Mennonite World Conference Makes Communication Changes
Mennonite World Conference has made two new appointments to its communications team and introduced a French translation of its quarterly magazine, Courier. French-speaking Mennonites in France, Quebec, the Congo, and other French-speaking countries in Africa and around the world were able to read the first edition of Courrier, the French magazine, in April, 2001.
Sylvie Gudin Poupaert translates the English magazine into French. Plans include adding some material exclusive to the French edition beginning next year.
Gudin Poupaert lives in Strasbourg with her family, including two teenage children. She does other translating work for MWC, but her primary job is with “Church and Peace.” She coordinates the Frenchspeaking sectors of the European ecumenical network of about 60 Christian communities, churches, and organizations committed to peace and reconciliation.
Gudin Poupaert is no stranger to global Mennonites. She organized the Peace House at the MWC 1984 assembly, worked with Larry Miller, MWC executive secretary, when he was Mennonite Board of Missions director for Europe and served with Mennonite Central Committee as a trainee and at seminars.
Appointed MWC News Editor is Ferne Burkhardt, Petersburg, Ontario (Canada), replacing Larry Kehler, Winnipeg, Manitoba (Canada), who retired after three years in that position.
“Three and half years ago, a communications expert told me that MWC must increase the flow of news around the world about the global family of faith. Larry Kehler offered his services shortly thereafter,” said Larry Miller. “Three months ago, the same expert said he had noticed a remarkable growth in the number of news releases from MWC in Mennonite and BIC publications. Larry Kehler is the mainreason for the change. While a volunteer in retirement, Larry worked with quiet and exemplary effectiveness to spread significant news of the church in one part of the world to the church in all other parts of the world.”
To continue that flow of news, Burkhardt joined the communications team as a part-time volunteer in August. Last December, she retired as editoral assistant and regional editor for the Mennonite Conference of Eastern Canada at Canadian Mennonite. Burkhardt’s work with the Canadian news magazine began with a decade as a volunteer writer, three years as interim associate editor, followed by 11 years as editorial assistant.
She gained familiarity with the global Mennonite family through 13 years on the Mennonite Board of Missions (Mennonite Church). She also served on the executive of the Council on Church and Media and on the Publication Committee for Mennonite Women.
Burkhardt and her husband Don are members of Mannheim Mennonite Church, where she edits the church newsletter. They have three grown children and seven grandchildren.
MWC News Service
