Mosaic Mennonites

Missional - Intercultural - Formational

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MC USA Constituency Leaders Council Focuses on Reimagining Church 

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The original version of this article was published by MC USA. This shortened version includes quotes from Mosaic’s participants in the meeting.  

The MC USA Constituency Leaders Council (CLC) reflected on the question, “What does it mean to do church together?” at its biannual meeting at College Mennonite Church, Goshen, Indiana, on March 21-23, 2024. Moderator-elect Marty Lehman presided over the meeting, which introduced leaders to MC USA’s new strategic plan, invited them to participate in reinvention exercises, and offered inspiration through storytelling. 

Fifty-eight leaders, representing area conferences, racial/ethnic groups, constituency groups and MC USA Administration, attended the meeting. The three representatives from Mosaic Conference were Moderator Angela Moyer Walter, board member Emmanuel Mwaipopo (Norristown [PA] New Life), and Executive Minister Steve Kriss. In addition, Leadership Minister Marco Güete also attended in his staff role with Mennonite Education Agency (MEA), Camille Dager (Zion [Souderton, PA] in her staff role with MC USA, and Melissa Stoner (Philadelphia [PA] Praise Center) in her role on the MC USA Leadership Discernment Committee.

Conference Moderator Angela Moyer Walter, third from right, gathers around the table with other CLC participants. Photo by Camille Dager.

MC USA Executive Director Glen Guyton presented the new denominational strategic plan, which seeks to reimagine church. Objectives of the plan include identifying and leaning into the key markers and practices of the Anabaptist faith community, communicating in new ways and through new channels, providing prophetic leadership in peace and justice, developing a streamlined and effective denominational structure, and creating a sustainable funding system. 

MC USA Associate Executive Director Iris de León-Hartshorn led attendees through a workshop to reimagine church using Reinvention Academy tools. MC USA designed the workshop to help leaders analyze how adaptive they and their organizations are to anticipating, designing, and implementing change. Common fears among attendees included fear of conflict/polarization, fragmentation, loss of identity, loss of resources, and change. In considering how they might address these concerns, many participants recognized that they have considerable influence over their fears. 

Board member Emmanuel Mwaipopo, left, and Moderator Angela Moyer Walter, center, talk with Mennonite Mission Network Executive Director Marisa Smucker. Photo by Camille Dager. 

“I appreciate the annual face-to-face gatherings for CLC as a time to catch up with other conference and denominational leaders, to strengthen our relationships and renew connections from across the country,” reflected Kriss. “What happens in between the meetings and during meals is often as significant as the meeting content itself.” 

“Hearing stories from congregations across the denomination was valuable,” shared Moyer Walter. “Additionally, Marco’s MEA presentation and new video is very exciting and the fruit of many years of hard work. I also appreciated the lunchtime conversation around global partnerships, with Executive Director of Mennonite Mission Network, Marisa Smucker.  

Shared worship (including a reflection from Mwaipopo), faith formation through storytelling, and sharing about youth and young adult faith formation were other substantial components of the meeting. The next CLC meeting is Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024, via Zoom.  

Three Possible Pathways for Our Future as Mosaic 

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by Stephen Kriss

In November 2022, our Mosaic delegate body met for the first time in person. And we had our first shared crisis of identity. Mennonite Church USA’s (MC USA) Kansas City summer 2022 special delegate session, which included repealing the denomination’s membership guidelines and passing a Repentance and Transformation resolution, created ripples of emotion for many persons across Mosaic.  

In response, at our first annual face-to-face, Mosaic delegates affirmed the Pathway Forward which includes strategic planning (needed at this point in our story together), an option for congregations to remove themselves from MC USA, and a promised discernment about our relationship with MC USA as a Conference community. This was a lot for the first annual face-to-face session.  

This is a lot for a new community to bear in its beginning. However, we are both deeply rooted and freshly new. By the grace and lovingkindness (chesed) of God, we have continued to flourish with surprising growth and provision in this two-year period. Our board has led with steadiness and our member congregations have engaged in mutuality and the agreed-upon work of our core missional, formational and intercultural priorities as we seek to embody the reconciling love of Jesus in our broken and beautiful world. 

In these two years, the Pathway Steering Team, which represents the diversity of gifts and perspectives of our Conference, has diligently worked on strategic planning and is moving closer to discernment on a recommended path for our Mosaic affiliations.  

In the meantime, Mosaic staff and board have made sure the work of the Conference continues. For me, as Executive Minister, this has meant understanding our relationship and responsibilities with MC USA and the implications of remaining within the denomination or finding alternative paths. 

Last month, I shared with the Pathway Steering Team three possible pathways I can identify for our future as Mosaic:  

A Pathway of Autonomy

As someone of Slavic descent, I recognize that autonomy can present new possibilities and challenges. Franconia Conference has been an autonomous conference in the past. Our community has capacity, in human and financial resources, to operate autonomously. We would still be Mennonites. We would find new ways to relate to other Anabaptists. We would seek membership in Mennonite World Conference. I have explored possible affiliations outside of MCUSA, and from my perspective, none would fit who we are or give us the support and space we need to live into our vision and mission.   

A Pathway of Continued Commitment

When Mosaic formed, we assumed continued membership in MC USA. We have deep connections broadly across the church and our continued engagement would offer our strength, diversity, and perspective to the largest Mennonite group in the U.S. Our membership in MC USA gives access to resources that are important in our credentialing process and in supporting some of our most vulnerable and newest communities with grants for ministry, educational opportunities, and financial backing for the purchase of new meetinghouses. Continued membership would maintain those programmatic connections and relationships across the country. The challenge for some of us is that this affiliation has become a liability rather than a strength that enables us to live more fully into our vision and mission. 

A Pathway of Collaboration or Partnership

At the last MC USA gathering, Mennonite Health Services and Everence altered their relationships with MC USA. We have had some initial conversations with leaders in MCUSA on what a different relationship might look like, in which we could collaborate on some areas of shared interest while holding our own polity and membership guidelines as Mosaic. This would require something new for MC USA (timely, given that we just discussed reinventing the church at our annual Constituency Leadership Council [CLC] gathering). This would also require something of us in Mosaic. Is it possible that Mosaic is a better MC USA partner rather than full member? Would this allow us to live into our vision and mission more fully? 

I have committed to a sense of holy indifference as the Executive Minister of Mosaic. I can see strengths and vulnerabilities in each of these paths. And it’s possible that the Pathway Steering Team will offer an alternative recommendation.  

What I do expect is that a year from now, Mosaic will be a different community in some way. This may be difficult, and it may also be invigorating. So far, the Spirit has continued to show up. I am committed to us living into our vision and mission of embodying the reconciling love of Christ even in difficult circumstances together. We won’t get it right all the time, but I want to keep us focused on living into who we have felt God has called us to be, both broken and beautiful. 

The Pathway Steering Team will likely have the strategic plan ready for board review at the May meeting at Bethany Birches Camp in Vermont. We hope there will be a recommendation for the board regarding affiliation at the August meeting. Conference delegates will have an opportunity to discuss this in our Assembly preparation gatherings, as we prepare for further discernment at the November 2, 2024, annual Assembly at Souderton (PA) Mennonite Church. 

As the pathway emerges, may we have the courage to do what is right and good, may we extend God’s great chesed to all, and may we walk humbly as individuals and as a Mosaic community. 

Stephen Kriss

Stephen Kriss is the Executive Minister of Mosaic Conference.

Joint Prayer Service for the People of Palestine and Israel

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by Eileen Kinch

A version of this article originally appeared in Anabaptist World and is reprinted with permission.  

On March 17, five Mosaic congregations, Ambler (PA), Methacton (Norristown, PA), Perkasie (PA), Salford (Harleysville, PA), and Plains (Hatfield, PA), held a joint service of prayer, singing, lament, and hope for the people of Palestine and Israel, as the humanitarian crisis in war-ravaged Gaza worsens. 

Pastors of the five congregations, Jacob Curtis (Ambler [PA]), Sandy Dresher-Lehman (Methacton [Norristown, PA]), Wayne Nitzsche (Perkasie [PA]), Dave Greiser (Salford [Harleysville, PA]) and Mike Derstine (Plains [Hatfield, PA]), offer the call to prayer. Photo by Joel Alderfer. 

Several Palestinian-American Christians and Muslims, and Israeli Jews from the Philadelphia area were invited to share their griefs and hopes for Palestine and Israel, including representatives from Philadelphia Palestinians of America, Prayers for Peace Alliance, Friends of Sabeel North America and If Not Now. 

Ambler’s co-pastor Jacob Curtis was the lead organizer. In his opening remarks, he reflected on how Jesus grew up under occupation, and blessed the poor, the grieving, the weak, those hungry and thirsty for justice, the peacemakers, and the persecuted. “When people are powerless, hungry, and thirsty, that is the side Jesus is on,” Curtis emphasized.  

Samuel Kuttab, a Palestinian-American Christian and Mennonite shares his grief and hopes for Palestine. Photo by Jeremi Tumanan. 
Singing together was a key feature of the worship service. Photo by Kiron Mateti. 

The idea for the service emerged from a conversation between Curtis and Samuel Kuttab, a Palestinian-American and former member of Ambler. Curtis asked if Ambler could hold a prayer service for Kuttab and his family. He envisioned a small gathering, but Kuttab said, “throw the doors open.” Nearly 250 people were present in the building, with 50 more attending via livestream. 

Curtis reflected on the suffering and trauma that Israelis have experienced since Hamas’s attack in Israel on October 7, and on how, in Israel’s response to that attack, “Palestinians are hungry, thirsty, sick, and unable to go home. Arabs around the world are increasingly afraid that they will also become targets.”  

A small group lays hands on and prays for Amer Raja, a Palestinian-American, one of a number of guests who shared during the service. Photo by Joel Alderfer. 

“As Palestinians and Arabs grieve, Jesus is with them,” Curtis said, addressing those gathered. “And so are we…As Israelis and Jews grieve, Jesus is with them. And so are we.” 

Readings from Lamentations 5 were interspersed with reflections from Palestinian and Jewish friends. 

Ahlam Kuttab pointed out widespread American culpability in the war in Gaza, given that the U.S. is a leading arms supplier to Israel. Amer Raja shared that the current Muslim month of Ramadan is a joy-filled time of fasting and feasting, but in Gaza, people can’t have these festivities. He finds it hard to be joyful when not everyone can participate. 

Becca Feidelson, a representative from If Not Now, an American Jewish group that organizes for a just peace for Palestinians and Israelis, read the words of a fellow organizer, Ella Israeli. 

“How could we let our pain [from the Holocaust] become this?” Feidelson asked. She reflected on how Jews believe humans are made in the image of God, and each life is sacred. 

The second half of the service offered readings from Matthew 5 paired with reflections about hope. Dina Portnoy, a teacher in Philadelphia who grew up on an Israeli kibbutz that was built on a Palestinian village, said she finds hope in confronting difficult truths. She said some Israeli soldiers are refusing to serve in Gaza, and Israeli activists have lost jobs and are going to jail. 

Around 40 people, mostly children and their grownups, watched the service’s livestream from the basement, while making Birds for Gaza and praying for children in Gaza. Photo by Kiron Mateti. 


 
Samuel Kuttab admitted that being a Mennonite and a Palestinian can be tough. Mennonites emphasize love, and Palestinians are suffering. 

“My faith goes into conflict,” he said. But he believes the Mennonite church has “woken up.” He is encouraged by the work of Mennonite Action, a new peace-advocacy group, and feels Mennonites have legitimacy in political action because “we are a peace church.” 

After the reflections, participants gathered to lay hands on the speakers and pray for them. An offering raised $5,500 for Mennonite Action. 

Following the service, participants shared refreshments and were invited to participate in Mennonite Action’s Holy Week Action to send postcards to local government representatives, urging them to support peace and diplomacy. 

Eileen Kinch

Eileen Kinch is a writer and editor for the Mosaic communication team. She holds a Master of Divinity degree, with an emphasis in the Ministry of Writing, from Earlham School of Religion. She and her husband, Joel Nofziger, who serves as director of the Mennonite Heritage Center in Harleysville, live near Tylersport, PA. They attend Methacton Mennonite Church. Eileen is also a member of Keystone Fellowship Friends Meeting in Lancaster County.

Celebrating Mennonite Women in Service 

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by Anne M. Yoder

The Mennonite Heritage Center (a Conference-Related Ministry, Harleysville, PA) hosted a program on Saturday, March 23 to celebrate Women’s History Month. Some registrants were kept away due to the torrential rains of that day, but a small and enthusiastic group did gather. The program was conceived by MHC’s Education Committee and part of its mission was to highlight archival collections that held the papers of women who were missionaries or involved in a medical profession. There are often glimpses in personal papers that can inform and inspire us today, and it was wonderful to find some at the MHC as well as other archives. The bulk of what was discovered was of Mennonite women active from 1894 to 1928. 

The Mennonite Heritage Center’s Rosenberger Meetinghouse Room prepare for the Women in Service event. Photo by Regina Wenger. 
Retired Swarthmore archivist, Anne Yoder share the stories from the archives of Mennonite women who served. Photo by Regina Wenger. 

Regina Wenger, Educational Curator, in her spirited introduction, shared that this was a period of tremendous change for Christian women, including Mennonites. They began to organize their own societies and mission outreach networks, and single and married women became part of movements to bring about social change (for example, through the temperance crusade) and to share the Gospel. Their abilities and intellect shined in their increasingly public roles, and they gained authority in places where, for example, they were the only doctors in a large area of a country.  

My presentation was about Mennonite women who left their home environments to work in missions in U.S. cities or overseas, particularly in India, or as army nurses in Europe during World War I. Their diaries and letters illuminated their sense of calling, the challenges they found when they arrived, how they were perceived by others they met or to whom they ministered, and reflections about God. A quote by Sara Shisler, a missionary in Nigeria, who wrote in 1927, moved us all: “These [Bura] girls are beautiful…One does not need to try to love them, one just does…. In educating them, we are not handing anything down, only sharing what we have. May our sharing be done in justice and love.” [Sara C. Shisler Collection (Hist. Mss. 1-214), Mennonite Heritage Center] 

Anne Yoder tells the story of missionary Lina Zook. Photo by Regina Wenger. 
Carol Martin Johnson, an art therapist from West Philadelphia Mennonite Fellowship, spoke about the intersection of faith and service in her own life. Photo by Regina Wenger. 

Carol Martin Johnson provided a modern-day counterpart to these historical women. She reflected on the messages she had received as a child about work and art and how that impacted her career. The admonishments heard and modeled for her were that creating beauty was alright if it served a useful purpose. After years of nursing as a profession in the U.S., and in Uganda with Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), she began to feel restless. She credits the Holy Spirit stirring in her that led her to become an art therapist. Helping others in a way that taps into her creativity has helped her to finally feel settled. The messages from her childhood have been transformed: now she knows that making art and beauty is not a luxury; it is essential to her wellbeing and way of existing in the world. 

The program closed with comments and questions, a time of fellowship, and assembling MCC infant care kits from supplies brought by participants. 

Anne M. Yoder

Anne M. Yoder served as the Archivist for the Swarthmore College Peace Collection, from which she recently retired. She is a member of West Philadelphia Mennonite Church and also attends Methacton Mennonite Church. 

Finding a Community that Supports and Celebrates

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CLC Gathering Reflection

by Emmanuel Mwaipopo

Editor’s Note:

The Constituency Leaders Council (CLC) of Mennonite Church USA’s annual gathering took place on March 21-23, 2024, in Goshen, Indiana. Mosaic sends three representatives. Emmanuel Mwaipopo, Intercultural Committee Chair of Mosaic’s Conference Board, was invited to offer a reflection.  

At the CLC meeting, leaders from each area conference and MCUSA’s recognized constituency groups pray together, share ideas and resources, process concerns, and discern direction on issues of faith and life, and talk with MCUSA’s Executive Board.

My name is Emmanuel Mwaipopo, and I serve on the Intercultural Team of Mosaic Conference. I was raised in Tanzania in the Christian faith by a Catholic father and a Mennonite mother, and my extended family covers many faiths like Jehovah’s witness, Seventh Day Adventists, Islam, and others.

I appreciated that we were able to live together in harmony given the differences in our faiths, yet I wondered why our one family had so many different views of faith, and whether my faith made sense to me.

As by our customs, my siblings and I were brought up in the Roman Catholic church and loved every aspect of it. Yet, when I was at an age where I could no longer claim the cover of my parents’ decision making, and was expected to forge my own path, I ultimately had to ask myself some questions: “Why do I hold this faith? Why am I a Catholic? Why am I a Christian? Do I understand my purpose, and am I pursuing it?” 

Through prayers and many discussions with my family, I eventually chose to follow the Anabaptist Mennonite faith that allows me to live my purpose and follow where God was calling me.  

Through church I’ve learned to love others, serve those in need, and show compassion. I’ve learned to live together with diverse cultures and traditions with a common purpose of answering God’s call. The church provides my family and me a community that supports us through life challenges, encourages us when facing doubts, and celebrates God’s gifts and provisions with us.  

My wife and I are raising five kids: two teenagers and three children under the age of five. Being a mixed family, foster family, and an immigrant family has complex challenges that we could not endure without the support from the church. I find joy through worship, prayer, and fellowship.  

From disruptions brought by technological advancements to news of famine back home, it’s challenging to stay focused on God’s promises. Sometimes it is tempting to resign and ask, “what’s the point?”  

Yet as far as the church is concerned, that’s the point. The joy given to me through faith transcends the hopelessness brought by life’s circumstances. And the body of believers bears a testimony of what could be when we pray together, worship together, and fellowship with one another.  

Emmanuel Mwaipopo

Emmanuel Mwaipopo was born in Tanzania. Although his mother was a Mennonite, he was raised in his father’s Roman Catholic tradition. He moved to the US in his 20s to study at Temple University in Philadelphia, PA. Later he moved to Norristown, PA and now serves as an elder at Nueva Vida Norristown New Life Mennonite Church. Emmanuel is a software engineer and works for Comcast. He and his wife care for five children. 

Creating a Playground for All at Plains

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by Bev Miller

“Many weeks I sat in awe at the ways in which resourcing was happening just by providing a safe place for parents to share together,” reflected former Associate Pastor Dawn Ranck Hower. “My role was simply to provide the space, open with prayer, and then I sat back and learned.” 

It all started when some families at Plains Mennonite (Hatfield, PA) had children who received autism spectrum diagnoses. They reached out to the pastors for support. The pastors saw the need for an autism support group and invited other parents and caregivers from the local community. Catherine Schadler Heller, M.Ed., shared her knowledge and expertise around topics chosen by the group.  

That was helpful, but the pastors soon realized that the greatest resource for parents was meeting with other parents to talk and share ideas. For example, one parent would say, “My son hates zippers on his pants, and I found pants with an elastic waist that he likes at…”  

Another parent would say, “My son is exactly the same,” and would write down the name of the store. That was 12 years ago, and today our Autism Support Group has reached over 70 households who stay connected through monthly meetings, email, and a private social media site. 

The congregation became more aware of appropriate language, individual behaviors, and the need for acceptance of persons with disabilities. Local professionals provided insight to the congregation during the adult Sunday school hour on autism, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), sensory differences, and other disabilities.  

As a congregation, “we realized that we could do more within our building, park, and property to include those who had been unintentionally placed on the margins,” said Heather Gingrich, current facilitator of the Autism Support group. 

In 2020, Plains was fortunate to receive an estate gift from congregational members specified for “children and youth of Plains Mennonite Church.” A church committee was formed to brainstorm how to use this gift and decided to plan an inclusive playground and increase the accessibility of Plains’ eleven-acre park. “We decided to include a crucial step in planning and designing the playground ‘with’ rather than ‘for’ the families in our community. So, we interviewed families in the Autism Support group to learn what they felt was most important to include in a playground,” said Gingrich.  

The responses included shade, a rubberized surface, equipment inclusive for a wide age range, equipment that offers a choice for social interaction or sensory breaks, and a fence to prevent eloping. 

Children of Plains Mennonite Church show their excitement for the new playground. Photo by Kiron Mateti.

The first Barrier Free Grant from Anabaptist Disability Network (ADN) helped pave an accessibility path through the park and form an entrance for the yet-to-be-built inclusive playground.  

A second Barrier Free Grant of $500 plus donations and grants from local businesses, community members, and congregants made the dream of a “playground for all” possible. The inclusive playground allows children of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities to come and play on equipment, encouraging fun and entertainment for all. Gingrich adds, “We look forward to welcoming our neighbors and community!” 

This article was originally published in 2023 in Anabaptist Disabilities Network’s blog, Opening Doors. 

Bev Miller

Beverly Benner Miller is an Associate Pastor at Plains Mennonite Church and taking Clinical Pastoral Education courses from Eastern Mennonite Seminary. She has a Doctorate in Higher Education from Temple University.

Ministerial Committee Update – March 2024

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

Report from the March 13, 2024 Ministerial Committee Meeting: 

Credentialing 

License Toward Ordination

Ordination 

  • Brooke Martin, Salford/Mosaic
  • Secundino Casas Martinez, Iglesia Menonita Shalom
  • Nering Huete, Nueva Vida Norristown New Life

Status Changes/Transitions

Retired

  •  Nelson Shenk

Withdrawn

  • Sam Claudio Jr

Transfer Complete

  •  Lydia de Jesús

License to Ordination Extension

  • Emmanuel Villatoro, Philadelphia Praise Center
  • Jaye Lindo, 7 Ways

Moved to Active without Charge

  • Franco Salvatore
  • Tim Moyer

Credentialing Renewal Process 2024: Every three years, Mosaic Mennonite Conference enters a year-long credentialing renewal process for all credentialed leaders. As our conference becomes more diverse, geographically, culturally, and in legal status, we need to continue to consider the elements of legality, safety, and culturally appropriate practices within this process and expect that we will continue to be respectful and relational. See more at:https://mosaicmennonites.org/credentialrenewal/

Definitions Related to Credentials:  

  • Licensed for Specific Ministry (LSM) – Person called from within the congregation to serve in a specific leadership assignment within the congregation or another organization  
  • Licensed toward Ordination (LTO) – 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; may or may not lead to ordination.  
  • License Extension – A three year-extension is given to a person in active ministry who has a license towards ordination but is not ready for ordination. 
  • Ordination (ORD) – 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.  

Status Definitions

  • Active – held by those serving in a leadership-ministry assignment. 
  • Active without Charge – held by those not presently holding a ministry assignment.  
  • Inactive – held by those who have been without a ministerial assignment for more than three consecutive years.  
  • Retired – held by those who have retired from active ministry.  
  • Withdrawn – is given when a ministry credential is ended for non-disciplinary reasons. 

Anabaptist Community of Medellín becomes Mosaic Partner in Ministry

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by Javier Márquez

The full version of this article, in Spanish, first appeared in MenoTicias.

Bringing the Good News of peace and nonviolence to the community of Medellín. Photo courtesy of Carlos Sánchez.

Last month, members of the Mosaic staff met online with leaders of Comunidad Anabautista de Medellín (Anabaptist Community of Medellín). During this meeting, the Community’s status as a Partner in Ministry with Mosaic was made official. A support team was appointed for the partnership, with a duration of two years.  

Who is the Anabaptist Community of Medellín? 

Carlos Sánchez and Nidia Montoya began planting this beautiful project approximately three years ago in Medellín, Colombia. They drafted no specified strategy, but their ministry was not without method. 

Accompanying Indigenous communities in Puerto Nariño, in service to the Church. Photo courtesy of Carlos Sánchez.

By visiting families house-to-house, accompanying elderly persons and their loved ones in their final days, supporting young people (Montoya is a psychologist by profession), and offering bread, hot chocolate, and biblical reflection to their visits, a small community emerged. Soon, they began to gather virtually and in-person, with the simple purpose of taking care of each other. 

Comunidad Anabautista de Medellín was not a strategic project. Its current form has blossomed out of an organic mission based on service and Sánchez and Montoya’s determination to continue to visit these people. 

Another face of the community is a prophetic voice of peace in Colombia. Sánchez (who is a theologian and Master in Peace Studies) and Montoya have participated on behalf of the Mennonite Church in reconciliation processes between actors in the violence which has occurred in the country.  

This pastoral couple practices what they preach and remembers that the ecclesial work of Comunidad Anabautista de Medellín takes place both in the houses where they break bread and share the word, and in society, always remembering the call for Christ’s peace, non-violence, and reconciliation. 

Delegates from Mosaic Conference will go to Medellín to get to know the church better through an in-person visit in mid-April. 

This is the first time that Mosaic has shaken hands in this way with a Colombian community. 

“It is significant to be part of Mosaic. We expand dreams, paths, prayers, love, and above all, we support each other. We take the Kingdom to other places,” says Pastor Sánchez. 

“Being part of Mosaic Conference is a great joy. It makes me feel part of a great community where the encounter between diverse believers reinforces faith and walking in the footsteps of Jesus… A great commitment!” shares Montoya. 

As the author, I must also comment on the great joy this partnership inspires in me. The Conference will be blessed with the Comunidad Anabautista de Medellín, and Comunidad with the Conference. Their mutual identification with Anabaptist theology and their parallel efforts to bring a message of peace and reconciliation in their respective realities are the highlights of this new partnership.

Building life projects with girls and boys, with the teachings of Jesus. Photo courtesy of Carlos Sánchez.

Javier Márquez

Javier Márquez is an Anabaptist Colombian pacifist and poet and a writer for the MCUSA publication MenoTicias.