Nov. 23, 2009 issue
Countering military recruitment 'a mission field' among youth
By Celeste Kennel-Shank Mennonite Weekly ReviewPage:
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GOSHEN, Ind. — Wendell Wiebe Powell has worked for peace for many years.
The issues became more personal when his sons began attending Elkhart public schools, with the presence of military recruiters and promotional media.
Wiebe Powell led a session on counter-recruitment at “Resistance: Taking a Stand Against War, 1960s to Today” Nov. 14 at Goshen College.
“There’s a mission field, and it’s under our noses,” he said. “This is the work of salvation as much as any other work.”
Wiebe Powell is encouraging Mennonites to reach out to their neighbors in counter-recruitment work as part of being a mission-focused church.
“Having our private schools, as wonderful as they are, shouldn’t make us feel exempt on this issue,” he said.
Recruiters tell young people about potential benefits, especially money for college. Yet, more than half of the soldiers who pay $1,200 to enroll in the GI Bill do not receive any funds for college, according to the Military Recruiting Information Center in Youngstown, Ohio.
Other promised benefits often don’t come through either, Wiebe Powell said.
He has several ideas to begin confronting recruitment, both for youth and adults in their lives:
- Find the students, teachers and counselors in a school who are willing to share information.
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