Mennonite pastor Paula Snyder Belousek will discuss a past bishop’s response to the Civil War in a speech titled, “John’s Dilemma: A Mennonite Bishop Wrestles with Suffering in a Time of War,” during Bluffton University’s Spiritual Life Week Forum on Tuesday, April 4. The lecture begins at 11 a.m. in Bluffton’s Yoder Recital Hall. The presentation is free and open to the public.

Snyder Belousek will discuss her experience in the discovery of Elida, Ohio, Bishop John M. Brenneman’s draft petition written to President Abraham Lincoln requesting conscientious objector status for Mennonites during the Civil War. She will also explore his struggle with what it means to be faithful to God even in the face of suffering.

She discovered this letter in 2016 while sorting through the archives of Salem Mennonite Church. She was drawn to the letter from Brenneman’s strong sense of leadership and vision, as well as his personal struggles he faced throughout his life. 

Snyder Belousek, lead pastor, Salem Mennonite Church, Elida, Ohio, is a graduate of Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary. For twenty years, she has worked in a variety of church and church-related ministries including with adults who have developmental disabilities, young adults and congregational settings.

She lives in Lima with her husband and son.