A cold and snowy day in November was the perfect time to fire up AMBS’s new cob pizza oven, a gift of the Class of 2019! This group learned how to use the oven to make personal pizzas (l. to r.): Karen Hinrichs, a visiting church leader from Germany; Ed Kauffman (MDiv 1976), Volunteer Coordinator; Andrew Hudson, student from Oregon; Rianna Isaak-Krauss, student from Manitoba; Benjamin Isaak-Krauss (MDiv 2019), coordinator of the oven-building project; Kristen Swartley, student from Iowa; Janeen Bertsche Johnson (MDiv 1989), Alumni Director; and Andi Santoso, student from Indonesia. The oven is made of a mix of clay, sand and organic matter and is located behind the Student Activity Center, adjacent to the pergola given by the Class of 2017. (Credit: Andy Brubacher Kaethler, PhD, Associate Professor of Christian Formation and Culture)
By Janeen Bertsche Johnson, M.Div., Director of Campus Ministries, Alumni Director and Admissions Associate
Our alumni are our most important influencers of prospective students and are among our most faithful donors, helping to ensure that AMBS can continue to educate and form current and future generations of leaders for the church. In my role as Alumni Director, I’m delighted that AMBS is giving special attention to the benefits we offer our graduates and other alumni (those who have completed 12 or more credit hours of study).
Here are some of the benefits we’re providing as a way of expressing our gratitude:
“Alumni and Friends” tours
- Fifteen alumni participated in Encountering Egypt: Past and Present, a learning tour that Safwat Marzouk, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Old Testament/Hebrew Bible, and Drew Strait, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of New Testament and Christian Origins, led Jan. 25 – Feb. 8, 2020.
- Heather Klassen (MATS 2001) and Byron Remple (MACF 2001) will lead an Alumni and Friends tour to Indonesia and the Mennonite World Conference gathering in July 2021. Heather and Byron served with Mennonite Central Committee in Indonesia for four years immediately after graduating from AMBS. The tour will include connecting with AMBS alumni and their ministries, connecting with Mennonite churches, engaging Indonesian culture, learning about history and current issues, and experiencing the natural beauty of the country. To put your name on the “interested” list, please email [email protected].
Graduate discounts for AMBS courses
- AMBS graduates receive a 25-percent discount on any campus courses they audit (currently $92 per credit hour instead of the regular audit rate of $124).
- Graduates may take one course for credit at a 50-percent discount — a new benefit! Online, hybrid and campus classes are all eligible for this discount.
Alumni connections
- We’re planning to create a password-protected online directory where alumni can update their contact information and find that of other alumni.
- Twice a year, we’ll distribute alumni newsletters by email, featuring news from alumni.
- The AMBS Alumni Facebook Group regularly highlights articles by and updates from alumni around the world. If you are an alum and aren’t already one of our 630+ group members, ask to join!
We give thanks for our 2,500+ alumni and for the ways in which they are applying their seminary learnings and making a difference across the world.
To our alumni: Thank you for your ongoing support of and prayers for AMBS! We are grateful that you not only help identify but also invest in the leaders who are engaging AMBS’s resources to strengthen their leadership and ministry skills. We offer you our prayers as well, and we welcome you to share ideas for other ways that AMBS can continue to support you.
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