BMC | Outspoken

Instinctual record collecting and storytelling: honoring our elders and ancestors at the BMC 50th anniversary celebration

By Hayley Brooks I am not one to sing in groups. In Mennonite contexts, I am an anomaly for this. In my evangelical church, I could never raise my arms or put them out in front of me. My shame stopped me. If I could, I would hide under the chairs (not pews) during worship or stare blankly at the projector screen, usually filled with a gradient background and lyrics like “I may never fly over the enemy but I’m in the lord’s army” or “power and majesty praise to the king.” Howe

Jun 10

Reveling in 50 Years of Queer & Trans Anabaptist Resilience at BMC’s 50th

By Anna Lisa Gross We filled the library lobby: browsing the timeline, thumbing through decades of t-shirts, greeting old friends, meeting new friends, and eating popcorn as we gathered for the Brethren Mennonite Council for LGBT Interests' 50th Anniversary, May 29-31, 2026. The 50th Anniversary choir had gathered immediately before the opening session and learned a handful of songs, some written by our director Pax Ressler. We ascended the half-spiral staircase and our singi

Jun 8

Religion as a Frame for Connection: Why I Am Going to BMC’s 50th Anniversary

Joel Nofziger served with BMC from 2002–2003 as administrative assistant and head of Kaleidoscope, BMC’s young adult programming arm, and has remained connected with BMC in the years since. Joel is our accessibility coordinator for Rooting Our Stories , BMC’s 50th Anniversary Gathering. I’m [an atheist] Mennonite by upbringing—and I think religion can function for some of us in helpful ways. Our social nature is reflected in our neurology. We are social creatures wired for co

Apr 2