The Ministerial Committee makes decisions on ministry credentials and policies that promote the support, health, and training of credentialed leaders and safe church practices for congregations. They meet quarterly to act on recommendations from the credentialing committee, review and revise current policies around credentialed leaders, and provide leadership in cases of misconduct.
Report from the December 4, 2024, Ministerial Committee Meeting
Committee Actions
Licensed toward Ordination (LTO) – grants the person all the privileges and responsibilities accorded to an ordained person, except to ordain someone else. This license is issued for a three-year period with the purpose of testing the inner and outer call to ministry, further discerning of ministerial gifts, abilities and aptitude and may or may not lead to ordination.
- Karen Bergey – Salford (PA) Mennonite (Associate Pastor)
- Carlos Sanchez – Comunidad Anabautista de Paz y Reconciliación Medellín (Colombia) (Pastor)
- Manuel Garcia – Resplandece Mennonite (Pastor)
Change in Status
Retired – held by those who have retired from active ministry. The credentialed leader must be over the age of 55 to hold this status. This credential is valid for performing ministerial functions and is to be exercised in consultation with Mosaic Mennonite Conference. Mosaic Mennonite Conference is not responsible for the actions of a person holding this status.
- Paul Long (Ambler [PA])
- Beth Rauschenberger (Zion [Souderton, PA])
- Joy Sawatzky (Plains [Hatfield, PA])
- Michael King (Salford [PA])
- Conrad Swartzentruber (Plains) effective 12/31/24
Withdrawn – given when a ministry credential is ended for non-disciplinary reasons.
- Jenny Fujita (due to resignation at Upper Milford [PA])
License Extension/Change
Move to Inactive – held by those who have been without a ministerial assignment for more than three consecutive years.
- Mim Book – Active without Charge since 3/1/17
Action to Extend
Licensed for Specific Ministry (LSM) – grants the person all the privileges and responsibilities accorded to an ordained person, except to ordain someone else. This license is time, location, or ministry specific. It is not intended to move toward ordination. The person is called from within the congregation to serve in a specific leadership assignment within the congregation or another organization and may receive this credential. This credential continues as long as the individual is in a leadership ministry assignment within the congregation, or another specialized leadership ministry (church planters, chaplains, etc.) and needs to be renewed every 3 years.
- Tim Hart (Garden Chapel [Victoria Gardens, NJ]) extended to 12/8/2027
- Hadi Sunarto – (Philadelphia [PA] Praise Center) extended to 12/8/2027
License towards Ordination (LTO) needs to be extended every three years. (see description above)
- Leticia Cortes (Centro de Alabanza [Philadelphia, PA]) Extended to 12/8/2027
- Fernando Loyola (Centro de Alabanza) Extended to 12/8/2027
Committee Discussions
Credentialing Renewal Status Update – Associate Executive Minister Marta Castillo reported that only 21 people remain to complete the process. Administrative & Hospitality Collaborator Stacey Mansfield’s work is to be commended. The pace has improved from three years ago. The committee will extend grace to those remaining until February 1, 2025.
Committee Member Changes/Resignation – Mike Spinelli (Perkiomenville [PA]) has resigned from the committee, as has Tami Good (Living Branches). Names of possible new members will be sent to the Nominating Committee for consideration.
Addressing abuse – Conference leaders are talking with GRACE about partnering on processing misconduct cases depending on Mosaic Conference’s future relationship with MC USA. Congregations need to develop their own policies to prevent and address abuse. There is a sample policy available on the Mosaic website.
Credentialing pastoral questionnaire process changes – Two pastors from Colombia were credentialed using the alternate questionnaire that we have developed. They completed all parts of the credentialing process. The references were the most difficult to process. The committee will need to develop an online form to use.
Associate Executive Minister Sabbatical – While on sabbatical, Castillo will be working with a reflective leadership grant to review and refine Mosaic’s credentialing process especially with multi-state and international credentialing and accountability.
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.