Mosaic Mennonites

Missional - Intercultural - Formational

Articles

Crazy for Jesus: Virgo Handojo’s Call Story

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by Virgo Handojo

My childhood was filled with the traditions and rites of Chinese culture, which are still deeply rooted in my heart. Unfortunately, those beautiful memories did not last long. Changes in political policy in Indonesia at that time prohibited the development of Chinese traditions. Even so, Chinese teachings and traditions still leave an imprint on my mind. 

Junior high is the second place where I learned of God. I was educated in a Catholic school. Here I learned that attending mass at church is more important than knowing God or learning from the Bible. When I was in junior high school, I attended catechism for one year to be baptized as a Catholic. 

Monday afternoon, March 5, 1979, was an extraordinary day in my life. God touched my life. Tiong Gie, my hometown friend and childhood friend, invited me to a prayer meeting where I experienced a new birth. It is difficult to describe in words, but I have felt the touch of the Divine hand. Since then, I have started to learn to hear and obey God’s voice and live with Him. 

Virgo Handojo speaking at JKI Anugerah. Photo provided by Virgo Handojo.

Meanwhile God began to expand my ministry and relationships with other Christians. Through the Sangkakala family led by Mr. Adi Sutanto with a prayer meeting in Semarang, God began to train my life, together with young people my age. We took turns preaching, becoming traveling evangelists to other villages and cities. Through a network of families, jobs, schools, and the services of the Sangakakala foundation, this spiritual movement and its prayer groups have spread to other cities.  

Through these services I grew both spiritually and in ministry experience. At that time, we also started to plant churches, both in villages and cities, at home and abroad. Through this youth movement, many mission foundations, synods, and new churches have sprung up, both at home and abroad. 

I was involved in the pioneering of the Indonesian Christian Congregation Synod (JKI Synod), which is theologically affiliated with the Charismatic Anabaptist movement. In 1986 I was ordained and served at the Maranatha Indonesian Christian Congregation church, Ungaran. Together with the JKI synod, we started the Maranatha Bible School, which became the seed of Sangkakala High School, Salatiga. 

In 1987, with just $65, I landed in Los Angeles to study at Fuller Theological Seminary. By God’s grace, I managed to complete three master’s degrees in the fields of Intercultural Studies, Theology, and Leadership, and in 2000 a Ph.D. in Marriage and Family Studies from the School of Psychology. In 1989 God brought me and my wife to Mrs. Dina Boon from the city of Sierra Madre, CA. We were asked to clean Mrs. Dina Boon’s house from dark powers.  

Through this ministry, the International House Fellowship was born in Dina Boon’s house. At the end of 1990 this family association grew to 30-50 people from 10-13 different nationalities. Through this partnership, the Anugerah Indonesian Christian Congregation (JKIA) was born on September 19, 1992, at the Free Methodist Church, Pasadena. The first services began on Sunday, September 20, 1992. A few months later the church moved to Sierra Madre Congregational Church in Sierra Madre, CA. 

At the San Jose Mennonite General Assembly (July 4, 2007), JKIA, along with two Indonesian Mennonite churches in Los Angeles and the Philadelphia Praise Center (PPC), established the Indonesian Mennonite Association (IMA). Today IMA is a member of the Racial Ethnic Council of the Mennonite Church USA. Truly, God exists, is miraculous, and really loves us all. Amen. 

The Kingdom Work of Committees  

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By Marta Castillo

We’ve all heard the phrase, “The church is not a building; it is the people.” In a similar fashion, Mosaic Mennonite Conference is not simply the executive minister, the board, or the staff, but rather the people of the conference working together to further the Kingdom of God. One way this is manifest is in the working committees, which are composed of faithful, discerning, creative, and collaborative volunteers from all parts of the conference.  We are grateful for those who have said yes to serving on the following four committees.  They are always hard at work, meeting together to process information, write reports, and make decisions under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and existing guidelines and policies. 

The Nominating Committee

The Nominating Committee is where it all begins, since they vet and discern new members for the Conference Board and other committees, based on nominations from others within the conference.   Nominations are made via an online form or at assembly with written forms.   

The Nominating Committee seeks to ensure that the board and various committees reflect the diversity that is Mosaic. Members should be balanced in terms of the gender, racial, cultural, geographic, and historic diversity of the Conference, reflect the diverse gifts represented in the Conference, are persons of good standing in their congregations, and exhibit a high level of intercultural capacity. 

This year we welcome Roy Williams (North Tampa, FL) as the chair of the Nominating Committee in his role as Moderator Elect. We also welcome Wendy Kwong (Souderton) to the Nominating Committee.

Roy Williams (North Tampa, FL)

The Credentials Committee

The Credentials Committee interviews and recommends individuals for credentialing. This committee has the privilege of hearing the stories, beliefs, and callings of the pastors coming into the Conference with requests for licensing and transfers, in addition to those who are being ordained.  They write reports and recommendations from interviews and other paperwork that are sent to the Ministerial Committee for approval. 

This year we welcome Lisa Quinones (Garden Chapel), Sonya Stauffer Kurtz (Zion), Drane Reynolds (Homestead), and Kathy Tuttle (Lakeview) to the Credentials Committee. 

Lisa Quinones (Garden Chapel)
Sonya Stauffer Kurtz (Zion)
Drane Reynolds (Homestead)
Kathy Tuttle (Lakeview)

The Ministerial Committee

The Ministerial Committee makes decisions on ministry credentials and policies that promote the support, health, and training of credentialed leaders and promote safe church practices for congregations. 

This year we welcome Mike Spinelli (Perkiomenville), Tomas Ramirez (Luz y Vida) and Rose Bender Cook (Whitehall) to the Ministerial Committee. 

Mike Spinelli (Perkiomenville)
Tomas Ramirez (Luz y Vida)
Rose Bender Cook (Whitehall)

The Finance Committee

The Finance Committee provides leadership on fiscal matters and develops the budget based on the vision of the Conference. 

This year we welcome Ryan Ferguson (Philadelphia Praise Center) and Jessica Clopton-Robinson (College Hill) to the Finance Committee.  

Ryan Ferguson (Philadelphia Praise Center)

*No photo on file for Jessica Clopton-Robinson

We are thankful for these and other Mosaic committees and all the faithful, hard-working volunteers who serve. To see a full list of committees and members, visit the Boards and Committees page.

Please pray for wisdom, grace, and strength for the members of these committees as they faithfully serve where God has called and equipped them to be.  

Marta Castillo

Marta Castillo is the Associate Executive Minister for Mosaic Conference. Marta lives in Norristown, PA, with her husband, Julio, and has three sons, Christian, Andres and Daniel and one granddaughter, Isabel.

Nations Worship Center Responds to Immigrant Needs in South Philadelphia 

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Indonesian immigrants in south Philadelphia receive a warm welcome from Nations Worship Center. As recent immigrants settle in, the church distributes much-needed bags of food essentials.  Each bag contains basic necessities, such as rice, noodles, eggs, spam, and sausage. Community members in need come to the church to pick up the bags, explained Pastor Beny Krisbianto, although sometimes the congregation will make deliveries. Nations Worship Center distributes about 50 to 70 bags each month. 

Many immigrants find temporary employment in factories and restaurants, but when the economy slows down, they are often the first to lose their jobs. This happened previously in 2008-2009 and again during the pandemic in 2020. At the height of the pandemic, Nations Worship Center’s regular monthly distribution reached 200 to 300 bags. 

Nations Worship Center supports the local economy by purchasing groceries from local, church-connected store owners; volunteers then pack the bags. During the pandemic, Mosaic Conference’s Shalom Fund helped to cover the cost. If churches or individuals would like to donate food or help with this ministry, contact Pastor Beny Krisbianto or Associate Executive Minister Marta Castillo. Donations can also be brought to 1506 West Ritner St., Philadelphia, PA 19145. 

Watch the video below!

Prayer as Surrender

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by Josh Meyer 

Franconia Mennonite Church recently engaged in a month-long series on prayer. We spent four weeks considering the purpose, posture, power, and practice of prayer. It was a rich and meaningful time, marked by biblical teaching and practical application. I was reminded once again that prayer is much more than bringing to God my list of wants, desires, and needs. It is a radical act of worship that reminds me who I am, who God is, and what life is all about.   

In short, prayer is surrender. 

Prayer is a radical act of worship that reminds me who I am, who God is, and what life is all about.   

[1] Prayer is surrender to the reality that there is someone more ultimate than you.

It’s natural for each of us to shrink our field of hopes, dreams, and daily concerns down to the small turf of our personal wants, needs, and feelings. Prayer is surrender to the worldview of the first four words of the Bible, “In the beginning, God…,” and as such, it reminds us of our rightful place. 

[2] Prayer is surrender to the reality that you need help. 

Prayer means humbly confessing that we are not autonomous, self-sufficient beings. We were not designed to live independent, detached lives. Prayer reminds us that we cannot be what we were made to be or do what we have been called to do without the personal, gracious, and continuous intervention of the One who made us. 

[3] Prayer is surrender to the reality that there is wisdom greater than yours. 

Prayer confronts us with the fact that we are not as smart as we tend to think we are. There is so much we don’t know or understand. Prayer reminds us that life is not found in our limited understanding, but in surrendering our lives to the care of the One whose understanding spans from before origin to beyond destiny and includes everything in between. 

[4] Prayer is surrender of your right to live as you choose. 

Prayer is bowing our knee to the reality that there is a limit to our personal freedom. This chafes against the rugged individualism of our culture. Yet Scripture reminds us that while “it is for freedom that Christ has set [us] free,” we are not to use our freedom primarily to indulge our own desires; instead, we’re called to use our freedom to serve others in love (Gal 5:1, 13-14). Prayer reminds us to consider not only our own interests, but also the interests of others (Phil 2:4). 

[5] Prayer is surrender of your hopes to God’s grace. 

Prayer is remembering that there is no hope in life and death that does not result from the grace of God. In prayer, we give up our hope in the self and place our hope in Christ.   

May you experience the Presence of Christ in a particularly deep and meaningful way as you surrender yourself in prayer.   

Josh Meyer

Josh Meyer is a Conference Leadership Minister and the pastor of Discipling and Preaching at Franconia Mennonite Church.

Changes  

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by Hendy Matahelemual

Throughout life, I am learning that the only constant thing in life is change. Growing up in a middle-class family in Bandung, Indonesia, we needed to move eight times until our family could afford to buy our own property. Moving from a slum to a small house on the edge of the city was my experience growing up.  

Maybe that is why, now that I’ve reached adulthood, I’m hesitant to move. After many of my friends graduated, they moved to Jakarta, Indonesia’s capital city, to find better pay. But not me. I was ready to settle.  

But God had a different plan for me. I married my wife, and we were still newlyweds. We had just started renovating our own house. God spoke to my heart through a verse from the book of Acts: “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (1:8, CSB).

At first, I thought, Really, God? But then after careful reflection, it became clear that I needed to be ready to leave my hometown if needed. At the time I didn’t know where exactly God wanted me to go, but wherever it was, I would follow.  

“You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth”

acts 1:8, CSB

My limited brain could only think of a few cities in Indonesia. It turned out that the city that God wanted me to go was nowhere close to my hometown. It was literally the end of the earth from Indonesia. “Marina, Hendy, I want you to go to New York City, to get connected to one of the Indonesian churches there,” said my pastor to us. I will never forget that conversation.  

We knew that it would require a lot of changes in our lives, but I also believe when God calls us, he will also sustain us. Seven years have passed by since that conversation. Today, my wife and I serve at Indonesian Light Church in South Philadelphia and Mosaic Conference.  

We have three little boys, ages 9, 6, and 2 years old. I love football more than soccer, drive on the other side of the road, speak and write in English, minister not only to Indonesians but across cultures, tribes, and languages. I still remember an occasion where I preached in English, and the sermon was translated in Cantonese. I believe the Holy Spirit works within us to allow us to minister across cultures.  

Not all changes are easy; some of them are hard, depressing, painful, and even traumatic. But this is also a part of ministry in Jesus. If change were easy, then Jesus would not have needed to die on the cross. Change requires sacrifice. One thing that God keeps reminding me is that I’m not here to change people’s lives; we are not called to fix people.  We are called to witness God, to journey together with people, and to be ready to be changed, as well.  

Our pain, suffering, and trauma will heal over time as we open ourselves to God’s love and to other people. Our misery will eventually become a ministry to other people. I believe there is something about shared brokenness that allows the Spirit to bring healing to the community where Jesus is at the center.  

God calls us individually and collectively. As a follower of Jesus, our calling is to be changed from the inside out. Some need to travel thousands of miles just to meet the right people to journey together, and some just need to go to their neighbor across the street, but the calling remains the same.  

“Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (2 Corinthians 5:17, NLT). Don’t settle for less than what God has promised you. Keep seeking, keep discovering the new you and the new us together. Keep answering the call from God. Jesus, be with us all.  

No eye has seen, no ear has heard, 
and no mind has imagined 
what God has prepared 
for those who love him.

1 Corinthians 2:9 (GWT)

Hendy Matahelemual

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

Roaring Spring Mennonite Church Closes

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by Eileen Kinch 

In January 2023, Roaring Spring Mennonite Church closed its doors after over 120 years of ministry. Pastor Elsie Gonsman, who served the congregation since 2002, also retired. 

Roaring Spring Mennonite Church began in the small town of Roaring Spring in western Pennsylvania. Abraham Snyder was the first minister. In 1898, the congregation purchased a church building from the Methodists and began to hold services as a mission church. Abraham Snyder’s sons also started four other congregations in western Pennsylvania: Smith’s Corner, Napier, Zion at Mann’s Choice, and the Altoona mission. 

Roaring Spring was initially affiliated with the (Old) Mennonite Church conference; it joined the Eastern District Conference in 1912, with the other small Mennonite congregations started by the Snyder family following suit. Roaring Spring became part of Mosaic in 2020, when Eastern District and Franconia Conferences reconciled. Roaring Spring is the last of those five former Eastern District congregations in western Pennsylvania. The other congregations have either closed or are no longer affiliated with a Mennonite conference. 

Pastor Elsie heard about Roaring Spring’s pastoral vacancy when a worker at her house asked how she got saved. The worker went to Roaring Spring and told her that his church was looking for a pastor. Pastor Elsie, who was licensed by the United Church of Christ, expressed interest, and Roaring Spring invited her to preach for one Sunday. Then the congregation invited her to stay six months. She ended up staying for twenty years. 

Located in a town of less than 3000, Roaring Spring Mennonite Church was a small, but active, congregation. It supported missionaries and sent donations to the Christian Appalachian Project. When people in Cuba experienced a shortage of medicine bottles, Roaring Spring collected empty pill bottles to send their way. The congregation had a youth group and held Vacation Bible School, and the Ladies Aid Society planned mother-daughter banquets and Christmas programs.  Roaring Spring also gathered hats and gloves for the needy, collected food for the hungry, and hosted a hymn sing once a month. 

Roaring Spring had a special way of singing together. After the death of the organist and pianist, the congregation found a creative way to continue singing old favorites. Pastor Elsie’s nephew programmed many songs into their digital piano, allowing the congregation to sing with digital accompaniment. A reader would introduce each song with a short history of its origin. Some favorites were “Bringing in the Sheaves” and “Count Your Blessings.” At one point, the congregation compiled its own hymnal. 

Pastor Elsie was 65 years old when she became pastor of Roaring Spring Mennonite Church, and she served until her retirement at 85. In addition to her congregational duties, Pastor Elsie belonged to the local ministerium, participated in joint community church services, and conducted baccalaureate services at the high school. Sometimes she filled in when no other pastor was available to officiate at a funeral or wedding. “I kept busy,” she said. “I enjoyed it.”  

Mosaic Conference is grateful for the ministry and faithfulness of Pastor Elsie and the Roaring Spring congregation. May the blessings of their faithfulness continue.

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.

Makmur Halim’s Call Story: The Grace of God

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by Makmur Halim

I was born into a Buddhist family. My parents didn’t know Jesus. In my childhood, my parents took me to the Baptist school in South Sumatra where I was born. I began to learn about Jesus at this Christian school, through reading the Bible and going to the church. At home, however, I also worshipped my ancestor’s spirit, which is idolatry, and I went along with my parents to the Buddhist temple.  

During my final year at high school in November 1980, I met a pastor who convinced me to follow Christ and leave my syncretistic belief. I was baptized in January 1981; I received God’s calling in the same year and went to Bethel Seminary in Jakarta. 

I was involved in ministry in Bethel Church of Indonesia until I graduated in 1986. In 1988, God opened the way to send me to Portland Bible College, and in 1990 I went to Multnomah Seminary in Portland, Oregon. Later, in 1992, I was accepted by Fuller Seminary for my doctoral degree and graduated in 1998.  

My parents came to know Christ in 1991. I married my wife, Manishati Dachi, in 1993, and God gave us two children. I also pastored an Indonesian Church in Downey, California, did mission work in Sao Paolo, Brazil, and traveled for ministry to Europe. After returning home to Indonesia in 1999, I spent time directing the graduate program in a Bible School in East Java, teaching at seminaries in both Indonesia and Australia, and writing two books.  

Photo provided by Makmur Halim

In 2004, I returned to the United States, with a plan to pursue my Ph.D. but discontinued it for many reasons. In 2007, I began pastoring with Indonesian Community Christian Fellowship in San Bernardino, CA, and I also teach part time at Union University of California (Westminster, CA) and Union University International (Westminster, CA). It is only by the grace of God and journeying through the ministry with my family that all of this is possible.  

Closing the Gap 

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by Randy Heacock

Photo by Josh Applegate on Unsplash

Many of our conference churches struggle with declining attendance, which mirrors the national trends: From large to small and among all denominations, churches are shrinking.  I heard recently that 85 percent of American churches are either maintaining or declining; 14 percent are growing due to transfers from other churches; and only one percent are growing due to new people choosing to follow Jesus. While we’ve been losing young people for many years, the pandemic has led to all generations walking out the church doors.

As I sit with church leaders lamenting this trend, the obvious burning question is, “Why are people leaving the church?”  Sadly, I must admit I have no solid answers.  But what I do know is that even I, a pastor of more than 35 years, am tempted to join those walking out the church doors.  It is not because of the people, for church people are some of the best people around.  Neither is it the theology, worship style, newness of building, or lack of programs.  No. For me it is the gap between what we say and what we do that eats away at my soul.

The two aspects of our professed life I find most disjointed are the value of community and meaningful accountability.  From what I observe, we are as individual and independent-minded as those who say, “Live free or die.”  We are good at asking God to do our bidding, but rarely invite God to direct our path. Even more rare are requests for communal discernment regarding a job change, house purchase, or family/relational challenges.   

Regarding accountability, many make vows to give and receive counsel as they join our churches, yet this is distinctly challenging in practice, particularly when long-time members are involved.  One member justified another’s poor behavior this way: “That’s just the way they are—we put up with them. Why can’t you?” 

At the conference level, we see a similar pattern. Congregations pull away from their Mosaic affiliation, without checking in with other congregations who may hold a different perspective.  When I first came to Doylestown Mennonite Church 22 years ago, I quickly discerned the fierce independence of our conference churches. Where I hoped to find cooperative relational patterns, I instead noted competition.  I believe this has improved somewhat over the years.

Mosaic also likes its independence.  As a response to the most recent resolutions passed by Mennonite Church USA, we named our independence by declaring such resolutions nonbinding.  Yet, Mosaic also struggles to practice accountability.  While we claim our Grace and Truth statement as foundational, we struggled recently to find a healthy response when it was violated.  And a few years ago, when an abuse allegation was reported in one of our institutions, we vowed to create a survivor-friendly process.  I wonder how survivors would grade us on our efforts on this matter. 

Photo by Lubo Minar on Unsplash

For me these gaps are increasingly painful.  Yet, I remain committed to the church.  The flickering flame of hope rests in Solomon’s prayer recorded at the temple dedication: “If my people who belong to me will humbly pray, seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14). No matter what our perspectives on the cause or size of “the gap,” it is my hope that we can agree that God always gives healing and transformation when God’s people humble themselves as Solomon described.    

May we seek God’s perspective on our independent nature as we consider the gap between what we say and what we do.

Randy Heacock

Randy Heacock serves as a Leadership Minister for Mosaic Conference while continuing in his role as pastor of Doylestown Mennonite Church.