Mosaic Mennonites

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A Gentle Prophet Among Us

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In Loving Memory of
HUBERT SCHWARTZENTRUBER (1929-2026)

Hubert Schwartzentruber, longtime Mennonite pastor and conference leader, died March 25, 2026, at the age of 96. His life and ministry left a lasting imprint on Franconia Conference and the broader Mennonite church, particularly through his advocacy for urban ministry, inclusion, and faithful presence among those on the margins.

Schwartzentruber served in a wide range of leadership roles across his lifetime, including as Conference Minister and Overseer for Franconia Mennonite Conference. In that role, he called congregations to greater awareness of their contexts and responsibilities, especially in urban settings. His earlier pastoral work in St. Louis helped shape a theology grounded in liberation and grace, nurtured through relationships.

Those who worked alongside him remember both his conviction and his humility. Mike Derstine, pastor of Plains Mennonite (Hatfield, PA), recalled a defining moment at a Franconia Conference Delegate Assembly in the 1990s, when Schwartzentruber “pleaded with tears… to not cut off Germantown Mennonite from our membership.” Derstine noted that his oft-repeated conviction, “Every congregation is a gift from God to their community,” continues to be a helpful reminder to respect and honor the broad diversity that exists within Mosaic Conference.

Pastor Ertell Whigham, former Franconia Conference Executive Minister, reflected on Schwartzentruber’s personal character, saying, “What I primarily remember about my brother is his humble commitment to unity and collaboration, his willingness to risk comfort and safety for the purpose of sharing the Gospel with others, and his capacity to listen patiently beyond what was being said.”

Throughout his ministry, Schwartzentruber served in many leadership roles and pastored congregations including Spring Mount (PA) Mennonite, Interim Pastor of Plains Mennonite, and as Chaplain for the Conference-Related Ministry Souderton (PA) Mennonite Homes.

A lifelong learner, artist, and advocate for justice, Schwartzentruber brought together faith, creativity, and action. He championed the dignity of all people, encouraged simple and responsible living, and remained deeply committed to the church’s calling in the world.

A visitation will be held on Saturday, April 11, 2026, 10-11 am at Plains Mennonite, followed by a Celebration of Life service at 11 am (the service will be livestreamed).

Read Schwartzentruber’s full obituary here.

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 Courage to Bring Our Full Selves

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by Wayne Nitzsche

“Father God, you are the author of every language and painter of every skin tone. The Composer of every song sung in every land… May we be free to bring our full selves… may our differences never be walls of separation but windows through which we see more of your truth.”

This opening prayer from Intercultural Team member Jaye Lindo set the tone for Mosaic Conference’s webinar, “When We Belong: Bringing Our Full Selves.”

Danilo Sanchez, Leadership Minister for Intercultural Transformation, moderated the meeting. Panelists were Samantha Lioi, Interim Pastor at Perkasie (PA) Mennonite; Hendy Matahelemual, Pastor of Indonesian Light (Philadelphia, PA); and Sergio Nava, leader in Resplandece Mennonite (Pembroke Pines, FL and hybrid).

Lindo’s prayer beautifully grounded the session in the team’s goal: to name and address barriers to belonging within our broken and beautiful world and within our conference. Building trust and exploring what it means to live into Mosaic’s vision of a “centered- set” conference—where commitment to the way of Jesus is at the center—were key themes. While much has changed in recent years within Mosaic, leaders acknowledged that many still struggle to feel they truly belong and can bring their full selves.

Sanchez introduced two visual frameworks to guide the discussion. The “cage of oppression” names forms of marginalization such as racism, ableism, sexism, and heterosexism. The “wheel of power and privilege” illustrates how power is concentrated and how people experience varying access to it. Together, these tools help us reflect on where we, and others, are situated within systems of power and limitation.

Panelists spoke candidly about their experiences. Matahelemual and Nava highlighted the daily realities immigrants face in navigating language and cultural barriers. The panelists affirmed the progress Mosaic has made in strengthening intercultural competence and prioritizing it across the conference.

Lioi, speaking as a queer pastor, shared that the lack of clarity around where queer people stand in Mosaic has been harmful. “I feel like my best bet is to be invisible—that it’s the best I can hope for.” she said.

Nava expressed appreciation for Mosaic’s efforts to bring people together and live into its name. He emphasized the importance of staying rooted in Christ: “We want to build a church that is strong because we share a common surrender to Christ.”

Sanchez reflected on both progress and possibility: “We have come a long way and worked hard, but there is still room to grow. If Jesus is at the center, how might we embrace differences around queer inclusion as we have around racial and cultural differences?”

Lioi invited us to examine both visible and hidden forms of power. Understanding where we hold power, and where we are vulnerable, creates opportunities to share power and build trust. Honesty and openness, she noted, help us better understand one another and love each other more fully.

In closing, panelists offered words of encouragement and challenge. Matahelemual said, “Breathe. Tell your story. Take care of your people.” Nava reminded participants, “Because of Christ’s redemptive work, we are beloved, no matter our past. In Christ, we are limitless.”

Lioi shared, “My dream for Mosaic is that we would really truly celebrate each other in the fullness of who we are… so we can embrace the fullness of each person’s humanity, and that we wouldn’t have to leave anything at the door for that to happen.”

I urge you to watch the webinar. I was encouraged by the honesty, vulnerability, and gentle caring spirit of each of the panelists. Thank you, Intercultural Team, for leading us in this countercultural and Spirit-filled work with courage and faith in God’s redemptive work among us.

Wayne Nitzsche

Wayne Nitzsche is Bridge Pastor of Salford Mennonite in Harleysville, PA, and former pastor and member of Perkasie (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.   

Gathering with South Texas Congregations Strengthens Fellowship and Shared Mission

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by Javier Márquez

On February 28 and March 1, congregations from South Texas came together for a meaningful gathering including pastors, their spouses, and lay leaders. This meeting is one of the twice-yearly visits to accompany, listen to, and strengthen faith communities. On this occasion, Marco Güete, leadership minister for Mosaic Conference was present with the group.

There was a strong sense of closeness and fellowship, where leaders openly shared their experiences, challenges, and hopes. Prayer was a constant throughout the gathering, along with times of dialogue and shared fellowship meals.

In early March pastors from South Texas and Mexico met at Iglesia Menonita del Cordero (Brownsville, TX) with Mosaic staff for equipping sessions utilizing the Mosaic Priorities Guide. Photos courtesy of Marco Güete.

One of the most special moments was the introduction of Pastor Mileton Viveros, who lives in Matamoros, Mexico, just south of the border with the U.S. Viveros is a Mennonite leader and graduate of SeBAH (the Hispanic Anabaptist Biblical Seminary) and IBA (the Anabaptist Biblical Institute), and he currently leads a ministry for children and youth in his home called “The Society of Tomorrow: Sanctuary for the Lord.” During the meeting, participants prayed for him and for his calling to establish a church in that place.

Reflecting on the experience, Viveros shared: “It was very pleasant. We attended as guests with my wife and children. It was beautiful to connect and share with the brothers and sisters, to hear what the churches are doing and the challenges they face. It was very strengthening, and it was a surprise to be invited to Mosaic Conference.”

As part of the gathering, Güete also shared an introduction to the Conference’s Priorities Guide, creating space for reflection on the path congregations are called to follow together in community. In addition, on Sunday he was invited to preach at Iglesia Menonita del Cordero (Brownsville, TX), where he shared a message based on the book of Ruth.

The gathered leaders expressed their gratitude for the visit with Mosaic Conference. This kind of accompaniment is deeply meaningful; it strengthens a sense of belonging and fellowship. “This kind of visit is very important, so we do not feel alone, but welcomed,” it was noted during the gathering.

These spaces continue to affirm the commitment to walk together as the church, sharing the mission, supporting one another, and discerning God’s work in each context.

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.

Eternity

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by Ruth Baugher Palmer

Editor’s note: This reflection is drawn from the 2026 Souderton (PA) Mennonite Lenten Devotional Guide and reprinted with permission. The devotional, titled Breathing Light and Life: Stories Shaped by Jesus contains daily reflections on the Gospel of John, through Easter Sunday, and was written, illustrated, and edited by many members of the congregation.  

Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.

John 19:25
Michelangelo’s Pieta, by CC BY-SA, via Wikimedia Commons

Scripture for Friday, April 3, 2026: John 19:23-42

What was this moment like for Mary, the mother of Jesus? Despite what we are told, death is not “a natural part of life.” Jesus’ murder on a cross held agony, terror, and final desperate gasps for breath. No – Death is an offense.

In early January, I was with my mother-in-law the night she died. I sang to her the old hymn, “Face to Face with Christ My Savior,” praying the Lord would take her gently. In the morning, she was gone. I felt relieved that our sweet Mimi got her wish to “just slip away.” Yet I felt outraged as I came to her deathbed that morning. Nothing left of her vibrant 93 years but a corpse – cold, rigid body and gaping mouth. The poem Dylan Thomas wrote for his dying father, “Rage, rage against the dying of the light,” was now personal.

My own dear grandmother passed away at 90. The pastor at her funeral looked out at our grieving family and said, “You had Helen a good, long time.” He seemed to be scolding us into thankfulness. As if gratitude for her life precluded grief at her death.

The morning of his mom’s death, my husband walked around her house saying, “The absence of her presence is so big.” Why does every death—even those of “natural causes” seem wrong? Why does the death of someone in their nineties still feel too soon?

Ecclesiastes 3 declares, “To everything there is a season…a time to be born, a time to die,” yet later in the same chapter we find the missing clue: “God has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart.”

There we have the human condition—burden, beauty and mystery. Could it be that we weep at a 90-year-old grandmother’s dying and are appalled at seeing a lifeless body because we know—deep in our bones—that we weren’t meant to die? Rather, we were created in the image of our eternal, relational God—and meant to live in a garden forever in sweet communion with God and each other. St. Paul declares, “The last enemy to be destroyed is death.” (1 Cor. 15:26). Death is not “natural,” and deep in the human heart we know it.

So yes, I will weep for loved ones lost—the severing of the bonds of love. And I will rage at death’s robbery. But I will not despair. For I know the grave does not get the last word.

Easter is coming.

Ruth Baugher Palmer

Ruth Baugher Palmer is Vice President of Program Development at Lakeside Educational Network and attends the Movement and Meditation ministry at Souderton (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.   

Holy Imagination and the Comedy of Resurrection

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by Stephen Kriss

Slavoj Žižek, a Slovene philosopher, suggests that the Christian story is about comedy over tragedy. I have been caught up in this idea for years. Often the way we tell the story of our faith relies on the tragic, with a focus on death and sin more than life and resurrection. Žižek insists that what makes the Christian story real is its insistence on life over death.

Comedian Trevor Noah suggested in a recent interview that the church often lacks imagination. In many of our current realities, including what we see each day in the news, there is a strong pull to return to what used to be rather than to imagine a faithful and flourishing way forward. I do not believe in inevitable progress, a steady march toward something better. But I do believe that faith, hope, and love pull us forward toward God’s comedic conclusion: life over death, belonging over alienation, flourishing over failure, peace over violence.

The challenge for me, and for the church, is to trust God for that conclusion and to live toward it in our daily lives. This happens in tangible ways, like how we greet a stranger, and in more abstract ways, like our images of God and how we understand atonement.

Our Mosaic mission and vision remind us that the world is both broken and beautiful. Our life together reflects this tension. The diversity of who we are, and who we are becoming as God’s Mosaic people, stretches our patience and challenges our assumptions. The Anabaptist concept of discipleship calls us into a lifelong posture of learning to follow Jesus. It is not a one-time confession at baptism but a continual way of life.

John Paul Lederach suggests we need communities that are hubs, or evidence, of what is possible with the peaceable away of Jesus. (c.f. The Moral Imagination: The Art and Soul of Building Peace). In earlier generations, Mennonites described this as being “contrast communities,” visible expressions of the good news shaped by the Holy Spirit. In the Catholic tradition, Dorothy Day’s work among the poor manifests this model in all its loveliness and imperfection.

These days, we sometimes resemble the surrounding culture, shaped by political voices and economic realities. Yet there are practical ways to live into the upside-down kingdom, where the first are last and the last are first. There are also new ways still waiting to be imagined, grounded in our 500-year-old practices and responsive to a polarized, post-pandemic world.

Consider a few invitations that reflect resurrection life. Mutual aid that crosses boundaries, such as the Shalom Fund, offers care to vulnerable people across our communities. Generosity in the face of scarcity cultivates abundance instead of fear.

Love of neighbor that moves beyond words. This winter, I visited one of our newer immigrant congregations. The pastor shared during worship, “What I appreciate about being part of Mosaic is that we are not only about saying the right words. We put action behind those words.” When we wonder whether someone counts as our neighbor, Jesus’ answer is almost always yes. (Boundary work is a topic for a different article).

Investing in children, youth, and young adults expresses trust that faith will endure into the next generation. We are called to create open and meaningful spaces where young people can encounter the story of Jesus, ask hard questions, and grow in spaces that are safe enough to be brave. Whether through children’s time in worship, athletic coaching relationships, or programs like Mosaic’s summer Ambassadors (which once again this year is seeing record numbers of applicants), these investments reflect hope and the promise of new life.

The basic act of showing up for worship in a broken and beautiful community reminds us of comedy over tragedy. Gathering for worship with people who are similar to and different from us stretches and shapes us. Our worshipping communities are meant to both console the brokenhearted and to challenge the comfortable. The ways we show up together matter and should (I rarely use that word) change us.

Finding ways to move toward both/and rather than either/or. How do we allow the Spirit to break down barriers between us? In a time marked by division, both/and invites humility and possibly confidence. We are both progressive and conservative, citizen and alien, protestant and catholic1, careful and risk-taking. Living within these tensions opens us to transformation as we trust the wisdom of Scripture and the Spirit’s work among us.

Our invitation as followers of Jesus is to live in ways that are more than words, that mumble (when that is all we can manage) or proclaim boldly (when God provides the strength), that Christ is risen indeed. Life conquers death.

  1. protestant and catholic intentionally lowercase in reference to Walter Klassen’s Anabaptism: Neither Catholic nor Protestant, which he later suggested might have been better titled with “both/and.”  ↩︎

Stephen Kriss

Stephen Kriss is the Executive Minister of Mosaic Conference.

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

Strengthening Shared Mission with Mennonite Partners

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Mennonite Mission Network and Mosaic Mennonite Conference have set new pathways for partnership as Wil LaVeist, PhD, senior executive for advancement at Mission Network has been appointed as the liaison between the two organizations.

LaVeist is responsible for the Mission Network division that includes the Development and Marketing and Communication departments. A former journalist before joining Mission Network, LaVeist has executive level experience in community relations and outreach with major companies, nonprofits, and churches. He is also a member of the board of trustees at the Lincoln University of Pennsylvania.

“We are grateful for our ongoing relationships with Mission Network and look forward to continuing shared mission and engagement,” states Stephen Kriss, executive minister for Mosaic Mennonite Conference. “Mission Network has been a long-term trusted partner with Mosaic communities.”

Marisa Smucker, executive director for Mission Network comments, “We have been in close partnership with Mosaic Mennonite Conference and its congregations for many years. It is a blessing to be able to continue on this missional journey together.”

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.   

Faith, Finances, and Fellowship Come Together in South Philadelphia

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A group of nearly 20 participants from four Mosaic Conference congregations gathered on Sunday, March 22, at Nations Worship Center (Philadelphia, PA) for the second session of God and Money: Tools for Faithful Personal Finance. The workshop is part of a three-part series designed for youth and young adults across Mosaic Conference congregations.

The afternoon began with energy as Dan Barlow, youth pastor at Centro de Alabanza, led a Kahoot review of themes from the first session, helping participants reconnect with earlier conversations about faith and finances.

Rose Bender Cook, pastor at Whitehall (PA) Mennonite and the Mosaic Conference Leadership Minister for Formation, guided the group into deeper reflection on the spiritual dimensions of money. Participants explored biblical perspectives on wealth, reviewing scriptures passages in categories of righteous rich, unrighteous rich, righteous poor, and unrighteous poor. In small groups, they reflected on what it means to be rich in righteousness, wisdom, and generosity, and how those values shape God’s hopes for our lives.

Building on that foundation, Everence Stewardship Consultant Franco Salvatori offered practical tools for financial health. He walked participants through the basics of creating a budget, emphasizing the importance of making room for saving and sharing. He also addressed the benefits and risks of credit and loans and offered guidance on seeking financial counsel.

Pastor Rose Bender Cook shares about the spiritual implications of money.
Franco Salvatori (center) shares about budgeting and credit.

The workshop concluded with a shared meal of Chinese food, creating space for additional conversation and connection.

Participants left with practical knowledge and renewed perspective. “I learned about what budgeting means and how to do so,” said Marciella Shallomita of Nations Worship Center.

“I come from a background that doesn’t think much about this. The assumption is to work a lot to earn more and spend what you have. But this session taught me a new way of handling money, one that is beneficial for the future. I also enjoyed exploring what the Bible says about being wise and generous. Rather than just rich in wealth, we should be rich in love and generosity.”

The final session of the series will take place at Centro de Alabanza on Sunday, April 26 from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m., focusing on investing and saving for retirement.

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.   

Dignity is the only way

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by Peter Sensenig

Editor’s Note: Originally published on March 16, 2026, in Anabaptist World and reprinted with permission.  

Peter is a long-term mission worker serving through Eastern Mennonite Missions and Mennonite Mission Network. His work is supported by Souderton Mennonite (PA) through MMN. He’s part of Peacemakers Confessing Christ International, which also includes members of Philadelphia Praise Center.  

Peter Sensenig, right, in Qom, Iran, in 2024 with Positive Global Ethics conference participants, from left, Mohammad Kashani, Mohammad-Taghi Eslami, Hamid Makarem and Mohammad Suri. — Courtesy of Peter Sensenig

Talking on the phone with a friend in Iran, in the middle of a U.S. bombing campaign, my intention was to offer condolences. But to my surprise, the main thing he wanted to say to me was, “You need to come back. Let me know what I can do to make this happen.”

What my friend is communicating, even as his country is being bombed, is that there is only one way out of this mess: deeper attachment to one another — as Christians and Muslims, as Iranians and Americans.

The U.S.-Israeli war on Iran has elicited all kinds of reactions. Some focus on the human toll — the number of lives lost, disrupted or displaced. Some highlight the economics of it — the staggering cost of war, its economic impact.

Others draw attention to the rationale, theology or eschatology behind it, still others the security implications for the region and beyond.

What is often missing is perhaps the most fundamental to understanding how something like this could happen and how to find our way out of it: the power of dignity.

The violation of dignity

Donna Hicks describes dignity as the glue that holds all our relationships together. It’s the desire to be understood, heard, and treated fairly. It’s the need to feel safe in the world.

Dignity violation, on the other hand, is the hijacking of those basic needs. Our brains are wired to be super sensitive to dignity violations, because they represent a threat to us. Dignity violations can be physical, emotional, or even symbolic.

The assassination of the supreme leader of Iran at the outset of the war was a basic and symbolic dignity violation. Even Iranians or other Shia Muslims who are critical of the country’s authoritarian government experienced the killing of a clerical leader as an attack on their identity.

This sort of response is universal for us as humans. When our family moved to Somaliland, we arrived on the very day that members of al-Qaeda attacked the office of the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo. The murders were in response to the magazine’s publication of cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad, including a caricature on its cover. All over the city of Hargeisa I observed bumper stickers reading, “We love the Prophet more than we love ourselves.”

What was the sentiment behind these messages? From the perspective of dignity, what was going on? The message was obvious: My identity is wrapped up in the Prophet. What I aspire to be as a Muslim is shaped by him. When you insult him, you insult me and everything I believe in.

The difference between dignity and respect is important. Honoring dignity does not validate the actions of the other, or label them respectable. J. Daryl Byler demonstrates this well in “A Better Way Than War” (AW, March 9): There is no need to defend the oppressive Iranian regime to affirm the dignity of Iranian people.

War is dignity violation at its extreme. This is why violence can never lead to lasting positive change, only to shifts in power that leave resentments bubbling under the surface.

The power of dignity

The alternative to the dignity violation of war is personal engagement. Mennonites have been part of initiatives in Iran for decades, and these exchanges have borne remarkable fruit. One piece of this legacy is an organization called Luke 10, which is focused on building friendships with Iranians.

In the buildup to the current war, Luke 10 released the statement “A Time for Peace,” with original signatories in both Iran and U.S. In the weeks since, hundreds of people around the world have signed the statement, with the largest number adding their names from Iran.

People are hungry for dignity — not only to be offered it, but also for a chance to extend it to others in concrete ways. Iranian-American Reza Aslan says cultural exchange is the way lasting positive change happens. The doors that open around dignity are surprising and can break out of our paradigms of what is possible.

Dignity is so powerful it can transcend even religious identities or boundaries.

One of the most honored champions of democracy in Iran is a young American missionary named Howard Baskerville, who was killed in a democratic uprising in Iran in 1909. To this day he is honored as a martyr in Iran. Aslan writes: “Baskerville did not arrive with a mandate from Washington. He did not offer ultimatums or airstrikes. He chose solidarity over leverage. ‘The only difference between me and these people is the place of my birth,’ he said shortly before his death, ‘and that is not a big difference’ ” (“The Iranian Dream of an American Savior,” New York Times International Edition, March 9, 2026).

Imagine it: Iranians honor the memory of an American who went to Iran to teach English and to preach the gospel. A gospel that is freed from nationalist trappings and from the threat of dominance is good news indeed and can be received as such.

In Iran I observed the honor for Jesus Christ at every turn — in mosques, museums and homes. This reverence is an authentic part of Shia spirituality. But I believe it goes beyond religious conviction. Iranian Muslims have recognized the power of extending dignity to Christians, for whom Jesus Christ is the center of our faith.

My friend is not alone in extending the invitation to mingle our lives, as Iranians and Americans, as Muslims and Christians. This sentiment is widespread. Cultural exchange is the only way to peace, because it is the path of dignity.

If our concern is for Iranian Christians, then dignity is the only way. When a closed society begins to open up to the outside world, it also creates more space for diversity within. Furthermore, the church in the wider region will be given more space to flourish.

If our concern is for the security of the region and the world, then dignity is the only way. Dialogue and negotiations, though slow and imperfect, make a difference and bring us closer to peace and security.

And if our concern is to become better disciples of Jesus, then the Samaritan dignity that he offers his hearers in Luke 10 is the only way.

Peter Sensenig

Peter Sensenig works with Eastern Mennonite Missions and Mennonite Mission Network in France. He is a member of EMM’s Christian-Muslim Relations Team.