The auditioned touring chamber choir was one of five ensembles chosen from around the world—joining groups from Indonesia, Kenya, Paraguay, and Switzerland—to perform songs at the event, The Courage to Love: Anabaptism@500, hosted by Mennonite World Conference. About 3,500 Anabaptists gathered in ZĂźrich for the celebration, including about 1,200 worshippers who filled the GrossmĂźnster church for the service, while many tens of thousands more watched the event live online. 

The 24 members of the Chamber Singers performed nine full concerts, two church services, and several impromptu outdoor gigs along their 2½-week European tour. In addition to their singing, the group’s EMU students and alumni visited museums, joined walking tours and history lectures, and explored Anabaptist heritage sites, a concentration camp, and the Anne Frank House.

Chamber Singers Director Dr. Benjamin Bergey ’11 said the choir performed for large crowds at nearly every concert and left a visible impact on many audience members through the quality of their singing and the poignancy of their message of hope and unity. “Several pieces moved dozens of people to tears, including ‘Prayer of the Children’ and ‘Ukuthula,’” he said. “Many audience members came up afterward to share how much hope it gave them to see so many young people so deeply invested in both the music and the message.”

Members of the Chamber Singers said their transformative experiences on the tour deepened their faith and strengthened their commitment to peace & justice. In Zürich, they shared meals with singers from around the world and traveled by bus and rehearsed together. “It was a wonderful intercultural experience,” Bergey said.

For Emma Nord ’25, an alto from Greenville, Illinois, one particularly memorable moment during the 500-year celebration came while witnessing Anabaptist and Reformed Church leaders wash each other’s feet at the service. “Their humility and desire for reconciliation was beautiful,” she said. “It was the experience of a lifetime, for sure.”

Joshua Stucky, a rising senior from Princeton, New Jersey, who sings bass in the Chamber Singers, also toured Europe with the choir in May 2023. But he said the music on this most recent trip resonated even more deeply with audiences. “I think our message of hope and unity crosses language barriers,” he said. “It carries so much weight right now.”

Thank you to all the alumni, friends, family, and donors who supported the tour in so many different ways!

Watch a recording of the Chamber Singers in the video above
and read more about the event in the Anabaptist World post below.

Mennonite World Conference is celebrating a momentous milestone next year—the 500th anniversary of Anabaptism—and it’s chosen the EMU Chamber Singers, along with from around the world, to commemorate the historic occasion. Each ensemble represents a different continent and culture within the MWC, and will perform throughout the day on May 29, 2025, at the held in Zurich, Switzerland.

“We are incredibly honored to be the group selected from North America,” said Benjamin Bergey, assistant professor of music at EMU and director of the Chamber Singers. “We’re excited about how unique an opportunity this is for our students to engage with choirs from all over the world.”

The Chamber Singers will be joined by ensembles from Indonesia, Kenya, Paraguay and Switzerland. Each group will have two performances, with one inside a church and another in the city square. They will then perform together at a worship service in the iconic GrossmĂźnster cathedral.

Rashard Allen, who booked the ensembles, said each one is committed to the work of reconciliation in line with the event’s theme, “The Courage to Love.” “They have a global ecumenical outlook in terms of how they understand their role in being an Anabaptist choir/ensemble,” he said in .

The quincentennial celebration will cap off a tour of Europe for the Chamber Singers, who will perform in the Netherlands, Germany and Switzerland before traveling to Zurich. 

Sing for their support

A of the Voices Together hymnal at Martin Chapel this weekend will raise funds for the Chamber Singers trip. Join members of the Chamber Singers, music faculty and others in the community as they sing through the 750 hymns in Voices Together over the course of three days: on Friday evening, all day Saturday, and Sunday afternoon. Any help is greatly appreciated!

Support the choir by donating at the event and by giving online

The Chamber Singers is an auditioned touring chamber choir founded in 1979. The mixed-voice choir is made up of about 20 EMU students of different ages and majors, who tour in the U.S. each spring break and abroad every other May. For more information about the Chamber Singers choir, visit or find it on and .

Both Byler and Docherty are veteran peace practitioners, focused on conflict transformation and development efforts both domestically and abroad. Byler comes with extensive experience in leading non-profits and Mennonite church initiatives, including fundraising. Docherty has extensive academic institutional experience, with teaching stints at three universities.

Byler has directed programs for in Washington D.C. and the Middle East. He will be coming to EMU in July 2013 from Jordan where he has lived since 2007, coordinating peacebuilding projects run by MCC’s local partners in Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Israel and Palestine.

Impressed by CJP alumni in Middle East

In the Middle East, Byler has seen the work of dozens of CJP alumni. He says he has been inspired by these alumni, noting how CJP “transformed the way they think about conflict and the way they are integrating the principles and experiences learned at EMU in the challenging Middle Eastern context.”

As director of MCC’s Washington Office from 1994 to 2007, Byler met regularly with policymakers on Capitol Hill, the State Department and White House.  Prior to that, he spent six years as a staff attorney in Meridian, Miss., while serving as senior pastor for , an interracial congregation. He brings to EMU significant fundraising experience, including leading a capital campaign for .

Byler holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia, where he also did graduate business coursework. He earned two degrees from EMU, an MA from the in 1985 and a BA in in 1979.

Experiences in Burma/Myanmar

On the CJP faculty since 2001, Docherty spent much of 2008-12 working with groups in Burma/Myanmar on supporting the transition from a military dictatorship to a more democratic form of governance. Prior to this, she worked for three years with the Institute for Peace and Justice Education at Lebanon’s American University to develop a peacebuilding training program for young leaders in that country. She has led workshops on peacebuilding topics in a dozen other countries.

Docherty will continue to teach quarter-time as professor of leadership and public policy at EMU. She has also taught at George Mason University and Columbia College in South Carolina. She earned her PhD at the Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution at George Mason and holds an undergraduate degree in religious studies and political science from Brown University. She studied theology at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland.

Lynn Roth to Mennonite World Conference

Byler is replacing , who has been named the North American representative to Mennonite World Conference. In the new CJP leadership configuration, both the executive director and program director are three-quarter-time positions.

“Daryl will be giving administrative leadership to CJP with a primary focus on building external relationships, networking with key university and external stakeholders, and developing resources for CJP’s growth and success,” said Provost Fred Kniss upon announcing Byler’s appointment. Kniss also expressed appreciation to departing Roth “for his years of wisdom and servant leadership to CJP.”

Concerning Docherty’s role as program director, she will “oversee the development, integration, funding, delivery and evaluation of CJP’s various programs,” said Kniss. “This includes the coordination of the academic and practice programs of CJP, and giving leadership to curriculum development.

“I am eagerly anticipating working with this new CJP management team,” said Kniss, “as they provide innovative leadership and vision to ensure that CJP remains a global leader in the peacebuilding field.”

Lars Akerson and Jonathan Spicher are well aware of the major challenge, risk and unknowns facing them, but they feel confident that they’ll persevere "with God’s protection and the support of family and friends."

A large group of well-wishers stood in the cold rain Tuesday morning, Jan. 6, as Akerson, 22, of Harrisonburg, and Spicher, 20, of Lancaster, Pa., left Virginia Mennonite Conference headquarters in Park View, pointing their 27-speed touring bikes southward. Six months and some 8,500 miles later, they hope to arrive in Asuncion, Paraguay, to attend two global church meetings.

The 15th Mennonite World Conference Assembly, set for July 13-19 in Asuncion, is expected to draw upwards of 7,500 people from North and South America, Europe and other nations. The event will be preceded by a Global Youth Summit, July 10-12. The first such gathering was held in 2003 in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, and attracted more than 220 young adults from 28 countries. Akerson hopes that many more will attend this time.

It’s an adventure, certainly, but more than that the pair will seek to raise funds to help more young adults from other countries to attend the youth summit.

They’ll also engage individuals, Anabaptist churches and larger groups along the way, do much listening to others’ concerns and vision for the church, but they also anticipate doing service projects as they arise in keeping with the focus of the youth summit, "Service: Live the Difference."

They also worked with persons at Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), Akron, Pa., and with Mennonite Church conferences in setting up contacts along their route.

Lars Akerson (l.) and Jonathan Spicher ready their bike equipment before departing. Photo by Lindsey Roeschley

Akerson graduated from EMU the spring of 2008, a double major in mathematics and liberal arts with a minor in Spanish. He was one of 10 recipients of EMU’s "Cords of Distinction" recognition for significant contributions to the school and broader community.

Spicher plans to return to EMU this fall as a senior biology/premed major. His biking venture will fulfill the school’s cross-cultural requirement, and he’ll receive additional credits for independent study related to the trek.

The first segment of the journey will include stops in Durham, N.C., and at Jubilee Partners in Comer, Ga. They’ll travel through Alabama, Louisiana and Texas and cross into Mexico, through Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and finally, Paraguay.

They’ve invited persons to join them for sections of the ride, for a few miles or several days.

They hope to spend time interacting with the EMU cross-cultural spring semester seminar group whose time in Guatemala will coincide with the men’s travels. They’ll also visit MCC workers in various locations and Conservative Mennonite Conference personnel in Ecuador.

Asked about the weather uncertainties and risk and safety factors of this major trek across two continents, Akerson and Spicher gave knowing looks and remained silent awhile before responding.

"Our main concern is the last leg of the trip," Akerson said. "We’ll spend much of the last two months biking in elevations up to 14,000 feet above sea level."

"We will be vulnerable, but we’re relying on persons’ hospitality and intentionally depending on God and others for safety and protection," Spicher stated. "We’ve done some planning for contingencies but can’t anticipate everything that could happen along the way."

Akerson and Spicher mount their bikes as they head out of Harrisonburg. Photo by Lindsey Roeschley

Nancy Heisey, chair of the Bible and religion department at EMU and president of Mennonite World Conference, called the pair’s impending venture both "exciting and scary."

"I admire the amount of energy Lars and Jonathan are putting into this journey," Dr. Heisey said, "but even more, I’m pleased that they are demonstrating a commitment to spiritual growth as well as the significant contribution they want to make to other young adults around the world."

The pair has set up an interactive web site () where they will provide regular updates of their journey with personal reflections, stories and photos. Anyone who wants to contribute to the fund-raising effort can do so at the same site.

"We hope that our journey will encourage and add to an intercultural conversation about discerning and living Christ’s call with integrity," said Akerson.

Added Spicher: "Biking together is a great relationship-building endeavor. I’m excited to have this opportunity for two-way learning with brothers and sisters and for spiritual growth."

Father George McLean (r.), general editor, presents Paul Peachey with a copy of his book "Building Peace and Civil Society: An Autobiographical Report from a Believers’ Church" (Washington, D.C.: The Council for Research in Values and Philosophy, 2007). Chapters 1-16 is a collection of essays by Peachey, 1952-2003, nearly all previously published in widely scattered sources. The remaining chapters are autobiographical and published for the first time. Photo by Ray Gingerich

Roman Catholics and Mennonites are engaging each other in discussions at many levels.

A much-reported example was the visit of a Mennonite World Conference delegation to the Vatican in October this year. An extraordinary document, "Called Together: Report of the International Dialog Between the Catholic Church and Mennonite World Conference (MWC), 1998-2003," provides a backdrop for much of the current exchange.

At EMU, the Anabaptist Center for Religion and Society (ACRS) sponsored a conference entitled "The Church – Catholic and Anabaptist." The initiative for the Nov. 29-30 event was a long-standing friendship between Dr. Paul Peachey and Father George McLean, both emeritus professors at Catholic University in Washington, D.C. Peachey and McLean have collaborated in a decades-long global inter-religious dialog in Europe and Asia on issues of violence and peace.

The ACRS is an organization started by a group of retired academics to explore issues relevant to the contemporary scene. Dr. Peachey, a prominent ACRS member, suggested that a conversation between Anabaptists and Catholics on ecclesiology might benefit both parties while helping to clarify disparate ways of being in the world.

Father McLean began the proceedings by pointing out that much inter-religious dialog today is rooted in the notion that differences must be understood as conflict. McLean suggested it be cast in a new way – as "diachronic" – that is, differences change in the context of time and as a result of changing circumstances. A current example of diachronic activity, he pointed out, is "the flurry of discussion between Catholics and Anabaptists."

A dinner discussion ensued where Peachey and McLean regaled the gathering with stories of their global inter-religious encounters.

In a subsequent session Dr. Nancy Heisey related the experiences of the MWC delegation to the Vatican, which provided a wonderful real-time element to the conference.

Two major addresses focused on ecclesiology. Ray Gingerich, professor emeritus of religion of EMU, offered an Anabaptist theological perspective on the church. Professor Bill Barbieri of Catholic University offered a descriptive ecclesiological survey of contemporary church issues, especially related to questions of authority.

Perhaps the most important question was the relationship of churchly authority to issues of freedom and coercion from Catholic and Anabaptist points of view.

There is always an asymmetrical quality to Catholic/Anabaptist ecclesial interchange – Catholic verticality and Anabaptist horizontalism. Catholics have a quite precise ecclesiology; Mennonites not so much. This must leave Catholics wondering which strain of Anabaptist thinking represents the Mennonite position.

For ACRS, the encounter was wonderfully engaging and worthwhile. We hope our Catholic counterparts found it equally stimulating.

Albert N. Keim is professor emeritus of history at ˛ÝÝŽÉçÇř.

The Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity invited and hosted the Mennonite World Conference (MWC) delegation, Oct. 18 – 23, 2007.

“We were so warmly welcomed that it was almost overwhelming,” said Nancy Heisey, MWC president. “We learned much about how the Roman Catholic Church carries out its mission, and we were able in many of our encounters to share our own understandings, to describe our ministries and to raise our questions.”

Dr. Heisey is chair of the Bible and religion department at EMU.

Nancy Heisey, MWC president, presents a framed image of Anabaptist martyr Dirk Willems of Asperen, the Netherlands, to Pope Benedict XVI. She told the story of Willems, who was captured, tried and convicted, but escaped from prison in 1569. Willems fled across the thin ice of a pond, but when the guard who pursued him broke through the ice, Willems turned back and rescued him. Willems was recaptured and soon burned at the stake. (Credit: Servizio Fotograpfico de L’.O.R., Citta del Vaticano)

The invitation for the visit grew out of the international dialogue between MWC and the Pontifical Council, which took place from 1998 to 2003 and resulted in a 48-page report, “Called Together to be Peacemakers.”

This visit provided the opportunity for Mennonite World Conference to take responses to the report as well as concerns about the Catholic Church from MWC member churches around the world to the Pontifical Council.

The MWC delegation also held conversations at the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue, the Vatican Secretariat of State, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace and the Congregation for the Causes of Saints.

Messages of Peacemaking and Non-violence

“When Catholic Church leaders think of Mennonites, they see us as leading Christian bearers of the message of peacemaking and non-violence, which is at the heart of the gospel,” noted Larry Miller, MWC general secretary.

Beginning at the least with Pope John Paul II, key Catholic leaders, too, see active peacemaking and non-violence rooted in Jesus Christ as normative, not disconnected from the gospel, he said. “Pope Benedict XVI reiterated this position in his remarks to the MWC delegation.”

Memories of 16th century Anabaptist and Catholic encounters recalled that the Anabaptist practice of baptizing believers already baptized as infants was considered heretical and provoked persecution. The public acknowlegement of a voluntary, adult decision to become a disciple of Jesus Christ was not acceptable then.

Now adult baptism among Catholics is seen as “normative,” according to Rev. Augustine DiNoia, Undersecretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, and is increasing in frequency, particularly in the global North.

Questions Surround Baptism

Monsignor John Radano, head of the Western Section of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, credits Anabaptists, together with Baptists, as “the primary proponents of adult baptism.” However, he asks, “Do Mennonites accept Catholic adult baptism?” Mennonites and Catholics agreed that questions of baptism require much more discussion.

Conversations around the church and baptism occurred at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Pope Benedict XVI, as Cardinal Ratzinger, headed this powerful department for more than 20 years.

A disappointment for MWC delegation member Paulus Widjaja, MWC peace commission secretary from Indonesia, was hearing that the Catholic Church calls most other Christian churches outside the Catholic Church “ecclesial communities,” but not “churches.”

“At the end of our visit, the MWC delegation formulated a document that states what a church is in our belief. Both the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith and the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity had stated their openness to receive such a document and to study it,” he said.

The statement, sent to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity following the visit, identifies belief in the triune God, Jesus Christ as the foundation of the Church, empowerment by the Holy Spirit, the scriptures as the authority for the Church, baptism as a public sign of commitment to a life of discipleship in the Believers Church tradition, the Lord’s Supper as remembrance and corporate sharing in the body and blood of Christ and of celebration and hope and encouragement for the Church to be one.

On Sunday morning, the Mennonites attended a service at the Basilica of St. Mary Major where they were introduced to worshippers by the Basilica’s Archpriest.

They also prayed together at the catacombs and fellowshipped with leaders of the Focolari, an important lay movement within the Catholic Church, where they heard testimonies of meeting Jesus Christ and of changed lives.

“I have the impression that these Focolari are people who genuinely commit themselves to live out the gospel in their daily lives,” Widjaja commented. “How wonderful and peaceful our world would become if only all Christians had the commitment and tried hard to live the gospel and Christ’s love in our daily lives as do the Focolari,” he added.

Meeting with the Pope

On Oct. 19, the delegation had an audience with Pope Benedict XVI, who told the group, “Since it is Christ Himself who calls us to seek Christian unity, it is entirely right and fitting that Mennonites and Catholics have entered into dialog in order to understand the reasons for the conflict that arose between us in the 16th century. To understand is to take the first step towards healing.”

Pope Benedict also spoke of a common understanding of nonviolence and active peacemaking at the heart of the gospel and of a continuing search for unity. “Our witness will remain impaired as long as the world sees our divisions,” he stated.

In her remarks to the Pope on behalf of MWC, Dr. Heisey spoke of the “great common heritage of faith…[and] the challenges of being God’s people in this time” that Mennonites and Catholics share. She noted “the role of the church in matters of mission and evangelism, peace and justice, and a life of discipleship” and “the complexities of relationship between church and society” as other common struggles.

“This meeting sought to move beyond the dialog stage to develop a deeper level of understanding between the two Christian communities,” Heisey said.

“My long-term aspiration from this significant gathering is that both religious bodies examine further what it means to emphasize peace as central to the gospel message and that both the Catholic Church and Mennonites will become even stronger voices for peace and justice in the world,” Heisey stated.

The visit by the MWC delegation captured some media attention. The international Catholic press published stories and Vatican Radio and Television conducted an interview with Miller and Heisey.

What for the Future?

At the end of the visit, the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and MWC leaders discussed both the visit and the question of future contact.

MWC leaders want to report to and get direction from the General Council, which meets next in 2009. Catholic Church leaders desire dialog with Mennonites and will adapt to the MWC timetable, noted Miller.

MWC appointed delegates from the five continental regions included General Council members Nancy Heisey (North America), Mulugeta Zewdie (Africa), Thijn Thijink (Europe), Paulus Widjaja (Asia)and Victor Wall
(Latin America).

Delegates from MWC member churches that accepted invitations to send representatives were:

• Lene-Marie Funck-Sp
  ]]> /now/news/2007/emu-cites-couple-for-generous-giving/ Fri, 19 Oct 2007 04:00:00 +0000 http://www.emu.edu/blog/news/?p=1531
  
  Lewis and Mary Coss receive the annual Gehman Philanthropic Award from EMU President Loren Swartzendruber and named for faculty emerita member and long-time benefactor Margaret Martin Gehman (at left). Photo by Jim Bishop

  EMU has named a Hagerstown, Md., couple its 2007 recipient of the Margaret Martin Gehman "philanthropist of the year" award in recognition of their generous support of EMU.

  Lewis and Mary Coss were recognized at an Oct. 12 donor appreciation banquet on campus "for exemplifying the spirit of generous [financial, prayer and moral] support of the university for many years."

  The award, in its second year, is named for Dr. Margaret Martin Gehman, who taught art and physical education at EMU from 1944 until her retirement in 1987. She continues to serve regularly as a volunteer on campus and with other local organizations and has been a long-time strong financial supporter of the university.

  The couple established the Lewis M. and Mary L. Coss church leadership endowed scholarship in 1994 to assist seminary students preparing for pastoral ministry. To date, $28,500 has been awarded from this fund.

  They have contributed to the seminary annual fund and to the Augsburger Chair, named for EMU president emeritus Myron S. Augsburger, and have given to several capital projects, including sponsorship of a room in the seminary building and the Northlawn dormitory renovation.

  They have also designated EMU as the recipient of a charitable remainder unitrust.

  Lewis and Mary have also supported EMU through leadership voluntarism as members of the President’s Partnership Council, 1992-2001.

  They have attended the past 16 donor appreciation events on campus and a similar number of the annual School for Leadership Training programs held in January at Eastern Mennonite Seminary.

  Lewis is retired after pastoring at Community Mennonite Church in Hagerstown where he and Mary have been involved for 35 years. They owned and operated a furniture and appliance store in Hagerstown 17 years.

  They have attended Mennonite World Conference four times, most biennial general assemblies of the Mennonite Church and have participated in more than 20 annual meetings of Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA).

  The couple celebrated 55 years of marriage in March this year. They have four children – Cheryl and Nelson Lehman, Twila and Darrel Eberly, Dwayne and Christa Coss, Dwight (deceased) and six grandchildren.

  "We are grateful for the many ways in which Lewis and Mary Coss exemplify the spirit of generous, cheerful philanthrophy through their generous support of EMU," President Swartzendruber said.

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