Marnie Klassen

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The Schism Between Us

A podcast about cultural and religious tension between Mennonites and Mennonite Brethren in Canada

Hi! I’m Marnie, writer, lay-theologian, ecumenist, Jesus-loyalist, and audio-documentarian.

I grew up Mennonite Brethren in small town BC, but our church was majorly resourced by the Alberta Mennonite conference… so when I later landed in Menno-land, you can imagine my surprise to discover that MB’s and Mennonites don’t actually work together all that often.

I’m making this podcast because I think the conflict, tension, and relationship between our two conferences is a story that needs to be told – and as someone who has straddled the conferences my whole life long, I think I’m the person to tell it.

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The Mennonites are a group of Christians who emerged out of the Radical Reformation in the 1500s. They fall under a theological umbrella known as ‘Anabaptism’ – basically, we practice believer’s baptism, live our lives in community, and, traditionally, practice a peaceful life.

In 1860, while living in Imperial Russia, there was a revival movement within the Mennonite church – this group eventually formed their own denomination (with influences from German pietism and Baptists) and called themselves the Mennonite Brethren.

Fast forward to today, and there are many groups of Anabaptists and Mennonites in Canada – two of the largest and most well-known (and the two I have personal experience in) are the Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches, and Mennonite Church Canada.

The Schism Between Us launches in April, 2026 – you’ll be able to find it anywhere you listen to your podcasts!
Keep an eye on this page for links once we launch.

It’s me! I’m the producer, editor, host… almost everything!

Thankfully, I have some great collaborators – a couple of musical composers, an advisor, a graphic designer, and lots of friends to bounce ideas off. I’m very grateful, and recognize that I couldn’t do this alone.

The pod is funded by Canadian Mennonite’s MennoCreative artists’ residency as part of the 2025/2026 cohort. You can learn more about the residency here.

You can get in touch with Marnie (host and producer) directly here!