Mosaic Mennonites

Missional - Intercultural - Formational

Articles

Shared Generosity Shapes Pastoral and Next Generation Leadership

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For years, Plains Mennonite (Hatfield, PA) has invested in the next generation of leaders across Mosaic Mennonite Conference. Plains sets aside $10,000 annually in scholarships for BIPOC pastors and leaders attending Mennonite institutions. In 2025, for the first time, the congregation asked Mosaic to administer the funds.

“The Plains congregation is blessed to have a scholarship fund to support students from the congregation attending Mennonite colleges,” shared Mike Derstine, Lead Pastor of Plains Mennonite. “Several years ago, when there were no students at Plains using the fund, we chose to make $10,000 available to BIPOC students across Mosaic studying at Mennonite institutions.”

Derstine continued, “We’re grateful that Mosaic staff can connect these funds with needs across the conference. I’ve been humbled when students thank me at Conference Delegate Assembly, even though I have little to do with the process. Our Church Council looks forward to continuing this partnership for the foreseeable future.”

In 2025, 11 students from congregations in California, Florida, Pennsylvania, Colombia, and Mexico received support via the Plains scholarship fund. They are studying at Eastern Mennonite University and Seminary, Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary, and Seminario Bíblico Anabautista Hispano (SeBAH). Because the recipients change each year, the gift multiplies and touches new communities across the conference.

For students, the impact is both personal and communal.

“EMU shaped my leadership because it gave me opportunities to step forward,” shared Marciella Shalomita of Nations Worship Center in Philadelphia. Through campus clubs, the biology department, and serving as a student chaplain, she learned to take initiative, communicate clearly, and lead collaboratively. “It broadened my faith,” she said, “helping me see it not just as personal belief, but as service.” Leading worship on campus also stretched her: she introduced contemporary styles from her home church while learning to invite others into meaningful participation.

“My studies at SeBAH have given me a deeper ethical foundation and strengthened my ability to make decisions rooted in justice, truth, and service,” offered Pastor Andrés Mendoza of Iglesia Menonita Encuentro de Renovación in Miami, Florida. “Theological study has deepened my faith in Jesus Christ, clarified my calling, and equipped me to bring hope, love, and mercy to those who suffer.”

Mosaic Leadership Minister Marco Güete sees similar growth among students studying through SeBAH and Instituto Bíblico Anabautista. Their education, he says, deepens biblical and theological grounding while nurturing spiritual maturity and confidence in their calling. “It strengthens pastoral leadership and equips them to guide congregations faithfully,” he reflects.

Plains Mennonite’s offering of mutual aid demonstrates how congregations can bless each other through helping to cultivate leaders who will serve in various parts of the body of Christ.

Other congregations are invited to imagine what shared investment in education could look like in their context. Individuals are also invited to give. Contributions to Mosaic’s Pastoral Leadership Fund helps pastors and emerging leaders grow in faith, skill, and courage for ministry today and for the future.

Ways to Support Leaders in Mosaic Conference:

  • Give to the Pastoral Leadership Fund
  • Give to the Hope Scholarship for Black & African American Leaders
GIVE NOW

Contributions may also be sent by check, with your designation in the memo line, to: 

Mosaic Mennonite Conference 
1000 Forty Foot Rd., Suite 100 
Lansdale, PA 19446 

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.   

Studying the Priority Guide: A Living Experience in Mosaico Colombia

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by Javier Márquez

Colombian pastors gathered in February to reflect on how formation, mission, and intercultural transformation are part of their communities. All photos by Javier Márquez.

From February 6–9, 2026, during the annual Mosaico Colombia gathering in Santa Marta, the study of the Mosaic Conference Priorities Guide was a spiritual, communal, and intercultural experience that allowed us to embody what we were reading.

The Guide is structured around three priorities: formational (knowing and growing in Jesus), intercultural (loving like Jesus), and missional (living like Jesus). In Santa Marta, this framework came alive. The study was not cold or merely academic; it included dialogue, attentive listening, and prayer.

The study began with the introductory section shared by Leadership Minister Marco Güete, who helped frame the conference’s vision and mission within the Colombian process. Each priority was then guided by different leaders: Pastor Nidia Montoya led the formational reflection; Associate Executive Minister Marta Castillo, shared the missional reflection; and Ismael Conchacala facilitated the intercultural reflection. This diversity of leadership enriched the process and connected each priority to lived realities.

Reflecting on the experience, Castillo shared, “What a beautiful experience to listen and learn together from the Priorities Guide in the Colombian context, with the participation of different voices.” That plurality was one of the greatest gifts of the gathering. Urban pastors, Indigenous leaders from the Sierra Nevada, and Mosaic Conference representatives all contributed from their own contexts, expanding our understanding of the text.

One highly valued aspect was the emphais on participation. Conchacala affirmed that the guide creates space for everyone’s voice. In contexts where one-directional teaching often prevails, opening room for honest conversation allowed the intercultural priority to move from theory to practice.

Constructive critiques also emerged. Conchacala noted that the guide includes numerous appendices and guiding questions which, though valuable, can feel overwhelming or distracting if not used intentionally. He emphasized the importance of contextual adaptation: working with trained leaders differs from engaging communities with long-standing theological traditions. Simplifying does not weaken the content; rather, it can foster deeper appropriation.

Güete highlighted another significant fruit: Colombian churches drawing closer to Mosaic Conference. Many pastors arrived having already studied the material and left encouraged to continue exploring it and sharing it within their congregations.

A particularly moving moment was reflecting on the intercultural priority within the Wiwa community, hosted by Conchacala. In the Sierra Nevada mountains, the image of the “mosaic” gained tangible depth: distinct pieces coming together to reveal God’s larger design.

Studying the Priorities Guide in Mosaico Colombia was good news. It affirmed our identity as a shared journey, learned around the table, in Scripture, in prayer, and in life together.

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.

A Steady Yes for Ministry Now Includes Board Service

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Editor’s Note: This profile is part of a series of articles introducing the three board members joining the Mosaic Conference board in 2026.    

Michael Howes joins the Mosaic Mennonite Conference board as the chair of the Ministerial Committee. Howes approaches leadership with a simple but faithful guiding principle: say yes to ministry when it can be done with care and integrity.

“Throughout my ministry, I’ve had a practice of saying yes to ministry opportunities,” Howes shares, “unless saying yes would cause other work I’m already engaged in to suffer.” That spirit of thoughtful openness has shaped his journey and now leads him into this new role of Conference leadership.

As he begins his service on the board, Howes looks forward to the opportunities for collaboration and shared discernment.

“I’m looking forward to working with other board members and our wonderful conference staff to advance Mosaic’s mission,” he says. He is especially energized by the Conference’s evolving vision: “I’m particularly interested in seeing how we live into our new Centering Document.”

Howes has been a credentialed pastor in Mosaic since 2019. His previous Conference leadership includes serving as both a member and later chair of the Credentials Committee, where he helped support and guide leaders through important seasons of vocational discernment and accountability. That experience brings valuable insight to his new role in leadership with the Ministerial Committee, where he will continue walking alongside pastors and ministers across the Conference.

Originally from New Orleans, Howes grew up in the bayou country of south Louisiana before living in Texas and the Washington, DC metro area. Since 2011, he has called southeast Pennsylvania home.

Howes serves as pastor of West Swamp Mennonite (Quakertown, PA). “My favorite things about West Swamp are the genuine love my congregants have for one another and their neighbors,” he says, “and the enthusiasm they bring to collaborating to be a blessing to our community and the larger world.” That spirit of shared ministry reflects the kind of church life Howes is passionate about nurturing across Mosaic.

Outside of church and Conference responsibilities, Howes enjoys walking in his neighborhood, reading widely, and he is a good cook. He especially enjoys cooking the Cajun dishes that he grew up with.

Howes also shares, “the part of my brain not devoted to Scripture and ministry is filled with trivia.” He’s pretty sure he’d do well on Jeopardy!.

We are grateful for Howes’s steady leadership, pastoral heart, and commitment to collaborative ministry, and we look forward to the ways he will help lead Mosaic Mennonite Conference.

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.   

Bringing the Pieces Together

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Calenthia Dowdy Staff Profile

On March 9, Rev. Dr. Calenthia Dowdy will begin serving with Mosaic Mennonite Conference as Director of Collaborative Ministries. In this two-days-a-week role, she will will serve as the team leader for accompaniment relationships with Mosaic’s 25 Conference-Related Ministries.

Drinking tea in Portugal.

“I really enjoy outreach and collaboration,” Dowdy shared. “Too many of us do ministry in silos, and I think it’s important to connect, support, and pray for one another in intentional ways.” She is especially looking forward to the diversity of relationships she will cultivate across the Conference.

Dowdy brings decades of ministry experience shaped by both church and academy. She has served in youth, camp, and college ministries. She briefly taught kindergarten and eighth grade before spending more than 20 years teaching college students, including as a professor of youth ministry and cultural anthropology at Eastern University. She also served as Philadelphia campus chaplain for Messiah University.

Her leadership extends beyond traditional church settings. Dowdy has been executive director of Roots of Justice and director of faith-based initiatives in a Philadelphia nonprofit organization with advocacy and services for persons living with HIV/AIDS. She has devoted many years to antiracism education within faith-based organizations.


At an interfaith prayer breakfast.

Credentialed as an American Baptist minister and holding a PhD in anthropology, Dowdy brings theological depth and cultural insight to her work. She grew up in Philadelphia and has long been committed to Anabaptism.

She spent about 10 years at Germantown Mennonite, where she appreciated “the intellectual edges of faith,” and for the past two years has been a member of Ambler Mennonite, where she values “the earnest simplicity of faith expression.” She is currently participating in Ambler’s Vibrant Mosaic cohort.

When not working, Dowdy enjoys good podcasts, books and movies, walking her dog, and international travel.

Executive Minister Stephen Kriss expressed enthusiasm about her arrival. “Calenthia brings gifts in networking, experience in anti-oppression training, wisdom and a textured outlook in engaging urban and global mission,” he shared.

“I continue to feel grateful for the gifted persons who are willing to consider working together to embody the reconciling love of Jesus through our shared witness at Mosaic.”

Mosaic values two-way communication and encourages our constituents to respond with feedback, questions, or encouragement. To share your thoughts or send a message to the author(s), contact us at communication@mosaicmennonites.org.   

Mosaic Annual Gathering in Santa Marta

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by Javier Márquez

From February 6-9, pastors and leaders met in Santa Marta to strengthen relationships, deepen friendships, and continue discerning the Conference’s path in Colombia.

Participants included pastors from Anabaptist Community in Medellin, Shalom Mennonite, leaders from the Wiwa community in the Sierra Nevada, among others, along with Mosaic Conference staff members and spouses. This annual gathering has a clear purpose: to grow in mutual understanding, pray for one another, encourage ministries, and deepen our Mosaic Anabaptist identity in Colombia.

A central focus was studying the Mosaic Conference Priority Guide. Through participatory methods, the group engaged in honest conversation, active listening, and deep biblical reflection.

The Conference’s vision and mission were explored through three key lenses: formational, missional, and intercultural. The discussions moved beyond theory. Participants connected the priorities to real ministry experiences and the concrete challenges of living out the gospel across Colombia’s diverse regions.

One of the most memorable moments was an invitation from Ismael Conchacala to visit his community in the Sierra Nevada. Surrounded by towering mountains and flowering trees in a tropical dry forest ecosystem, the group hiked, listened to Indigenous stories, and entered a traditional home where the community gathers around the fire to make important decisions.

Being welcomed into that sacred space was a gesture of deep trust. There, Conchacala led a biblical reflection on the Good Samaritan, inviting the group to consider the “mosaic” within the church and the world, and the radical call to love those who are different. The mosaic image—diverse pieces forming a greater design—took on renewed meaning in that intercultural setting.

Hospitality enriched the day: Ismael’s family prepared a traditional sancocho stew, shared with laughter, stories, and gratitude.

Another significant moment came during a session led by Carol Ramírez. Leaders shared openly about personal and ministry challenges and prayed for one another. The gathering became a space of mutual care and spiritual strengthening.

The farmhouse where participants stayed, perched on a small hill and cooled by mountain breezes, offered a fitting reminder that growth has seasons. Even in dry ecosystems, God brings fruit in time.

Children experienced their own time of connection. They enjoyed games, drawing, and swimming. Community life extended into recreation, with group games and a lively dance.

Amid conversation and discernment, leaders made a meaningful decision: the ministry formerly known as “Walking with Mosaic” will now be called Mosaic Colombia (Mosaicolombia). The change reflects a clearer identity rooted in Colombia and committed to the path God is shaping there.

The gathering in Santa Marta reaffirmed a shared call to walk together in diversity, deepen Anabaptist identity, and build the mosaic God is forming.

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.

Now We Get to See What Fear Can Do!

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There is a reason that God did not give us the spirit of fear (2 Tim 1:7).

Fear allows us to believe that someone is doing something or taking something from us. Fear allows us to believe that we are superior or inferior. Fear can cause us to make poor choices. Fear can keep us silent or make us behave like a clanging cymbal. Fear makes us want to build walls and create new territories. Fear destroys humanity and chases away love.

The God I love, and the Jesus I serve say that love casts out all fear (1 John 4:18-19). Fear robs us of love and light, and we are called to love.

Our God also says to love our neighbor (Matthew 22:39). All the people of the world are our neighbors.

The word of God also says to love our enemies. (Matthew 5:44). This is hard to do, but when we put on the Full Armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-20) and when we have faith, we can do nothing less than love. The harder part is to pray for those who persecute us, but let’s do it anyway.

True love includes standing up for our neighbors and embracing those that are different than ourselves. It includes calling out injustice even when it may cost us something. Yet God will supply all our needs (Philippians 4:19); we just need to work together in UNITY.

God created us in God’s abundance to share and support all God’s children, whether they look like us or know Jesus like us. This world is so much bigger than our ego, pride, and economic status.  We must resist the trick of the enemy, who tells us that this land, money, or church is “mine.”

Everything belongs to God, who sent Jesus to save the world and call the world to himself (John 3:16).  So, when you begin to think that someone is taking something from you, think again, because it’s not yours in the first place.

I’m thankful for being saved. I will not live in fear. I will trust my Savior and Lord Jesus Christ and I will see His kingdom come. In Jesus’s Name I pray. Lord, help my unbelief (Mark 9:24) May we all say together, “Lord, have mercy on us all” (Psalms 31:9). Amen and amen.

In the words of the great Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. “I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.”

Happy Black History Month!

Jaye Lindo

Jaye Lindo is the Hospitality Coordinator for Mosaic Conference and serves as Pastor of 7 Ways Home Fellowship in Bowie, MD.

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

Weaving Ministry Connection Across the Conference

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When Mosaic Mennonite Conference was birthed in 2020, it carried forward a rich network of 25 Conference-Related Ministries (CRMs), faith-based nonprofit organizations born out of Franconia Conference and Eastern District. For Margaret Zook (Salford [PA] Mennonite), ensuring those ministries remained part of the heart of the Conference became both a calling and a joy. 

Now, as Zook retires from her role as Director of Collaborative Ministries, Mosaic gives thanks for six years of steady, relational leadership that has strengthened the bonds between CRMs, congregations, and Conference leadership.  

Zook’s passion for Conference-Related Ministries long predates her staff role. Having worked extensively within faith-based nonprofits, including many years at Conference-Related Ministry Living Branches, she carried a deep yearning to see those organizations fully included in the life of the conference. 

When Mosaic was newly formed, Zook served on the CRM inquiry committee, interviewing leaders and listening to their hopes. “Some 90% of respondents were saying, ‘We’re part of your history and we want to be part of your future,’” Zook recalled. 

“When the Director of Collaborative Ministries position was created, I was overjoyed. With it, CRMs would be visible, valued pieces of Mosaic’s ministry,” Zook shared. When she accepted the role in 2020, her vision for it has been clear: to see these ministries flourish, to strengthen their connections with one another, and to deepen their relationships with congregations and Conference leadership. 

Zook’s leadership has been marked by presence. She organized road trips so CRM leaders could visit one another’s ministries. She hosted fellowship lunches and equipping events. She checked in with CEOs to ask not only about programs, but about their own well-being. “It was very meaningful when CRM leaders would call and share prayer requests. It reflected their trust in our partnership and in the power of prayer,” Zook affirmed.

One experience that remains especially meaningful to Zook is witnessing the growth of Ripple Community Inc (RCI). She recalls arriving early one morning with other CRM leaders and seeing guests out on the porch before the doors opened. Inside, basic needs were met with compassion, showers offered with dignity, and friendships formed with warmth. When RCI recently sought to expand and faced neighborhood resistance, Mosaic walked with them. For Zook, it became a living example of what it means to listen to community needs, engage neighbors to seek the peace of the city, and embody Christ’s love in practical ways. 

Zook speaks with similar joy about Amahoro International becoming a CRM and strengthening relationships with Amahoro’s directors, the Makintos. “The Makintos’ vibrant faith and their ministry in Uganda have been affirming and life-giving for Mosaic,” Zook shares.

Not every season was easy. At times there were difficult conversations and hard decisions as a couple of CRMs left Mosaic. Zook emphasized that seeking to maintain trust and relationship, even in tension, was part of her ministry.

When asked how Mosaic has changed during her six years on staff, Zook replied, “I have relished in seeing Mosaic lean into what God has called Mosaic to be in the world today. Mosaic is showing up in marginalized spaces, listening deeply and prayerfully. Mosaic is creating new ways of being together, with great integrity.”  

She also reflected on how being on staff has shaped her. “Practices like mutual invitation create space for every voice, allowing all present to be together amid difference and respecting individuality,” she shared. Staff meetings were another meaningful space. “We begin not with agenda items, but with ample time for scripture and prayer, with profound openness to what the Spirit is saying.” 

Executive Minister Stephen Kriss expressed gratitude for the steady leadership Zook brought to Mosaic’s Conference-Related Ministries, “Margaret has brought a depth of knowledge and commitment to her role in leading and serving alongside CRMs,” he said. “She has established trust around the possibilities for CRM accompaniment and has navigated growth and change with wisdom and boldness. We are grateful for her and will miss her presence as part of our Mosaic staff.” 

As Zook steps into retirement, she carries a particular prayer that Conference-Related Ministries will remain rooted in their faith foundations, integrating God’s love into every dimension of their work. The connectedness and collaborative partnerships she championed remains woven into Mosaic’s fabric.

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.   

Ministering on the Shore with Jesus

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by Sharon K. Williams

Shores of Hope, a Mosaic Partner in Ministry in West Palm Beach, Florida, ministers with Slavic refugees by supporting their immigration journey in the United States. Pavel and Marina Gailans are finding ways to introduce their new friends to Jesus.

“Most new immigrants will not come to a church service but will come to an informal, informational, family-oriented event at our house,” Pavel says. “As people get to know us and become our friends, they open their hearts and minds to good news and love of God, which will hopefully encourage them receive God’s salvation.”

This ministry, supported in part by a Missions Operational Grant, is reminiscent of Jesus’ lakeshore ministry with Gentiles in the region of Tyre and Sidon (Matthew 15:21–38). Most of Jesus’ teachings did not happen in a synagogue. His strategy involved going to the people. With just seven loaves of bread, a few fish, and prayer, Jesus brought healing, teaching, and nourishment to over 4,000 people in the region.

During the year, the Gailans host several gatherings in their home for up to 40 adults and children. The international group is predominantly Slavic, and they speak several languages. Everyone shares food of their national flavors, which is an incredible way of bonding new friendships. They gather in the living room to share updates on things that have happened since their last meeting. They welcome new people who have recently entered the United States. Many Ukrainian and Russian refugees are facing uncertainties. So every gathering is a great source of encouragement and inspiration.

Special occasions like birthdays are celebrated with gifts. The children also receive presents on special occasions. These community-building times of sharing are incredible moments to express appreciation for each person. Every gathering is a unique opportunity to share about the love of God.

The Gailans worship the Lord with other believers too. Pavel preaches at two churches every Sunday. Marina also meets with Slavic women and some children approximately three Sundays a month.

Meeting people where they are and addressing their needs with God’s love creates bonding and trust.

Sharon K. Williams

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

Mosaic values two-way communication and encourages our constituents to respond with feedback, questions, or encouragement. To share your thoughts or send a message to the author(s), contact us at communication@mosaicmennonites.org.