding and friendship.鈥�

鈥�May God bless you and your work,鈥� he said.

Share your CIE experience and send congratulations

To share a comment or experience or to send good wishes, visit the comment box at the end of this article. For more information, connect with CIE online at or donate at .

Effective immediately, 91短视频 has cancelled all public events through April 3 in response to concerns about COVID-19.

The Colloquium with Dr. Saher Selod for March 18 will hopefully be rescheduled for the fall semester. The film “The Plastic Problem” on March 25 will be rescheduled for sometime in April or May. Please continue to check back to this page for updates about these events.

For more information about 91短视频鈥檚 COVID-19 action plan, visit .

The Center for Interfaith Engagement at 91短视频 announces its fifth annual spring 2020 film series on the themes of environmental justice and faith.

The center, celebrating its 10th anniversary this academic year, partners with individuals and organizations and promotes collaboration among scholars and practitioners to build a more just and peaceful world through interreligious and intercultural understanding.

Each film showing will be introduced by Bob Bersson, Visiting Jewish Scholar and emeritus professor at James Madison University, followed by analysis and a question-and-answer session with experts from the local community. Admission is free and all are welcome.

With Bersson as host, CIE has hosted four spring film series in the past, which were well-attended and sparked thought-provoking discussions, said Trina Trotter Nussbaum, associate director. 

“Issues of climate, sustainability, and environmental justice permeate the news,鈥� said CIE director Timothy Seidel. 鈥淭his year鈥檚 spring film series will create space for conversations on how faith informs our engagement on these issues, and how these issues create opportunities for interfaith engagement for persons of faith relating across faith difference as they engage these important issues.”

Film schedule

• Jan. 20, 7 p.m., Suter Science Center 106 (in conjunction with 91短视频鈥檚 MLK Day of Learning and Service). 鈥�鈥� (1 hour, 26 minutes), a 2006 production directed by Mark Dornford-May tells the story of Jesus in a South African context. Among other honors, this film was the first South African film to debut at Sundance Festival.

• Feb. 19, 7 p.m., Seminary Building 123. (1 hour, 36 minutes), a documentary about individuals fighting for change in the industry of agricultural food production in the race against the end of farmable soil. From the website: 鈥�The Need to Grow delivers alarming evidence on the importance of healthy soil 鈥� revealing not only the potential of localized food production working with nature, but our opportunity as individuals to help regenerate our planet鈥檚 dying soils and participate in the restoration of the Earth.鈥�

• March 25, 7 p.m., Seminary Building 123,  (54 minutes), a PBS documentary with Newshour reporters exploring the growth, disastrous impact, and possible solutions of 鈥渙ne of the greatest environmental threats facing humans and animals globally.鈥�

• April 22, 7 p.m, Seminary Building 123, (1 hour, 11 minutes). From the website: 鈥淔ilmmaker James Redford embarks on a colorful personal journey into the dawn of the clean energy era as it creates jobs, turns profits, and makes communities stronger and healthier across the US. Unlikely entrepreneurs in communities from Georgetown, TX to Buffalo, NY reveal pioneering clean energy solutions.鈥�

91短视频 the moderator

Bersson is a James Madison University emeritus professor who founded the Interfaith Initiative for Peace and Justice in Harrisonburg. He led film series for CIE in 2014 and 2015 on the Israeli/Palestinian conflict in 2014 and 2015; in 2016 on human rights, environmental and social justice leaders; and in 2019 on aspects of xenophobia, discrimination and white supremacy. Last year鈥檚 film series specifically highlighted the experiences of local and regional faith communities, in order to build interfaith relationships and networks built on equity and trust.

Bersson taught modern and contemporary art history, aesthetics, art criticism and art appreciation at James Madison University for 20 years. He has studied Hebrew and Arabic and visited Israel/Palestine several times, where he has family and friends.

After he retired from JMU in 2003, he spent 14 months in Egypt (2006-09), where he learned firsthand about various Muslim and Christian cultures of the region. Because of his work in local interfaith activities, he has strong connections to diverse communities in the central Shenandoah Valley.

Thus began Dr. Amir Hussain鈥檚 lifelong admiration for the boxer and activist Muhammad Ali. Hussain, a professor of theological studies at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, California, told this story as part of a colloquium at 91短视频 on Oct. 23. The talk was named after his latest book, (Baylor University Press, 2017).

Muslims and the Making of America is far from Hussain鈥檚 only work in the realm of popular culture. He serves as an adviser on The Story of God, a television documentary by Morgan Freeman, and was a consultant for the new Warner Bros. film, . 91短视频 hosted two screenings of Blinded by the Light , including one talkback session with Professor Timothy Seidel, CIE’s director.

During his visit, Hussain spoke with students about Muslim representation in media over lunch, and visited classes on social and political economy, reimagining identity, and liberation theologies.

Muslim achievements shaped the U.S.

Ali is one of the dedicatees of Hussain’s Muslims and the Making of America.

Years after watching that historic fight on television, Hussain would learn more about the racial context of a country where not everyone shared his admiration for the African American boxer. He referenced an incident in which Ali was refused service in a restaurant in his hometown, after winning an Olympic gold medal in Rome in 1960.

鈥淵ou can eat in the kitchen, but you鈥檙e the wrong color to sit in the dining room. Think about that as a young man. You鈥檙e good enough to win a gold medal for your country, but you鈥檙e the wrong color to eat in a restaurant.鈥�

鈥淵ou can eat in the kitchen鈥� is a callback to the Langston Hughes poem, 鈥淚, too, sing America,鈥� which Hussain recited at the beginning of his talk. 

鈥淭hey鈥檒l see how beautiful I am / And be ashamed鈥� / I, too, am America,鈥� the poem ends. 

鈥淭hat鈥檚 what I want to do with this book,鈥� Hussian explained. That is, to give the general reading public a narrative about the many Muslims whose achievements have helped shape our nation.

Hussain鈥檚 colloquium did that as well 鈥� serving up a historical digest of notable American Muslims, from the African slaves who first brought Islam to the U.S.; to Ahmet Erteg眉n, who founded Atlantic Records; to present-day congresswoman Ilhan Omar of Minnesota.

鈥淭here has never been an America without Muslims,鈥� Hussain recited from the opening line of the book.

Hussain also spoke about the Islamophobia that emerged after Sept. 11, 2001. Before, Muslims had been 鈥渁 curiosity,鈥� that few of his students knew much about. After Sept. 11, his students claimed to know a lot about Muslims 鈥� but all negative stereotypes, and no history. 

Connections to CIE, 91短视频

Trina Trotter Nussbaum, associate director of the Center for Interfaith Engagement at 91短视频, met Hussain at an American Academy of Religion conference in 2016.

鈥淚 was immediately taken by Amir鈥檚 ability to speak publicly about confronting Islamophobia while working across religious differences to build alliances, and I thought that we needed to hear from him here,鈥� Nussbaum said. 鈥淎mir is both a skilled Muslim scholar and a plugged-in cultural critic and I really wanted the 91短视频 community to be able to hear from him.鈥�

Hussain鈥檚 roots in the Mennonite world run deep 鈥� he first collaborated with Mennonite Central Committee in 1988, on a trip to Israel-Palestine. His wife, Shannon Hamm, who passed away in 1992, grew up in a small Mennonite community in Manitoba, Canada.

President Susan Schultz Huxman, whose academic expertise lies in the field of rhetoric and communication, attended the colloquium.

“Dr. Hussain is a seasoned scholar and theologian and as a cultural studies and film studies expert,” said Huxman. “This combination makes his expertise a perfect supplement for our integrated liberal arts curriculum at 91短视频. More importantly, he is an expert communicator with engaging visuals who presents difficult and challenging topics in accessible and invitational forms.”

Hussain said after the colloquium that he was most excited about 鈥渢he chance to engage with the students鈥� while at 91短视频. In fact, those experiences are the reason why he鈥檚 in academia.

The event is hosted by Interfaith Youth Core, an organization that CIE has collaborated with in the past and which organized a 2018 seminar that involved CIE director Tim Seidel, a professor at 91短视频 who teaches undergraduate and graduate courses on politics, development, and peacebuilding.

The annual three-day conference is the 鈥渓argest gathering of students and educators with a commitment to religious pluralism,鈥� according to the website. 鈥淧articipants learn to bridge divides and forge friendships across lines of religious and worldview differences鈥� with the goal of bringing 鈥渢he movement of interfaith cooperation back to their campuses and communities.鈥�

Participants included junior Raviv Monahan and senior Ariel Barbosa; CIE Associate Director Trina Trotter Nussbaum, a graduate of the s MA in conflict transformation program; and Campus Pastor Brian Martin Burkholder. 

‘The most diverse space’

Both students have expressed interest in adding 91短视频鈥檚 new interfaith minor to their studies. Barbosa is an honors student double-majoring in sociology and Bible, religion and theology. Monahan is also an honors student with a double major in art and philosophy.

One attraction of the trip was an opportunity to have their perspectives challenged, said the students. Having been mostly in Christian-dominated spaces in the past, Barbosa said that the conference was potentially the most diverse space she鈥檚 ever been in. 

鈥淒espite being very connected to Jewish culture, I generally tend to think in very secular terms when it comes to politics and philosophy,鈥� said Monahan, 鈥渟o I thought the ILI would be an interesting change of framework: instead of secular, anti-religiosity as a unifier, understanding religious difference as one.鈥�

Questions encouraged

Among many other activities, both students attended an introductory class of about 25 students from all faith backgrounds who explored their roots, discussed how to move from a polarized America to 鈥渁 potluck America鈥� and explored more about becoming an interfaith leader. Monahan particularly enjoyed the opportunity to interact in 鈥渙ne-on-one conversations with people of different faiths in an explicitly educational environment, where people were not afraid to ask questions.鈥� 

Another highlight was the 鈥渦nconference,鈥� in which attendees selected topics and led discussions on, among other topics, Israel/Palestine and economic inequality.

Monahan particularly valued connections with participants who talked about 鈥渢he ways in which religion and culture can be incorporated into leftist work without resorting to wholesale rejection of religion, and how interfaith understanding and solidarity can strengthen the fight for socioeconomic and racial justice in our world.鈥�

Crosscultural connection to Sikh temples visit

In one session about interfaith collaboration, Barbosa appreciated a story about a Canadian student of color who organized a homeless shelter in his city, connecting with Christian congregations and their churches that were unused at night and the Sikh community, which has a tradition of feeding large numbers of people. 

During her cross-cultural semester in India, she remembered: 鈥淲e were fed at the Sikh temples we visited, eating while sitting cross-legged amid the mass of temple visitors 鈥� Because of the Sikh value of service, known as seva, I was one of the 50,000 plus people fed the day we visited the Golden Temple in Amritsar. I remember feeling inspired.鈥� 

Join to encourage interfaith understanding at 91短视频

Such connections and learnings were among those the group discussed with Seidel back on campus as they consider how to share learnings in activities, events and discussion groups.  

These conversations will also inform a project to encourage interfaith understanding and build community across differences on 91短视频鈥檚 campus. The project is a joint initiative of CIE and the Center for Justice and Peacebuilding project and is funded by IFYC. 

Funding for attendance at the conference was provided in part by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education鈥檚 Undergraduate International Studies and Foreign Language Program. Portions of this grant aided in the development of 91短视频鈥檚 new global studies major.  

Want to learn more? 

For more information about getting involved on campus, connect with the Center for Interfaith Engagement. Leadership Institute participants Ariel Barbosa and Raviv Monahan also suggest visiting the IFYC website and also:

• Developing your religious literacy (to love our neighbor, we have to know our neighbor; and test your knowledge);
• Thinking about pluralism, or the energetic engagement of religious diversity toward a positive end; and
• Practicing interfaith cooperation, which includes building mutually inspiring relationship while respecting different religious identities.

鈥淲hat lessons have we learned?鈥� CIE director Professor Timothy Seidel asked at the reception. 鈥淲hat relationships have been nurtured?鈥�

In partnership with other service and learning organizations, CIE provides opportunities for interfaith education and engagement and promotes collaboration among religious and nonreligious scholars and practitioners to build a more just and peaceful world through inter-religious and intercultural understanding.

At the reception, Seidel highlighted ongoing CIE priorities, which include forming an advisory council, building partnerships with each academic department at 91短视频, developing opportunities for interfaith experiences and relationships in the broader community, and growing its financial sustainability.

Ed Martin, former CIE director, shared about a spring 2018 learning tour to Iran 鈥� one of several he has hosted over the years. The delegation included Christian, Muslim, Jain and Zoroastrian participants.

Accomplishments

Among other accomplishments this year, CIE provided input into a new minor in interfaith studies in conjunction with 91短视频鈥檚 Bible, Religion and Theology Department. It provides students with opportunities to understand major faith traditions and practice relating across faith differences. Course topics include world religions, comparative monotheisms, philosophy of religion, understanding violent conflict, history of the Middle East and more.

Other noted events included:

• Turkish author and New York Times contributor Mustafa Akyol visited 91短视频 to speak about his new book The Islamic Jesus: How the King of the Jews Became a Prophet of the Muslims (St. Martin鈥檚, 2017).
• CIE was a sponsor of the at Canadian Mennonite University in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The seventh of its kind over the past sixteen years, this event brought together Shi鈥檃 Muslim scholars from Qom, Iran, and Mennonite scholars from Canada and the U.S. 鈥� including 91短视频 professor Peter Dula 鈥� for presentations and discussions on the topic of religion and youth.
• A roundtable event, 鈥�Borders and Bridges: Reflections on Interfaith Engagement,鈥� discussed ways that building bridges of practical interfaith collaboration in relief, development, and peacebuilding have served as strategic forms of Christian witness.
• CIE director Tim Seidel was selected to participate in a spring seminar on teaching interfaith understanding, organized by the Council of Independent Colleges and Interfaith Youth Core.
• Along with renowned peacebuilding scholar and practitioner Mohammed Abu-Nimer, Seidel co-edited (Lexington, 2018). This new book assesses the peacebuilding implications and societal impact of the Hizmet Movement, presenting cases that provide a counter to negative stereotypes of Islam with examples of positive educational institutions rooted in Islamic values. The book includes contributions from scholars and practitioners around the world that critically explore the intersection of the movement and peacebuilding in countries such as Northern Iraq, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Sri Lanka, and the Philippines.

Upcoming events

In the next year, CIE will help organize the summer 2019 Interfaith Peace Camp and continue to support Mennonite Church USA鈥檚 new Mennonite Jewish Relations Work Group, said CIE associate director Trina Trotter Nussbaum.

CIE, Eastern Mennonite Seminary and the Center of Justice and Peacebuilding will co-host a Nov. 8-9 visit of Daoud Nassar, a Palestinian Christian who will share about faith and the challenges of living in the occupied West Bank. He will also discuss the Tent of Nations initiative on his family farm there, which brings together people from many different countries to learn from and increase understanding and hope through personal connections. [More information on this event is forthcoming.]

Academic Success Center

Linda Gnagey, director of the Academic Success Center, and Professor Vi Dutcher, with the Writing Program, recognized the following tutors concluding their service in December: Hannah Gross, Harrison Horst, Kat Lehman and David Nester.

Campus Ministries

Ministry assistants completing their service are: Kyra Lehman, Holly Mumaw, Laura Rittenhouse, Jenna Lile, Clara Weybright, Anali Martin, Seth Peters, Aaron Gusler, Sarah Kline, Kate Kauffman, Hannah Wheeler and Joseph Harder.

Pastoral assistants are Alexa Weeks and Nathaniel Nissley. Undergraduate Campus Pastor Lana Miller provided the recognition.

Center for Justice and Peacebuilding

Professor Roxy Allen Kioko recognized the following students:

• Hannah Kim for her听outstanding听work as a graduate research assistant;
• Kajungu Mturi and Brenna Case for their work with the Brazil delegation that spent five days on campus learning more about restorative justice [read more here];
• Trina Trotter Nussbaum for her commitment to community-building at CJP;
• Andrea Moya Urena and Renata Loberg for their leadership with the DACA Dialogue Planning Committee [read more here];

Department of Applied Social Sciences

Katrina Poplett and Jonatan Moser were recognized for their leadership over the past two years of Take Back the Night by Professor Deanna Durham, faculty advisor [read more here].

Sociology major Harrison Horst was recognized by Professor Jenni Holsinger for his academic work and service. Read about Harrison’s many

Theater Department

Professor Heidi Winters Vogel recognized the nomination of Emma Roth, Clara Bush and Renata Loberg 鈥� actors in the fall production of MacBETH 鈥� to the Irene Ryan Scholarship competition and Amber Hooper for the stage management competition at Kennedy Center American Theatre Festival.

Latino Student Alliance

Co-presidents Ariel Barbosa, Alejandra Rivera, Anna Messer and Mario Hernandez were recognized by M. Esther Showalter, faculty advisor. [Read about their fall activities here.]

Business and Economics Department

Ryan Faraci, Jacob Sloan and Erik Peachy were recognized for extraordinary academic performance by Professor Tammy Duxbury. Brittany Williams was recognized for her leadership, academic performance and service by Professor Joohyun Lee.

Multicultural Student Services

Director Celeste Thomas recognized the Alpha Omega Dancers for Christ: Hannah Shultz, Delight Tigoe, Qing Wang (Freya), and Kellie Serrell.

The Black Student Union Board of DeVantae Dews, Childra Nwankwo, Ivan Harris, Jess Washington, Precious Waddy, Jourdyn Friend and Clarrisa White were also recognized for their steadfast leadership.

Music Department

Luke Mullet was honored by Professor Ryan Keebaugh for achievement in composition and choral music (Professor James Richardson presenting). Read about Luke’s many talents.

Nursing Department

Professor Audrey Myers, advisor of the Nursing Student Association, presented the department’s biannual awards: Dylan May, academic achievement award; Kim Heatwole, servant leader award; and Annie Trinh, Sacred Covenant Award.

Student Life

Rachel Holderman and Nicole Litwiller, student leaders of the Royals Cup competition, named Elmwood Residence as the top points accumulator of the fall semester.

The “fall individual MVP” was Andrew Troyer, followed in second place by Andrew Reimer-Berg. Third place was a three-way tie with Cameron Byer, Sarah Ressler and Lucas Wenger. In fourth place was Aaron Horst, Skylar List, Adam Peachey and Kayla Sauder. Rounding out the top 10 MVPs is Lauren Hartzler.

Student Government Association

Outgoing members were recognized: from the executive council, Nicole Litwiller, vice president and Luke Mullet, secretary; and from the senate: Nathaniel Nissley, Abigail Shelly, Leah Wenger and Ben Zook.

Athletic Honors

Student-athletes receiving honors and awards during the fall semester were also recognized. For more coverage, visit .

This fall Professor Timothy Seidel received the 2017 Dissertation Award at the annual Peace and Justice Studies Association (PJSA) conference in Birmingham, Alabama. Previous accomplishments include winning the Edward Said Award in 2016, and the publication of several peer-reviewed articles and book chapters.

The recent award came as Seidel assumed the directorship of 91短视频鈥檚 . The center promotes collaboration among scholars and practitioners to build a more just and peaceful world through interreligious and intercultural understanding.

Seidel鈥檚 dissertation, completed at the culmination of his international relations doctoral studies at American University, was titled 鈥溾�榃here Is the Palestinian Gandhi?鈥�: Power and Resistance in Late Modernity.鈥� In it, he explores how certain forms of nonviolent resistance in Palestine are recognized while other forms are overlooked, and argues that giving greater attention to marginalized communities as they narrate nonviolence helps to identify overlooked and everyday practices.

The dissertation 鈥渙ffered new insights into the theory and practice of nonviolence as well as ways to think about justice in Palestine,鈥� said Dr. Emily Welty, a PJSA board member and the director of peace and justice studies at Pace University in New York City. 鈥淗is thesis demonstrated his strength as a scholar, and we look forward to helping him share his work with a wider audience.鈥�

鈥淚t was a privilege and an honor to receive this award,鈥� Seidel said. 鈥淚 am very grateful to PJSA, to Dr. Mohammed Abu-Nimer at American University who nominated me for this award, and to the many Palestinian and Israeli friends, neighbors, and colleagues who welcomed me and opened up their homes and lives to me.鈥�

In addition to his PhD, Seidel holds a Masters in Theological Studies from Wesley Theological Seminary. Before coming to 91短视频, he worked in various development and peacebuilding contexts in North America and the Middle East, including serving for several years with Mennonite Central Committee.

In 2016, he won the Edward Said Award with 鈥溾�極ccupied territory is occupied territory鈥�: James Baldwin, Palestine and the possibilities of transnational solidarity,鈥� a exploring 鈥渢he shared experiences of racism, colonialism, military occupation and dispossession that separate and divide, and the possibilities for transnational solidarities that defy those separations.鈥�

That award is an annual recognition of 鈥渆merging scholarship in the politics of global development鈥� by Third World Quarterly and the Global Development Studies Section of the International Studies Association.

Seidel, who will also continue as assistant professor of community and international development in 91短视频鈥檚 and the , fills the position held by interim director , who will continue as associate director.

Other Anabaptists involved in interfaith issues agree. Citing 鈥渢he urgency of positive interfaith engagement in a climate of religious hostility, Islamophobia, and more,鈥� including a recent surge in anti-Semitic acts, Nussbaum and eight other interfaith, peacemaking, and mission workers from Anabaptist agencies met to explore ways to improve interfaith engagement locally and globally.

The February 15鈥�16 meeting gave participants a chance to look critically at their agencies鈥� roles in interfaith engagement and develop best practices for relating across faiths. Facilitators Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) and Mennonite Mission Network were also joined by Mennonite Church USA staff, Eastern Mennonite Missions听 and Christian Peacemaker Teams.

Gathered at MCC鈥檚 Welcoming Place, representatives from the six agencies helped each other identify weaknesses in the way their agencies, and the U.S. Anabaptist community as a whole, approach interfaith engagement.

Anabaptists bring ‘rich history’ of interfaith work

One problem identified was a tendency to retreat into enclaves and not engage with those who are different, including non-Christians. Some other weaknesses included insufficient passion for sharing the gospel, congregations鈥� fear of relating to people of other faiths, and the involvement of Anabaptist churches in the U.S. culture wars.

While acknowledging weaknesses, participants also agreed that Anabaptists have certain strengths that give great potential for rich interfaith engagement. Participants noted that Anabaptists have had a disproportionate influence in the arena of interfaith engagement relative to their demographic size in the U.S.

Some particular Anabaptist strengths listed by participants included extensive development and disaster response efforts worldwide, which exhibit care for all; a long history of respectful and widespread cross-cultural engagement; and the pacifist stance of Anabaptists, which has helped build trust in many places globally.

The representatives wrote a list of lessons learned from each other to shape the way they approach interfaith engagement going forward. The first three lessons on the 18-item list were to practice hospitality, to practice self-reflection before undertaking interfaith engagement, and to approach interfaith engagement with humility and a readiness to repent.

Mennonites have ‘important niche’

Alain Epp Weaver, strategic planning and learning director with MCC, said he came away from the meeting 鈥渃onvinced that Mennonites have an important niche鈥� in the work of interfaith engagement.

Weaver鈥檚 experiences working with MCC have shown him the possibilities that interfaith cooperation can bring. Recently he has been inspired by stories of Christians and Muslims working together to protect each other and provide relief in war-torn Syria.

Jonathan Bornman, a member of Eastern Mennonite Missions’ Christian/Muslim Relations Team, said that the need for better interfaith engagement can be felt locally. Recently his friend, an asylum seeker from Iraq, told Bornman he was afraid for the upcoming hearing to determine his asylee status. If he is sent back to Iraq, his life will be in danger 鈥� but as a Muslim immigrant, he is afraid he will not be allowed to stay in the U.S. He asked Bornman to pray for him.

Other attendees of the meeting included James Krabill, senior mission advocate with Mennonite Missions Network; Rebekah Simmerman, research assistant at 91短视频鈥檚 Center for Interfaith Engagement; Jonathan Brenneman, coordinator for Israel/Palestine Partners in Peacemaking with Mennonite Church USA; Jason Boone, peace and justice minister with Mennonite Church USA and a member of Christian Peacemaker Teams’ steering committee; John Kampen, professor of Biblical Interpretation at Methodist Theological School in Ohio, who also works as a Jewish-Christian relations consultant with Mennonite Church USA; and David Shenk, Eastern Mennonite Missions’ global consultant.

Anabaptist interfaith workers had a similar meeting before the Council of International Anabaptist Ministries meeting in January 2016, and they are planning another for next year.

Common affirmations among different approaches

鈥淎n explicit attempt to address the issue of interfaith relations is a relatively new agenda for the (Anabaptist) body as a whole,鈥� said Kampen. 鈥淲e come from very different places and experiences, so the conversation is very important.鈥�

鈥淭hose assembled did not all agree on how (interfaith engagement) should happen, but that just illustrates why the conversation is so important,鈥� Krabill elaborated. 鈥淲e made some important steps toward common affirmations on how to proceed, and agreed that we needed to give more attention to how our agencies equip the church to more effectively understand and engage our neighbors of other faith traditions.鈥�

鈥淭he advantage of meeting together as organizations is the overlap and synergy to be had, and the broader reach that working together can bring,鈥� Weaver said.

Each organization has its own vast networks, whether global or local. Mennonite Missions Network currently fosters relationships with workers and partners in over 55 countries. Eastern Mennonite Missions served in 36 countries in 2016, while MCC serves in 54 countries. 91短视频鈥檚 Center for Interfaith Engagement serves a student body of about 1,880 from over 50 countries. Christian Peacemaker Teams works globally in peacemaking and advocacy in regions with violence or injustice issues, including advocating for indigenous peoples in North America. Mennonite Church USA reported 95,000 adult members in about 875 congregations as of May 2015; Mennonite Church USA is also part of Mennonite World Conference, which includes more than 1.7 million baptized believers in 83 countries.

The eventual goal of these meetings, said Weaver, is for the organizations to better support and resource congregations as they reach out to neighbors of other faiths. When the representatives meet again next year, they plan to identify best practices for interfaith engagement to recommend to Anabaptist congregations.

鈥淚t has never been more important for the church to step up to the plate and provide a model for how Christ followers should engage people of other faith traditions,鈥� said Krabill.

His notoriety as interpreter and interlocutor quickly grew beyond his 100-person Tennessee congregation.

Martin, now for the , visited 91短视频 last week to talk about both his filmmaking work, its deeply personal effect on his understanding of humanity, and a new interfaith initiative called 鈥�.鈥� He works from an office on Capital Hill in Washington D.C., where he represents a wide spectrum of Protestant, Anglican, Orthodox, Evangelical, historic African American and Living Peace churches from more than 100,000 local congregations in communities across the nation.

Martin spoke at a seminary service, hosted a luncheon on interfaith engagement in the United States, and showed his 2005 film, 鈥淭heologians Under Hitler鈥� in a visit that was co-sponsored by the (CIE) and E.

‘Loving enemies’

Martin is 鈥渁 man who loves deep conversation, but also uses humor and sarcasm to soften the blow of living in such a broken world,鈥� said Bex Simmerman, a CIE research assistant who has been Martin’s friend and mentee for a decade.

She introduced Martin for his seminary sermon titled 鈥淟oving Enemies,鈥� which asked piercing questions about Christian America’s relationship with American Muslims.

鈥淔or centuries, Muslims and Christians have been enemies. Why?鈥� Martin asks. 鈥淔rom the time of the Crusades and even before then, they have been them.鈥� Martin related this to the teachings of Matthew 5, in which Jesus instructs his listeners to 鈥渓ove your enemy.鈥�

He shared how his first major film project caused him to reevaluate those he had been taught were his enemies.

鈥淭his was a process of falling in love with people,鈥� Martin explained. He began interviewing Knoxville-area Muslims, trying to understand their lives and place in the largely Christian South. But he ended merely interviewing people whose humanity he admired.

That transition of perspective gave him a new lens with which to read Matthew 5, and he invited those listening in the seminary to apply it to their own lives.

鈥淲hether [the interaction is] Muslim 鈥� Christian, Muslim 鈥� Jew, Christian 鈥� Jew, neighbor who likes dogs 鈥� neighbor who doesn’t like dogs, Republican 鈥� Democrat, alt-right 鈥� alt-left, corporate 鈥� Native American tribe,鈥� said Martin, 鈥渨e as followers of Jesus must engage in acts of love and kindness, and it can’t be faked. It can’t be feigned; it can’t be done with an ulterior motive. It must be done at our own risk.鈥�

Connecting with others

Martin also talked about 鈥�,鈥� an initiative born at a White House convention on religious pluralism. Concerned about the recent rise in anti-Muslim rhetoric, member organizations have created religious resources and toolkits to help facilitate learning about other faiths, including how to organize a town hall meeting and host a “speed faithing” event.

, CIE interim director,appreciated Martin鈥檚 point that we are challenged to find people 鈥渄ifferent from you鈥� to engage with.

鈥淭his is why it’s important to find other ways to connect,鈥� says Nussbaum. She shares Martin鈥檚 opinion that 91短视频 is one of those places 鈥渨here theologians and practitioners come together and have real conversations about interfaith engagement, conflict, what to do about bigotry鈥� and other important questions that are important in building healthy relationships and civil society.

After visiting 91短视频, Martin at the Standing Rock Sioux tribe’s camp in North Dakota opposing the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline.