GSB Mennonite

"Commercializing Innovation" Hmmm... interesting.

Yes, very cool class with very cool professor. A lot lot lot of work.

It's been awhile since I was affiliated with a Mennonite church, but I have to say these classes look more like those of a candidate for The Apprentice than for a disciple of Menno Simons.
I spent two years at EMU, when it was Eastern Mennonite College, and most everyone majored in social work, nursing/medicine, or education. Transferring to Ohio State to major in accounting created some internal dissonance for this Mennonite, in the late 70's.
Have the Mennonites changed/assimilated so much? Doesn't integrating traditional Mennonite values (simplicity, servanthood, community) with this focus on business demand some tough, internal work? Or do you compartmentalize them as different parts of your life?
I am not criticizing you or asking for some deep, personal answer, but I have felt you beg the question, when you combine your blog name with its content.

Julana,

Very good comment with very good questions. I certainly can't speak for the Mennonite church as a whole and I'm not an expert on the Mennonite church in the 1970's, but many of the things you probably experienced were similar for me. I was one of the few to follow a non-traditional path, and yes, I'm still sorting out the responsibilities/implications of that path! That's probably a life-long process! :)

Many Mennonites have become more assimilated since the 1970s, especially relative to some of the more conservative groups. And did you know that EMU has an MBA program now? ;) (http://www.emu.edu/mba/) While Menno Simons was a central figure in the early Mennonite movement, Mennonites consider themselves Christians (followers of Christ) and not 'disciples of Menno Simons.' The tranditional values are definitely still the central values of the Mennonite church, and yes, it is often a challenge to integrate simplicity with the results of careers. I think EMU even has some specific points on this in their program.

As you pointed out, this is exactly *why* I combined the name with blog. I wrote very specifically and directly about my Mennonite-ness and the values of stewardship and community in my MBA applications - themes that are very important in business.

Hopefully this is not at odds with the more basic Mennonite values - which I always saw as being very much at work in daily life - not compartmentalized from it...a very long response to your question. Feel free to follow up!

Thank you for taking the time to respond. I had to travel back in time.
A. I think the focus on social justice in the larger, more "liberal," Mennonite world I encountered at EMC had an impact on the majors: medicine, social work, education.
Many of the people in the small, generally more conservative Mennonite community I came from had Amish roots. Social justice was not in their vocabulary. They had a strong conviction of the separation between church and state (and the "world", in general), so they served people personally and through their church, rather than through a career in secular institutions.
B. My father, probably representative in his attitude (raised Amish, then conservative Mennonite), valued a college education pragmatically, for its ability to give one the tools to financially support one's self and family. He saw accounting as a fine major.
C. Many of the students at EMC were from a culture that saw college education as common path for young adults to follow. They may have been second generation students. They saw/sought a unity between career and vocation that was previously unfamiliar to me.
Most of the adults I grew up around had not attended college. A job was a job (farming, carpentry, plumbing, etc.), and you served some sort of (true) apprenticeship, and did it to the glory of God whatever it was. There weren't levels of "holiness" associated with different jobs. I think they did see an element of "calling", or God's placement of them, in their livelihoods. That was a validation.

I found it first sad, than humorous, that EMU has an MBA program now. Now that I think of it, their earlier lack of focus on the commercial aspects of the world probably reflected that fact that their constituency was still largely agrarian. The students' role models with formal education were teachers and medical personnel. And VS'ers (voluntary service workers) probably had contacts with social workers early on, and found it possible to transition to that role, with some further education.

Re following Christ vs Menno: My cousin came back from a VS sojourn in South Carolina reporting the VS'ers had a saying, "That's not even Christian, let alone Mennonite!"

Julana,

Thanks for the recollections. I like the final quote! :) Your points are right on - the individuals roots and community with respect to Amish/Mennonite background can vary significantly along with the perspective of work and vocation.

And I certainly identify with the final paragraph; I simply did not have good models in the areas that I felt particularly drawn in my vocational journey, which made it all the more challenging to do it anyway. Perhaps that gets back to your original question - with few 'Mennonite' role models in finding that unity it is somewhat of a discovery process. "The Call" by Os Guinness is an excellent book that one of my uncles gave me related to this subject.

In a small way, that is also why I used 'Mennonite' in the title - to at least be one source of information for people interested in the career/vocation. :)

I heard one of the pastors at a local megachurch recommend members read Guinness's book rather than Warren's _Purpose-Driven Life_. I know OG is a good author.

Interesting. I see Warren's book as more of a daily devotional (i.e. 40 days) and OG's book as more of a read for the purpose of learning (almost more academic in a positive way).