Mosaic Mennonites

Missional - Intercultural - Formational

Articles

Following Jesus Means Becoming Intercultural

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by Sharon K. Williams

Editor’s Note: Faith and Life Gatherings are designated meetings for credentialed and retired leaders in Mosaic Mennonite Conference to study scripture together and build relationships across the conference. The next Faith and Life Gathering will take place on September 25 and will focus on another of Mosaic’s priorities.  

Mosaic Conference’s Faith & Life team recently invited credentialed pastors and leaders to reflect on our intercultural priority (Mosaic’s two other priorities are being formational and missional).  

We reflected on Jesus’ encounter with the Syrophoenician mother (Matthew 15:21–28). We noted Jesus’ willingness to playfully engage with this Gentile woman who stood strong in her faith—that she and her people could access the same blessings from God as the Jewish believers. Jesus even affirmed her in flipping the script with her bold sassiness! We marveled at the transformation that happened for them both because of their willingness to stay engaged with each other.   

We also reflected on Paul’s teaching that “there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, because the same Lord is Lord of all, who gives richly to all who call on him” (Romans 10:12). This biblical affirmation is well known, but what challenges does it hold for us today?   

As we examined the scriptures, reflected on our ministry experiences, and prayed together, we noted the following: 

  • Culture is a way of life shared by a group of people who are bound together by ethnicity, food, values, religion or theology, politics, and many other aspects. A deeper dive into a perceived culture often reveals diversity within a culture.   
  • In the past, as Franconia Conference and Eastern District embraced their missional calling, we had to start learning how to minister across cultures.  
  • Being intercultural is different from being multicultural. We need to be aware of and respect the values that people of other cultures hold. We can recognize our culture and others’ cultures without judgment, by giving and receiving, and experiencing mutual transformation.  
  • God works through intercultural encounters to shape us and our communities. An important part of intercultural ministry and relationships is to not minimize differences between cultures but to curiously embrace the differences and be open to the transformation that can happen. 
  • Being intercultural takes work. We must seek ways to develop curiosity about other cultures as we build relationships. Then we will recognize the image of God in ourselves and others.  
  • Being intercultural includes doing the long-term, hard work of being antiracist. We must learn to recognize systemic racism and its dynamics and work together to create different ways of ministering together and respecting others. It requires commitment to stay in the struggle. 
  • Being intercultural requires the daily practice of empathy, humility, and flexibility. 

The group curiously raised these questions: What is the vision for the conference’s intercultural priority? What are our expectations? How can this priority strengthen our conference and beyond? 

Love like Jesus, preach the character of Jesus—and be transformed. 

What can we do? Loving like Jesus transforms our relationships with him and others. Preaching the character of Jesus can help us move beyond our propensity to be difficult or stuck in our ways. Like the Syrophoenician mother, people are looking for authentic transformation and healing and will cross cultural boundaries when they find it.  

We need to lean into the character of Jesus, set aside our norms, and look for the transformation. Sometimes we miss it because we operate by our blind spots. What draws our attention and what might we be missing? We must preach Jesus and be as caring and loving as him so we can recognize what is happening. We must be willing to hear and acknowledge each other and their truth.  

Intercultural transformation is a mystery, and it is beautiful! Let us press forward to learn together and receive what God has for us. 

Recommended resource

The New Testament in Color: A Multiethic Bible Commentary, edited by Amy L. B. Peeler, et al, InterVarsity Press, 2024.  

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 contact the author(s) of this article, please email communication@mosaicmennonites.org.

Hispanic Mennonite Church Cancels In-Person 2025 Biennial Meeting

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The Hispanic Mennonite Church will hold a virtual 2025 Mennonite Biennial Assembly on August 30, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

by Adriana Celis for MenoTicias, translated and reprinted with permission.

In 2025, the Hispanic communities that make up the Mennonite Church in the United States are facing a profoundly challenging reality due to the tightening of immigration policies under the current administration. These policies have created an atmosphere of fear and vulnerability that directly affects congregations. This tense climate has not only led to a decrease in attendance at services, but it has also had a devastating emotional, spiritual, and economic impact—especially on families with children. 

Churches now face an ethical and pastoral dilemma: how can they continue being spaces of welcome and refuge without exposing their people to harm? Some congregations have moved their services online, sacrificing the warmth of in-person fellowship in order to protect their members.  

However, they have discovered that necessity fosters creativity: new forms of care, solidarity, and accompaniment are emerging. This crisis has awakened a stronger spirit of collaboration, crossing denominational and cultural boundaries, and reinforcing the conviction that caring for immigrants is a central calling of the Gospel.  

MenoTicias had the opportunity to speak with Pastor Sergio Nava, part of the pastoral team at Resplandece Church (Pembroke Pines, FL, Colombia, and hybrid), who shared some of the challenges they are currently facing. 

The 2025 Biennial: Discerning Wisely and Acting with Love 

Precisely because of this context, the 2025 Mennonite Biennial Assembly takes on a special significance. This event, held every two years, brings families of faith together to share, learn, make key decisions, and renew their commitment to God’s mission. 

Now more than ever, faith communities need a space to gather. However, after deep pastoral discernment and considering current risks—raids, unrest, surveillance—the Executive Board decided to postpone the in-person gathering that was to be held in Dallas, TX. Instead, they will hold a virtual Biennial on August 30, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (Eastern Time), with a one-hour break. 

Far from being discouraged, they believe that virtual gatherings do not limit the Spirit’s movement. They hope this Assembly will be a profound space for prayer, formation, and renewal of Hispanic leadership. They are not victims of the system; they are sons and daughters of the King, called to plant the Kingdom of God with creativity, courage, and faith—regardless of the format. 

What Do We Need to Learn… and Unlearn? 

Nava shares that this moment is also an opportunity to question their dependencies, rethink strategies, and trust more radically in the God who sustains them. They need to unlearn the idea that their success depends solely on others. It is time to cultivate a spirituality that renews hope and pushes them to bear one another’s burdens, as taught in Galatians 6:2. 

They also need to unlearn discouragement. While they are facing complex theological and social challenges, they cannot fall into resignation. It is necessary to return to the Word, to the voice of God, which remains a sure guide in uncertain times. 

Why Participate? Because It’s Our Home, Our Voice, Our Mission 

Nava says the invitation to every individual, congregation, and leader in the Hispanic Mennonite Church to register (stay tuned for new information and login link) and actively participate in the 2025 Biennial is not just about sharing information. It’s about influencing decisions, strengthening networks, praying together, and discerning the next steps with clarity. 

On a personal level, Pastor Nava says the Assembly renews spiritual encouragement. On a congregational level, it strengthens their bonds and mission. On a denominational level, it ensures the prophetic voice of Latino communities is heard and contributes to building a more diverse, compassionate, and faithful Church—true to the message of Jesus. 

This is a time to remember, to lift our eyes, and to move forward—trusting that the God of justice and mercy continues to walk with us. 

Adriana Celis

Accompanying in Fear: A Reflection on Love and Action in a Time of Uncertainty

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by Sandra Montes-Martinez, Western District Associate Conference Minister

Editor’s Note: This reflection was first published on sister Conference Western District’s website and has been reprinted with permission.  

The day I accompanied a friend to an ICE check-in appointment, fear was thick in the air. There was silence where there is usually conversation. Tension replaced the joy that often fills gatherings. The family moved slowly, every step toward the building weighed down by questions no one could answer. What would happen today? Would they walk out together? 

I went to support my friend, but I carried my own fears too. Even with legal status, I did not feel safe. The unfamiliarity of the process, the guarded government building, and the sense that anything could change in an instant left me anxious. I knew I was there to offer strength, but I also knew that my presence was not immune to the heaviness of the moment. 

We stood together because that’s what love does. That’s what community means. We pray together, we wait together, and when fear tries to isolate us, we choose solidarity. There was no guarantee of the outcome—only the assurance that no one would walk alone. 

As we waited, I found myself returning to the teachings of Jesus, especially his words in Matthew 25: 

“I was a stranger and you welcomed me… I was in prison and you visited me.” 

Jesus does not call his disciples to comfort or convenience. He calls us to proximity, to courage, and to compassion that moves us beyond the boundaries of our safety and into the reality of others’ suffering. This moment at ICE was not a distant political issue—it was a lived, human experience of fear, dignity, and faith. 

Our faith has long emphasized radical discipleship. At its core is the belief that following Jesus is not merely about believing in him—it’s about embodying his love in the world. Those before us understood this as they resisted the establishment, rejected violence, and stood with the persecuted even when it cost them everything. 

In today’s world, we are again called to witness—especially in the face of immigration systems and the war that dehumanizes and traumatizes. We cannot be neutral in systems that oppress. Accompaniment is not only an act of friendship; it is an act of faith. It is how we say: You are not invisible. You are not alone. God sees you, and so do we. 

As Anabaptist churches and leaders, this is the moment to embody the Gospel in concrete ways. Not with grand gestures, but with presence. With hospitality. With advocacy. With courage. 

What Can the Church Do? 

  • Show Up: Accompany people to immigration appointments or court hearings. Your presence is powerful. 
  • Educate the Congregation: Offer forums or workshops on immigrant rights and how to support families navigating the system. 
  • Preach the Gospel of Hospitality: Remind your church regularly that Jesus calls us to welcome the stranger—not just in words, but in action. 
  • Support Local Immigrant Ministries: Collaborate with organizations and ministries that serve immigrant communities. Share resources and listen to what they need. 
  • Pray—and Act: Prayer is vital, but it must move us to action. Let your church’s prayers be the fuel that leads to tangible support and sustained presence.  

The story of Jesus is the story of God drawing near to humanity in our fear and vulnerability. To follow him is to do the same. When we accompany others in their most uncertain moments, we are not just helping them—we are being transformed ourselves. 

In a world that tries to separate, detain, and deport, we bear witness to a greater truth: that perfect love casts out fear. And that love, when lived faithfully, may just be the most powerful form of resistance. 

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

The Spiritual Nature of Financial Decisions

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by Josh Meyer, Financial Representative for Everence

Note: a version of this post first appeared on Josh’s “Faithful Finance” website. To read the original column and for free access to additional articles, visit FaithfulFinance.substack.com. 

Money touches nearly every part of our lives—how we live, what we prioritize, what we worry about, and what we hope for. But too often, we treat finances like a separate category—over here on the “practical” side of life—while keeping faith on the “spiritual” side. 

That divide is artificial. And unhelpful. Because every financial decision we make is also a spiritual one. Jesus said it best: “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” — Matthew 6:21 

He wasn’t saying, “Don’t have treasure.” He was saying, “Pay attention to what your treasure reveals about your heart.” 

The Spiritual Nature of Financial Decisions 

Let’s start with a basic but bold claim: Money is spiritual. Not because it’s holy in itself—but because it shapes what we love, how we trust, and what we fear. That means how we handle money isn’t just a practical matter—it’s a discipleship issue. 

Here’s what I’ve learned, both as a pastor and now as a financial advisor: 

  • People don’t just want strategies. They want peace. 
  • They don’t just want to be “better with money.” They want to feel like their money means something. 
  • They want freedom—from fear, from pressure, from shame—and to feel like they’re living with purpose. 

Sound familiar? 

These are spiritual longings. And we bring them into every budget, every investment, every giving decision—whether we know it or not. 

Reframing the Way We See Money 

So, what if we stopped asking: 

  • “Am I making enough?” 
  • “Am I spending too much?” 
  • “Am I saving the right way?” 

…and started asking: 

  • “Does the way I use money reflect what I truly value?” 
  • “Am I trusting God in how I earn, save, give, and spend?” 
  • “Does my financial life support the kind of person I believe I’m called to be?” 

When we shift the questions, we shift the outcomes. 

A Simple Starting Point 

This week, I invite you to reflect on one question:  

Where do my financial decisions and my faith most clearly align—and where do they feel disconnected? 

Be honest. This isn’t about guilt; this is about awareness.  You don’t need to have it all figured out. You just need to start paying attention to what your financial life is saying—and whether that story matches the one you want to live. 

What’s Next 

Over the next few weeks, we’ll keep digging into this theme: 

  • How faith convictions shape economic life 
  • What Jesus teaches about money and the Kingdom of God 
  • How to move from separation to integration, with real-world examples 

Then throughout the year, we’ll explore a range of topics related to faith and finance.  Each monthly theme will unfold in 4 weekly posts that offer biblical insights, real-world stories, practical tools, and actionable steps.   

Here’s an overview of where we’re headed. 

Jul –  Why Faith and Finances Belong Together 
Aug – Stewardship Over Ownership 
Sep – Simplicity in a Culture of Excess 
Oct – Investing as Discipleship 
Nov –  Earning with Integrity 
Dec –  Giving as Resistance and Renewal 
Jan – Debt, Freedom, and Trust 
Feb – Mutual Aid in Modern Times 
Mar – Creation Care and the Economy 
Apr – Justice and Global Economics 
May – Faith & Finances in Family Life 
June – A Vision for the Long Haul 

Want to Join the Journey? 

You don’t have to read every post. But if you want to think more clearly, live more freely, and give more generously,  

I’d love to walk with you. 

Let’s build a financial life that reflects the Kingdom. Not just one that works. One that witnesses. 

Josh Meyer

Joshua Meyer is a Financial Representative in the Souderton, Pennsylvania office and combines his deep faith background with helping churches and individuals combine their faith with financial decisions. 

Josh was most recently Pastor of Preaching and Discipleship at Franconia Mennonite Church for 11 years. He serves as Leadership Minister with Mosaic Mennonite Conference, providing accompaniment to four congregations. Josh is also an adjunct professor at Eastern University in the Communication Department. He serves on the Board of Directors for Living Branches and at Dock Mennonite Academy.

Summer Board and Delegate Conversations Shape Mosaic’s Future with MC USA

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Amid tension and trust, around 100 delegates and leaders from across Mosaic Mennonite Conference gathered in June and July for board and delegate conversations. With Mosaic’s relationship to Mennonite Church USA (MC USA) at a crossroads, these meetings served as a space for prayerful dialogue, two-way communication, and opportunities to give and receive counsel about next steps.  

A snapshot from one of the Zoom gatherings

The sessions focused on providing a historical overview of the communication between Mosaic Conference and MC USA and an invitation for feedback. The meetings opened with prayer and a devotional on Ephesians 4:1-6. Board members then provided, in most meetings, a summary chronology of communications over the last three years, including the letter to the MC USA Executive Board that Mosaic Conference moderators sent in 2022, expressing concerns that had arisen since the reconciliation of the Franconia and Eastern District conferences in 2019 as well as more recent concerns about the MC USA special delegate session in 2022. The letter announced the start of the two-year Pathway Process, affirmed at the November 2022 Mosaic Delegate Assembly.  

For two nearly two years, the Pathway Steering Team listened to the depth and breadth of Conference members and partners, discerned, and worked to develop a five-year strategic plan for Mosaic Conference. In August 2024, the Pathway Steering Team made their recommendation of “a pathway forward of partnership (rather than membership) and collaboration” with MC USA, which received 71% affirmation by the delegates at the 2024 Mosaic Delegate Assembly.  

In 2025, the board has been tasked with carrying out this recommendation with MC USA. In February, the Mosaic board proposed that Mosaic Conference become a program entity of MC USA (a designation already in MC USA’s bylaws) to facilitate ministry partnership. At MC USA’s request, the Mosaic board responded to four questions in writing in April, which directly name the challenges that Mosaic Conference has faced with MC USA. 

In May, MC USA’s executive board unanimously voted to deny Mosaic’s proposal to become a program entity of MC USA, and later that month, the Mosaic board declined the board-to-board mediation process offered by MC USA at this time.  

Following this update, most meetings included a time of silence, prayer, and agreement to respectful communication guidelines. Participants were invited to ask questions, and then to share counsel with the board. 

“In our delegate listening sessions, I deeply valued the time to grieve and be frustrated together around difficulties with MC USA while simultaneously being grateful for the meaningful relationships within Mosaic and excitement for our witness together in the future,” shared Conference Moderator Angela Moyer Walter. “We are listening more deeply to one another, seeking understanding rather than uniformity, and trusting God to direct our path.” 

Amongst the four June/July board and delegate conversations offered in three languages, the questions and the counsel were varied. Here are some examples, which include both direct quotes and summaries of questions and themes that emerged from the counsel:  

  • Affirmation for Mosaic’s leadership, and sorrow for the pain caused by this process. 
  • A call to ensure that Mosaic’s vision, mission, and priorities remain central and are not diminished by devoting extensive energy to this process. One participant cautioned: “Don’t allow “Mosaic’s wings to get clipped.”
  • Recognition that the unanimous vote to reject Mosaic’s proposal feels significant.  
  • A question of whether “there is any space with MC USA for mutual, respectful conversation about the ‘rules of engagement’?”
  • Noted parallels between some Mosaic congregations seeking structural change for the full inclusion of LGBTQ persons, and Mosaic’s desire for structural change within MC USA. 
  • Acknowledgment that theological differences—particularly around the welcome of LGBTQ persons—must be addressed in environments of high trust, empathy, and care. 
  • Expressions of deep frustration and alienation from MC USA among some participants, along with a desire to disengage. 
  • Immigrant congregations noting that we do not have the same privileges as other congregations that have already left Mosaic due to frustrations with MC USA. 
  • A belief that outside of MC USA, Mosaic will attract more congregations and be better positioned as a partner. 
  • A suggestion to slow the process with a “holy pause” to allow for additional discernment. 
  • A request for the Delegate Assembly to offer more time for discernment earlier in the day. 
  • Questions about how Mosaic leaders can be better supported in advocating for structural change within MC USA. 
  • A desire for clearer communication of the process’s complexity, with an emphasis on increasing understanding and capacity for ambiguity among congregants. 
  • Curiosity about what would be required to pursue mediation as a future option. 

The meetings closed with a request of prayer for the board as they discern the next faithful steps for Mosaic Mennonite Conference. The next Mosaic board meeting will take place on August 2, and the Fall Delegate Assembly will take place on November 1.  

“We appreciate the investment by our delegates in Mosaic and concerns, though varied, about our relationship with Mennonite Church USA,” shared Executive Minister Stephen Kriss. “The board will need to continue to work diligently to discern what recommendations and postures the delegates will discuss in November.”  

Kriss continued, “What is increasingly important to me within Mosaic is that we hear the variety of concerns, and that we maintain our clarity of focus on our own vision and mission while responding empathetically to one another. I am drawn back to the idea of extending Chesed, which we considered in 2022 at our first in-person gathering.  While the Spirit holds our diversity together with the tensions that emerge from within and beyond us, we remain people committed to extending God’s grace, justice and peace.” 

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 Conference Attendees Reflect on the 2025 MC USA Convention

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Around 100 delegates, youth, and attendees from around a dozen Mosaic Mennonite Conference congregations participated in the biennial convention Mennonite Church USA (MC USA), Follow Jesus ‘25, held July 8-12 in Greensboro, North Carolina.  

The delegate assembly was held on July 11, where delegates discussed and voted on resolutions including an updated Churchwide Statement on Immigration, a Prevention and Accountability Resolution; bylaw changes that move the Mennonite Education Agency into the structure of MC USA under the executive board, and give the MC USA Executive Board the authority to recommend the termination of executive directors of churchwide agencies; and a slate of nominees for the Executive Board. All of these proposals were approved by the delegates. MC USA also announced the start of a process of “reimagining the church”, with outcomes to be brought to the 2027 delegate assembly.  

Beyond the business decisions, Mosaic participants emphasized how the week offered spiritual nourishment and connection, as well as lament and absence.  

A group of 42 youth and adults from Deep Run East (Perkasie, PA), Salford (PA) Mennonite, Whitehall (PA) Mennonite, and Zion Mennonite (Souderton, PA) traveled together, stopping for fun and a tour of Eastern Mennonite University on the way. Photos by Andrew Zetts and Missy Camilleri.  

“For the first time, it felt somewhat like a family reunion,” shared Calenthia Dowdy, Interim Executive Director and Trainer for Roots of Justice and member at Ambler (PA) Mennonite, who attended representing ROJ among other anti-oppression groups. “The Women in Leadership Beholding It Together summit was a holy time of sharing space with women from many backgrounds, and throughout the week ROJ was affirmed by many attendees for our early resistor work.” 

Brenda Shelly of Blooming Glen (PA) Mennonite found rest and rejuvenation: “This was my sixth convention, and more than any other year, I appreciated the spirit of togetherness. Toddlers and senior saints worshipped side by side, tackling difficult topics and singing as one body.” 

Cindy Angela, Director of Communication for Mosaic and a pastoral team member at Philadelphia (PA) Praise Center, spoke of the value of connecting with other area conferences. “Mutual transformation happens when we listen to each other,” she said. “Hearing from different perspectives and connecting with Mosaic members in a new context was impactful.” 

“My experience at the Mennonite Church USA Convention was deeply refreshing—spiritually, emotionally, and relationally,” shared Mosaic Leadership Minister Marco Güete. “But I also noticed the absence of many racially and culturally diverse participants. Compared to previous conventions, the gathering felt less representative of the diversity and richness of our church.”  

The 2025 Delegate Assembly was held on Friday, July 11

That absence was palpable for other leaders, too. Mosaic Executive Minister Stephen Kriss shared, “While I always enjoy renewing relationships with colleagues from across the Mennonite world, I was aware of who was missing from Mosaic in this gathering and felt the awkwardness of being in the space in a difficult time in our relatedness with Mennonite Church USA.”  

He continued, “The vibrant BIPOC presence from Mosaic communities was noticeably absent along with representation from some of our largest congregations. There were no delegates from our Florida or California communities.”  

Mosaic Conference sent only half of its normal conference-level delegation. 

“I felt God’s Spirit with me as I listened to people share their truths with me and responded with compassion and understanding to their stories of pain and mistrust over denominational decisions,” shared Mosaic Executive Committee member Maati Yvonne. “In terms of the seminars, the ones on peacemaking felt particularly insightful to bring back to my home congregation.” 

Others also returned home with new ideas and energy for their communities. Brent Camilleri, Associate Pastor at Deep Run East (Perkasie, PA) Mennonite, shared how their youth are now energized to form a Creation Care group. “Pastor Leslie McLendon’s message in the final worship–‘the scroll is still open’–challenged us to continue proclaiming the good news.”  


With over 120 seminars offered throughout the event, attendees engage in 60-minute sessions covering a wide range of topics and interests.

For Josh Landis of Zion Mennonite (Souderton, PA), the worship services, seminars, shared meals, and fellowship offered a persistent theme: “We’re at a pivotal time. The church can no longer be ‘the quiet in the land’ or comfortably lukewarm. We are called to clarity—to align not with the powerful, but with the gospel of Jesus in Luke 4.” 

“One highlight was the dinner hosted by Mosaic Conference for its participants. It was very well received and provided a wonderful space for fellowship and relaxation. Many appreciated the opportunity to share stories, laugh together, and strengthen relationships in an informal, welcoming setting.” – Marco Güete 

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.         

Remembering Bob Walters, Founder of Whitehall (PA) Mennonite 

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Robert G. Walters
December 14, 1927 -June 2, 2025

As a young husband and father, Bob Walters purchased a farm near Kintnersville, PA but after several years was asked to become the pastor of Steel City Mennonite Church (Bethlehem, PA) and later served as interim of Line Lexington (PA) Mennonite (both were Franconia Conference congregations at the time). Walters felt called to plant a new church and founded Whitehall (PA) Mennonite in 1988. A Celebration of Life was held on June 11, 2025, at Steel City Mennonite. Read more from Walters’ obituary.   

Bob Walters, who was raised in the Methodist tradition and became Mennonite through relationships, saying “if there was any reason that we became Mennonites, it’s because we felt loved.” He served as Conference Moderator beginning in 1982 (drawn from Franconia Conference News article by Luke Martin, Jan. 1982, courtesy of the Mennonite Heritage Center). The article stated, “I believe Bob is God’s gift to us for the 1980s.”  

Whitehall Mennonite began because of the vision God gave to Bob Walters. When he was out sailing, he felt called to plant a Mennonite church in the Lehigh Valley. Walters’ unrelenting passion and endless love helped create a place for those who were weary from life, giving them a place to belong and to hear the good news of the gospel. Despite support from other Franconia Conference churches, forming this new fellowship was a challenge and several times they almost gave up. They met in a variety of locations until they finally found their home at 4138 Wilson Street in Whitehall (from the Whitehall Mennonite church website) 

Sharing more about the challenges of those early years, Joel Horst Nofziger, Director of the Mennonite Heritage Center (Harleysville, PA) shared the following during a sermon at Whitehall Mennonite in October 2024:  

When Whitehall Mennonite was to be opened, a poster was distributed in the community that proclaimed the congregation “a place of new beginnings.” I want to take a moment here to reflect on one of the beginnings of this congregation. In 1989, church planter and pastor Bob Walters had a vision for Lehigh County while on his sailboat in the Bahamas. There, outside of Nassau, Bob was dreaming of Whitehall. This grew into the desire to start a church, urged on by the story of the lepers found in II Kings 7.  

Jerusalem was under siege by the armies of Samaria. But the Lord delivers the people and scatters the army. Salvation was discovered by four lepers who sat at the entrance to the gate. They entered the camps and discovered the attackers had fled. It was these people on the margins who brought news of salvation to the people. Bob and his wife Emily felt that now was the time to move and, like the lepers, begin a new testimony to God’s salvation.  

In conversation with friends, a vision began to emerge: “Whitehall: a member of the master’s family,” reads the early vision. The road was not easy. Early minutes of the church planting committee are somber and often downcast.  

In the notes of June 12, 1991, two days before the conference recommended closing the congregation, the situation is clearly stated: “Options do not abound.” Nevertheless, the minutes continue, with the next month reporting forty-five attendees, twenty-three more than average. 

Here we stand, thirty-five years later. Options may not abound, but the grace and power of the Lord surely does. Truly, it is a community that transcends boundaries of nationality, race, class, gender, and language. Taking the opportunity to look back to those beginnings, how is Whitehall Mennonite Church called to serve the master today? 

We honor the legacy of Walters and his life of faithfulness which has shaped who Mosaic Conference has become today. 

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.       

Anabaptism at 500: What Anabaptism Means to Me – July 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

Melkysedek (Melky) Tirtasaputra, Whitehall (PA) Mennonite

“But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.”- Romans 8:9  

This verse is painfully clear—something I cannot soften: without the Spirit of Christ, I do not belong to Him. 

That truth should sober me and also free me. It removes all illusion that the Christian life can be lived in my own strength or through cultural identity. It forces me to face this question: 

“Is the Spirit of Christ truly dwelling in me?” 

This was the burning center of the Anabaptist soul. 

They lived in a time of lifeless Christianity—religion without transformation, sacraments without surrender, baptisms without the Spirit. And they said no. Not with rebellion, but with holy hunger. 

They believed Romans 8:9 was not poetry. It was a “dividing line.” 

To be “Christian” meant more than confession. It meant possession: “being wholly possessed by the Spirit of Christ”. 

They didn’t die for theological debates. They died because they refused to pretend. 

They couldn’t walk in the flesh and claim to be alive in the Spirit. 

They longed for a church filled with those who had truly died to self— who had risen again, not just into new ideas, but into a new nature. 

Today, I am invited into that same radical simplicity: 

No Spirit, no Christ. No surrender, no life. No cross, no resurrection. 

This reflection cuts deeply:  

Where am I still living in the flesh—making choices rooted in fear, pride, or self-preservation? 

Where have I mistaken busyness for obedience, and religious memory for present surrender? 

Do I bear the fragrance of Christ—or only the vocabulary? 

The Anabaptists remind me that baptism in water means nothing without baptism in fire. 

And that to belong to Christ means to be shaped daily by His Spirit, until even my silence speaks of Him. 

May I not just carry the name of Jesus, but be carried by His Spirit, moment by moment. 

And when the world looks for Christ, may they not need to search far— 

because He lives and walks and speaks through me. 

Submission from

Javier Márquez, Associate for Communication and Community Engagement for Colombia 

Esta reflexión es un extracto de una más extensa, que puedes leer aquí. 
This reflection is excerpted from a longer one, which you can read here.

No soy anabautista desde mi nacimiento, más bien, me encontré con esta extraña manera de comprender la fe en el Señor y de vivir la iglesia, en el lugar menos pensado. Fue en una pequeña iglesia que se sostenía en la esquina de una de las cuadras más humildes del barrio donde crecí, y sin saberlo, en este lugar cotidiano y físicamente poco destacable, se anidaba una pequeña comunidad en donde realizaban servicios durante los viernes en horas de la tarde y no en los domingos -extraño-, sin embargo, a diario cumplían un servicio comunitario a través de un comedor donde llegaban a comer los niños más pobres de la comunidad.  

Puede que suene irónico, pero esa sencillez tan contundente fue la que me convenció, porque allí no me encontré con un gran discurso ni mucho menos con una doctrina reveladora, aunque eso sucedería después, únicamente me encontré con la transparencia que tanto venía buscando. 

Pienso -en ocasiones, deseo sobre todo- que el anabautismo significa poder encontrarnos con nosotros mismos a la par de que Dios viene a nuestro encuentro. Básicamente, la historia fundacional de nuestra fe se basa en que Dios vino a nuestro encuentro hace 2000 años y esto tiene mucho que decirnos y que significar. Y al dar la bienvenida a este encuentro, es claro que nuestra fe se convierte en un diálogo entre todo lo que nos hace lo que somos: nuestra familia, nuestra educación, el lugar del mundo donde nacimos, el momento de la historia en que vivimos, la sociedad en la que hacemos parte… y el Reino de Dios. 

English Translation:

I was not born into the Anabaptist tradition. Rather, I encountered this strange way of understanding faith in the Lord and living out church life in the most unexpected place. It happened in a small church located on the corner of one of the most humble blocks in the neighborhood where I grew up. In this ordinary and physically unremarkable place, there was a small community holding services on Friday afternoons instead of Sundays—strange indeed. However, every day they ran a community kitchen where the poorest children from the area came to eat. 

It might sound ironic, but it was that very simplicity—so striking in its honesty—that convinced me. There were no grand sermons or revelatory doctrines—though those would come later. What I found instead was the transparency I had been seeking for so long. 

I believe—and often hope most of all—that Anabaptism means the chance to encounter ourselves just as God comes to meet us. At its core, the foundational story of our faith is that God came to meet us 2,000 years ago—and that still speaks to us and holds deep meaning. 

And in welcoming that encounter, it becomes clear that our faith turns into a dialogue between everything that makes us who we are—our families, our education, where in the world we were born, the moment in history we live in, the society we are part of… and the Kingdom of God. 

Submission from

Pastor Eszter Bjorkman, Neffsville (PA) Mennonite 

I didn’t grow up in a Mennonite church, but I was raised as a missionary kid by Anabaptist parents. They raised me with the values of this tradition, and I thought those were what every Christian believed. It wasn’t until I learned about Anabaptism later that I realized this is the faith tradition to which I belong. Its values have shaped what I understand Christianity to be, and who I am today as a pastor and as a Child of God.

I love that I don’t need anything but the Bible and the Holy Spirit to be a Christian. This simplicity in both my spiritual and material life has stayed with me. I’ve also always been a pacifist. This value of another’s life before my own informs how I treat those around me and has taught me the duty to spread God’s love through authentic relationships. Lastly, I remain committed to the body of Christ, made up of those who have willingly chosen to give their lives to Jesus. To me, being a Christian means believing and living into these things. With God’s help, I will keep Christ and these values at the center of my life. 

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.