JUNE 23 MEDIA RELEASE — Bluffton University honored the 500th anniversary of the Anabaptist movement with a series of events this past spring. The celebration featured lectures, performances, exhibits and panel discussions reflecting on Anabaptist faith, history and values.

Highlights included:
Public Lectures and Forums exploring themes such as biblical interpretation, peacebuilding, and dissent in Anabaptist tradition, led by Bluffton faculty and national scholars including Dr. John D. Roth, Dr. Gerald Mast, Eric Kurtz and Rev. Dr. Maxwell Kennel.

Artistic and Musical Performances including a reader's theatre on Anabaptist martyrdom, a choral concert tracing 500 years of hymns, and the culminating program, "One Hundred Years of Mennonite Women Through Story and Song."

Panel Discussions and Personal Reflections from Bluffton students, alumni and faculty exploring the relevance of Anabaptist values in contemporary life.

Special Exhibits such as a collection of early Anabaptist Bibles and a book celebration featuring poetry from the "Drawing Near" devotional anthology.

Bluffton's Anabaptism at 500 programming engaged the campus and wider community in meaningful reflection on faith, justice, and legacy, affirming the university's commitment to peace traditions rooted in its Mennonite heritage.

These events were generously supported by Lowell and Marty Hostetler.