As a special Mornings with the Mayor edition of Convocation on Wednesday, Harrisonburg Mayor Deanna Reed, director of alumni engagement and community connections at EMU, stepped into the role of host as she interviewed several trailblazing women leaders making their mark on campus. The one-of-a-kind program, held at the Student Union, celebrated Women’s History Month and paid tribute to departing EMU President Dr. Susan Schultz Huxman.
Makinto, a student at Eastern Mennonite Seminary pursuing a master’s degree in Christian leadership, performs during a rehearsal for EMU’s 2023 Music Gala Concert. The 61-year-old associate pastor and worship leader uses music as a tool for activism, building bridges between cultures and communities. “All my music is geared toward bringing diverse people together,” he said
Dr. Andrew Suderman delivered the fifth and final installment in the “Anabaptism 1525/2025: Five Centuries, Five Lectures” series on Thursday evening in Martin Chapel. He spoke about the history of Anabaptism in the 20th century and explored how the faith movement, which began in Europe and largely remained in the North Atlantic region during its first four centuries, has become a truly global phenomenon.
EMS alum Hendy Matahelemual (MA ’19) reflects on an Intentional Interim Minister training offered by the Shalom Collaboratory at Eastern Mennonite Seminary and the Center for Congregational Health. During a cold, snowy week, several pastors from Mosaic Mennonite Conference and Allegheny Mennonite Conference, representing diverse backgrounds, attended the Intentional Interim Minister training in Princeton, New Jersey.
Historical research has a funny way of changing your writing plans, says Dr. David Evans, professor of history and intercultural studies at Eastern Mennonite Seminary. What began as a book that aimed to celebrate the contributions of white allies in the fight for Black freedom, he said, morphed into a research project that questioned the effectiveness of those allies and their movements toward racial justice.
Have you ever wondered about the spiral-looking maze on the hill above the EMU Seminary Building? The Daily News-Record highlighted EMU’s prayer labyrinth in a wonderful feature story last week, detailing how it’s used, how it was built and where the design came from. EMU senior Emma Nord, who was quoted in the article, had this to say: “I love the rhythm of the labyrinth, kind of focusing on God and the design. Once you get to the center, you’re not done. You then walk back the way you came in.”
The MC USA Executive Board unanimously affirmed the Leadership Discernment Committee’s nomination of Todd Lehman of Hesston, Kansas, as moderator-elect for the Delegate Assembly cycle beginning July 2025. Lehman holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Culture, Religion and Missions from Eastern Mennonite University, and he has earned a certificate in Faith-based Peacebuilding from Eastern Mennonite Seminary.
The D.Min. program at Eastern Mennonite Seminary (EMS) is the first of its kind to combine study in the fields of justice, peacemaking, and theology. Students who graduate the three-year online program will receive a terminal degree that equips them to lead in faith-based settings, including in congregations, nonprofits, community organizing, and some teaching roles. The program is accredited by The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) and is pending accreditation approval by the Association of Theological Schools (ATS).
Ministerial professionals looking to enhance their credentials now have a new option offered by a local university. Eastern Mennonite Seminary, which is a division of Eastern Mennonite University, is now accepting applications for its first doctoral program, The Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) in Peacemaking and Social Change. The program will offer its first course this August, said Jacob Cook, assistant professor of Christian ethics at the seminary, who will direct the program.
