Mosaic Mennonites

Missional - Intercultural - Formational

Articles

True Significance is in Following God’s Vision

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Graciella Odelia’s Call Story

I spent my childhood in Serpong and Tangerang in Indonesia. Church was always part of our routine, though as a kid I mostly went for the food and family time afterward. It was the one day each week when we were all together. Around age nine or ten, I had my first spiritual encounter at a youth retreat. During an altar call, I went forward simply because everyone else did, but I began crying without knowing why. I didn’t understand it then and soon forgot about it.

Soon after, at age 10, my family moved to the U.S. That transition changed my life and faith. We arrived with four suitcases and all our savings, renting a small apartment while my parents searched for work. My mom quickly found an Indonesian church near us in South Philadelphia. For my parents, the church was more than worship; it was where they learned how to navigate life in a new country. For me, it became home. Even though I struggled with English, I felt confident there. We shared the same language, food, and culture. It was a place where we felt seen and understood.

By age 11 or 12, I was deeply involved in church ministry. I joined the tambourine and banner dance teams, then the second keyboardist on the youth worship team. I grew passionate about my faith and chose to be baptized at 12. As an immigrant, church became the one place where I truly felt like myself.

In 2013, my mom was invited to Nations Worship Center (Philadelphia, PA) for their anniversary by Pastor Beny, whom she met at a health clinic. The church needed musicians, and she volunteered me to play keyboard. I was not very skilled at first, but I kept serving and growing.

When I reflect on my call as a youth pastor, I think about Jonah’s reluctance. Before graduating from Eastern Mennonite University, I wanted to take a gap year with Mennonite Voluntary Service and then pursue medical school. When the prospect of serving as a youth pastor with my home congregation emerged, I resisted.

But just as Jonah received a second chance from God, I too was blessed with an opportunity to align with God’s plan, letting God take full control over my life.

A missionary from Turkey visited my congregation once and shared his story about chasing the American dream and the pressure to succeed. His testimony resonated with my immigrant experience, making me reevaluate my priorities. I realized how much of my motivation was shaped by achievement and validation.

Not long after that, while volunteering as an interpreter at a health clinic in Chinatown, an elderly volunteer shared with me their perspectives about the dangers of the American dream. These encounters along with discussions with my advisor, prayer, and fasting, helped me to understand that true significance comes from following God’s vision for my life. God began to give me clarity about my calling.

During the pandemic, I realized I had known about God for most of my life but had not consistently created space to truly know Him. Jesus’ words in Matthew 19:30—“But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first”—challenged my understanding of success. My seminary experience has since taught me the importance of intentionally creating consistent time and space for God.

From 2018 to 2023, I served as co-director of Nations Worship Center’s Vacation Bible School. In 2023, I stepped into the role of youth pastor. Since then, I have led youth services every Friday and Sunday. Together with my youth team, we have organized summer retreats, holiday events, outings, and other activities.

And yet I have learned from my spiritual mentor that fun activities are not enough. Above all, we must pray for the next generation and align our vision with God’s. As the song says, “Break my heart for what breaks Yours.” We must carry God’s heart for the young generation.

Graciella Odelia at her graduation from Eastern Mennonite Seminary.

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.   

Learning from the Church in Ghana

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After years of pandemic-related postponements, Mosaic Mennonite Conference Board member Maati Yvonne was eager to finally join a learning tour to Ghana with Mennonite Mission Network this spring. Sent to represent Mosaic Conference, she was joined by African American Mennonite leaders from LMC and Mennonite Church USA. Leaders gathering from various groups enriched the trip tremendously, and Maati especially enjoyed getting to know people new to her, such as Pastor Felix Rocha of Evangelical Garifuna Church in New Orleans.

“I had been waiting so many years to go on this trip, and I was going to soak up every single minute,” Maati said.

Maati, left, with Jae and Wil LaVeist.

From the beginning of the journey, relationships were central. Even before leaving Philadelphia, she connected with fellow travelers Wil and Jae LaVeist (Wil is Senior Executive for Advancement of Mennonite Mission Network), sharing conversations during the long flight across the Atlantic.

While Maati came to the trip interested in connecting with other peacebuilders in Ghana, the opportunities for encounter that were presented offered new insights about local churches, seminaries, and expressions of Christian faith.

One unexpected moment came while standing alone on a balcony beneath a bright full moon.

“It was the same moon we see at home,” she reflected. “People all around the world are looking at the same moon, and we can all relate to the same God no matter where we are.”

The tour also included visits to sites connected to the transatlantic slave trade. For Maati, walking through the slave castle was overwhelming.

“As I stood in the dungeon at Cape Coast Castle, I tried to imagine the darkness,” Maati reflected. “I tried to imagine the smell, the cries, the fear. I could not fully imagine it in my mind, and felt in my spirit I had to flee that space. After catching my breath, this spoken piece came to me:

Imagine
Imagine being deprived of sunlight and fresh air. 
Imagine living in darkness, in despair, with the constant fear of rape, violence, and death. 
Imagine being torn from your mother, your father, your language, your name. 
Yes, this is what our ancestors endured. 
Young people, you do not know the full story— the strength, the losses, the sacrifices, the courage. 
A people stripped of their homeland, their future, their identity. 
Washed in the stench of slavery, how could their minds ever be free? 
Yet they survived. 
But the chains did not end when the ships stopped sailing. 
For somebody told a lie. 
As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Somebody told a lie one day.” 
A lie that Black was ugly. A lie that Black was less than. A lie that Black was something to fear. 
And our children inherited those lies. 
What can they hope for? What can they dream of? What can they live for if all they see are reflections of a story that was never true? 
This land which we call America were built with the blood, the sweat, the flesh, and the tears 
of our ancestors for more than four hundred years. 
Yet too many of our children walk without purpose, quick to hate, quick to fight, slow to see their own worth. 
So we must build them up. 
Fill them with pride. Teach them their history. Tell them the stories of resilience and strength, of wisdom and power, of people who endured and still rose. 
Teach them that they are descendants of survivors, dreamers, builders, and believers. 
The moment is ours. 
The time is now. 
It is our duty to walk in freedom, to live lives of service, to lift those in need, and to share the Gospel— not only in our words, but in our understanding, our actions, and our deeds. 
For freedom is not merely given. 
Freedom must be remembered. Freedom must be claimed. Freedom must be lived. 
And we are the living testimony of those who survived.” 

The slave castle’s “Door of Return.”

Throughout the trip, Maati was impressed by the vitality of the African Independent Churches. She observed congregations that were well-resourced, deeply committed to discipleship, and able to sustain ministry without relying on Western support. She noted vibrant Sunday school programs, ministries for new mothers, testimonies shared by both adults and children, and generous and lively community celebrations that surrounded events such as a baby dedication.

The seminary community warmly welcomed the group.

The experience also sparked reflection on Mosaic’s commitment to becoming an intercultural conference.

“As we are growing as Mosaic, we have to be intentional about checking ourselves,” Maati said. “Are we assimilationists, multicultural, or are we truly intercultural? We have made many strides forward, and we also still need to examine ourselves.”

Inspired by the churches she worshipped with in Ghana, Maati hopes Mosaic will continue creating space for congregations to express their unique cultural traditions while also finding opportunities to worship, learn, and celebrate together.

“What I want for Mosaic is to allow every congregation to express who they are and how they worship,” she said. “How do we truly celebrate each other?”

Maati returned home inspired by the hospitality, fellowship, and discipleship she witnessed in Ghana. Her hope is that Mosaic congregations will continue learning from one another and from the global church as they seek to follow Christ together.

“We need to get tighter and more serious about making disciples,” she said. “And take the Ghanian churches’ example for how to fellowship, witness, and make disciples—for the good of others and the glory of Christ.”

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.   

30 Years of Learning and Serving with Dock’s Social Issues Trip

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by Zach Bower

Editor’s Note: This article was published in the Spring 2026 Lamplighter magazine and republished with permission.  

Thirty years ago, Dock’s High School Social Studies Department began an experiment in learning that could not happen fully within the walls of a classroom.

Students would research complex social issues—poverty, justice, race, policy, and peacebuilding—and then travel to Washington, D.C., where those issues could be seen, heard, and experienced firsthand. What began in the 1995–96 school year as a new direction in the social studies curriculum has now shaped the experience of over 2,500 Dock students.

Today, the Social Issues class and culminating trip stands as one of the school’s most distinctive learning experiences, blending academic research, faith reflection, service, and shared community.

Dock students serve at DC Central Kitchen.

A Trip with Older Roots

The Social Issues Trip officially began in the 1995–96 school year, but the roots of the experience stretch back further.

Ron Hertzler (Bible and Social Studies, 1978-2023) explained that before there was a Washington, D.C. Social Issues Trip, there were earlier Dock efforts to help students engage urban settings more directly. He recalled that John Ehst (Bible, 1970-72) once led a group to Philadelphia in a program called City Church, designed to help students imagine the city as a place where church connections and meaningful learning could happen. Later, that idea grew into an elective class called Urban Seminar, where students lived with host families in Philadelphia and studied poverty and urban life more intentionally.

By the mid-1990s, Dock’s Social Studies Department began rethinking how these experiences might be more intentionally integrated into the curriculum. A committee studying both the senior trip and the social studies curriculum recommended a new direction. The Washington, D.C., trip that had previously served as a senior bonding experience would instead become the culminating experience of a junior course called Social Issues.

Students would spend the quarter researching a social issue of their choosing and present their findings to classmates. The trip to Washington would allow them to encounter the structures, institutions, and communities connected to those issues.

Dave Brubaker (Social Studies, 1989-2002), who helped shape the course in its early years, remembers the vision clearly. “The Social Issues course was modeled in part on the Urban Seminar course to engage students with complex societal challenges,” he shared. Dave also remembers that one of the most satisfying parts of teaching the course was “watching students wrestle with their chosen topics—researching data, navigating conflicting perspectives, and ultimately forming their own informed opinions.”

The trip itself was designed to deepen that process. Students visited soup kitchens, museums, churches, and policy organizations. They engaged with issues not as abstract ideas but as lived realities. “The immersive experience in Washington offers a broad range of opportunities,” Brubaker said, including service projects, visits to the Smithsonian museums, and conversations about public policy and faith. Brubaker feels that, “developing the Social Issues course and seeing it come to life was incredible. It was an enormous amount of work, but I felt supported the entire time by the administration and people involved, which made it possible to build something meaningful that could take root.”

Students visit and reflect on DC’s monuments.

Service, Reflection, and City Life

Throughout the years, the structure of the trip has changed. Early versions lasted nearly a week and included multiple days of service. Over time, scheduling pressures shortened the trip to the current three-day format. Yet the core purpose remains unchanged.

“The goals of group community formation, service learning, and Urban Seminar were met and are still met,” said Bible and Social Studies teacher Kirby King (1993-present). One of the most powerful elements of the trip continues to be the moments when classroom conversations meet real experience.

Service has always been a defining part of the Social Issues Trip, grounding students’ learning in real relationships and lived experience. Over the years, students have not only studied poverty and homelessness, but encountered it through the voices and stories of those directly impacted—whether hearing from speakers at organizations like the Coalition for the Homeless or engaging in hands-on service. A student on a recent trip shared, “The contrast between wealth and poverty was impossible to ignore. It made me think more critically about systems and inequality.” Service opportunities have taken many forms, from long-standing partnerships like DC Central Kitchen to newer experiences with groups such as Ward 8 Woods.

Visits to Arlington National Cemetery often prompt meaningful discussions among students about military service, peace, and Mennonite commitments to nonviolence. “How can we show respect and honor while still holding the need for non-violent responses?” King noted as a common question students wrestle with.

Bible and Social Studies teacher Caleb Benner (‘07) (2014-present) believes one of the trip’s greatest strengths is that it helps students think critically about how history is told and whose stories are emphasized. Visiting places like Georgetown, the Holocaust Museum, and the national monuments encourages students to ask not only what happened in the past, but why certain narratives receive more attention than others.

Worship experiences have also become a defining part of the trip. Many groups attended a contemporary worship service at the National Cathedral, and now currently at Mt. Zion United Methodist Church in Georgetown, where students encounter expressions of faith shaped by the history and experience of the African American church. These moments often lead to deeper conversations about culture, justice, and the ways faith communities interpret Scripture through their own lived histories.

On one recent visit to Mt. Zion Church, because of the weather, Dock students were nearly the only people in the sanctuary who were not directly involved in leading the service. That made the experience feel even more personal. Benner reflected that the sermon on that day used the parable of the bags of gold to talk about stewarding money in a way that helps break cycles of generational poverty—“not a message that we would hear in our churches,” he admitted, and precisely the kind of perspective that makes the trip valuable.

Community Building

Community building has always been a central goal of the Social Issues Trip—something that happens not through programming alone, but through shared experience. Students live together for several days, often alongside classmates they may not know well, navigating the city, and processing what they are seeing in real time. The trip creates space for relationships to deepen in ways that a typical school day rarely allows.

For Hertzler, another key part of the experience happens not in museums or monuments, but in the shared rhythms of the trip itself. “I believe that one of the most significant parts of the trip includes the opportunity for students to live together for three days,” he said. “Usually with persons they are unfamiliar with. This creates a connection that remains for the rest of their Dock experience.”

Those connections are often formed in the quieter moments—late-night conversations at the seminar center, shared reflections after a full day, or simply navigating unfamiliar places together. As one student recently reflected, “There is an inherent camaraderie that comes from passing time together in meaningful circumstances.” In many ways, the trip doesn’t just build understanding of the world—it builds a community that helps students carry that understanding forward.

Why It Still Matters

Over three decades, thousands of Dock students have walked through the memorials at night, ridden the Metro through the city, served those less fortunate, and stood in the halls of museums that tell difficult and powerful stories. Trips change over time. Students now carry smartphones. They stay connected to people back home in ways earlier classes never could. As Kirby King put it, “In some ways smartphones make it better (students don’t get lost) but in some ways it is not improved (students don’t get lost).”

Thirty years later, the Social Issues trip remains one of the shining stars of Dock’s curriculum. It reminds students that learning about the world is not only about gathering information. It is about encountering people, listening to stories, and asking faithful questions about justice, community, and the role each of us might play in shaping our communities.

Zach Bower

Zach Bower is a high school social studies teacher and Communications Associate at Conference-Related Ministry Dock Mennonite Academy, and a member of Salford (PA) Mennonite.

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.   

Where Everybody Knows Your Name and Your Prayer Requests

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A Visit to Frederick Church’s Third Sunday Breakfast

by Noel Santiago

The Pennsylvania countryside keeps its secrets well. Tucked off Colonial Road in Perkiomenville sits a small brick meetinghouse that has been faithfully doing the work of the church for over seventy years. If you were not looking for Frederick Church, you might drive right past it.

But if you had been inside on the third Sunday of May, you would not have wanted to leave.

The morning began the way many good things do: with food shared together. Egg casseroles. Sausage burritos. Salsa. Coffee. Whoopie pie, shoofly pie, and funny cake. The meal sets the first rhythm of the church gathering, a simple practice of being present to one another. Around these tables, people become family.

Once a month, Frederick sets aside the typical Sunday rhythm and gathers in the fellowship hall for what they call their Third Sunday Breakfast. There is no printed order of service, no projected screens. People call out hymn numbers, and voices rise together. Scriptures surface amid conversation. Stories tumble out: funny ones, hard ones, deeply personal ones.

In the middle of it all, a birthday is named. Those gathered turn toward the named person and offer words of blessing. Without prompting, another member is lifted up in the same way. As the congregation moves between laughter, tenderness, and song, the message of the morning quietly delivers itself.

The hymns, the prayers, and the scriptures all pointed in the same direction: God’s faithfulness. Not as something to be explained, but as a reality that had been lived, tested, and found true by the people in the room.

What struck me most was not the singing, the scripture, or even the food. As good and meaningful as each was, it was the listening that stayed with me.

When one member spoke words of care over another, those gathered leaned in. When prayer requests were shared – joyful and difficult alike – the congregation received them with care. That attentiveness, the willingness to truly hear one another, is rarer than we might think. It is the mark of a community that has learned, over many years, to take each other seriously.

What I witnessed on that third Sunday was a congregation that has learned, perhaps without ever calling it discipleship, how to care for one another in the way the church was always meant to. The gathering itself became a demonstration of the gospel, expressed not through a formal sermon but through story, song, shared bread, and prayer.

The morning ended the way family gatherings do: with people lingering. No one was in a hurry to leave.

Frederick Church is a place where the ancient work of becoming God’s people is still being practiced—one hymn, one scripture, one prayer, one breakfast at a time.

Noel Santiago

Noel Santiago is the Leadership Minister for Missional Transformation for Mosaic Conference.

Introducing the Assembly Travel Grant for Delegate Travel and Lodging

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by Javier Márquez

Mosaic Mennonite Conference’s annual delegate Assembly is a space where pastors, delegates, and leaders from congregations, Conference-Related Ministries (CRMs), and partners come together to worship, learn, discern, and strengthen the bonds that unite us as a community. Each year, this gathering represents a collective effort of hospitality, participation, and mutual commitment by congregations who are sending delegates.

With the hope of reducing barriers for congregations and ministries to participate, Mosaic
Conference has announced the availability of Assembly Travel Grants to help offset transportation and lodging expenses for delegates participating in the Fall Assembly.

The grants are intended to support newer congregations or communities currently facing financial challenges. While all congregations and CRMs are encouraged to participate actively in the Assembly, travel costs do not affect everyone equally. Some congregations must travel long distances or incur significant expenses to send their representatives. This financial assistance is intended to help ensure the participation and representation of the full diversity of the Mosaic community.

The application process will be simple. Each congregation or CRM should first estimate the travel expenses for its delegates. If a financial gap remains, they may apply for a grant using the official forms available on the Assembly Travel page. The deadline for submitting applications is August 15 and congregations and CRMs may apply after naming their delegates. Award notifications will be sent on September 1, and funds will be distributed to congregations and ministries before September 15.

Travelers may book accommodations where they prefer. However, Mosaic has established a courtesy block of rooms at a discounted rate if reserved prior to October 1st. Local congregations are also encouraged to extend hospitality to visiting delegates, whether by sharing transportation or to host and gathering to share a meal.

The annual Assembly is a reminder that we do not walk alone. Every congregation, regardless of its size or context, has an important voice within the Mosaic family. The Assembly Travel Grant represents an invitation to continue building community, hosting one another, sharing resources, and participating together in the mission God has placed before us.

Javier Márquez

Javier Márquez is Associate for Community Cultivation and Leadership Development. He is an Anabaptist Colombian pacifist and poet. He is based in Bogota, Colombia.

Mosaic values two-way communication and encourages our constituents to respond with feedback, questions, or encouragement. To contact Javier Márquez, please email jmarquez@mosaicmennonites.org.

Three Congregations Discern New Directions

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Three congregations have withdrawn from Mosaic Mennonite Conference in recent months, each for different reasons and with different hopes for their future ministries.

In Philadelphia, Iglesia Cristiana Peña de Horeb concluded its membership in Mosaic and Pastor Dania Hernandez withdrew her ministerial credentials effective April 1, 2026. Over the past several years, the congregation has developed growing relationships with Spanish-speaking churches throughout Central and South America and has discerned a call to build an independent network of congregations.

Although Pastor Hernandez expressed deep appreciation for Mosaic Mennonite Conference and Anabaptist faith and practice, she and the congregation’s leaders determined that their evolving vision was best pursued outside the conference structure.

“I have enjoyed walking with Pastor Dania and the leaders of Peña de Horeb, and I pray that God will continue to bless them as they share the gospel of Jesus Christ and form support networks for pastors and congregations,” shared Leadership Minister Marta Castillo.

Deep Run West Mennonite in Perkasie, Pennsylvania, voted on February 8, 2026, to withdraw from Mosaic Conference with 90% support. Congregational leaders cited theological concerns, including disagreement with Mosaic’s approach to congregations that affirm LGBTQ inclusion.

Leadership Minister Jeff Wright expressed sadness regarding the congregation’s decision. “I wish that Pastor Rodger and the leadership at Deep Run West would have engaged with Conference leadership in a more formal discussion around their concerns,” he said. “I continue to hope that churches that self-identify as ‘conservative’ and churches that self-identify as ‘progressive’ can find ways to remain in mission together through a shared confession that Jesus Christ is Lord.”

A third congregation, Swamp Mennonite, arrived at its decision after several years of discernment and conversation. The congregation began discussing its fit within Mosaic in 2022 through conversations with its Leadership Minister and conference leaders. After more than two years of engagement at the leadership level, Swamp began exploring other Anabaptist communities in 2024 and entered a season of congregational prayer, conversation, feedback, and discernment. Through that process, the congregation concluded that affiliation with LMC was the direction that best fit its next season of ministry.

Swamp’s pastors shared, “We are grateful for our ongoing relationship with Mosaic as we have walked through this process of transferring our congregational membership.”

“We give thanks for the faithfulness, relationships, and witness we have shared together over the years with Swamp Mennonite,” shared Leadership Minister Josh Meyer. “As they begin this new chapter with LMC, our posture is one of blessing: we release them with gratitude, pray for their continued faithfulness to Jesus, and trust that the bonds we share in Christ remain larger than any conference affiliation.”

That spirit of blessing was reflected in Meyer’s prayer during Swamp’s May 31 worship service. In part, he prayed:
“Even as formal conference ties change, may the bonds of Christian fellowship continue. May there be no spirit of rivalry, resentment, or suspicion, but only the generous love of Christ. Teach us to bless one another freely, to release one another faithfully, and to trust that your kingdom is larger than any one congregation, conference, or institution.”

“We are disappointed in the withdrawals of these communities from Mosaic,” shared Executive Minister Stephen Kriss. “They remain our neighbors and friends in Bucks County and South Philadelphia. We hope that as they seek new alignments and relationships, the Spirit will continue to stir and bring life.”

Kriss observed that while the reasons for the withdrawals differ significantly, all three congregations are seeking greater autonomy and ministry relationships that they believe better fit their future direction.

“We will seek to live peaceably and open-handedly as Deep Run West continues to worship alongside Deep Run East; Peña de Horeb continues to worship in the meetinghouse of Indonesian Light Church; and as West Swamp and Swamp continue to be nearby neighbors in Quakertown though with different affiliations again.”

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.   

Ministerial Committee Update – June 2026

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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 credentials committee, review and revise current policies around credentialed leaders, and provide leadership in cases of misconduct.

Report from the June 2026 Ministerial Committee Meeting:

Licenses Approved

License 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.

  • Henny Vina Krisnadi – Whitehall (PA) Mennonite; Church planter
  • Yesenia Perez Morales – Iglesia Evangelica Menonita Shalom (Tampa, FL); Associate Pastor
  • Jacob Wibowo – Philadelphia (PA) Praise Center; Associate Pastor
  • Laura Alderfer – Salford (PA) Mennonite; Music Pastor

Ordination – grants the person the full range of ministerial privileges and responsibilities. This is a long-term, leadership ministry credential appropriate for all pastors, area conference ministry staff, chaplains, missionaries, evangelists, and those determined by the church to have a continuing ministerial-leadership role in, and on behalf of, the church.

  • Joe Paparone – Bethany Mennonite (Bridgewater Corners, VT); Community organizer/Pastor
  • Dave Moyer – Zion Mennonite (Souderton, PA); Associate Pastor
  • Eszter Bjorkman – Neffsville Mennonite (Lancaster, PA); Associate Pastor

License Extension (for 3 years) – 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. It is extended for three more years as needed.

  • Kirby King – Souderton (PA) Mennonite, License for Specific Ministry – Bible Department Chair/Teacher – Dock Mennonite Academy (Lansdale, PA)
  • Joseph Brooks – College Hill Mennonite (Tampa, FL), License towards Ordination – Associate Pastor

Moved to Active without Charge – held by those not presently holding a ministry assignment

  • Hunter Hess (Neffsville Mennonite)
  • Mary Nitzsche (since 2024 when she resigned leadership minister role with Mosaic Conference)
  • Randy Heacock (Doylestown [PA] Mennonite)

Moved to Inactive – held by those who have been without a ministerial assignment for more than three consecutive years. This credential is not valid for performing ministerial functions.

  • Daniel Tran (Vietnamese Gospel [Allentown, PA])

Withdrawn

  • Nathan Good (Swamp Mennonite [Quakertown, PA])
  • Tracy Commons (Swamp Mennonite [Quakertown, PA])
  • Dania Hernández (Peña de Horeb [Philadelphia, PA])
  • Mike Spinelli (Perkiomenville [PA] Mennonite)
  • Bob Helverson (Salem Mennonite [Quakertown, PA])
  • Bruce Eglinton-Woods (Salem Mennonite [Quakertown, PA])

Moved to Active

  • Gwen Groff – Interim role at Taftsville (VT) Mennonite

Committee Updates and Discussions

Credentialing Leaders Profile – (Form that candidating pastors fill out, and the corresponding reference forms). The committee discussed further revisions of the profile and reference forms.

Credentialing Procedure Update – (Internal working policy for credentialing process for licenses and renewals). The committee will review in its September meeting

Abuse and Misconduct Policy and Procedure – (Policy and procedure for response to allegations of abuse). The committee was informed that GRACE has written the first draft of a policy for Mosaic Conference. It is currently being reviewed by a select group of people from the board, ministerial, and credentials committees then will be returned to GRACE for updates. Further review will be done through intercultural and language lenses, after which it will given to the ministerial committee and board for final approval.

Centering Posture Document application in Ministerial Committee and Credentials Committee – The committee was reminded that we have been asked to use the Mosaic Centering document (A Mosaic Identity: Clarifying Our Center) as a guide for our policies and actions. For example, the questions that the Credentials Committee asks have changed to reflect Mosaic priorities and values.

Congregational Change Updates

  • Peña de Horeb (Philadelphia, PA) is withdrawing membership in Mosaic Conference
  • Hope Church (Temecula, CA) is requesting to join Mosaic Conference
  • Iglesia Menonita Fuente de Agua Viva (Monterrey, Mexico) is requesting to join Mosaic Conference

Committee Members – The Nominating Committee is working to name new committee members, including:

  • The Chair of the Credentials Committee will join when affirmed by the Credentials Committee. The Credentials Committee will also name Spanish-speaking vice chair who may or may not join the Ministerial Committee.
  • Boendianto from JKIA (Jemaat Kristen Indonesia Anugerah [Sierra Madre, CA]) has been affirmed by the Nominating Committee and named to the Ministerial Committee.
  • Staff committee members – There are currently two committee members on the Ministerial Committee who have joined the Mosaic Conference staff during their committee term. According to our bylaws, staff members who are on committees would be non-voting members. The committee discussed options and gave input for addressing committee members who are conference staff (voting vs non-voting roles).
    • ACTION: The committee voted unanimously that Rose Bender Cook and Josh Meyer will become non-voting committee members when new members are selected and onboarded at the beginning of next year.

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.   

Mosaic Conference Board Update – June 2026

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The Conference Board supervises the business of the conference, including conference committees, and does strategic planning to ensure that the conference is maintaining alignment with its vision and following the lead of the Spirit into areas of growth and change.

Report from the June 3, 2026 Board Meeting

Assistant Moderator Janet Panning (Plains Mennonite [Hatfield, PA]) welcomed those gathered and thanked them for their flexibility after the May 18 meeting was rescheduled due to a lack of quorum.

Intercultural Committee Chair Emmanuel Mwaipopo (Nueva Vida Norristown [PA] New Life) opened with a devotional centered on love in the life of the church. Drawing on the song Love Each Other by Graham Kendrick, he invited board members to reflect on both the beauty of Christian love and the places where the church continues to struggle with Christ’s call to love one another.

Assembly 2026 Planning

The board affirmed Psalm 116:1-2 as the centering scripture for Mosaic’s annual assembly, which will be held on November 7, 2026, in Souderton, PA.

The board also considered a proposal regarding virtual participation for delegates. At the request of the Executive Committee, conference staff prepared recommendations outlining how delegates with extenuating circumstances might participate remotely.

Following discussion and questions, the board approved a process that will allow delegates who are unable to attend in person because of extenuating circumstances to participate virtually. Congregations seeking virtual participation for delegates will work through their Leadership Minister, with final approval coordinated through the Associate Executive Minister.

Board Listening Session Reflections

Board members reflected on the spring listening sessions they attended and reviewed summaries from gatherings held so far. A final in-person listening session is planned in California later this summer.

Because the first virtual listening session reached capacity, staff recommended offering an additional online gathering. The board supported the proposal, with invitations being extended to English- and Spanish-speaking congregations that have not yet participated.

Several board members expressed appreciation for the healthy conversation guides used during the sessions and encouraged future opportunities for similarly structured dialogue. After the final session, a summary report of all 2026 listening sessions will be shared in a future issue of Mosaic News.

Congregational Membership Changes

The board formally acknowledged a letter from and accepted the withdrawal of Swamp Mennonite (Quakertown, PA) from membership in Mosaic Mennonite Conference, effective immediately, and sent the congregation with blessing.

Strategic Plan Updates

Ministerial Committee Chair Michael Howes (West Swamp Mennonite [Quakertown, PA]) shared updates regarding the credentialing process and changes implemented since the 2025 Delegate Assembly.

As part of the board’s ongoing strategic plan work, members discussed interest in reviewing how the Church Together conference documents – Faith and Life, Grace and Truth, and Going to the Margins – function within conference life. The board will form a group, which will be named at the Executive Committee meeting in July, to review the documents in light of Mosaic’s strategic plan and bring recommendations to a future board meeting.

March Board Retreat Reflections

The board reflected on the March board retreat and affirmed Maati Yvonne for the circle process that she led. Board members also received letters from the Inclusive Pastors Group expressing appreciation for opportunity for conversation at the March board retreat.

Leadership and Ministry Updates

In his report, Executive Minister Stephen Kriss shared that the Ambassadors summer program is underway with 16 participants and that fundraising efforts for the expanded Ambassadors program continue.

He also provided updates on congregations exploring membership in Mosaic Conference. Two congregations are pursuing membership conversations, as well as one potential Conference-Related Ministry. Board and staff are visiting these potential partners.

Kriss also shared updates on efforts to align staffing levels with current workloads and highlighted various ways congregations are engaging with conference ministries and initiatives.

A review for the Executive Minister, which had been planned last year but delayed until this summer, is underway. Carlos Romero, charged with the review process, will be reaching out to individuals across the conference in the coming months as part of the process.

The next meeting of the full Conference Board is scheduled for August 15.

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.