Bethel College Community for Justice and Peace Holds Protests on Campus
The North Newton police department patrolling the campus of Bethel College has been a hot topic this year, ever since the patrols began in August of 2024. Some students, faculty, staff, and community members disagree with this practice, prompting student-led protests. From March 31 to April 5, the Bethel College Justice and Peace club led “five days of action” under the theme, “Our Safety, Our Voice,” in which they planned to protest police patrols for five days, in five different ways. In a press release via Josue Coy Dick, the club stated, “This movement is about who we want to be as a community. It's about finding ways other than campus patrols to keep our community safe that are effective and creative, and that align with Bethel's values and historic practice.”
It is noted by the club that the Mennonite heritage that Bethel was founded on makes the college unique, and that its heritage should be considered when deciding whether to allow officers on campus. Not all students at Bethel identify as Mennonite, but the values of the college reflect those of the Mennonites. The club said, “Practices of nonviolence and peacebuilding, rooted in that identity, are valuable and powerful things it can teach and model for its students and community.” They aim to use these protests as a form of nonviolent protest to call for better reforms to campus safety.
The club had planned to hold a “pastries and protest” event on Thursday, April 3, during which they would sit in the lobby of the Administration from 3 to 5 p.m., but were informed in a memo from President Gering that if they went through with the event, it would result in disciplinary actions, possibly including “suspension, expulsion or arrest.” This decision was based on the fact that a group of students in the lobby “poses a threat to the safety and security of students and staff as they move into and out of their offices within the Administration Building,” according to Gering in that same email.
Jon Gering stated, “I care about the safety of the employees and students and the functionality of the college. Protests should never interrupt the regular operations of the college and never take place without consent.”
On Friday, April 4, BCCJP members led protesters in a flash hymn-sing during three meetings of the Bethel College Board of Directors. One meeting was a “lunch and learn” with board members, administrators, and students. The protesters took the opportunity to peacefully protest in front of them by singing hymns for a short time during the meeting. The purpose of the protest was to “remind the board of their prior recognition that ‘there might be alternative ways to accomplish the goal of a more secure campus environment....[and that] to develop those ways in a meaningful fashion takes time and engagement.’”
When asked about a 10 minute hymn-sing protest during the “lunch and learn” event, Gering said that he was disappointed with protesters in some of the ways they responded when asked to leave by Dr. MeShonya Wren-Coleman, the Vice President of Student Life, and asked for there to be an apology. He stated, “Their actions were not ‘thresher kind.’” He also said he believed that “the ‘noisy gong, clanging cymbal’ approach [to protests] isn’t effective.” He noted that he is very happy with the progress that has been made over his presidency connected to the North Newton Police Department.
The five days of action concluded with members of BCCJP meeting and speaking with Board members on Saturday, April 5.