Mosaic Mennonites

Missional - Intercultural - Formational

Articles

Finding Our Way Through an Impasse

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by Stephen Kriss

The conflict between Paul and Barnabas in Acts has always unsettled me. Why couldn’t the brothers work it out? Their conflict was about who to include in their journey, and it was also about a difference in posture.  

They were at an impasse. The need to share the Gospel far and wide was better served by parting ways than remaining in their relational quagmire.  

Were there personalities at play? Absolutely. Were the frustrations real? Certainly. Were their separate endeavors successful? Seemingly, yes. Was the Gospel harmed in their solution which meant separation? Ultimately, no. But this story reminds me that even necessary partings can be painful.  

Mosaic Mennonite Conference faces a similar moment. We have spent significant energy and time considering how Mosaic might realign our relationship with Mennonite Church USA. After years of negotiation, the Mosaic Conference Board is advocating that it’s time to discontinue the relationship in its current form. 

The Mosaic board’s recommendation is an invitation to focus on what is possible together outside of our current denominational alignment and toward global relatedness through Mennonite World Conference. 

I believe this is the best choice for our Mosaic future. Though I am deeply rooted in the communities that make up Mennonite Church USA, I recognize that the fragmenting of our denomination has been part of our Conference’s beginning. 

Eastern District Conference split in half rather than join Mennonite Church USA. Southeast Mennonite Conference split into multiple parts. Over a half dozen former Franconia Conference congregations have left Mosaic since our formation in 2019. We have not always been prepared for how costly the journey would be. Shifting alignments and connections are part of our Anabaptist story. It is not new. 

Paul and Barnabas were not caught in an impasse for as long as we have been with Mennonite Church USA. Though at the beginning of Mosaic Conference, the question of alignment with the denomination came into play, the struggle boiled over in 2022. Questions of inclusion of BIPOC and queer persons have driven much of this conversation (not dissimilar from the ongoing conversations in the Book of Acts). These questions address how people are honored and their voices valued.   

In our conversations with Mennonite Church USA, some of us have, for years, felt minimized and that our concerns were not validated.  

Though Mennonite Church USA is now only about one third of the size it was when created, the denomination operates with bylaws and structures that were created for a much larger system, and that at times have not responded to concerns from people of color, have taken years of advocacy for inclusion of queer persons, and been slow to respond to changing financial and demographic realities. Many in the denomination have accepted a narrative of decline while hoping for renewal. 

We sought to negotiate with Mennonite Church USA open handedly. We followed through on all that was requested from us. We showed up consistently. We asked for counsel. We met face-to-face and on Zoom. We moved forward in good faith. We maintained relationships with other Conference leaders in the USA and Canada. 

We believe that we are struggling with systems and powers, not individuals. We believe that our siblings in Christ are acting with good intentions. We recognize that change is difficult and takes time in large structures. 

At the same time, communication has been difficult. Public communication that has come from Mennonite Church USA has often felt condescending rather than collaborative. We have been willing to lean in and share resources. Yet there has been very little movement.   

Mennonite Church USA’s invitation for mediation in May came too quick for our board. We followed up in July with a willingness to move forward with a conversation (mediated or not) between Mosaic moderators and executive staff with Mennonite Church USA moderators and executive staff. 

We have received no indication of a willingness to move forward. We are left owing our delegates a recommendation without what feels like good faith negotiation or clarity from leaders in Mennonite Church USA. 

At the same time, we are ready to pursue a path as Mosaic. After settling on the affiliation question this week, our board affirmed a centering document (also available in Spanish, Indonesian and Haitian Creole) that names how we have been operating and represents the direction we are moving.   

We are recognizing Jesus as our Center. We are orienting around Mennonite World Conference’s Seven Shared Convictions (an intention that we delayed at the formation of Mosaic due to counsel we received from Mennonite Church USA). We are living into restorative practices rather than punitive conversations around our differences.   

This will allow Mosaic, and the diversity of communities that already exist within us, to flourish. This is our path ahead. 

Sometimes we have to let go of the familiar to discover our future. Our Mosaic future is bright though the way forward might be turbulent.  

We will seek to cultivate partnerships that allow us to both give and receive. We will be gracious and generous. We will anticipate that the Spirit will bring forth and sustain the fruit we need. We come to this place with humility, with lament, and with hope for Jesus’ ongoing redemption for us and for our broken and beautiful world.   

Stephen Kriss

Stephen Kriss is the Executive Minister of Mosaic Mennonite 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

Mosaic Board Recommends Discontinuing Membership with MC USA, Affirms New Centering Document and Financial Strength

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September 15, 2025 Board Meeting

At its meeting on September 15, 2025, the Mosaic Mennonite Conference Board voted to recommend that the Conference discontinue its existing membership with Mennonite Church USA (MC USA). This recommendation will be brought to delegates for discernment and a vote at the 2025 Mosaic Delegate Assembly. 

The approved ballot language reads: 

To discontinue Mosaic Mennonite Conference’s membership with Mennonite Church USA and cultivate healthy mutual partnerships with Mennonite Church USA, Mennonite World Conference, and other Anabaptist communities. 

Mosaic board members carefully considered the clarity and translatability of the wording before approving it. At the Assembly on Nov. 1, 2025, Mosaic delegates will vote using a red (does not affirm), yellow (yield to the recommendation), or green (affirm) scale. Per Mosaic’s bylaws, any abstentions will be counted as “does not affirm.” 

Mosaic’s relationship with MC USA has been challenging for years. Despite years of conversation, Mosaic and MC USA have been unable to reconcile significant differences around polity and intercultural practices—issues that affect Mosaic’s day-to-day realities. 

“Due to our connections in other places, Mosaic has been growing quickly, organically, and in relational ways in Colombia, Mexico, and beyond,” said Mosaic board member Haroldo Nunes. 

“When we share these realities with MC USA, including the challenges that our non-English speaking pastors have, they are not readily responsive to our needs. By staying within this limiting structure and continuing to wait, our vision and mission is being impacted.” 

The board’s decision follows years of prayerful discernment and attempts at dialogue and understanding with MC USA. Mosaic Conference’s Moderator Angela Moyer Walter reached out in late July requesting further conversation with MC USA’s executive committee and was informed that the executive committee was not available for such a meeting. 

“We deeply value our history and the relationships we’ve built with our sibling Conferences and church agencies,” Conference Moderator Angela Moyer Walter said.  

“MC USA leadership has shown minimal willingness to address structural issues related to polity, intercultural practices, and global partnerships that significantly impact Mosaic. While the denomination was once open to change, that momentum has stalled. Our existing status within MC USA is not healthy, and the board believes moving toward a mutual relationship will allow Mosaic to flourish.” 

Moyer Walter noted that Mosaic’s Pathway Steering Team recognized and discerned the need for a more mutual way of relating to MC USA. 

“We took an additional year to explore new possibilities, asking for a partnership relationship in which Mosaic would become a ‘program entity’ within MC USA,” she said. “I lament that MC USA did not see this as a possibility. I look forward to the ways in which healthy and mutual partnerships will emerge with Mennonite World Conference, MC USA, and other Anabaptist communities.”

Centering Document Clarifies Identity and Direction

As Mosaic looks to the future, the board also unanimously affirmed a new Centering Document (read in English, Spanish, Indonesian or Haitian Creole) to help articulate the Conference’s identity, and relational posture as “centered set,” with Jesus as our center. This document was informed by other work that Mosaic Conference has done this year to work toward the Clarity/Identity pillar of our strategic plan, including the Respectful Communication Guidelines and the Priorities Guide that will be released in full during the Friday Equipping Event at Assembly weekend.  

Reflecting on the new document, Leadership Minister Josh Meyer said, “This document calls us back to the center—Jesus—and invites us to embody both gracious hospitality and high expectations. My hope is that together we live this out, so our communities become living witnesses to Christ’s reconciling love.” 

The Centering Document will serve as a guiding framework for how Mosaic engages within its own diverse community and in its relationships with other Anabaptist bodies. It orients towards the Seven Shared Convictions of Mennonite World Conference and Palmer Becker’s Anabaptist Essentials.  

“This document is important so we can know who we are as Mosaic Conference and align with our purpose,” said Leadership Minister Aldo Siahaan. “It’s also important that this document be understood by everybody, from every background, culture, faith tradition, and theological perspective, so that we can share the same perspective even amid differences.” 

In both the recommendation on discontinuing membership with MC USA and in the creation and affirmation of the Centering Document, the Mosaic board requested and took staff and Leadership Minister feedback seriously.  

Financial Health and Stewardship 

Mosaic Conference continues to operate from a position of financial strength, due to property acquisition, funds from the Lilly Endowment, Inc. for Vibrant Mosaic, the growth of investments, and continued strong congregational giving.   

At the September board meeting, Bruce Thomas of Detweiler Hershey presented the results of the recent financial review, which was formally approved by the board.  

“We are grateful for the thorough work of the accounting firm, the Finance Committee, and the Conference staff,” shared Cory Longacre, Chair of the Finance Committee. “Solid stewardship and transparency have positioned Mosaic well to support its vision going forward.” 

Additional Updates

  • The board approved the 2025 Assembly schedule for the docket. 
  • The board reviewed and finalized delegate preparation meeting dates and agendas  
  • The board approved minutes from several committees and previous meetings without changes. 

The board meeting opened with devotions led by Assistant Moderator Roy Williams, centered on Philippians 2:1–5, encouraging board members to reflect on the strength and comfort found in Christ and the call to care for one another. 

As Mosaic enters a pivotal season, the board’s actions reflect a commitment to spiritual discernment, clarity of mission, and a hopeful vision for the future. 

“We lamented, we laughed, we cried, we listened, and we prayed,” reflected Executive Committee member Maati Yvonne. “What would the Lord have us to do? As believers in Christ, we trust the Holy Spirit to lead and to guide as we continue to pray and live into this decision.”  

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.   

Walking by Faith, Constantly Tripping!

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Jaye Lindo’s Ordination Service, August 30, 2025

By Noel Santiago 

“My help comes from the Lord! The one who began a good work will complete it.” (Psalm 121:2, CEB; Philippians 1:6) 

On a radiant summer afternoon in District Heights, MD, the art studio pulsed with life. But it wasn’t the usual buzz of brushes, canvases, or customers. It was something far more powerful: the joyful, Spirit-filled sounds of believers gathering to celebrate the ordination of Pastor Jaye Lindo. 

Lindo’s son-in-love Dominick Washington and his mom Ramona Pickett, with two two bushels of crabs in the background and a host of happy friends.

Surrounded by vibrant, colorful artwork, the gathering itself became a masterpiece, an expression of Lindo’s remarkable journey with God. Family, friends, colleagues, and the wider faith community encircled her with love and affirmation, testifying to the ways they had witnessed and nurtured God’s calling in her life. 

Pastor Lindo’s story is not one of ease, but of resilience and relentless faith. A descendant of enslaved people who toiled endlessly, she carries forward a legacy of perseverance, courage, and a deep-rooted hope.  

Ramona Pickett, Charlene “Charlie” Benjamin, Jaye Lindo, and Carla Garder: the Ladies of 7 Ways!

Her life has been a living example of everyday Anabaptism, of walking by faith, constantly tripping, as she and her husband reminded everyone through the T-shirts they wore at the celebration, yet always rising again with resilience and grace. 

From administration to youth ministry, from women’s ministry to launching the dynamic 7 Ways Home Fellowship with her ever-supportive husband, Brother Robert, Lindo has consistently stepped into new challenges with faith and openness. 

She fondly recalls Rev. Dr. Nelson Okanya as one of the first to recognize God’s pastoral call upon her life. At the ordination service, Dr. Okanya drew from Lindo’s cherished scriptures, Psalm 121 and Philippians 1:6, to frame her journey. 

From left: Jaye Lindo, Pastor Noah Kaye, Carla Garder, and Rev. Dr. Nelson Okanya, who were part of Lindo’s pastoral discernment team since the beginning of 7 Ways Home Fellowship in 2019.

The psalmist lifts his eyes and asks: “Where does my help come from?” The reply thunders: “My help comes from the Lord, Maker of heaven and earth.” Dr. Okanya affirmed that Pastor Lindo has lived and ministered from this bedrock conviction: her help has always come from the Lord. 

Linking this to Philippians 1:6, he declared that just as Paul encouraged the Philippians, so too can we affirm over Lindo: the God who began this good work in her will not stop halfway. God will bring it to glorious completion in Christ Jesus!

The service culminated in a powerful moment as the community gathered around Pastor Jaye and Brother Robert, laying hands, praying fervently, and rejoicing in God’s Spirit moving among them. It was holy. It was inspiring. It was unforgettable. 

The community gathers around Pastor Jaye and Brother Robert to lay hands and pray.

And then, as only God’s people can do, the celebration spilled over into laughter, storytelling, and a feast worthy of the occasion: crabs, fried fish, Chesapeake chicken, mac and cheese; a table of abundance shared in joy. 

We bless and commission Pastor Jaye Lindo, Brother Robert, and the 7 Ways Home Fellowship to continue creating safe, Spirit-filled spaces where people encounter the living Christ. The journey is not without trips and stumbles, but it is always guided by the Lord, who gives help and who will surely complete God’s good work. 

Mosaic Conference is a global, intercultural community, blessed with many credentialed female ministers including some of African and African Caribbean backgrounds. Within this diversity, we celebrate that Pastor Lindo is the second African American female minister to be credentialed in Mosaic. 

Noel Santiago

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

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

Cooking for Palestine

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by Jacob Curtis

Do you know Sam and Jehan Kuttab? When I ask Philadelphia-area Mennonites that question, I’m always surprised by how many of them say enthusiastically, “Yes! I know the Kuttabs! They had me over to their house in Wyncote.” 

And then their eyes light up as they try to describe it. How mouth-wateringly delicious Jehan’s Palestinian cooking was. How the entire house was filled with the aroma of cardamom, sumac, and za’atar. How they felt when they tasted her perfectly spiced musakhan—tender chicken falling off the bone beneath a blanket of caramelized onions, all of it fragrant with allspice and turmeric. How they savored her mahshi—stuffed vegetables bursting with the warmth of cinnamon and the brightness of fresh mint. How the meal was a feast for the senses and a love letter to Palestine. 

And when they’re done talking about the food, they talk about all the people they were introduced to—this warm, welcoming Palestinian clan of parents, children, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, all making them feel like they belonged. 

If you’ve had this experience yourself, you’re already nodding along. And if you haven’t, you should. At the end of this article, I’m going to tell you how you can learn to cook Palestinian-style from Jehan herself … while helping to raise money for peace in Palestine. But before I get there, a little background:

Sam’s parents, George and Frocina, moved to the United States when Sam was 11 years old. While they were still in Palestine, the family had connected with Mennonites who were working for peace and justice there. So when they arrived in Philadelphia, they went looking for a church home among the Mennonites. First, they landed at Diamond Street Mennonite. When they moved to Wyncote, they transferred to the little Mennonite church in Ambler where my wife Michelle and I are now pastors. They stayed, they settled in, and the congregation fell in love with them. People at our church still smile when they talk about the Kuttabs.

Eventually, Sam and Jehan started attending Oxford Circle Mennonite, where they’re still active members. And even though they’ve lived away from Palestine for decades now, they stay connected with folks back home. They’ve heard how friends and family have been threatened, harassed and denied basic civil rights under the Israeli occupation. When Hamas launched an attack into Israel on October 7, 2023, killing over 1,000 Israelis and taking 250 more as hostages, the Kuttabs were sad and scared. And since that day, their grief and fear have only increased as Israel has bombarded and besieged Gaza, killing over 78,000 Palestinians, and leaving those who remain homeless, traumatized, maimed, and starving. 

What would you do if your people were being massacred? Sam’s response to this horror has been to turn to the teachings of Jesus. “Love your enemies,” Jesus said. Sam has tried to do that. In the aftermath of the Hamas attacks, he connected with Justin Marshall, a young Jewish man who is also passionate about peace and justice in Palestine. Together, they founded the Prayers for Peace Alliance, a group of Philadelphia-area Palestinians and Jews determined to show that their two people don’t have to be enemies. Together, they’ve been visiting local Christian churches with a simple message: “Pray for us. Pray for peace in Palestine.” 

Things have only gotten worse in Gaza. But Sam and Justin and their friends continue to do their work—building relationships, raising support, organizing, protesting, teaching, persuading, and praying. Which brings us full circle—to cooking for Palestine. This fall, you have a chance to learn from Jehan while raising money to support the work of Prayers for Peace. 

On Saturday, October 4, Ambler Mennonite has invited Jehan to teach Palestinian cooking classes in our building (90 E Mt Pleasant Ave, Ambler, PA). Anyone who’s interested can come at 1pm, 3pm, or 5pm for a 1½ hour class. There will be Palestinian music playing, Palestinian decorations, and, of course, you’ll leave with the delicious cuisine you now know how to make yourself!

We’re asking participants to register in advance here. The cost is $40 (though more is welcome). All of the proceeds will go to Prayers for Peace Alliance. And when you’re done cooking, you can stick around to talk to representatives of Prayers for Peace and Mennonite Action about how to support peace in Palestine. We hope to see you there! 

Visit AmblerMennoniteChurch.com/CookingClass

Jacob Curtis

Jacob Curtis is co-pastor of Ambler (PA) Mennonite Church with his wife, Michelle.

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.   

Join Us in Prayer for a Detained Mosaic Leader

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by Javier Márquez

Editor’s Note: After significant advocacy, and spiritual, emotional, and material support from Homestead Mennonite and Mosaic Mennonite Conference, Hensley Ducasse returned to his home country on September 17, 2025.

With great concern, we share the difficult situation our brother Hensley Ducasse is currently facing. Hensley, 24 years old, was a Mosaic Conference Ambassador at Homestead (FL) Mennonite. Approximately four weeks ago, he was detained by ICE and is currently being held in an immigration detention center. 

During the summer, as an Ambassador, Hensley stood out for his passionate faith and dedication to serving the community. “What motivated me to become an Ambassador was my passion for Jesus Christ,” he once shared. That passion was evident in every step he took, with a genuine commitment to sowing hope and transformation in Homestead. 

One of his most notable goals was opening of a food bank to bless families in the community. His vision was that this ministry would provide physical nourishment and allow many to experience the love of God. He also organized sports and recreational events for children and youth, creating spaces of joy, community, and spiritual growth. 

In all of this, Hensley sought to embody the values of the Kingdom of God: the love, grace, empathy, and compassion of Christ. “I’ve learned to lead by listening and to lead by example,” he reflected, following the model of Jesus as a humble and loving guide. 

His service has been interrupted by this situation that affects both him and the Homestead congregation. Marta Castillo, Mosaic Associate Executive Minister, along with church members, are working to visit him and advocate for him. 

We wholeheartedly invite you to join in fervent prayer for Hensley: that the Lord would grant him strength, peace, and hope in the midst of this difficult time; that paths of justice and mercy would open, allowing him to return home; and that the Homestead community would continue to be a living testimony of Christ’s love in action. 

We trust that God, who hears the prayers of God’s people, will sustain us and work in our brother’s life. We ask that every Mosaic congregation lift up their voices in intercession for Hensley and his family, believing in the promise that the Lord never abandons His children. 

“Pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous person is powerful in what it can achieve.”

– James 5:16, CEB 

Javier Márquez

Javier Márquez is Associate for Communication and Community Engagement for Colombia. 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.

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

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

Submission from

Wendy Kwong, Souderton (PA) Mennonite

My husband and I were baptized in 1994 at a Chinese Mennonite church in Philadelphia, marking my conversion from a polytheist who revered ancestors and nature spirits to a monotheistic faith centered on Jesus. After immigrating from Hong Kong to the U.S., we settled in a suburban community with a strong Mennonite heritage, and our sons were educated at a Mennonite school. I was mentored by a Mennonite health care provider during my last school years. All these encounters shaped my spiritual formation.  

Over the past three decades, I have encountered a wide range of sometimes fascinating comments on Mennonites from Christians and non-Christians: “I have never heard of Mennonites before.” “Are Mennonites the same as Mormons?” “Mennonites discourage street dancing.” “Mennonites don’t use cellphones,” and “Mennonites shouldn’t refuse military service.” 

I have come to deeply appreciate the simple lifestyle, nonviolence, baptism by faith, caring for creation, and the mission of reconciliation of Mennonites. As a new believer, I struggled to practice peacemaking, but through prayer and reading Scripture, I received peace from the Lord and trusting in Him alone.   

I am deeply grateful for the pastors and leaders in my congregation who have organized events to help us to deepen our root as part of Anabaptists during this year commemorating 500 years of Anabaptism. As I reflect on this legacy, I add to my personal Mennonite convictions: justice witnessing, intercultural humility, sacrificial love, courageous discipleship, and innovative pedagogy. I may not fully live out every tradition, yet I entrust the journey to the power of the Holy Spirit.  

Submission from

Jacob Curtis, Co-Pastor of Ambler (PA) Mennonite

I’m a missionary kid. My Mennonite parents moved from the US to Ireland before I was born. So, growing up, Ireland was home. None of the other kids at school knew what Mennonites were. But I was proud to be one. It made me special. For me, Mennonites were the Christians who took Jesus seriously. We were the ones who actually tried to love our enemies, who’d die for them rather than kill them. The Mennonites I knew were all missionaries who’d left their homes to follow Jesus into the unknown. I wanted to be like them when I grew up. 

When I left Ireland at 18, I moved to Goshen, Indiana, to go to college. There, I met more Mennonites. And I learned that being Mennonite meant different things to different people. Sometimes, it was reduced to taking one side or the other in the American culture wars. Mennonites in conservative places could become obsessed with conservative family values. Mennonites in progressive places could talk a lot about social justice and not a lot about Jesus. 

But there were Mennonites in both places who still believed that to be a Mennonite was to be something special. It was a way of being Christian that took Jesus seriously all the time, not just when he aligned with a political agenda. It didn’t mean trying to recruit Jesus onto our side. It meant being on Jesus’ side and following him all the way to the cross. 

Submission from

Pastor Emmanuel Villatoro, Whitehall (PA) Mennonite

Anabaptismo, es un llamado a seguir a Jesús de forma auténtica, incluso 500 años después de su surgimiento donde el anabaptismo promovía la fe voluntaria, la comunidad fraternal y el rechazo a la violencia. Esos valores siguen vivos, especialmente entre nuestras comunidades que buscan una vida sencilla, pacífica y centrada en Cristo en medio de un mundo cada vez más complejo, materialista y acelerado. 

Ser menonita en este tiempo moderno es vivir con una conciencia profunda de la justicia, la paz y el servicio al prójimo. La vida sencilla no significa necesariamente vivir sin tecnología, sino más bien usarla con propósito, priorizando relaciones humanas y valores espirituales. Anabaptismo significa elegir caminos que promuevan la humildad, la comunidad y la reconciliación en un mundo donde la individualidad y la autoafirmación dominan. El anabaptismo nos invita a vivir una fe activa y comunitaria, centrada en el amor de Cristo y en la construcción del Reino de Dios. 

Anabaptism is a call to follow Jesus authentically, even 500 years after its emergence, when it promoted voluntary faith, fraternal community, and the rejection of violence. These values remain alive today, especially among our communities that seek a simple, peaceful, Christ-centered life amid an increasingly complex, materialistic, and fast-paced world. 

To be Mennonite in this modern age is to live with a deep awareness of justice, peace, and service to others. A simple life doesn’t necessarily mean living without technology, but rather using it purposefully, prioritizing human relationships and spiritual values. Anabaptism means choosing paths that promote humility, community, and reconciliation in a world where individuality and self-assertion prevail. Anabaptism invites us to live an active, communal faith centered on the love of Christ and the building of God’s Kingdom. 

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.   

Get Ready for Mosaic Mennonite Conference Fall Delegate Assembly

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Saturday, November 1, 2025: 9 AM-4:30 PM   
Registration for delegates will take place from 8:30-9 AM 
at Souderton Mennonite Church (map)  
105 W Chestnut St., Souderton, PA 18964

Delegate Registration

All delegates named by their congregations should have received an email on September 2, 2025, explaining the day-of registration process for delegates and a link to confirm their participation as a delegate. 

If you are coming to Assembly as an attendee (all non-delegates), you are most welcome. To help us plan and prepare, please let us know by signing up here.

If you are coming from a distance, plan your travel and arrange for your lodging. For more information about lodging and transportation, please click here.  

Friday Night Equipping Event

Everyone (delegates and non-delegates) is invited to join us on Friday, October 31 from 4-8pm at Zion Mennonite (Souderton, PA). These sessions will focus on Mosaic’s three priorities: Formational, Missional, and Intercultural Transformation. Dinner is provided.

Delegates should RSVP using the same delegate form they completed to confirm their participation for Assembly. All others (non-delegates) should RSVP using the attendee form, which can be used to register for this event, Assembly, or both. 

Delegate Preparation Meetings

What are Assembly Delegate Preparation Meetings?

Mosaic Conference holds a series of delegate preparation meetings in the weeks leading up to our gathered Assembly. The purpose of these meetings is to help delegates understand the important commitment and specific duties they are responsible for, to prepare them with the latest information on the issues that will be discussed, and to give an opportunity to give feedback and ask questions.  

Delegates are asked to attend one meeting on a date & location that best suits them. Let us know what meeting you are attending so we can plan. 

Please pray for Assembly, Mosaic’s Board, delegates, the Mosaic staff planning it, those attending, and God’s leading in the process.  

The staff team for planning Fall Assembly is Stacey Mansfield (Administrative & Hospitality Collaborator), Jaye Lindo (Hospitality Coordinator), Cindy Angela (Director of Communication), and Sue Conrad Howes (Registrar). The Fall Assembly taskforce also includes Maati Yvonne (Executive Committee), Danilo Sanchez (Leadership Minister for Intercultural Transformation), Stephen Kriss (Executive Minister), Makinto (LA Faith Chapel), and Joel Horst Nofziger (Mennonite Historians of Eastern Pennsylvania). 

Other Supplemental Documents: 

The 2025 Docket will be released in early October and emailed to delegates. Visit MosaicMennonites.org/assembly for more information.

Taftsville Chapel Mennonite Fellowship Dedicates Accessibility Ramp

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by Steve McCloskey

A version of this article was originally published on January 6, 2025, for the Anabaptist Disabilities Network, and reprinted with permission.    

In May 2022, delegates at a Mennonite Church USA (MC USA) assembly in Kansas City affirmed several resolutions; one of which was the MC USA resolution regarding accessibility (which can be read here). 

Although our congregation, Taftsville (VT) Chapel Mennonite Fellowship, did not have any delegates at this assembly the resolution provoked a question: how accessible are churches, worship services, and gatherings to full participation of people with disabilities and different abilities? 

As a pastor, I was confronted with a series of specific questions: if a person who is blind attended our services, do we have hymnals that they could use? If a person who is deaf attended, who would translate what others say? 

The resolution provoked our congregation to consider the ways that people’s human bodies might encounter barriers to participation in the Church body. 

We have an elevator in our building; so, as the able-bodied pastor, I assume we accommodate persons using wheelchairs. But a sister in our church, Mary, pointed out that she can’t use the elevator without the assistance of someone inside the building to operate the elevator; simply having an elevator doesn’t necessarily solve accessibility complications. 

The resolution from 2022 compelled me, as a pastor, to be more reflective on my theology of abilities and disabilities. Author Amy Kenny is a disabled scholar and theologian, and a committed Christian who loves and thanks God for her wheelchair. Her book My Body is Not a Prayer Request draws attention to ways that she is treated as an inconvenience to churches and other Christians. Many see her as a person who needs healing. She is suggesting that they need healing. 

Kenny, in her abilities and disabilities, can see things that I, with an able body, don’t see. She notices that the resurrected body of Jesus is disabled. That Christ, even after death, even after the transformation of resurrection, carries wounds and holes in his body. 

Kenny has heard pastors preach that we will all have perfect bodies in heaven and she challenges this notion of perfection. She notices that in heaven, the throne of grace, the throne of God, is a wheelchair. As it says in Daniel 7:9, NRSV: 

And the Ancient of Days was seated; 
His garment was white as snow, 
And the hair of His head was like pure wool. 
His throne was a fiery flame, 
Its wheels a burning fire. 

Holy smokes! God’s throne has hot wheels! I never noticed that it was a wheelchair. But it was there in the Bible all along–and Amy Kenny helped me to see this. 

What if people of various abilities and disabilities, colors and sizes, are all part of this multitude that the last book of the Bible describes worshiping before God? 

What if God is perfect in our weakness? Moses thought his speech impediment was an impediment to his calling, but in Exodus 4:11, the Lord said to him, 

Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the Lord? 

Hearing from the disabled voices among us inspired our congregation to consider ways that we could make our worship gatherings more accessible and inclusive. We pursued grant money with the Anabaptist Disabilities Network and were awarded a Barrier Free Grant to help us make structural changes. 

We began a handful of initiatives that included: adding handrails to the bathroom on the first floor of our building, ordering a large print version of the Voices Together hymnal, and more ambitiously, we wanted to make our church yard and gardens (which are situated on an elevated slope) more accessible to folks with mobility limitations. 

After considering a few options, we decided on an accessibility pathway that allows people who use a wheelchair or other mobility assistance tools to have more convenient access up the hill and through the path. Our congregation holds worship services, picnics, and other events in the yard. It is also a community garden that offers space for rest, prayer, and contemplation near the peace pole we planted in 2022. 

Breaking ground on the accessible sidewalk.
The completed ramp provides access to outdoor meeting spaces.

Shortly after our trustees used equipment to create a slope and place hard-pack stone to create a path, we held a dedication ceremony with a prayer that our grounds can continue to be a place of hospitality to visitors and newcomers for future generations to come. 

Cutting the ribbon at the dedication for the accessible ramp.

Steve McCloskey

Steve McCloskey (M. Div, MPA) serves as the Pastor of Taftsville Chapel Mennonite Fellowship in Vermont. Steve is a volunteer firefighter, recurring columnist for the Vermont Standard, a recovering sinner and disciple of Jesus, and father of Jacob and Silas. Steve enjoys hiking, praying, and exploring the hills of New England and occasionally playing Nintendo Switch with his kids and their friends.

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.