Mosaic Mennonites

Missional - Intercultural - Formational

Articles

Beloved Community

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by Hendy Matahelemual

ChiChi Oguekwe, Program Coordinator for MCC East Coast hosted the Service Day event.

The Kingdom Builders Network of Philadelphia and Mennonite Central Committee East Coast collaborated for a Service Day event on Monday, January 20, 2025, to commemorate Martin Luther King Jr. Day, with the theme “Restoring Hope and Dignity.” 

Despite the cold weather and heavy snow in Philadelphia, the enthusiasm of volunteers from all parts of the city and its suburbs remained high. There were around 100 attendees, including representatives from at least five Mosaic Conference congregations. 

Volunteers took turns creating a mosaic painting of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., guided by mural artist John Lewis.

One of the traditions during this Service Day is preparing 500 care packages containing daily personal care items such as soap, shampoo, towels, and more, to be shared with persons who are incarcerated. 

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. envisioned a “Beloved Community,” where, as followers of Jesus, we strive to implement this vision beyond mere rhetoric. A panel discussion invited experts working with immigrant communities to inspire and collaborate on finding solutions to make this Beloved Community a reality. 

The volunteers prepared care kits containing daily personal care items to be sent to prisons.
The volunteers prepared care kits containing daily personal care items to be sent to prisons.
Volunteers carried boxes filled with care kits to the van to be delivered to prisons.

The inauguration of Donald Trump as the 47th President of the United States, coinciding with Martin Luther King Jr. Day, became a striking irony. Dr. King was known for advocating justice, equality, and inclusion, whereas Trump’s policies, such as mass deportation and immigration restrictions, are often seen as contrary to these values. 

Amid the threat of deportations, daily life continues, serving as a reminder that the “Beloved Community” begins with our care for others, especially those in need. The growing immigrant population in Philadelphia has enriched the city but also revealed underlying tensions and misunderstandings. 

A panel discussion with speakers (left to right: Pastor Hendy Matahelemual [moderator], Hani White [Board of Indonesian Diaspora Philadelphia], Thoai Nguyen [CEO of SEAMAAC], and Blanca Pacheco [Co-Director of New Sanctuary Movement Philadelphia]) discussing how to implement the Beloved Community amidst the challenges immigrants face today.

In response to these challenges, Thoai Nguyen, CEO of SEAMAAC (Southeast Asian Mutual Assistance Association Coalition), stated that if we all took the time to understand our origins and ancestry, we would be more sensitive to differences in others.This understanding is the first step toward building a compassionate community. 

Blanca Pacheco, Co-Director of the Sanctuary Movement of Philadelphia, also urged for political pressure through peaceful rallies or demonstrations to ensure that the city government upholds its status as a “sanctuary city.” 

The call to support local immigrant-owned businesses was also mentioned. “Instead of buying desserts from Walmart or Costco, I prefer to buy from local vendors. It may be a bit inconvenient, but it supports small businesses owned by immigrants,” said Hani White, a board member of the Indonesian Diaspora in Philadelphia, during the panel discussion. 

“Love one another as I have loved you,” (John 13:34) reminds us that love for one another is the foundation of the community we should build together. 

While the weather on the East Coast is freezing, there are forest fires and destruction in the northern part of Los Angeles. Our solidarity must cross regional boundaries and societal layers, from undocumented immigrants to the wealthy, in hopes of achieving social justice within this Beloved Community. 

When American Exceptionalism rhetoric is at play, as a Beloved Community, we must consciously be aware of what is happening in other parts of the world. One way to do this is by learning, reading, traveling to other parts of the world, and gaining knowledge. Only then can we avoid being self-centered and begin acting locally while thinking globally. 

May the dream of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to create the Beloved Community come true in the coming years. This is our responsibility as followers of Jesus. May God’s peace be with us all. 

Hendy Matahelemual

Hendy Matahelemual is the Associate Minister for Community Engagement for Mosaic Conference. Hendy Matahelemual was born and grew up in the city of Bandung, Indonesia. Hendy lives in Philadelphia with his wife Marina and their three boys, Judah, Levi and Asher.

Well Done, Good and Faithful Servant of God

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by Gerald Benner

EDITOR’S NOTE: Paul Long, 86, of Ambler, PA transitioned to his new home in heaven on Jan.14, 2025 at Souderton Mennonite Homes. Read his obituary. A viewing will be held on Sunday, January 26, from 1-3:30 pm at Souderton Mennonite Homes, 207 W. Summit Street, Souderton, PA 18964, followed by a funeral service at 3:30 pm. A private burial will take place at Salford Mennonite Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to: Liberty Ministries, P.O. Box 87, Schwenksville, PA 19473. 

Paul Long will be remembered at Ambler (PA) Mennonite (AMC) as a servant leader. While he never held an official office in our congregation, his love for Jesus served as a leader’s example for us to follow and his love for others showed the servant mind of Christ.   

Paul was devoted to family, community, and church. In addition to their family of four boys, Paul and Esther’s home was always open to anyone who needed a place to stay. When a family lost their house in a fire, they stayed at the Longs’ home for weeks until they could recover. Many others found a home there, whether for days or several years. 

Paul and Esther were well-known in the Ambler community as people who cared deeply for others. Whether it was a listening ear, a hot meal, transportation, or spiritual counsel, Paul was there to help. Paul made so many friends that if you asked around in Ambler the name of the pastor at AMC, many would have said Paul Long.  

Paul and Esther Long at Camp Hebron, where they led many senior retreats. 

Paul and Esther moved to Ambler as sincere young mission workers in the 1950s. As newlyweds, their apartment functioned as a house church for seven years before the congregation moved to a new building on the corner of Mount Pleasant and North Spring Garden Street in 1962, where it is located today.  

Paul was very active in church life – preaching, worship leader, song leader, youth leader, Vacation Bible School superintendent, Christmas caroling organizer, Bible studies, and always a friend to those in need. After the death of his wife, Paul continued to attend AMC, sharing his faith and friendship, and allowing the congregation to care for him as he had cared for so many others during his lifetime.  

Paul was the director of Vacation Bible School at Ambler Mennonite for many years. 

One of Paul’s passions was for those incarcerated in prison. He took seriously Christ’s words, “I was in prison, and you visited me.” (Matt. 25:36) He was a licensed Prison Chaplain under the Conference-Related Ministry Liberty Ministries (Schwenksville, PA) and went into prisons to conduct Bible studies, preach, and counsel inmates. Paul cared for hundreds of men who had been imprisoned, and many came to Christ through him. Friendships made during these visits existed to the end of Paul’s life.  

Ambler Mennonite would not be what it is today were it not for the quiet leadership of Paul for over 65 years, both in church life and in the community. “Well done, Paul, good and faithful servant of God.” (Matt. 25:23)  

Paul spent most of his adult life sharing hope and good news with men in prison.

Gerald Benner

Gerald Benner is part of the Ambler (PA) Mennonite Ministry Team, is a retired faculty member of Dock Mennonite Academy, and is a lifelong friend of the Long and Cassel families.

Introducing Oasis, An Expanded Nations and Generations Gathering

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by Danilo Sanchez

On Nov 1, 2024, the Mosaic Conference Intercultural team hosted the annual Renewing Nations and Generations gathering for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) leaders within the conference. As in past years, it was a joyous event where leaders could network, enjoy fellowship, and be equipped for their roles. We were honored to have Rev. Dr. Dennis Edwards as our keynote speaker, who shared wisdom from his book Might from the Margins. 

The Conference-Related Ministry the Mennonite Heritage Center opened its doors to us and Executive Director Joel Horst Nofziger shared some Anabaptist history and highlighted the changing realities of Anabaptism. Participants were invited to explore the exhibit hall and visit the archives. Nofziger encouraged us to add artifacts from our congregations so that the stories of Anabaptism told at the center would include ours too. 

Dr. Rashard Allen, of Neffsville (Lancaster, PA) Mennonite, led us in Spirit-filled worship that incorporated our various languages. Dr. Edwards inspired us to live boldly as diaspora people. Our bellies were happily filled with delicious Ethiopian food provided by the Horst Nofziger family. The night ended with a Spirit-led time of prayer. 

The Origins of Renewing Nations and Generations 

When Renewing Nations and Generations was formed in 2018, the number of BIPOC leaders with Mosaic was small. The gathering was created to carve out space from the dominant culture and discuss issues we were facing in our churches. We had aspirational goals of training the next generation of leaders and to work at belonging in the conference.  

Our conversations and goals were not coming from a mindset of “us vs. them,” and yet we recognized that we all have biases, and those biases can do harm when we live and worship together as a conference. The gathering was a place where we felt connected and less alone, didn’t have to monitor our bodies or the volume of our voices, and could speak freely in our native language without constant explanations. 

Meeting the Needs of Mosaic Leaders Today 

Today, BIPOC leaders make up a larger percent of the leaders within Mosaic, but there is still a need to network, build relationships, and be equipped. While Mosaic has grown in its intercultural capacity, there is still more to learn and develop. 

As our group looks to the future, the Intercultural team is pleased to have this BIPOC gathering be a key part of Vibrant Mosaic. Thanks to the Lily Endowment Inc., the Showalter Foundation, and Everence, this evening event has been expanded to a 2.5-day conference that will support our BIPOC leaders within Mosaic.  

The expanded conference will take place every other year and has been renamed OASIS, inspired by John 4:14, reminding us that Jesus is our Living Water and in him we will never go thirsty. The first OASIS will take place in Tampa, FL from May 29 to June 1, 2025.  

Danilo Sanchez

Danilo Sanchez is the Leadership Minister for Intercultural Transformation for Mosaic Conference. Danilo Sanchez lives in Allentown with his wife Mary and two daughters. He is a pastor at Ripple and leads in the areas of leadership development, discipleship, and teaching.

Resplandece Celebrates Its First Anniversary

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by Noel Santiago

Resplandece Mennonite Church celebrated its first anniversary in the same way it gathers each week: in a hybrid format.  

Over 30 people joined virtually and in person to recognize, celebrate, and give glory to God for a year of ministry in Florida, Colombia, and Venezuela. 

Participants in Pembroke Pines, FL
Participants on Zoom.

Through videos, Zoom, and in-person participation, members shared what Resplandece means to them. From being a place of belonging to a refuge, Resplandece has created a space where members can be present with one another in God’s presence. 

A brief review of the year included ministry events such as seminars, workshops, and children’s ministry, where activities, food, and gifts were shared. 

The name “Resplandece” comes from Isaiah 60:1, where God’s light shines on those who are called by Him. Resplandece has witnessed how God multiplies what has been given beyond what has been imagined. 

Pastor Manuel shared a message reminding those present to reflect on their journey throughout the year: what went well and what needs improvement. He shared, saying, “One area that always needs improvement is our pursuit of God through His word.” 

Reflecting on childhood fears, Pastor Manuel shared how God’s word brings encouragement, strength, and comfort. Similarly, we can trust in God and His word to encourage, strengthen, and comfort us in the future, just as God has been faithful in the past. 

No celebration would be complete without delicious food. While those present in Florida shared a meal together, the virtual participants celebrated with their own meals. 

May God continue to guide and light the path of Resplandece, so that others may see His light and find the King who is with the Father and lives in each of us. 

Noel Santiago

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

Wildfires Impact Southern California Mosaic Congregations

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by Jennifer Svetlik

The fires in the Los Angeles, CA area have caused widespread destruction and loss of life since they began over a week ago, including damage to some Anabaptist congregations and members’ properties.  

There are five southern California Mosaic Conference member congregations and around a dozen credentialed pastors in the region. Families from Jemaat Kristen Indonesian Anugerah (JKIA) (Sierra Madre, CA) and International Worship Center (San Gabriel, CA) have both been affected by the evacuations related to the Eaton fire that has devastated parts of Altadena and Pasadena, east of LA. 

At this time, only one pastor remains evacuated, and one family from within a member congregation has reported that their home has been destroyed.  

Video provided by Virgo Handojo.

“In the face of loss, displacement, and struggle, please pray for comfort, resilience, and strength for those affected by Eaton Fire, and support our LA communities through donations, volunteering, and simply being present for us,” encouraged Virgo Handojo, Pastor of JKIA. 

In response to the fire, JKIA has launched three initiatives: Providing resource information on evacuation centers, access to clean water, shelters, FEMA registration, and insurance claim workshops; Raising donations within the congregation and the public to support those affected by the fire; and recruiting and organizing community volunteers to offer hands-on assistance and support. 

Mennonite Disaster Service and Mennonite Church USA have both been in contact with Mosaic Conference leadership to assess needs. Those who wish to contribute financially to disaster response can do so through Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS). 

“Mosaic Conference staff have been in regular contact with our pastors in the LA area to assess needs and responses,” said Stephen Kriss, Executive Minister of Mosaic Conference. “We will work through our member communities, sibling Anabaptist communities, and MDS to facilitate any further responses. We are grateful for the concern for our members in the face of these horrendous fires and the expressions of solidarity that have come from within Mosaic, and from MDS and Mennonite Church USA.” 

Mosaic Conference Leadership has also had contact with Pacific Southwest Conference Minister Stanley Greene to offer support. A few households within Pacific Southwest Mennonite Conference have lost their homes.  

About ten percent of Mosaic member congregations are in California. 

“My heart has been shattered by the sights and stories of windstorm and wildfire in the megacity that God has led me to love deeply and to call home for most of my adult life,” shared Jeff Wright, Mosaic Conference Leadership Minister for several California congregations, who is also currently serving as pastor of Blooming Glen (PA) Mennonite but has lived in California for nearly 40 years and maintains a home in the area.  

“I’m also aware that Mennonites, who have worshipped and witnessed in Southern California for over 120 years have, in every generation, faced environmental catastrophes and social crises.” 

He continued, “In previous times of disaster, God united the local Mennonite community, diverse in ethnic identity, economic status, and theological priorities, to act together in love for one another and their neighbors. This latest ecological and public calamity will require a similar commitment to work together across conference, denominational, and agency lines. Calamity does not last, serving in crisis does.” 

Jennifer Svetlik

Jennifer is Editor & Development Coordinator 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).

500 Years of an Anabaptism that Continues to Emerge

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by Stephen Kriss

For my 50th birthday, I traveled to Europe to explore my biological family heritage in Slovakia and my spiritual family history in Switzerland and Germany. I began in the Carpathian Mountains where my great-grandparents had lived, discovering family names in cemeteries and noticing the similarities between the landscape and that of the Alleghenies of Western Pennsylvania, where my family later settled. This journey deepened my sense of connection and left some unanswered questions about my familial story, especially about whether, amid a predominantly Catholic family, I might also have Ashkenazi Jewish roots. 

The second part of my trip was a three-day immersion in Anabaptist/Mennonite history with John L. Ruth (Salford [PA] congregation). We visited key locations in Zurich, explored an archive to see a letter written by Conrad Grebel, and traveled to Germany. I saw the family heritage locations for the Landis, Groff, and Alderfer clans who are part of our Mosaic settler families from colonial days. It was a privilege to travel with John, who is now in his 90s, and hear his stories and enthusiasm. 

Stephen Kriss and John L. Ruth in Germany. Photo by Stephen Kriss.

John, his friend Peter Schmid, and I hiked to one of the Anabaptist caves where early members of the movement gathered clandestinely. Peter is part of the movement to stir conversation and confession between Anabaptists and his community, the Swiss Reformed. More than the spiritual significance of the cave, I remember praying together, and Peter gently guiding John as we walked the precarious wooded trail on a rainy morning, possibly the last of John’s many pilgrimages to that spot. 

The Anabaptist plaque on the Limmat River in Zurich, Switzerland marks the spot where Felix Manz and other Anabaptists were drowned for their faith. Photo by Stephen Kriss.

As the 500th Anniversary of Anabaptism approaches next week, I am reflecting on that European pilgrimage trip. Anabaptism was opened to me as a child through a Mennonite church in a mining town in the Allegheny Mountains. I have remained Anabaptist not because of right theology but because of relationships centered in Jesus, in all their brokenness and beauty. 

My academic training teaches me to approach belief with humility and openness. I have come to hold my own Anabaptism both lightly and seriously. I acknowledge the beauty and brokenness that exists within the breadth of Christian traditions including our own. I also have experienced that of God in settings beyond the framework of the church. 

I recognize that after the heroism of the first generations of Anabaptists, the movement institutionalized, became biologically bound in some settings, and was captive to many of modernity’s traps. I acknowledge that our practiced humility is sometimes the flip side of our arrogance. 

This year, as we honor Anabaptism’s beginnings, I am aware that some of us who have been Mennonite all our lives still wonder if it’s our story or how we belong in it. It can be hard to live within and alongside the margins of a 500-year legacy. Sometimes Anabaptism’s exacting and perfecting process can create implicit and explicit boundaries that are difficult to navigate as we seek to faithfully follow Jesus. 

Yet I’ve come to know that Anabaptism is always a plurality. It’s localized, contextualized, and personalized. It’s quirky and brave. At its best, it is both deeply personal and fully communal. It’s a balance of the Bible, the people, and the Spirit (though the work of the Spirit has sometimes not been considered enough).  

In this time which historian Phyllis Tickle has called another great reformation in the church, Anabaptists have an opportunity to honestly and humbly examine our past and imagine our future. What confessions should we be ready to offer in the midst of our celebration? In what ways does active repentance alter our trajectory? How can we embody the reconciling love of Jesus and exhibit the fruit of the Spirit while interacting with our neighbors in a global and local age? 

We will need to again be brave, full of both conviction and humility, repenting from that which has distracted us from the centrality of Jesus. We will need to remain open to the Anabaptisms that continue to emerge, ready to be led by the Spirit into faithfulness and change, binding and loosing, giving and receiving, hoping and working, broken and beautiful. 

Kriss family relatives in a cemetery in Spišské Podhradie Slovakia. Photo by Stephen Kriss.

Stephen Kriss

Stephen Kriss is the Executive Minister of Mosaic Conference.

My Calling to Pastoral Ministry

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By Makinto

Growing up as an atheist in a staunchly secular German family, nothing prepared me nor foreshadowed my call to ministry, other than the will and plan of God in his infinite mercy and wisdom. Although I was surrounded by churches, the primary purpose of a church, in the eyes of my father, was to host organ concerts or be the objects of admiration for historical facts and architectural beauty. Although a protestant church offered rehearsal space to my first teen jazz band, the first time I heard the gospel was at age 16, on a European bicycle tour, when I was accosted by a barely older teen at a fountain in Rotterdam, Netherlands who explained Jesus to me in two minutes. 

Curiously, many of the songs I wrote in my early professional music career, even before coming to Christ, talked about mercy, love, a higher power or even God. It was as if my spirit longed to have a relationship with a creator I didn’t know. God also endowed me with a personality that seeks balance and reconciliation and is interested in other people’s well-being, thus foreshadowing pastoral characteristics. 

 As a professional musician and performer, I was keenly aware that music had the power to bring people together and create an atmosphere of unity, albeit temporarily. I even experienced the redeeming and healing power of music: one night in Paris at an after-hours jazz bar, I performed an original song describing the power and glory of God (this was 10 years prior to giving my life to the Lord Jesus). A distinguished elderly lady in the audience was healed from a chronic condition, which she testified about tearfully the following night, attributing it to listening to my song the previous evening. Although I lacked a personal relationship with God at the time, I nevertheless got a glimpse of God’s power and care for his people.   

Being a critical and analytical person, I researched every mayor religion to understand their core values and teachings: I read the Quran, the Bhagavat Ghita, Confucian Analects, and the Bible. All these writings talked about love as the central element of God’s transforming power and character. Fast forward to 1999 at Day Spring Church, a Bible-believing, Holy Spirit-filled charismatic church in New York City. I was increasingly convinced that the real, living God teaching, expressing, and modeling true love was the one who sacrificed himself on the cross for the people he loved. On a trip to Burkina Faso in May 2000, I gave my life to the Lord Jesus Christ. 

My wife Mukarabe and I promptly immersed ourselves in praise, prophetic, and intercessory ministry and were ordained into ministry by Dayspring Church in NYC in 2003. That same year, prompted by the Holy Spirit, we left the East Coast and journeyed 11 months in a travel trailer across the continental United States. God taught us valuable lessons concerning faith, prophetic ministry, provision, healing, and obedience. We became the praise team for a church in Mississippi for three months, opened a soup kitchen, held revival and reconciliation services, and praised Him on campgrounds, city parks, and churches of many denominations in what we called “A family traveling for Jesus.”  

In 2005 God led us to Los Angeles (California) Faith Chapel, an urban church in LA mostly attended by Nigerians and African Americans, affiliated at the time with PSMC (Pacific Southwest Mennonite Conference). Pastor Chuwang Pam invited me to be part of his pastoral staff as Associate Pastor of Worship and Men’s ministry, true to the central mission of the church found in 2 Timothy 2:2.  

Since then, God has allowed me to serve three churches as Pastor of Worship and Musical director, teach and preach the word, gain a certificate in Anabaptist studies from Hesston College, and be a credentialed minister in the process of ordination at Mosaic Conference.  

My pastoral role extends also to our mission in East Africa. Amahoro International, our nonprofit organization and Conference-Related Ministry (CRM) of Mosaic Conference, operates a refugee development center in Uganda. I have come to realize that God has equipped me for service in unorthodox pastoral, missional, and counseling positions that don’t always fit traditional church settings. The same is true for Joyful Music & Arts, the music school I founded in 2009 in California. Many students call me their pastor, and some of them do not attend or are not declared Christians.  

This is not to say that I won’t at some point respond to a pastoral calling in a local church or plant one, here in the US or in Africa. But I have learned to follow the Holy Spirit’s leading, and He has often led me towards unorthodox ministry according to His will. His thoughts are indeed higher than our thoughts, and his plans higher than ours. Despite my own shortcomings, I have learned to trust and wait on God’s leading. 

Makinto

Pastor Makinto is director of Amahoro International, a mission organization promoting peace and development in East Africa, a Conference-Related Ministry. He has toured the world for 30 years as an international musical performer. 

Trusting God at Camp

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by Ben Hershey

Last summer the Conference-Related Ministry Bethany Birches Camp (Plymouth, VT) saw the construction and first use of the indoor climbing wall, a long-awaited component of the pavilion that arrived exactly a decade after construction began in 2014.  

Climbing wall in use during summer 2024. Photo provided by Bethany Birches Camp.

I was asked if I would step into the role of managing the new wall during weeks of summer camp: teaching campers about the wall and climbing equipment, keeping children and staff safe, and helping campers to improve their skills. At first, these duties were daunting. It felt like I was always forgetting to do or say something, even if I was following the right steps.  

As I became more experienced, though, managing the rock wall became one of my favorite responsibilities. It was not just mastery of a new activity that made the rock wall a highlight, but also witnessing the campers’ enjoyment of it.  

Ben and campers after the night Mission Impossible game in 2023. Photo provided by Bethany Birches Camp.

Climbing the indoor wall fosters Bethany Birches Camp (BBC)’s core values. It requires boldness, which is also exhibited in the challenge of living outdoors in nature at camp. Living outdoors can be wonderful, but it requires campers and staff to go beyond the comfortable and familiar.  

Climbing involves faith. Campers must trust that the equipment, ropes, and belay will keep them safe and catch them if they fall. This exercise is analogous to trusting in God’s promise to carry us through the storms of life.  

Ben’s final cabin group of summer 2024. Photo provided by Bethany Birches Camp.

The wall also fosters community. Climbers work with their belayer on the ground and accept the help of staff to ensure their safety. Campers frequently gave advice to their peers who had yet to reach the top.  

And the rock wall is fun! There is nothing like hearing encouragement from an audience of campers below, or the sense of accomplishment upon reaching the final hold. 

The climbing wall adds to the wonderful BBC experience I have had as a counselor for three summers and that campers come back year after year to enjoy. The personal and spiritual growth that I have experienced at BBC is a testament to the power of God to transform heart, self, and mind.  

Staff enjoying the low ropes challenge course during staff training in 2024. Photo provided by Bethany Birches Camp.

Through going beyond my comfort zone each week, in leading activities or connecting with campers, I learned how life-changing it can be to live dependent on God, allowing God to take what I could not handle on my own.  

As I returned each summer, I could see how God has worked through me. It was evident in the joy of returning campers, an improved ability to earn the trust of new campers, and the progression of my counseling abilities such that I became a mentor for other staff.   

Serving has a BBC counselor has allowed God to foster within me a capacity to mentor, teach, and reflect God’s love towards others – gifts that will remain with me even beyond Bethany Birches. This growth has only been possible through a complete trust in God’s call for me, which has filled me with unexpected joy.  

Are there teens and young adults in your life that you hope will grow and learn in faith-filled communities? BBC offers a summer in VT in a Mennonite community serving children who often do not have the support of a church community.  

As a Bethany Birches staff member, they will be guided to grow personally, professionally, and spiritually! A summer at camp helps the young people in your life spend intentional time with God, develop skills for their future, learn more about themselves and their abilities, and is a great resume builder. Encouraging teens and young adults in your life to spend a summer at Bethany Birches will give them the chance to experience God’s presence in real and honest ways. Learn more here! 

Ben Hershey

Ben Hershey is a longtime camper and counselor at Bethany Birches Camp. He studies at the University of Vermont and participates in the Catholic Center. When Ben first started as a counselor at BBC he was not confident working with children. Yet he has been a strong staff member for three years, is regularly requested by past campers, and is a role model for many campers and younger staff.