Editor’s Note: This profile is part of a series of articles introducing the three board members joining the Mosaic Conference board in 2026.
Michael Howes joins the Mosaic Mennonite Conference board as the chair of the Ministerial Committee. Howes approaches leadership with a simple but faithful guiding principle: say yes to ministry when it can be done with care and integrity.
“Throughout my ministry, I’ve had a practice of saying yes to ministry opportunities,” Howes shares, “unless saying yes would cause other work I’m already engaged in to suffer.” That spirit of thoughtful openness has shaped his journey and now leads him into this new role of Conference leadership.
As he begins his service on the board, Howes looks forward to the opportunities for collaboration and shared discernment.
“I’m looking forward to working with other board members and our wonderful conference staff to advance Mosaic’s mission,” he says. He is especially energized by the Conference’s evolving vision: “I’m particularly interested in seeing how we live into our new Centering Document.”
Howes has been a credentialed pastor in Mosaic since 2019. His previous Conference leadership includes serving as both a member and later chair of the Credentials Committee, where he helped support and guide leaders through important seasons of vocational discernment and accountability. That experience brings valuable insight to his new role in leadership with the Ministerial Committee, where he will continue walking alongside pastors and ministers across the Conference.
Originally from New Orleans, Howes grew up in the bayou country of south Louisiana before living in Texas and the Washington, DC metro area. Since 2011, he has called southeast Pennsylvania home.
Howes serves as pastor of West Swamp Mennonite (Quakertown, PA). “My favorite things about West Swamp are the genuine love my congregants have for one another and their neighbors,” he says, “and the enthusiasm they bring to collaborating to be a blessing to our community and the larger world.” That spirit of shared ministry reflects the kind of church life Howes is passionate about nurturing across Mosaic.
Outside of church and Conference responsibilities, Howes enjoys walking in his neighborhood, reading widely, and he is a good cook. He especially enjoys cooking the Cajun dishes that he grew up with.
Howes also shares, “the part of my brain not devoted to Scripture and ministry is filled with trivia.” He’s pretty sure he’d do well on Jeopardy!.
We are grateful for Howes’s steady leadership, pastoral heart, and commitment to collaborative ministry, and we look forward to the ways he will help lead Mosaic Mennonite Conference.
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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.