Mosaic Mennonite Conference’s Associate Executive Minister Marta (Beidler) Castillo has received a $15,000 Reflective Leadership Grant from Leadership Education at Duke Divinity School. The grant will support a time of reflecting on how to grow relational capacity and adapt leadership accountability amid conference-wide growth of geographical locations, intercultural diversity, and congregational transitions.
In 2024, 50 Christian leaders from a variety of faith-based organizations across the U.S. were selected for these grants, which support an opportunity for structured reflection for leaders of Christian organizations that are advancing their mission amid today’s rapidly changing context. The leadership education initiative is based in Durham, NC and funded by the Lilly Endowment, Inc.
“The Reflective Leadership Grant at Leadership Education at Duke Divinity recognizes and supports the faithful, innovative work of lay and ordained Christian leaders who find themselves at a pivotal moment in their ministry,” says Mycal Brickhouse, a director of program and grants at Leadership Education.
“Using Harvard professor Ron Heifetz’s language, we want to help leaders experience “balcony time,” which allows them to move from the dance floor to the balcony to gain a broader picture of the work, organization, community and trends. We want to encourage grantees to continue to develop their leadership capacities in ways specific to their context and we look forward to learning alongside them and their communities.”
As the daughter of Franconia Conference-rooted mission workers, Castillo has been shaped by four of the linguistic cultures in the Conference, growing up in both Vietnam and Indonesia. Marta has attended Nueva Vida Norristown (PA) New Life for over 30 years and served on the pastoral team from 2007-2017. Marta served five years on the Franconia Conference Board, two of those as Assistant Moderator, and has been employed by the Conference since 2016, beginning as a Leadership Minister. She graduated from Eastern Mennonite University with a major in Elementary Education and has a Certificate of Christian Ministry from Eastern Mennonite Seminary and a Master of Arts from Kairos University.
In December, Castillo and her husband Julio will move from their home in Norristown, PA to Miami, FL to provide care for Julio’s mother. She will continue to work with Mosaic as a Leadership Minister and as Associate Executive Minister, expanding Mosaic Conference’s staff presence in Florida.
In January through March, Castillo will have two days per week of “balcony time” for active reflection, coaching, personal retreat, and opportunities to listen for God’s calling within her role at Mosaic Conference and for God’s Spirit leading the Conference in this current stage of development and growth.
Through the Reflective Leadership program, she will have opportunities to connect in person and virtually with other grant recipients and share reflections and ideas.
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.