Max Kennel has served as Pastor of Hamilton Mennonite Church since Fall 2024, and he brings a deep passion for Anabaptist history, Mennonite theology, and how they can help us address the conflicts of values that animate our world. In 2024, he edited the English translation of a new Anabaptist history textbook, Astrid von Schlachta's Anabaptists: From the Reformation to the 21st Century, and in 2025 he is editing the English translation of a biography of Conrad Grebel, Hans-Jürgen Goertz's study Conrad Grebel (1498-1526), Critic of Pious Facades.
He has served in ministry roles in several churches in the Mennonite Church of Eastern Canada (including the Rainham Mennonite Church and the Steinmann Mennonite Church), and his academic training is from the University of Waterloo (BA, 2013), Conrad Grebel University College (MTS, 2015) and McMaster University (PhD in Religious Studies, 2021).
Most recently he was a postdoctoral fellow in the Department for the Study of Religion at the University of Toronto (2021-2023) and a Senior research Associate at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine University (2022-2024). He is also the Director of Pandora Press (2021-present) where he edits the Anabaptist and Mennonite Studies series.
His experiences in factory work, medical education, writing, publishing, and ministry have taught him that the bonds of trust that form our communities are essential for our society as it struggles with polarization and crisis.
He also loves poodles, ramen, and hardcore music.
Please feel free to reach out to Pastor Max at pastor@hmc.on.ca
