by Mosaic Conference Staff
Those who visit the Mosaic Conference Office, located on the campus of Dock Mennonite Academy in Lansdale, are greeted with a warm welcome, a hot beverage and a snack, and the beauty of unique art.
There are nearly 30 pieces of art in the offices, which have come from as far away as Indonesia, Kenya, Colombia, and Mexico, and were also created by artists from within Mosaic Conference congregations.
Between 2020 and 2022, Emily Ralph Servant, now Leadership Minister for Strategic Priorities, led a team of staff who gathered artwork for the Mosaic Conference Office.
“As we designed our new office space, we wanted to be intentional about every choice we made to foster a sense of community, collaboration, and creativity,” Ralph Servant reflects. “We have so many gifted artists in our conference in a variety of mediums. At the same time, we discovered that members of our conference didn’t always know about the artists among us. It made sense to share the diversity of Mosaic art on our office walls—this is who we are!”
The office features original paintings by Mosaic women: a Madonna image by Maria Gant who is originally from Brazil (Ambler [PA]); an abstract work by Donna Backues (Philadelphia Praise Center); a pastoral scene by Lois Kulp (Boyertown [PA]); a waterfall at Conference-Related Ministry Spruce Lake, painted by Berdine Leinbach (Souderton [PA]).
Other walls are graced by pen and ink drawings, including a mandala by long-time Franconia staff member Gay Brunt Miller (Spring Mount [PA]) and two Frakturs, which ground Mosaic in its Pennsylvania Dutch roots as Franconia Conference and Eastern District. Fraktur is the traditional, ornate ink and watercolor folk art that typically offers a blessing or a scripture text.
The office also features the intersection of art and woodworking: the tables in the break room and lobby were designed and built by Franconia board member Merlin Hartman to incorporate the Mosaic logo; potter Phill Hunsberger (Vincent [Spring City, PA]) shaped an 8-foot long graphic portrayal of the 23rd Psalm, displayed on aged hardwood; three works of art created by the winners of a youth art contest facilitated by Garden Chapel (Dover, NJ) during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic have been etched into wood panels.
Across the alcove from the 23rd Psalm hangs a piece woven by participants in the programs of Mosaic Conference-Related Ministry Ripple Inc; nearby walls display a cross-stitch donated by Methacton (Norristown, PA), and a tapestry gifted to the conference from Nations Worship Center when they were received as a member congregation.
In the conference room hangs the “Hands of Friendship” quilt that was created from 25 fabrics representing the cultures of 20 different countries from which Mosaic leaders come. The fabrics were gathered, pieced, and quilted by persons from across the Conference, under the leadership of Anna Ralph (Perkiomenville [PA]) and Lynne Rush (West Swamp [Quakertown, PA]).
Much of the art was gifted to the Conference from individual artists or congregations. Some of it—like an original painting by Rodrigo Pedroza (a member of Mosaic’s sister conference of churches in Mexico) was commissioned in response to the question, “what does it mean to be part of a diverse Mennonite church in Mexico?” Some of it represents our broader connections to global Anabaptist communities, such as the mosaic of the Last Supper gifted to Mosaic Conference by César García, General Secretary of Mennonite World Conference.
Brooke Martin, Youth and Community Formation Pastor, and Cindy Angela, Director of Communication identified where the artwork would go and helped to identify and label all of it. Angela also printed a collage of photos hung on the wall in the break area, of a variety of congregations and Conference-Related Ministries.
“As people made in God’s image, we are inspired by God’s Spirit to create beauty from our experiences of joy, pain, longing, and hope,” reflects Ralph Servant. “We are grateful for the art that has emerged as members of Mosaic embody the reconciling love of Jesus in our broken and beautiful world.”
Come and enjoy a cup of coffee, a snack, and a wander through the Mosaic Conference office to enjoy these beautiful works of art! The office is located in the Longacre Center at Dock Mennonite Academy, 1000 Forty Foot Rd in Lansdale. The office is open Tuesday– Thursday, 9am – 2pm eastern; please call ahead to confirm (267-932-6050).
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.
This post is also available in: Español (Spanish) Indonesia (Indonesian)
This post is also available in: Español (Spanish) Indonesia (Indonesian)