From May 16-18, 2025, the Mosaic Conference Board held its annual in-person retreat in Homestead, FL. Meeting six times a year, the Conference Board, supervises the business of the conference and conference committees, and ensures that Mosaic remains aligned with its vision and attentive to the Spirit’s guidance in areas of growth and transformation.
In addition to times of prayer, worship, and deepening relationships, Executive Committee member Maati Yvonne led the group on Saturday morning in a time of learning about and practicing circle process.
“I love how circles bring people together, deepen relationships, and increase understanding,” reflected Maati Yvonne. “Amidst all that the board needed to discern, it was essential to pause and use the circle to reflect on how we were each feeling and being impacted. My hope is that we take the time to use circle process more and more to resolve issues and allow the Holy Spirit to bring restoration, in our families and youth groups, our communities and congregations, and at the conference level.”
The board retreat opened with a devotional on Acts 1:8. Board members shared testimonies of the Holy Spirit’s activity and the reconciling love of Jesus.
Strategic Plan Updates and Reflections on Spring Assembly
The board reviewed progress on the five pillars of Mosaic’s strategic plan: Clarity/Identity, Communication, Leadership Development, Reconciliation, and Relationship-Building. They also reflected on how the recent Spring Assembly equipping sessions connected with these pillars. Feedback on Spring Assembly highlighted a desire for clear, more tangible teaching on Centered-Set church concepts, and for more images and fewer words in Mosaic’s equipping sessions to accommodate various learning styles and cultures.
Other strategic plan updates included the launch of the Learning/Living Mosaic podcast, the first Vibrant Mosaic cohort, and 14 youth participating in the summer 2025 Ambassadors leadership development. The board had the chance to meet one of the incoming Ambassadors, Hensley, from Homestead Mennonite.
Additional Board Business and Learning
The board acknowledged receipt of a letter from Spruce Lake Mennonite Camp (Canadensis, PA) indicating its decision to remove itself as a Conference-Related Ministry.
Plans and themes for the November Delegate Assembly were discussed.
Glenn Nemath, Director of Real Estate for FMC Properties, shared updates on Conference properties.
On Sunday morning, Joe Manickam, currently serving as a consultant with Mosaic Conference, shared on clarifying healthy structures and relationships.
Responding to MC USA’s Denial of Ministry Partnership
The Board reflected on the process around its proposal to the Executive Board of Mennonite Church USA (MC USA), requesting to formalize a ministry partnership by becoming a Program Entity (a designation already existing in MC USA’s bylaws). This proposal followed a delegate action in November 2024, which called for Mosaic to redefine its relationship with MC USA as a healthy ministry partnership.
The proposal included services Mosaic would offer to MC USA at no cost, in youth formation, church planting accompaniment, and intercultural leadership development. It also proposed possible ways to manage credentials within this new framework.
Throughout the process over the past year, Board members expressed frustration that their voices and concerns felt minimized. These long-standing issues were articulated in a formal written response to MC USA, submitted at MC USA’s request earlier this spring.
On May 8, MC USA’s executive board unanimously voted to deny Mosaic’s proposal to become a Program Entity of MC USA. They proposed a “mediated conversation between the full (MC USA) Executive Board and Mosaic Board.”
While Mosaic leadership has previously expressed openness to third-party mediation with MC USA, the Board shared several concerns about entering mediation at this point in the process:
- Mediation tends to emphasize interpersonal dynamics. While the Board values healed relationships, it also seeks organizational transformation to address deeper systemic issues.
- Leaders of color across Mosaic have contributed substantial effort and emotional labor to this process. Many feel unheard and dismissed by MC USA. Entering mediation now would require some of them to revisit these experiences and continue retelling their stories in a context marked by power imbalances, both historic and ongoing.
- The Board emphasized the need to prioritize living into Mosaic’s vision and mission and discern the Spirit’s leading, rather than rush into a mediation process before there has been an acknowledgement of the existing difficulties within the MC USA structure.
- The proposal process required significant time and energy from both Mosaic board members and staff. With the rejection of this proposal by MC USA, the Board must now redirect its focus toward discerning next steps and clarifying ministry partnerships to the delegates prior to the November Assembly.
After prayerful discernment, the board acted to: Decline the board-to-board mediation process offered by MC USA executive board at this time.
“We remain saddened and disappointed by the structures within MC USA that are rigid and painful for many of us,” said Conference Moderator Angela Moyer Walter. “Our world and nation are changing rapidly, and so the church must adapt to the shifting realities in our communities and congregations. The inflexible response to the perspectives of Mosaic congregations has been disheartening, especially given that relationships with sibling conferences are mutual and supportive.”
“Despite this disappointment, I find joy and hope when we gather to listen and share together. The reconciling love of Jesus is at work amongst us, and I look forward to us living in to our vision together.”
Next Steps
The Mosaic Executive Committee will meet in June, followed by a full Mosaic board meeting in August. In line with the charge given at last year’s assembly, the Board will develop and present recommended bylaw amendments for delegate discernment at the 2025 Mosaic Delegate Assembly.
Mosaic remains committed to nurturing healthy partnerships with sibling Mennonite conferences and other Anabaptist communities.
In June, the Mosaic Board will host four sessions for conversation and two-way communication for the future trajectory of partnership conversations with MC USA. Three of these sessions will be on Zoom, and one will be held at the Mosaic Conference offices (Lansdale, PA), with options in Spanish, Indonesian, and English. Dates and times for these conversations will be available next week.
In the meantime, Mosaic Conference credentialed leaders and delegates are encouraged to reach out to their Leadership Minister with questions and to follow updates through Mosaic News.
** The most recent print edition of Anabaptist World includes a reporting error about this process. The online version is correct.
Mosaic values two-way communication and encourages our constituents to respond with feedback, questions, or encouragement. To share your thoughts or send a message to the author(s), contact us at communication@mosaicmennonites.org.
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)