Mosaic Mennonites

Missional - Intercultural - Formational

Articles

Together in Courage and Faith: Janet Panning’s Call to Serve

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by Jennifer Svetlik

Janet Panning has dedicated her life to serving both the church and the broader community through a deep commitment to faith, justice, and leadership. In March 2025, the Mosaic Conference Board voted to approve Panning as the next Assistant Moderator of Mosaic Conference. Her term will begin on January 1, 2026, when Roy Williams of North Tampa (FL) Christian Fellowship will become Moderator. 

Reflecting on this new calling, Panning shared, “I feel honored and humbled to be asked to serve in this role. I feel that Mosaic Conference is able to celebrate the faith of our Mennonite ancestors while learning from the example of our newcomer congregations. Together we are called to see and to serve the vulnerable among us.” 

The Assistant Moderator serves as vice chair of the Conference Board and Chair of the Nominating Committee. Additionally, the Assistant Moderator chairs Board and Executive Committee meetings in the absence of the Moderator and fulfils other duties as assigned. The position is for a three-year term, with the expectation that the Assistant Moderator will then serve as Moderator, pending approval by the Conference Board. Panning’s appointment will be presented for affirmation by the Delegate Assembly in November. 

Panning with her husband and grandson at her daughter’s house in Montana.

Panning brings a lifetime of leadership and service experience to this new role. Raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, she became a Christian at 14 through a Young Life Club and then grew increasingly involved in her Episcopalian church. Her journey with the Mennonite church began at Michigan State University, where she discovered a brochure for the InterMenno program, sparking a life-changing year of service in the Netherlands.  

Together with her husband Steve, Janet served with Mennonite Central Committee for 12 years in Jamaica and Kentucky before settling in Pennsylvania. Since 1987, the Pannings have been part of Plains Mennonite Church (Hatfield, PA), becoming members in 2004. Janet is deeply involved in the life of the congregation—she currently serves as Chair of the Elders and contributes through children’s music, choir, playing piano during worship, serving as a host family, and participating in a small group. 

Panning has also served extensively at the Conference level. She has been a member of the Ministerial Committee for many years, with Franconia and Mosaic Conference, and has served as Chair of the committee since 2019. 

Panning retired in 2024 from the Montgomery County (PA) Office of Public Health. She continues her advocacy and health work as a consultant with Children First’s PA Lead-Free Promise Project. Earlier in her career, she spent 18 years working in refugee resettlement, on a staff team helping thousands of individuals from Liberia, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Uzbekistan, Myanmar, Syria, Iraq, the DRC, Ethiopia, and beyond find new homes and employment in the region.  

When asked about her hopes for joining the Executive Committee of the Board, Panning responded, “That together we can find the courage to follow Jesus in our broken and beautiful world. My hope is that we can discern together what the reconciliation of Jesus means in our families, our neighborhoods, our church communities, our countries and our world, and that together we can have the courage to follow Jesus in challenging times.” 

Outside of her professional and church commitments, Panning enjoys biking with her husband, reading, and spending time with their three grandsons. A recent highlight was an Amtrak journey across the country, where she particularly cherished the hours spent following the Colorado River through the Rocky Mountains. 

Mosaic Conference requires all Board members to be 18 years or older and active members of a Mosaic congregation. While no other criteria are formally outlined in the bylaws, desired qualities include a commitment to following Jesus, spiritual discernment, active involvement in church life, and experience in leadership, with an emphasis on representing the geographic and cultural diversity of the Conference. 

With her decades of dedication, cross-cultural experience, and spiritual depth, Panning will bring a strong foundation of leadership and compassion to the role of Assistant Moderator. 

Jennifer Svetlik

Jennifer is Director of Community Engagement & Editor for Mosaic. She grew up near Houston, TX and spent a decade living in intentional community in Washington DC, before moving to Lansdale, PA. She serves as Children’s Faith Formation Director at Salford Mennonite (Harleysville, PA).

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’s Spring Assemblies Nurture Identity and Dialogue

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by Jennifer Svetlik

More than 170 people gathered across the country and online this spring as Mosaic Mennonite Conference held a series of Spring Assembly gatherings designed to deepen relationships, explore shared identity, equip leaders, and receive feedback. 

Throughout April and early May, seven Spring Assembly events took place in California, Florida, Pennsylvania, and via Zoom, with an additional equipping session held in South Texas for Partners in Ministry from Colombia and Texas. These gatherings were offered in English, Spanish, and Indonesian, with interpretation provided in many settings. 

Recognizing a widespread desire for more in-person dialogue, these regional assemblies offered a relational and formational touchpoint for Mosaic Conference participants. All credentialed leaders, 2024 and 2025 delegates, and any interested individuals were invited to participate. Unlike Mosaic’s fall Assembly, the spring gatherings did not include decision-making votes but focused instead on equipping and working toward greater clarity and a strengthened sense of identity. 

“Meeting together with other South Florida Mosaic pastors and leaders in Lakeland for Spring Assembly was a very precious time,” reflected Pastor Pavel Gailans of Homestead (FL) Mennonite. “We are learning about shared spaces and how to welcome people where Jesus is already present to heal their broken lives. Thank you for the Spirit filled fellowship.” 

The Florida Spring Assembly took place on May 3, 2025 at Iglesia Menonita Luz y Verdad (Lakeland, FL).

Each Assembly opened with worship and prayer led by board members, who also shared Mosaic’s vision and mission. Conference staff introduced a sample lesson from the new core priority guides, tools being developed to bring some clarity and a common vocabulary around Mosaic’s vision, mission, and priorities, as well as to support Mosaic congregations in their formational, intercultural, and missional work.  

Participants experienced a lesson from one of the three priority guides: 

  • Formational: Becoming like Jesus (shaped in the image of Christ) 
  • Intercultural: Loving like Jesus (transformed by relationships with others) 
  • Missional: Living like Jesus (engaged in the healing of the world) 
Those who participated in the Spring Assembly on April 26 at JKI Anugerah (Sierra Madre, CA).

Each lesson incorporated a circle reflection question, an encounter with scripture, and a spiritual practice.  

Feedback from these sessions is informing the final versions of the guides, which congregations will be invited to use in Bible studies, small groups, retreats, or alongside sermon series to further their formational, missional, and intercultural growth.  

In addition, congregations, partners in ministry, and Conference-Related Ministries who are exploring a connection or membership with Mosaic will be able to utilize these guides to better understand Mosaic Conference.  
 
Equipping was also offered during the Assemblies on the concept of Centered-Set Church — a theological approach that orients community life around movement toward Jesus, rather than fixed boundaries of belief or behavior. 

A visualization of a sample of the responses to the question, “What does being intercultural mean to you?”

Staff members helped participants reflect on how this framework—characterized by high expectations, accountability, and wide welcome—can reshape church identity and witness. It was developed in a missional context, as a way of making it easier to reach out to people who are not yet part of the traditional church structure. 

Leadership Minister Josh Meyer noted, “In a time when polarization and boundary-making often define the Church, equipping Mosaic leaders with a Centered-Set approach helps us orient around Jesus as the true center.” 

He added, “Centered-Set theology reflects the heart of the Gospel — that discipleship is less about who’s ‘in’ or ‘out’ and more about walking together toward Jesus with humility, grace, and shared discipleship. We trust that mutual transformation comes as we fix our eyes on Christ and invite others to do the same.” 

While many found the Centered-Set model compelling, participants also expressed a desire for more concrete examples of what it looks like in everyday congregational life—particularly in moments of tension, disagreement, or ambiguity. 

The group gathered at Nations Worship Center (Philadelphia, PA) for Spring Assembly on April 30, 2025.

Mosaic Conference extends deep gratitude to our hosts for these gatherings, for their hospitality and support: Blooming Glen (PA) Mennonite, JKI Anugerah (Sierra Madre, CA), Nations Worship Center (Philadelphia, PA), and Iglesia Menonita Luz y Verdad (Lakeland, FL).

Jennifer Svetlik

Jennifer is Director of Community Engagement & Editor for Mosaic. She grew up near Houston, TX and spent a decade living in intentional community in Washington DC, before moving to Lansdale, PA. She serves as Children’s Faith Formation Director at Salford Mennonite (Harleysville, PA).

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.   

MC USA Executive Board rejects Mosaic proposal

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by Paul Shrag, Anabaptist World

Originally published on May 13, 2025, in Anabaptist World, and reprinted with permission.    

A Mosaic Mennonite Conference proposal to redefine its relationship to the denomination won’t work, the Mennonite Church USA Executive Board decided May 8. 

Mosaic, one of MC USA’s largest conferences, had proposed to become a program entity — an organization that provides services to meet churchwide goals. 

But the Executive Board, meeting concurrently with the Constituency Leaders Council in Wichita, Kan., passed a motion saying the idea “is not viable within our structure.” 

A Pennsylvania-based conference that has expanded nationwide, Mosaic is evaluating its affiliation — seeking a partnership with MC USA rather than membership — and may decide the relationship’s future in November. 

The Executive Board proposed a mediated conversation with the Mosaic board to seek “reconciliation for broken relationships.” 

Mosaic moderators Angela Moyer Walter (left) and Roy Williams (right) at the CLC meeting. Photo by Paul Schrag/AW.

Mosaic moderator Angela Moyer Walter and executive minister Stephen Kriss said the Mosaic board would consider the request. 

Moyer Walter said Mosaic leaders didn’t have other partnership ideas to propose. 

Explaining the Executive Board’s action to the CLC, MC USA moderator Jon Carlson cited “the strangeness of the relationship” that would result from redefining Mosaic as something other than an area conference. 

“We recognize the complexity of a body that continues to act in many ways as an area conference but is not treated as an area conference within our system,” he said. 

He noted that MC USA’s two current program entities — Everence, a financial organization, and Mennonite Health Services Association — do not have member congregations. 

Mosaic has about 7,500 members in 60 congregations. Based in Lansdale, Pa., it was formed in 2019, uniting Franconia and Eastern District conferences. 

During a May 9 joint session of the Executive Board and the CLC — an advisory group of conference and constituency group leaders — Moyer Walter said it was “sad and painful” to hear the Executive Board’s decision. 

“We were hopeful of trying something new that would work for both MC USA and Mosaic, as the status quo was not healthy for us to remain a member conference,” she said. 

“Our churches are doing creative things. . . . It is hard as a conference leader when the things our congregations are bringing to us aren’t always prioritized at the MC USA level. . .  

“We welcome continued conversations. . . . Even when our structures don’t hold, we still care deeply about the church. We are still the same people in ministry. We still want to partner in ways that feel healthy and mutual together.” 

Mosaic is in its third year of discernment about affiliation. Last November, delegates voted to “establish a robust partnership” with MC USA without defining how this would differ from the current relationship. They directed a team to bring proposals for bylaw changes to their 2025 assembly Nov. 1. 

After last year’s assembly, two Mosaic congregations that wanted to disaffiliate from MC USA withdrew from the conference: Vincent in Spring City, Pa., and Salem in Quakertown, Pa. 

After Moyer Walter and Carlson addressed the joint session, Heidi Regier Kreider, conference minister of Western District Conference, said she hoped Mosaic would stay with MC USA and added that some Western District congregations “feel affinity” with Mosaic congregations. 

“We find Mosaic’s presence in MC USA strengthens all of us,” she said. “There is theological diversity, and that does not prevent us from working together.” 

Also at the meeting, the Executive Board recommended resolutions and bylaw changes to delegates at the MC USA biennial convention July 8-12 in Greensboro, N.C. 

One would reaffirm and update a “Churchwide Statement on Immigration” first approved in 2003 and reaffirmed in 2014. 

Lorraine Stutzman Amstutz, denominational minister for peace and justice, said the resolution would add new resources and action steps at a time of fear for immigrant communities. 

“This is a critical time for us to acknowledge policies that are impacting our immigrant and asylum-seeking communities and strengthen our commitment to action on behalf of those who are threatened and feeling fearful for their lives here,” she said. 

A second resolution proposes to require all conferences and congregations to use the same set of abuse response and prevention policies for pastors and ministerial leaders. Current policies are voluntary, leading to inconsistent application. 

“Consistency across the system will lead to safer congregations for minors and vulnerable adults,” according to the resolution’s introduction. 

The board and CLC members acknowledged that some might be wary of a mandate from the denominational board. 

Chris Nord, moderator of Pacific Northwest Mennonite Conference, said: “Mennonites are suspicious of top-down polity, so I think it’s important to show how this proposal actually, even though it does impose a denominational [mandate], is to remediate against power hoarding and abuse of power.” 

A new Prevention and Accountability Resource will replace the current Ministerial Sexual Misconduct and Policy and Procedure Document and be available to all, regardless of whether delegates decide to require all to use it. 

Proposed bylaw changes include revisions related to the integration of Mennonite Education Agency into the Executive Board’s operations — a structural change the Executive Board and MEA board have already approved. MEA has seen its governance role over higher-education institutions greatly diminish over the past 20 years. By Aug. 1, MEA will cease to exist, and its functions will be moved into the work of denominational staff. 

Another proposed bylaw change would give the Executive Board the ability to recommend the removal of an agency’s executive director. The agency’s board would still have the final say. 

Paul Shrag

Paul Schrag is editor of Anabaptist World. He lives in Newton, Kan., attends First Mennonite Church of Newton and is married to Wendy. They have two adult daughters, Abby Koch and Becca Schrag. He was on the staff of Mennonite World Review for 32 years, serving as editor since 1996.

Celebrating the Radiance and Hope of Pastor Randy Heacock

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by Noel Santiago

On a cloudy and cold afternoon, the warmth of love, laughter, and deep appreciation filled the room as nearly 90 people gathered to celebrate Pastor Randy Heacock’s 23 years of ministry at Doylestown (PA) Mennonite. It was an afternoon marked by the glowing radiance of a life poured out in faithful service. 

The celebration began with a delicious pulled pork meal, with all the fixings, shared around tables buzzing with stories, memories, and heartfelt conversations. Friends, family, and congregants near and far gathered to honor a man whose life has embodied the phrase: “Standing firm in the faith: displaying God’s radiance and hope.” 

Throughout the event, voices rose in gratitude and joy, sharing moments of Heacock’s ministry that had left lasting marks of support, encouragement, and faithful presence. Whether offering a listening ear, sharing a quiet walk, or playing a pickup round of disc golf, Heacock has always had a unique way of making others feel seen and valued. 

The group gathered to celebrate Randy Heacock’s transition from 23 years of ministry at Doylestown (PA) Mennonite.

Laughter rang out as a small drama team reenacted one of Heacock’s infamous encounters of being pulled over. Apparently not an uncommon experience and certainly not forgotten, the comedic sketch brought smiles all around. 

Nancy, Randy’s partner in ministry and in life, received the “Most Extra” award for the way she goes out of her way to serve others. Her heartfelt tribute to the congregation brought tears to many eyes as she recalled the joy, pain, and faithfulness shared throughout the journey. Her words were a reminder of the community that has both shaped and been shaped by the Heacocks. 

Randy’s pastoral ministry has been marked by a deep relationality, whether on basketball courts, disc golf courses, over donuts and M&Ms and, yes, even Spam. Through these simple joys, he has built connections across generations and backgrounds. His passion and presence have been both a comfort and a challenge, always calling people deeper into the life of faith. 

Randy and Nancy Heacock holding three of Randy’s favorite things: M&M’s, Disc Golf and Spam!

A significant milestone during Heacock’s time at Doylestown was the initiation of a missional journey. This was not a program or event but a shared way of life for the congregation. It became a season of listening for where God was already at work in the world and stepping out in faith to join in. 

As the evening drew to a close, tributes from past and present leaders underscored the lasting impact of Heacock’s ministry. Sandy Landes, prayer minister, wrapped up the gathering with powerful words of remembrance, encouragement, and a challenge to continue the risk-taking spirit Heacock has exemplified. 

In the end, it wasn’t just a farewell. It was a celebration of faithfulness, friendship, and the many seeds planted through decades of ministry. As Heacock transitions, the echoes of his life and leadership will continue to ripple through the lives he’s touched. His legacy is not just in the sermons preached or the meetings led, but in the countless lives transformed by his humble, radiant witness. 

Noel Santiago

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

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

Anabaptism at 500: What Anabaptism Means to Me – May 2025

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As Mosaic Mennonite Conference commemorates the 500th Anniversary of Anabaptism in 2025, each month we will share a variety of Mosaic voices reflecting on the question, “What does Anabaptism mean to me?”  

Submission from

Franco Salvatori, Souderton (PA) Mennonite

As an interim pastor for a Mennonite church, I found a theological home in the pages of the 1995 Confession of Faith from a Mennonite perspective.     

Anabaptism – Where following Jesus matters. Where Jesus’ words define our actions. Where we interpret the Bible by starting with Jesus and letting that inform our understanding of the rest of the scriptures.

Anabaptism – Where peace, justice, truth, stewardship, and participating in the mission of God NOW defines the purpose of the church. A community becoming like Christ, to be an incarnate sign of the beautiful vision God had for his creation and his children.     

Somehow, my faith had always been more interested in the idea of becoming like Jesus on the inside (forgiven and purified) than in acting like Jesus (pursuing the reconciliation of the world). But the Anabaptist theology did not allow for that distinction, and I loved it for that.  

I pastored that church for 10 years and would often joke that they might be more Mennonite than me, but that I was more Anabaptist, because I wasn’t born into this tradition of faith. I chose it. 

And I continue to choose it today.   

Submission from

Joe Landis (Salford Mennonite [Harleysville, PA])

Joe Landis (Salford Mennonite [Harleysville, PA]), Founder/former CEO of Conference-Related Ministry Peaceful Living and former CEO of Conference-Related Ministry Indian Creek Foundation and his son Zach Landis reflect on what Anabaptism means to them. They recently traveled, with their families, to Zurich and other key Anabaptist historical sites. Zach’s son Johan filmed the conversation, which took place in front of a cave in which early Anabaptists used for worship and refuge.  

Submission from

Sandra Güete, Sarasota, FL

El anabautismo, para mí, es más que una simple doctrina o una corriente teológica dentro del cristianismo. Es una forma de vivir la fe con autenticidad, compromiso y valentía. Nació en el siglo XVI como una respuesta radical a la iglesia establecida, afirmando que el bautismo es un acto de fe personal y no algo impuesto por tradición o por el Estado. Pero va más allá del bautismo: es una manera de entender la iglesia como una comunidad de discípulos comprometidos con el evangelio, con la paz y con la justicia. No se trata solo de una idea histórica, sino de un llamado actual a seguir a Cristo de manera decidida y contracultural.  

Translation in English:

For me, Anabaptism is more than just a doctrine or a theological movement within Christianity. It is a way of living out faith with authenticity, commitment, and courage. It emerged in the 16th century as a radical response to the established church, affirming that baptism is a personal act of faith rather than something imposed by tradition or the state. But it goes beyond baptism—it is a way of understanding the church as a community of disciples committed to the gospel, peace, and justice. It is not just a historical idea but a present-day call to follow Christ in a determined and countercultural way. 

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.   

Intercultural Workshop Nourishes Intercultural Exchange and Community

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by Sam Charles

Nutrition plays a vital role in human existence, providing the essential vitamins and energy needed for the body’s proper functioning. Acknowledging the importance of nutrition in sustaining human life, God created the necessary resources for sustenance before the creation of humankind. 

This idea is affirmed by the teachings of Jesus Christ, who said, “People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes out of the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4, NLT). Beyond its nutritional value, food serves as a catalyst for social and intercultural bonds. The way food is prepared, served, and shared—whether on the floor or at a table —represents cultural practices that reflect the traditions and customs of different communities. 

For example, Haitian and Jamaican cuisines bear notable similarities, but differ considerably from those of other populations. Food can act as both a unifier and a point of distinction between groups. Family meals, national celebrations, and religious feasts are all instrumental in passing down cultural values from one generation to the next. Food thus plays a role in both celebrating cultural diversity and encouraging cross-cultural interaction. 

Sharing a meal with individuals from different cultural backgrounds is a dynamic medium for fostering communal bonds, cultivating friendship, and facilitating intercultural exchange. Such shared meals encourage the acceptance of diverse identities and practices, highlighting the importance of mutual respect and understanding. 

On Saturday, March 22, members of Indonesian Light Church (Philadelphia, PA) and the Haitian congregation Bethel Worship and Teaching Center (Levittown, PA) collaborated to offer food as part of an extraordinary intercultural encounter. The event melded elements of Indonesian, Haitian, and American cultures, fostering a rich exchange of ideas and practices.  

The workshop discussions centered on the dynamics of power and seeking understanding of differing perspectives. The event culminated in a shared meal, fostering a sense of communal harmony, understanding, and lack of judgement among participants from diverse cultures.  

The event provided a valuable opportunity for Americans, Haitians, and Indonesians to engage in meaningful dialogue and mutual learning. The event also served to promote the principles of love, as exemplified by Jesus, and to embrace our neighbors, thereby achieving the unity in diversity articulated by Paul in Galatians 3:28, NIV, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” 

Sam Charles

Sam Charles is the pastor of Bethel Worship and Teaching Center in Levittown, PA and a member of Mosaic’s Intercultural Committee.

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. 

Luke Beidler: Missionary, Conference Leader, Pastor, Friend

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by Sharon K. Williams

A large extended family gathered at Nueva Vida Norristown (PA) New Life (NVNNL) on Saturday, April 26, 2025, to thank God for the life and legacy of Luke Beidler, who found his release from Parkinson’s disease in the eternal presence of Jesus on April 10, 2025. 

The “siblings,” “children,” and “cousins” represented Luke and his wife Dorothy’s biological families, missionary colleagues from years of ministry in Viet Nam and Indonesia, Franconia/Mosaic Conference leaders, Greater Norristown Area Ministerium leaders, and brothers and sisters from NVNNL and several local Mennonite congregations. An additional 180 viewers joined the memorial service by livestream. 

Daughter and son-in-law Marta and Julio Castillo led the congregation in a bilingual reading from Philippians 4 and Romans 12. The congregation joined in one voice to sing hymns and songs in Spanish and English. Grandsons read scripture, poetry, and Beidler’s obituary. Sandy Drescher-Lehman, pastor of Methacton (PA) Mennonite, shared a meditation on Psalm 63, one of Luke’s favorites. Son Ken Beidler led the sharing time. 

Daughter and son-in-law Marta and Julio Castillo lead the congregation in a bilingual reading from Philippians 4 and Romans 12. Photo by Caitlyn Weber.

“Pastor Luke was open to visionary ideas for what could and should be,” reflected Mosaic Conference Leadership Minister Ertell Whigham when asked about Beidler’s legacy. “He welcomed new ministry and had cultural enthusiasm, which enabled Franconia Conference to grow beyond traditional norms.” 

Whigham first got to know Beidler in 1989 when Whigham shared his vision for a merger of three Norristown congregations (First Mennonite, Bethel Mennonite, and Fuente de Salvación) that became NVNNL. At that time, Whigham was pastor of Bethel Mennonite, and Beidler was Mission Secretary of Franconia Conference (a position he held from 1985 to 1995). They later served together on NVNNL’s pastoral team (1994–2007). 

Many people reflected on Luke and Dorothy’s spiritual gifts of hospitality, generosity, and the ability to cross ethnic and economic boundaries with the love of God. 

Sandy Drescher-Lehman, pastor of Methacton Mennonite, shares a meditation on Psalm 63, one of Luke’s favorites. Photo by Caitlyn Weber.

“Luke is who I want to be when I grow up,” reflected Emily Ralph Servant, Mosaic Conference Leadership Minister for Strategic Priorities, when asked about the influence Beidler has had on her life.  

“He had a rich history of service, often to those that others ignore or forget. He had a soft heart that was open to the movement of God’s Spirit, desiring to be a faithful follower of Jesus right up to the end. We will miss his gentle presence in Mosaic Conference and give thanks for the legacy he leaves behind at NVNNL and in his family, especially his daughter Marta (Mosaic Conference’s associate executive minister).” 

Beidler’s obituary is available here. The Celebration of Life, including a photo slideshow, is available to view here.  

Sharon K. Williams

Sharon K. Williams serves as the minister of worship with the Nueva Vida Norristown (PA) New Life Mennonite congregation. 

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 Pastoral Call of Manuel García

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by Manuel García

Pastor Manuel García with his family.

As far back as I can remember, I admired my father’s passion for the pastorate. I grew up accompanying him to preach in different places, traveling to towns and rural communities in the Colombian Caribbean region in evangelistic activities. I remember with emotion his words challenging the faith of the sick and affirming with conviction that there is salvation in Christ.

On the other hand, my mother, a tireless and loving Sunday school teacher, touched my heart with her tenderness and dedication. I saw her prepare her classes with care, teaching the children every Sunday with patience and love. Her example taught me that ministry is not only about teaching, but also serving with dedication and passion. 

Given this inspiration from my parents, I have always longed with all my being to receive my pastoral credentials. Being a pastor is not just a title for me, but the greatest award that my heart has desired. 

In 2024, I was interviewed several times by different members of Mosaic Conference in the process of obtaining my credentials. Each conversation was a space where I could share my journey, my experiences, and my calling. I felt like a child in a toy store, with my heart full of joy and gratitude. 

The day I received the acceptance message was unforgettable. I hugged my wife and cried with happiness. At that moment, my mind traveled through the memories, processes, and experiences that God allowed me to live up to that moment. 

Finally, in 2025, we traveled to Medellín, Colombia, to officially receive my credentials. It was a cold and rainy Sunday morning, a perfect setting to remember the wonders of God. In a simple ceremony, surrounded by the majesty of the Central Mountain Range of the Colombian Andes, under a kiosk without walls where the birdsong accompanied the moment, I was called to the center by brother Marco Güete. 

I felt the hands of my brothers on me and, with them, the presence of God enveloping me. When I received my credentials, my heart filled with gratitude and humility. A dream had come true. 

My wife was at my side, while my children ran through the rain enjoying nature. In my heart, I longed for my community, Resplandece Mennonite Church (Pembroke Pines, FL and hybrid), to be present in person.  

However, thanks to our hybrid connection, we shared a video and some photos with them. Shortly after, through WhatsApp, a shower of messages of congratulations and affirmations filled my soul with joy. 

It was a wonderful Sunday, a day that will remain etched in my memory. We closed the day with a delicious traditional Colombian meal, celebrating not only a personal achievement, but the faithfulness of God in this calling that has marked my life. 

Manuel García

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.