by Mary Nitzsche, Associate Executive Minister
The Conference Ministerial Committee met in December to finish up some agenda as 2019 drew to a close. In preparation for the combined Ministerial Committee of the new, reconciled Conference, Beth Rauschenberger (Zion congregation) joined the committee after serving many years on the Eastern District Conference Ministerial Committee. We also look forward to Janet Panning’s first meeting in March 2020, as the newly-affirmed Ministerial Committee Chair.
The Ministerial Committee processed the following credentials:
- Daniel Tran was approved for a license toward ordination and continues to serve as pastor of Vietnamese Gospel (Allentown, PA).
- Charlene Smalls was approved for a license toward ordination and continues to serve on the pastoral team of Ripple (Allentown, PA).
- Buddy Hannanto was approved for ordination and continues to serve as pastor of International Worship Church (San Gabriel, CA).
- Stephen Zacheus was approved for ordination and continues to serve as associate pastor at JKIA (Sierra Madre, CA).
- John Stoltzfus (formerly of Plains congregation, Hatfield, PA) has requested a transfer of his credentials to Virginia Mennonite Conference; this transfer was acknowledged.
The Ministerial Committee also approved revisions to the Record Retention Policy for Credential Files and the Position Statement on Confidential Communication Policy and approved the Sample Congregational Misconduct Policy for Lay Leaders and Congregants. An equipping event is scheduled for February 20 to introduce the sample misconduct policy and discuss how congregations can utilize it if needed.
Members of the Ministerial Committee said farewell to Ken Burkholder (Deep Run East), Mike Clemmer (formerly of Towamencin), and Jim Williams (Nueva Vida Norristown New Life) and thanked them for their years of service and contribution to this committee.
The opinions expressed in articles posted on Mosaic’s website are those of the author and may not reflect the official policy of Mosaic Conference. Mosaic is a large conference, crossing ethnicities, geographies, generations, theologies, and politics. Each person can only speak for themselves; no one can represent “the conference.” May God give us the grace to hear what the Spirit is speaking to us through people with whom we disagree and the humility and courage to love one another even when those disagreements can’t be bridged.