Mosaic Mennonites

Missional - Intercultural - Formational

Articles

God is Present: Introducing Ebenezer Mennonite Church

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by Jennifer Svetlik, Salford congregation

Ebenezer Mennonite Church began in June 1958 as part of the Hispanic ministry of Grace Mennonite Church in Lansdale, PA. It started as a community for Puerto Ricans who came to the area to work in summer agriculture. Rev. Guillermo Chewing was the first pastor and Earl Stover also played a vital role in the church. In 2005, the church became independent from Grace, moved to Route 113 in Souderton with a new pastor, and changed its name to Ebenezer Mennonite Church. In November 2009 the church moved to the Zion Mennonite Church building in Souderton, PA, where they continue to meet, with Bible study at 11:00 am and worship at noon on Sundays. 

“God in his mercy has been present in our congregation, manifesting his power and sovereignty in the midst of trials, in the process of changes in our church,” says Hilda Vinces, a leader in the church.  “We have had sick members in which God has manifested his power by giving them healing, and we feel his Holy Spirit in our midst because he has strengthened us when church members have passed away.” 

In addition, Hilda shares, through technology, “Ebenezer has been able to reach other people internationally. Although the church has diminished in number of members for different reasons, the Lord has brought new members. God has blessed us for being firm in our faith in Christ.”

Iglesia Ebenezer had previously been a part of Eastern District but left when Grace congregation became independent. Now the church seeks to join Franconia Conference because they recognize the value of relating to and uniting with other local Mennonite Churches. 

“Through the Conference we can … acquire resources that will help us grow as a church and to learn from others and their ministries, and apply these ideas, led by the Holy Spirit, to our own church,” Hilda adds. 

Iglesia Ebenezer represents some of the initial work in Eastern District Conference ministering alongside Spanish speakers. We are glad to welcome Ebenezer as a congregation of Franconia Conference at the same time as we are in the process of reconciling with Eastern District,” Franconia’s Executive Minister Steve Kriss reflects. This is all reconciliation work, he points out—learning from shared history, honoring a shared story, and believing that God is bringing the congregation and the two conferences together to do a new thing.

The Latinx community continues to grow in Bucks and Montgomery counties where many of our congregations have been rooted for generations. We hope that with the sisters and brothers at Ebenezer, we will continue to cultivate a vibrant Anabaptist witness and community together.

Seeing the New Church

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by Danilo Sanchez, Youth Formation Pastor

The doorbell rang and I knew it was time for baptism class. Four energetic youth stumbled through my door, took off their shoes, and found a place to sit.

“Did everyone bring their Bible and homework?”

One youth held up his English Bible while the others went to the Karen Bible app on their phone. We started the class by going over the homework, which was writing their faith story.

Some shared about Bible quizzes and memorizing Scripture in the refugee camps. Others shared about their Buddhist parents and not knowing anything about Jesus. The one experience they all had in common was camp at Spruce Lake last year. Each of them felt like a spark was lit and they desired to know more about Jesus.

I shared parts of my own faith story with the class and it was a humbling reminder that, despite our different upbringings, we were all called to be Jesus’ disciples.

Many topics in the baptism class, which I taught alongside Pastor Rose and Ah Paung (a Karen leader from Whitehall), were new to the group, and they asked so many questions about the person of Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and the big story of God. The most foreign topics we discussed were Anabaptist values, which come from our unique perspective on Jesus and Scripture. Through this baptism class, I found myself wondering, “What does Anabaptism mean for youth and young adults today?”

In my upbringing, Anabaptism meant daily discipleship, simple living, non-conformity, and non-violence. What that looked like in the day-to-day was a strong emphasis on holiness in my personal relationship with Jesus, not spending too much money on clothes, and being against war and abortion.

The values of discipleship, simple living, and non-violence are still present in Anabaptism today, but I see our youth and young adults express it in different ways. Simple living doesn’t just mean not being materialistic, but is also about sustainable resources and caring for creation. Non-violence isn’t just about protesting war or abortion, but is also about practicing peace in our schools, better gun laws to stop mass shootings, and preventing sexual abuse in the church. Many of the young Anabaptists emerging today want discipleship to include values like justice and community to fight against racism, sexism, and broadening the circle of people included in the kingdom of God.

While not all our youth understand or believe in those ideas yet, I recognize that the face of Anabaptism is changing and that our values are growing and expanding. I want the youth at Whitehall and the youth in our conference to know that there is space for them in the church and that they belong. The way youth and young adults choose to express their faith may not look like mine or the previous generations, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they aren’t being faithful to Jesus or Anabaptism.

As a pastor and a leader in the church, I need to make space for youth and young adults to express and explore their faith. One thing I know for sure is that I’m not trying to teach “Christian behavior” or even “Mennonite behavior” but, rather, to present the resurrected Jesus and trust that the same Holy Spirit that spoke to me is speaking to them.

At the end of August, we celebrated Than’s baptism. It was a joyous occasion and an honor to welcome a new brother in Christ. I looked upon the smiling faces of the youth and children as they embraced Than and said, “Here is the new church. Isn’t it beautiful?”

Progress on a New Name

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by Josh Meyer, leadership minister

The Conference Naming Committee—a group tasked with recommending a new name for the joint conference that will emerge from the reconciliation between Franconia Conference and Eastern District Conference—has been actively working the past few months.

After brainstorming and soliciting suggestions from across the conferences, we evaluated 48 unique name/concept ideas.  From this list of 48, we narrowed it down to 4 possibilities that we wanted to test further.  In early September, we held a series of focus groups, gathering input and feedback from a cross-section of delegates.  This was a valuable and instructive process.  In fact, the focus groups were so helpful that we’re planning to run a second round of focus groups in October.

As our committee continues refining the possibilities before us, we’re also very open to new possibilities that may emerge.  Therefore, we continue to be open to and actively seek suggestions.  If you have an idea for the name of the new conference, please let us know!  And please continue to join us in prayer, trusting that God’s Spirit will lead us to a name that reflects our shared identity, purpose, and values.

Members of the Naming Committee:

Task Force:  Josh Meyer (Franconia), Edie Landis (Zion), Ron White (Good Samaritan)
Staff:  Steve Kriss (Philadelphia Praise)
Franconia Conference:  Merlin Hartman (Franconia board; attends Franconia), Aldo Siahaan (Philadelphia Praise), Sara Kolb (Plains), Jaynie McCloskey (Taftsville)
Eastern District Conference:  Jim Musselman (Zion)

Claude Good’s International Legacy of Love

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(Leer en español)

by Sharon K Williams, Nueva Vida Norristown New Life

January 10, 1929 – September 03, 2019

Claude E. Good, 90, was a practical visionary and a common-sense prophet of God. His ministry spanned almost 60 years of translating and distributing the Bible, welcoming international students, and leading The Worm Project, a deworming effort that reaches millions of people in more than 70 countries. An ordained minister of Franconia Conference, Claude entered into his eternal reward on Tuesday, September 3, 2019.

I had the privilege of working with Claude at Franconia Conference/Eastern District’s conference center in Souderton, Pennsylvania, in the 1990s. During that time, the conference celebrated the publishing of Claude’s Triqui translation of the New Testament. Claude and his wife, Alice Longenecker Good, raised their family among the Triqui in Mexico from 1960 to 1985, supported by Franconia Conference Missions.

After returning to the United States, Claude’s ministry moved to a home base at the conference center. Claude quietly contacted government officials in countries around the world, promoting Albendazole deworming pills as an effective way to address severe malnutrition issues caused by parasites. Today, The Worm Project is a very unique “Matthew 25” ministry, and its fundraising efforts captures the imaginations of young and old alike. We marveled over the cost of deworming pills (at that time, $.05, lasting for six months) compared to $5/month for deworming pills for our pets. We shared practical ideas for simple living, making peace, and sharing the gospel.

Claude also taught conversational English at the International House in Philadelphia, PA, and helped Mennonite families build relationships with students who were a long way from home. The Goods opened doors for us to welcome strangers in our homes through the Peach Festival, sharing good food and the good news of Jesus. Coupled with that ministry, the Goods also spearheaded the International Scripture Ministry at Souderton Mennonite Church, where they were members.

Claude receiving EMU’s Distinguished Service Award in 2006. (L. to R. : Loren Swartzentruber, EMU President, Claude and Alice Good, and Pat Swartzentruber)

“Claude’s life has borne witness to the gentle and persistent love of Christ,” said Steve Kriss, Franconia Conference’s Executive Minister. “He helped Franconia Conference embrace a world bigger than itself, from the mountains of Mexico where he translated the New Testament to creating one of the world’s largest deworming programs, which remains a conference initiative. Claude’s work was deeply personal but also carried us together as a people in the way of Christ’s peace to the ends of the earth. We mourn Claude’s death but celebrate his life and legacy of faithfulness.”

Claude was preceded in death by Alice. They have five children: Marcia, Cecilia, Tricia (Mark), Carl, and Robert (Tami); nine grandchildren; and one great-grandchild. Services will be held at Souderton Mennonite Church, Saturday, September 14, 4:00 pm and Souderton Mennonite Homes, Sunday, September 15, 2:00 pm.  View his obituary here. 

God at Work on Our Vacation

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by Berdine Leinbach, Souderton congregation

My husband and I bumped into God frequently as we traveled to Tanzania to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary.

His silky white beard was shaped like an Amishman’s. His skin was dark walnut. His eyes crinkled cautiously in greeting.  When the flight attendant was checking seatbelts, his body motions revealed limited neck mobility and vision issues, so I reached across and clicked in his seatbelt.

Later he struggled to put on a brand-new sneaker, which is really hard to do in an airplane seat. I unbuckled and dove under his window seat to loosen the laces and assist. Using my finger as a shoehorn felt oddly akin to foot washing.

Over the course of a long flight, multiple opportunities arose to serve him.  I felt like God had put me there on purpose. As we shared travel plans, I found he was retired professor from Bangladesh and a peace-loving Muslim. We shared our beliefs, respectfully and simply (I need more practice at that).

We prayed blessing on each other.  God was on our plane.

As we traveled along the rim of Ngorogoro Crater, the vehicle in front of us stopped. Our vehicle stopped. Just 20 feet away a huge elephant appeared out of the mist.  Our driver turned off the engine.

We watched, fascinated, as she looked at us, flapped her ears, and lifted her trunk in inquiry. A trumpet sounded from our left as another elephant appeared on that side of the road. The first one moved forward and, behind her, another younger elephant and a baby appeared, then another adult.

We were in awe of these amazing creatures, right there.  Soon the first elephant clambered down the road bank, crossed in front of our vehicle and climbed up the left side. The others soon followed.  Seconds later, nothing could be seen but mist and shrubs.

What a beautiful gift, a holy moment.  God was in creation.

Our tour company arranged for us to stop at Karatu Mennonite Church, a small outreach congregation started in 2010 by the Arusha (Mennonite) Diocese.  When we arrived, children greeted us.  We gave Pastor Peter Ojode a prayer shawl made by women from our home congregation. As I prayed aloud the prayer that goes with each shawl, I got all choked up. I sensed that this gift and prayer were aligning with something much bigger that God was already doing there.

Front row (left to right): Evangelist Nicodemus Malaki, Evangelist Meshack Shabani, Martina Victor (church treasurer), Tasiana Toway (church elder), Berdine and Steve Leinbach (Souderton congregation).  Back row (left to right): Pastor Peter Ojode (KMT Arusha), Sofia Mirobo (church elder KMT Arusha), Pastor Julius Churi (KMT Katesh), Pastor Emmanuel (General Secretary of KMT Arusha Diocese).

When the service began, my heart swelled with joy singing along to “Holy, Holy, Holy” and other songs. Thank goodness Swahili has phonetic spelling. 

When they had heard that we were coming, Pastor Emmanual Maro (general secretary of the entire diocese/conference of churches) and elder Sofia Mirobo traveled three hours on a bus from Arusha to come and translate for us, organize a brief meal, and welcome us. We are still processing the hospitality of this intercultural experience and wondering what God will do next.

Pastor Emmanuel emailed us after we returned home, “We thank God for a wonderful Sunday at KMT Karatu. We really appreciated the opportunity to exchange our views, and we do hope through our relationships with one another we are revealing the face of God to the world and advancing his kingdom in Jesus’ name.”

God is at work. May we all notice and join in.

Staying Connected as Partners in Ministry

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(leer en español)

by Andrés Castillo, communication intern

There is power in simply staying connected. The reborn Partners in Ministry emphasizes that.

The revival of what used to be “Partners in Mission,” according to Franconia Conference’s Leadership Minister for Missional Transformation Noel Santiago, are partnerships made between groups with similar values and visions and greatly emphasizes relationships. In the past, the relationships with Partners in Mission were mostly leader-to-leader; as a result, when leaders relocated or moved on, some of those relationships faded. In reviving Partners in Ministry, Santiago continues, the Conference is emphasizing a renewed commitment to engaging and experimenting with diverse communities, not just leaders.

Partners in Ministry with Franconia each have a staff person who can accompany them, if desired, as a coach or listening ear, to help connect them with equipping and resources, and to walk with the community during leadership transitions or times of conflict. Franconia also provides credentialing for the pastors of Partners in Ministry if they need it. Leaders from Partners in Ministry are welcome to attend equipping events, Faith & Life gatherings, and other events that may benefit them as growing Anabaptist groups.

Partners in Ministry relationships are different than Conference-Related Ministries, which include institutions such as Spruce Lake Retreat, Care & Share Thrift Shops, and Camp Men-O-Lan. A Partner in Ministry relationship is more of a connection with communities, who, many times, are on the margins (because of geography, social situation, or as a church plant) rather than established organizations.

New Hope youth and adults getting ready to go to Philadelphia to serve with Centro de Alabanza (courtesy of New Hope Fellowship Facebook page)

“Franconia Conference played an important role in the birth and continued growth of RIMI,” explains Kirk Hanger, pastor of New Hope Fellowship Church (Alexandria, VA).  “In 2003, after 11 years of church planting ministry in Mexico, they encouraged me to continue.”  Today, the RIMI Network includes around 80 churches, church plants, and ministries in 12 countries, with 28 churches and church plants in Mexico. The RIMI Network also includes a radio ministry, a short-term missions school and a leadership school affiliated with Global Disciples, a medical ministry, a prayer network, a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center, and a microfinance ministry working with some 4000 people in economic development in Paraguay.

Oskar Dom (2nd from L.) and Carlos Martinez Garcia (2nd from R.) of CIEAMM with leaders from Centro de Alabanza in Philadelphia

Franconia has recently renewed relationship with the Conference of Evangelical Anabaptist Mennonite Churches of México (CIEAMM) through the Partner in Ministry program.  Carlos Martinez Garcia, CIEAMM moderator, believes that partnership is essential in order to fulfill Christ’s mission in the world: “We encourage each other, the Word says, to love and do good deeds (Hebrews 10:19-25),” he explains.  “The Christian church is diverse in ability, understanding, and vision. By sharing with one another, we can grow and learn to serve better. In the mission the Lord has given us, we must not isolate ourselves, but connect in order to embed ourselves in the world…. We must try to learn from the different understandings the Lord has given others of his word, as well as how they are fulfilling their mission.”

The relationship between Franconia Conference and CIEAMM has been mutually beneficial: while CIEAMM was birthed out of Franconia mission work 60 years ago, CIEAMM has also trained leaders from Franconia congregations, including Centro de Alabanza de Philadelphia, through the Community of Anabaptist Theological Institutions (CITA).  “The fact that we interact with other organizations makes us feel like more than part of a historic relationship,” says Oskar Dom, director of the Biblical Institute of CIEAMM. “It’s good to know that we are in a position to share what we have learned in these sixty years of existence.”

Partner in Ministry relationships are not highly structured, according to Franconia’s Executive Minister Steve Kriss; many communities may have just been introduced to Mennonite theology or practice. The Partner in Ministry relationship can provide space for these communities to learn what it means to live as Anabaptists in their complex contexts.  With supportive partners, anyone can thrive. It is Santiago and Kriss’ hope that Partners in Ministry will continue to be a space for communities to interact, experiment, and get to know one another.

A Tradition of Mutual Aid

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by Conrad Martin, Director of Finance

The last week of August, I had the honor of representing Franconia Conference at the 50th anniversary of the Mutual Aid Sharing Plan (MASP).

The Mutual Aid Sharing Plan was established to provide coverage for the medical costs of the international workers for Anabaptist organizations around the world.  While each organization has its own plan, each member organization pools their resources together to share the risks involved in medical-related expenses.

In the 1950s, purchasing any kind of insurance was still frowned upon by many Anabaptist groups, but the concept of mutual aid sharing was at the heart of these groups.  In 1955, Mennonites leaders from across North America came together to establish the Association of Mennonite Aid Societies, which led to more formal collaborations between groups for sharing the risks related to “housing and lands.”  In 1957, Mennonite Indemnity, Inc. (MII) was established to serve Anabaptist communities under the umbrella of Mennonite Central Committee (MCC).

Edgar Stoesz was working for MCC, with responsibilities serving MII, when he noticed a need for the sharing of medical costs for international workers.  He was attending a meeting of the Council of Mennonite Mission Board Secretaries and overheard a conversation between one of the organizations represented at the meeting and an insurance agent.  The prices that were being quoted for medical coverage shocked him and Stoesz remembers wondering why these organizations couldn’t pool their resources and share in the cost of medical claims.  He determined that it would save these organizations a lot of money.  He shared his idea with the group and immediately they asked him to create a plan and report back to them.

The concept Stoesz came up with was simple: member organizations would total up the medical costs for each worker at the end of the year and any costs in excess of $1,000 would be distributed equally over all of the member organizations, based on the number of participants.  So in 1969, MASP was created.

In the early years, there was little overhead, so Stoesz was right—it did save a lot of money.  Initially there were six member organizations, of which Franconia Conference was one, providing medical coverage for the missionaries sent to Mexico and other countries.  Over the years, many other Anabaptist mission boards throughout the United States and Canada joined in MASP.  Also over time, some member organizations birthed their domestic programs into new entities (for instance, Ten Thousand Villages was birthed out of MCC) and so MASP began to invite other domestic Anabaptist organizations into the sharing plan.

In more recent years, the medical insurance world has become more and more complex.  Staff were brought on to focus on these details.  In 2010, the Affordable Care Act created some challenges for MASP and the concept of the end-of-year reconciliation had to be changed.  Actuaries were contracted to develop a system of premiums calculated at the beginning of the year, and so MASP began to function more like an insurance company.  Reinsurance was purchased to handle any extremely high medical costs.  In 2015-16, several large domestic claims were almost too much for the MASP, leaving the MASP board to consider dropping the domestic organizations.  Instead, the decision was made to stick together and weather the storm; MASP came out of that period a stronger organization.

In celebration of its 50th anniversary, MASP commissioned Jewel Showalter to write a book on its history.  A copy is available in the conference office.

Today, Franconia Conference continues to partner with the MASP member organizations for medical coverage for Robert and Bonnie Stevenson, serving in Mexico.

The Details of Building Community

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by Jennifer Svetlik, Salford congregation

“It is rewarding to see pastors and leaders come together to enjoy one another’s company, to network and build bridges,” Brooke Martin shares about her work as the Youth and Community Formation Coordinator with Franconia Conference. 

The community formation aspect of her job involves planning the conference’s major formation meetings and events. These events include the annual Credentialed Leaders Appreciation gathering, the Conference Related Ministry equipping meals, and leading the team that plans Fall Assembly. Brooke is also an at-large member of the Intercultural Team to keep an intercultural lens at the center of event planning. 

Brooke sees her job as playing a vital role in building community. “Noticing the details and seeing what needs to be done, then taking care of it, is energizing for me,” Brooke says. 

Brooke is also part of Youth Formation Team. In this role she is responsible for connecting with Youth Pastors in the Lansdale area, and helping to plan events that resource and equip all of Franconia’s youth leaders and youth pastors.

Prior to working for Franconia Conference, Brooke was the Interim Youth Ministry Leader for four years at Franconia Church. Brooke was thankful to have the opportunity to stay at home when her second child was born, but when it came time to start looking for work again, she was also grateful to work part-time while continuing to have time with her two children. 

“The opportunity to support the work of the Conference, utilize my gifts in administrative organization and building community, and share my passion for youth ministry while having a schedule that aligns with the needs of my children, has been a gift,” Brooke reflects.  

Brooke’s passion for youth ministry started as a teenager, when Melanie Nofziger was her high school youth pastor. Working at Camp Luz in Ohio with camp director Deb Horst was also a formative time for her, and these experiences led her to an associate degree at Hesston College in youth ministry, studying under Michele Hershberger. 

“Hearing the journeys of other women in ministry, learning from their strengths and how they face challenges in ministry, has been formational for me,” Brooke shares. 

Brooke encourages congregations to provide opportunities for young people to cultivate and meaningfully use their gifts: “Youth are the church now, not the church of the future. We need to give them the opportunity to serve now.” Part of that work is in helping youth identify their gifts and inviting them into leadership roles in the congregation, such as teaching Sunday School, serving on the sound team, as an usher, or in the nursery. 

“I’m excited to be able to meet more with youth ministers and hear their stories, their questions, and their challenges. It is an honor to be a part of empowering people in ministry and of what God is doing in the churches of our conference,” Brooke says. 

Brooke’s faith journey started young; when she was eight, she lost her brother Shaun in a car accident. “God became my sounding board because God was the one who could understand and connect with my young grief,” she remembers.  

Originally from “the cornfields of Ohio,” Brooke felt intimidated when she moved to the suburbs of Pennsylvania because she was unsure of how to build community in her new homeplace. “It’s been beautiful to learn that there is community here, even though it looks different,” she says. 

Outside of work, Brooke finds joy in dance and in parenting. Dance has been an important part of her life since she was three years old and she sees it as a way to worship God. Being a parent has allowed her to “see the world through children’s eyes and witness their pure reliance on God; it is the holiest ground I have been on,” Brooke says.