Partners in Mission Invigorate Franconia Conference

Gay Brunt Miller, Spring Mount

Dictionary.com defines the words “partner” and “mission” as follows:

Partner [pahrt-ner] noun: a person who shares or is associated with another in some action or endeavor; sharer; associate; a player on the same side or team as another.

Mission [mish-uhn] noun: a group of persons sent by a church to carry on religious work, esp. evangelization in foreign lands, and often to establish schools, hospitals, etc.; an establishment of missionaries in a foreign land; a missionary church or station.

Historically the model of mission featured EuroAmericans going, often internationally, and serving people in need in some way. As the definition above suggests, missions often implied establishing schools, hospitals or other institutions in the name of Christ.

In the last decade the whole concept of missions has been changing. Many countries where we used to “go” and “do” are now sending missionaries, sometimes to the United States.

More recently the word “missional” has crept into our vocabulary. While it comes from the same root, the idea is about realizing that our mission field is here all around us, not an ocean away. We’ve begun to wrestle with what it means to get on board with what God is already doing and reach out to our neighbors who need the hope and Good News of the gospel.

When combined with the word, “partners,” you get a very different connotation. Partners do things together, not for or to one another.

So how did this Partner in Mission (PIM) relationship become part of Franconia Conference?
The concept originally emerged from conversations between the Conference Board Executive Committee and staff as they considered the implications of being a missional conference. With a core value that God’s Spirit “blows where it will,” and wanting to flow with the Spirit wherever and however it happens, the idea was that developing relationships with partners who were different, yet shared some core similarities with us, would enhance our conference life in mission. We were looking for partners where God’s Spirit and movement was clearly evident. It was a “holy experiment,” recognizing that if we truly wanted to be a missional conference, we needed to shape our conference life and activities around what would make us more dynamic and ready to reach beyond our comfort zone.

It was envisioned that Partner in Mission relationships might open new vistas of mission for Franconia Conference, expand our connections and increase our opportunities for ministry in new areas. We may be enriched by discovering the gift of Christian unity that exceeds the usual boundaries that divide God’s people. Conversely, it was suggested that our partners might increase missional vitality from Franconia Mennonite Conference’s rich Anabaptist history and faith, including our holistic view of mission that combines evangelism, service and peacemaking. They might also benefit from certain resources we have to offer, and the relationship may provide the stimulus to further clarify their own congregation’s identity.

Early in 2001, Franconia Conference leaders first shared the concept of developing Partner in Mission relationships with conference congregations, and it was the subject of conferring at the year’s Conference Assembly. While there were lots of questions about whether we would lose our Mennonite distinctives by engaging in these relationships, and whether there would be appropriate accountability for the partners, delegates acted in the spring of 2002 “to affirm Partners in Mission as a positive expression of the missional character of Franconia Mennonite Conference and to ask conference leaders to bring a proposal for formal action to the November 2002 Assembly.” Delegates then took action to approve implementation of the plan for three years, after which an evaluation and a report was to be given to the delegates.

The following value and learnings from these developing relationships were reported in the three-year review of 2005:

Value: We have helped make God’s love in Christ for all people visible as Franconia Conference has worked together with other ministries toward a common project or purpose. These relationships have more adequately revealed the reality of Christ’s Body and witnessed to the gospel of peace. These PIM relationships have enhanced Franconia Conference’s Anabaptist theology by giving us opportunities to share our image of the world and of God. God has been more fully revealed especially through Franconia Conference’s demonstrated partnerships within the Northeast corridor region.

Learnings: Some of the challenges we have experienced include relational challenges like cultural differences, differences in expectations and priorities, difficulties in communication, inadequate time to develop trust and disparities in wealth. Through the publicized moral failure of a Partner In Mission leader we have become acutely aware that our mutual trust in one another’s organizational and personal integrity is vulnerable to human weaknesses.

Delegates affirmed “the continuing ministry between Franconia Mennonite Conference and Partners in Mission into the future, based on our experience over the last three years.”

Partners in Mission are increasingly becoming a vibrant part of our conference and congregational life. If you want to taste and see for yourself the good fruit of these relationships, come and meet many of our partners at this year’s Conference Assembly!