by Danilo Sanchez
On September 15, the Mosaic Mennonite Conference Board affirmed the Centering Document—a foundational framework that helps to clarify our identity and reinforces a centered-set posture as a conference. The Centering Document will serve as a guiding framework for how Mosaic Conference engages within its own diverse community and in its relationships with other Anabaptist bodies.
The centered-set model is a new concept for many of our congregations within Mosaic, yet it offers a helpful way to navigate the cultural, theological, and geographic differences that shape our conference.
We come into Mosaic with different understandings of power, authority roles, relationships and tasks, time, biblical interpretation, and sexual identities. Rather than seeing these differences as threats or problems to be solved, we choose to embrace that diversity.
As the document states, “Mosaic sees diversity as a gift from God and believes that learning from one another will transform the community into the image of Jesus, becoming a witness of God’s love to the world.”
The Centering Document propels us into a life of mutual transformation across the conference. Through our relationships with one another, the Spirit may use our differences to strengthen the body of Christ.
Interculturally, this means examining our own values and assumptions with humility and openness to change. We want all to be welcome, so we may change our structures and systems, change our communication, or learn new ways of relating to one another that honor the different cultures present in Mosaic.
Theologically, it means holding in tension views we may not fully agree with—sometimes even views we find challenging or offensive.
We want all to be welcome, so we may focus more on the three Anabaptist essentials for what holds us together, do less theological gatekeeping, or not punish churches who choose to love their queer members as they follow the Spirit’s leading.
Like Peter and Cornelius, our journeys of transformation may be both holy and unsettling. We recognize that as God’s people we interpret scripture differently and we don’t always agree. Like the early disciples, we come with different experiences, perspectives, and convictions. Yet we are all called by Jesus to come and follow him.
The Centering Document makes it clear that we are shifting our posture as a community. Rather than focus on determining who is in and who is out, we are concerned about a community who is radically committed to following Jesus and seeking the movement of the Holy Spirit.
Danilo Sanchez
Danilo Sanchez is the Leadership Minister for Intercultural Transformation for Mosaic Conference. Danilo Sanchez lives in Allentown with his wife Mary and two daughters. He is a pastor at Ripple and leads in the areas of leadership development, discipleship, and teaching.
Mosaic values two-way communication and encourages our constituents to respond with feedback, questions, or encouragement. To contact Danilo Sanchez, please email dsanchez@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.