Mosaic Mennonites

Missional - Intercultural - Formational

Articles

Mary Jane Hershey: Stewarding History as an Act of Justice

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by Eileen Kinch

Mary Jane Lederach Hershey’s interest in history runs deep. She was born in Trooper, PA, and grew up with a library and an archive in her house. Jacob Mensch, Hershey’s great-grandfather, collected books from previous generations. When his son Abe Mensch came to live with Mary Jane and her parents, who were workers at the Mennonite Gospel Mission in Norristown, so did the books.

Many visitors would stop by Hershey’s childhood home in Trooper, and later when her family moved to Lederach, PA, to view the books. These volumes were also storage spaces for fraktur. Her mother would open the books and handle the unique fraktur pages very carefully. “From my teenage years I knew that fraktur was really special, and was important to this community,” Hershey said. 

Fraktur is a folk art form with European roots that Pennsylvania Germans created between 1740 and 1860. It features hand lettering in a German script and is characterized by decorative motifs, such as flowers and birds, as well as special calligraphy. Pennsylvania German Lutherans and Reformed used fraktur to make birth and baptismal certificates. Since Pennsylvania German Mennonites did not practice infant baptism, they created fraktur in educational settings. Christopher Dock, a schoolteacher who taught in Skippack and Salford, often rewarded his students with a special fraktur. Students also made fraktur to practice penmanship, a practice that continues today in some Mennonite schools. 

Mary Jane Lederach Hershey was the first director of the Mennonite Heritage Center. Her book on fraktur was published in 2003. Photo provided by Eileen Kinch.

In the 1960s and 1970s, many Mennonites in southeastern Pennsylvania sold their farms. Often family treasures, such as fraktur, were put up for sale at estate auctions. Hershey was troubled when she saw non-Mennonite antiques dealers and shops purchasing these items, so she and her husband, Hiram Hershey, began to buy as much fraktur as they could. She tried to become involved with the Franconia Mennonite Historical Society, but the group, which consisted entirely of men, did not know how to welcome her. 

Wanting a Mennonite historical organization that was more inclusive, Hershey and others started their own in 1974. Hershey served as the first director of Mennonite Historians of Eastern Pennsylvania (MHEP). She wrote regular reports in the organization’s newsletter, often listing acquisitions and donors. “Our heritage is not a bondage, but is a beautiful gift from God from which we can learn,” she wrote in 1976. Hershey later served on the board of MHEP and now serves as a volunteer in the library and archives. 

“The theme of my life is to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God,” Hershey said. Creating a historical organization that was open to women was a justice issue. So was finding a place for Mennonite family treasures that were being dispersed. Instead of selling or giving their history away, Mennonites should be collecting and interpreting it. A member of Salford Mennonite Church (Harleysville, PA), Hershey’s desire for justice has also led her to take part in other protests and demonstrations. 

This 1768 fraktur was donated by Mary Jane Hershey to the Mennonite Heritage Center. The fraktur was probably made in the Salford school. Photo provided by Mennonite Heritage Center.

Hershey published This Teaching I Present in 2003, a book that she had been working on for many years. This Teaching I Present focuses on fraktur created specifically in the Skippack and Salford meetinghouse schools. Hershey also has an interest in textiles and wrote her master’s thesis on dress in Franconia Conference. The thesis, her journal articles, and her book on fraktur are all available in the library at the Mennonite Heritage Center (Harleysville, PA). The Mennonite Heritage Center archives also houses the books and papers collected by Hershey’s great-grandfather, Jacob Mensch. Her family’s careful stewarding of Mennonite heritage shaped the course of Hershey’s work. Her love of heritage can now shape ours. 

Eileen Kinch

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

Board reorganizes, sets budget and affirms new positions at January meeting

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BOARD UPDATES

Mosaic Conference Board met on January 30 in a hybrid session with members joining from the Lansdale (PA) offices as well as on Zoom from Vermont, Florida and California. The first meeting of the new year often includes some elements of reorganization. The board meets on a bi-monthly basis usually in a hybrid format with some members on Zoom while others are present together. 

This was the first board meeting for Emmanuel Mwaipopo from Nueva Vida Norristown New Life congregation, who now serves as the Intercultural Committee chairperson. Angela Moyer Walter (Ripple congregation, Allentown, PA) began her term as moderator following Ken Burkholder’s term (Souderton congregation). Roy Williams (College Hill congregation, Tampa, FL) moved from his role as intercultural committee chair to assistant moderator. Moyer Walter and Williams were both affirmed in their roles at the Mosaic Annual Assembly in November 2022.   

The board affirmed the addition of Rose Bender Cook from Whitehall congregation in Allentown, PA to the Ministerial Committee. 

The board approved a budget of over $1.084 million for 2023-24, balancing increased contributions from properties, partners, and individual donors with decreased congregational giving. Staff adjustments include increased time for the pathway process and for Spanish language capacity, along with young adult leadership formation initiatives. This represents a slight increase from the $1.070 million budgeted for 2022-23.

The board acknowledged the decision of Mennonite Bible Fellowship of Morris, PA to suspend membership in Mennonite Church USA while remaining a full member of Mosaic Conference. 

Mosaic Annual Assembly was set for November 4, 2023, at Souderton (PA) Mennonite Church.  More details will be available soon, including theme and speaker for our annual gathering time together.   

The next board meeting is set for March 20, 2023. 

What Really Matters

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by Margaret Zook

What does the Lord require of you? 

We could use more of Mr. Rogers in this world. “It’s not so much what we have in this life that matters,” he said. “It’s what we do with what we have. The alphabet is fine, but it’s what we do with it that matters more. Making words like friend and love. That’s what really matters.” 

Here is an example from a story that may be familiar to us. One evening, a boy on a beach was picking up starfish and flinging them into the sea. A passerby asked, “Why do you do this?” 

“The starfish would die if left until the morning sun,” the boy said. 

“But the beach is miles long, and there are millions of starfish. How can your efforts make any difference?” 

“It makes a difference to this one.” And the boy threw the next starfish into the sea—far beyond the breaking point of the waves. 

In Micah 6:8, we learn what God requires of us: He has told you, human one, what is good and what the Lord requires from you: to do justice, embrace faithful love, and walk humbly with your God. 

Walking humbly with God is knowing that we may not have very much. Embracing faithful love is doing our best with what we have, even if it is only one starfish at a time. 

Find the courage to choose what really matters. The Love of God transcends and transforms what the world imposes. 

Let’s imagine at the same beach, a group was throwing starfish back into the sea. “Why do you do this?” asked a puzzled beach walker. 

“Because we’re a faith-based, not-for-profit organization. Our mission is to do as Jesus did,” the group said. 

“But surely you have some requirements of these starfish. Maybe they need to believe the same as you. Do they need to pay you? Must they go to your church?” 

“If you are a starfish on this beach, the only question we ask is, can we help you?” And the group threw the next starfish carefully back into the sea. 

Find the courage to love and do as Jesus did. 

This is the story of Mosaic Conference Related Ministries. It is a story of groups who looked around them, saw a need, and transformed their communities with hope, health, healing, education, and places of safety. Praise be to the Lord. A complete list of Conference Related Ministries and their stories can be found here. 

The love of God transcends and transforms, and transformed people transform the world. 

Margaret Zook

Margaret Zook is the Director of Collaborative Ministries for Mosaic Conference. She and husband, Wib, are members of Salford Mennonite Church and live in Harleysville, PA.

Pathway Steering Team and Consulting Firm Announced

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As part of the Pathway Process that was affirmed by a majority of delegates at the November 2022 Assembly, the Mosaic Board continues to move ahead with the plan the Board developed following Assembly, including naming the Pathway Steering Team.  

The proposed process included naming a Pathway Steering Team made up of 6-12 members, including a mix of Board, staff, and Mosaic Conference members who bring a strong commitment to Mosaic’s missional, formational, and intercultural priorities and our shared vision.  Nominations were invited and gathered from across the Conference in December and January.  

The Mosaic Board has affirmed the following Pathway Steering Team members: 

  • Aldo Colon (Iglesia Luz y Vida, Orlando, FL)1
  • Brandon Bergey (Bethany Birches Camp, Plymouth, VT and Bethany Mennonite Church, Bridgewater Corners, VT)
  • Brent Camilleri (Deep Run East Mennonite Church, Perkasie, PA)
  • Bronwyn Histand (Blooming Glen [PA] Mennonite Church)
  • Cherokee Webb (Faith Chapel, Los Angeles, CA)
  • Danilo Sanchez (Mosaic staff; Whitehall Mennonite Church and Ripple, Allentown, PA)
  • Jenny Fujita (Upper Milford Mennonite Church, Zionsville, PA)
  • Jim Musselman (Mosaic Board member; Zion Mennonite Church, Souderton, PA)
  • Kiron Mateti (Mosaic Board member; Plains Mennonite Church, Hatfield, PA)
  • Mark Reiff (Doylestown (PA) Mennonite Church)
  • Marta Castillo (Mosaic staff; Nueva Vida Norristown (PA) New Life Mennonite Church)
  • Regina Valensia (Philadelphia (PA) Praise Center)

To read more detailed information about each Pathway Steering Team member, please click here (updated in May 2024). 

“I’m amazed and grateful for the breadth and depth of skills and giftings in this group,” said Mosaic Moderator Angela Moyer Walter. “I’m grateful for their love and dedication for the Church and their willingness to say ‘yes’ to this work when they could share their gifts in many other places.  I’m eager to see the wisdom that emerges from this group and this process.” 

The Steering Team will contribute to the strategic planning process outlined by the Board within the two-year Pathway timeline, along with an outside consulting firm. Since December, the Board received proposals from numerous consulting options who fit Mosaic’s specific needs of experience. After reviewing these proposals and interviews, the Board has agreed on partnering with Grovider, a consulting firm based in Center City Philadelphia. 

Executive Minister Stephen Kriss worked at cultivating and receiving proposals from possible partners for the Pathway process. “We solicited proposals from consultants across the country, receiving several strong proposals,” said Kriss. “We had stipulations that consultants have experience working with communities of faith and a capacity to work with the diversity of our Conference. Grovider impressed us with their capacity, congeniality, commitments and professionalism.” 

Since 2017, the Grovider firm has partnered closely with foundations, nonprofit organizations, and educational institutions to design learning agendas and provide data-informed strategic support.  A strength that the Grovider team offers Mosaic is their focus on diverse social identities and unique experiences. Their approach to data collection “invite[s] voices from a range of positionalities—seeking to use data as a means to tell stories, unearth needs, reveal complexities, and determine the pathway to more significant impact.” Grovider received strong affirmation from their previous work with faith-based institutions in the Philadelphia region. 

The Board, Steering Team, and consulting firm will at times be working independently, but also together, within the two-year timeline proposed in the Pathway Document. The Steering Team will be working diligently in the next eight months to bring their first presentation of their activity to 2023 Annual Assembly to be held on November 4 at Souderton (PA) Mennonite Church. 

  1. As of May 2024, Haroldo Nunes (Seguidores de Cristo, Sarasota, FL) has replaced Aldo Colon on the Pathway Steering Team. ↩︎

New Wine Mennonite Church: A Mosaic Church Plant in Florida

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By Javier Márquez

Members of Iglesia Seguidores de Cristo, a Mosaic church in Sarasota, FL, are embarking on the challenge of starting a new ministry in Bradenton, FL.

Pastor Jimmy Henriquez, a 62-year-old Honduran, arrived with his wife and two children in the US a little over two years ago. Pastor Juan José Rivera, and the followers of Iglesia Seguidores de Cristo have supported the Henriquez family during this time of transition.  

Pastor Jimmy is now leading this new ministry initiative in Bradenton, FL, which begins like almost every new work: with very few things in hand, an empty trunk filled mostly with hopes and dreams, and the image of a large expansive area waiting to be seeded. 

The motivation for Pastor Jimmy to leave his home country, where he had many years of ministerial experience, was, “To take on new ministerial challenges.” And without fail, that is what he is doing. There is no better word to describe the project of a new church than challenging. Since Pastor Jimmy and his family arrived, they have had a mix of challenges, but have continued to be faithful to their call.  

Pastor Jimmy Henriquez and his family.

Although not yet officially birthed, though breathing and crawling, the new ministry already has a name: New Wine Mennonite Church.  Why New Wine? Because, Pastor Jimmy said, “God will do new things.” For now, the church is already seeking a meeting space and have set times of prayer and Bible study to be held on Wednesday nights, which they call Growth Groups. 

“Bradenton is a town of workers and there is a significant Hispanic population,” explained Pastor Jimmy. “It’s where the cars start from in the morning and where they return to in the evening when they come from Sarasota.”  

The mission is to bring the Kingdom of God closer to those who are working with their hands to build a future. Our prayers and best wishes for this immense project that is already in the heart of Jesus. 

Pastor Jimmy Henriquez and his wife.

Will They Claim Me? 

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By Danilo Sanchez

I sit down at the table and look at the beautiful mosaic of people around me 
It is an artwork filled with striking shades of mocha, creme, caramel, and peach 
Some of it rough and worn, other parts are smooth and new to the world 
As I peer deeper into the artwork I notice the beauty and the blemishes 
Not everything is symmetrical 
There are different sizes and shapes,  
different groupings that would appear to contrast, 
But when brought together are vibrant and complimentary 

In one voice the mosaic calls out to me: 
< Who are you? Tell us your story > 
In a quiet voice I respond:  
< I am a mix of peach and caramel 
I am both foreign and familiar 
I am both inclusive and shepherding 
For some I may be too revolutionary, for others I am behind the times 
For some I may pose a threat, to others I am safe > 

I await the verdict 
I desire to belong to this mosaic, but is the feeling mutual? 
Will they claim me as their own? 

A cacophony of voices bounces off the walls  
as they deliberate my words 
The mosaic is silenced by a rushing wind that moves among the people 
Passing through bones, flesh, and hearts 
The Great Painter speaks: 
< He is my creation. Like you he is both beautiful and broken. 
I have called him to be part of this mosaic. 
Welcome him. > 

The Mosaic sings in harmony 
“Praise God from whom all blessings flow, 
To you be all honor and glory.” 

The Great Painter is not done the masterpiece 
There is more yet to be completed 
More will come that will want to join us 
Will we claim them? Embrace them? 
Will we hear their story? 
Seeking to find the beauty and brokenness in them, 
The way the Great Painter does 

Danilo Sanchez

Danilo Sanchez is the Leadership Minister for Intercultural Transformation for Mosaic Conference. Danilo Sanchez lives in Allentown with his wife Mary and two daughters. He is a pastor at Ripple and leads in the areas of leadership development, discipleship, and teaching. Danilo also works part-time with the housing program of Ripple Community Inc as the Community Life Director.

Creative Missional Engagement Q&A

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What Churches Do & How They Get the Grant Money

by Eileen Kinch

Q. What is a Missional Operations Grant (MOG)?

A.  Mosaic’s MOGs fund creative ways for Mosaic congregations to do missional activities, both in the immediate community and beyond.  

Q. What does missional mean? (Does this only mean evangelism?)

A. Evangelism is one example of a missional activity. Missional refers to the way congregations participate in the reconciling love of God through Christ. Any activity of the church can be missional.

Q. What is an example of creative missional engagement?

A. Plains Mennonite Church (Hatfield, PA) has a park on its property that is open to the community. Along a path in the park are panels that tell stories about peacemakers and give information about what it means to be a Mennonite. In 2022, Plains Mennonite Church used a MOG to pave its “peace path” so that families with strollers can more easily use it. The paved path also improves mobility for those with physical challenges. 

Plains Mennonite Church used MOG funds to pave their peace park’s path. 
The newly paved path has increased community use. 

Q. What happened after Plains paved the peace path?

A. More people now use the path since it has been paved. Some have expressed gratitude for easier navigation. Families are leaving pedal car toys along the path for other children to use. Families even get together to watch their children race their cars. The paved path allows more people to read about peace, and the path is also building community.

Q. My congregation doesn’t have a peace path. What else can a MOG be used for?

A. Salford Mennonite Church (Harleysville, PA) used the grant to host a “Gardening For Peace” conference in 2022. Over 200 people attended throughout the weekend. John Thomas, a Lenape elder, representatives from Ursinus College, and John Ruth talked about the need for ongoing dialogue with the Lenape community. There were also workshops about various aspects of peace, including one on prison ministry. In the evening, Shane Claiborne and Mike Martin converted a gun into a gardening tool. A video of the event can be found here. 

Q. How did “Gardening For Peace” impact others?

A. In one workshop, ex-inmates shared about their experience of returning to society after serving a prison sentence. These individuals stayed for the evening meal during the conference and later remarked that they really enjoyed the food and fellowship. Ex-inmates do not always experience this.  The Gardening for Peace conference also opened the way for future opportunities for dialogue with the Lenape, as well as for continued commitment to Salford’s peace education and programming. 

Q. My congregation has an idea for a project. How do I find out if the project qualifies for a MOG?

A. Criteria for a grant can be found on Mosaic’s website. Examples of other congregations’ projects can also be found there. 

Q. How does my congregation apply for a MOG?

A. Talk to your leadership minister, who will give you an application. If your application is accepted, your congregation will need to submit a report after the funds are used. This report should inspire other congregations to explore creative ways to live into God’s reconciling love.

Eileen Kinch

Eileen Kinch is part of the Mosaic communication team and works with editing and writing. She holds a Master of Divinity degree, with an emphasis in the Ministry of Writing, from Earlham School of Religion.

Mwaipopo Joins Mosaic Board

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Emmanuel Mwaipopo joined the Mosaic Conference Board in January 2023.  Along with his role on the Mosaic Board, Emmanuel will serve as Chair of the Intercultural Committee.

Emmanuel Mwaipopo was born in Tanzania. Although his mother was a Mennonite, he was raised in his father’s Roman Catholic tradition. He moved to the US in his 20s to attend Temple University in Philadelphia, PA, where he studied computer information systems. A professor at Temple introduced Emmanuel to a local Mennonite church in Philadelphia.

Later Emmanuel moved to Norristown, PA where he became involved with Nueva Vida Norristown New Life Mennonite Church, where he now serves as an elder.  Emmanuel is a software engineer and works for Comcast. He and his wife care for four children. In his free time, Emmanuel plays ultimate frisbee.