Mennonite Weekly Review

GOSHEN, Ind. — Voices in six languages set the stage for the commencement service of Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary May 22 at College Mennonite Church.

Students read from Matthew 7 and Luke 11 in six languages at the Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary commencement service May 22 at College Mennonite Church in Goshen, Ind. Readers were Kelbessa Muleta Demena from Ethiopia, who read in Amharic, Raimonda Balciuniene in Lithuanian, Rolando Sosa Granados in Spanish (at the microphone), Samantha Lioi in English, Sylvie Guden Koehn in French and Takanori Inoue in Japanese. — Photo by Mary E. Klassen/AMBS

Members of the graduating class read in their first languages the call in Matthew 7 and Luke 11 to care for others the way God does. Kelbessa Muleta Demena from Ethiopia read in Amharic, Raimonda Balciuniene in Lithuanian, Rolando Sosa Granados in Spanish, Samantha Lioi in English, Sylvie Guden Koehn in French and Takanori Inoue in Japanese. These six were part of the class of 40 who received degrees and certificates.

C. Arnold Snyder, professor of history at Conrad Grebel University College in Waterloo, Ont., challenged the graduating class to take part in refocusing the vision set forth by H.S. Bender in 1944.

In The Anabaptist Vision, Bender proposed three key characteristics of Anabaptism: the essence of Christianity is discipleship, the church is to be a fellowship of believers, and believers are marked by a new ethic of love and nonresistance.

“Anabaptist Vision is not Anabaptist enough,” Snyder said.

A life of discipleship, being committed to other believers and caring for others requires a spiritual rebirth and “calls for the continued gift of God’s grace.”

Snyder quoted from Bender, in an article published in Mennonite Quarterly Review in 1961: “A life of discipleship is one in which the Holy Spirit works with power.”

Snyder said he wished this last article, published just before Bender’s death, would receive as much attention as his earlier essay, because it is in this later document that Bender answers the central question of how one becomes a disciple of Jesus Christ.

“This cannot be accomplished without prayer, meditation on Scripture and cultivation of our relationship with the Vine,” Snyder said. “Take time to ponder the truth expressed by Anabaptist faith parents. Have a heart open to the living God. Then we can go forth in the confidence that we can indeed give not a stone but bread to those who hunger.”

Nineteen graduates received a master of divinity degree, five received a master of arts in theological studies, three a master of arts in peace studies, four a master of arts in Christian formation and nine a certificate in theological studies.

Three of those who received certificates completed the Seminario Bíblico Anabautista (Biblical Anabaptist Seminary) program in Dallas, and were honored at an earlier ceremony: Oneida Dueñas of Ferris, Texas; Samuel Moran, pastor of Ministerios Restauracion (Restoration Ministries) in Portland, Ore.; and Blanca Vargas, pastor of Iglesia Menonita Comunidad de Vida (Community of Life Mennonite Church) in San Antonio.

Eighteen of the 40 graduates are pastors or are pursuing pastoral ministry assignments.