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Set Apart

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by Noel Santiago

While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.

Acts 13:2, NIV 

In this text, the leaders of the early church gathered in worship and fasting. Amid this gathering, the Holy Spirit calls for Barnabas and Saul to be set apart for the work of Jesus.   

Today, we too participate in acts of “setting apart” on various fronts, although we think more in terms of “calling” or “being called”. The first and foremost of these is when we place our faith and trust in Jesus Christ and reorient our lives around the mission of God. This is an act of being “set apart” to God where we begin the journey of following Jesus as Lord in all of life. 

Throughout our Anabaptist history, we have recognized the call of God on people’s lives and have used various methods to recognize, call, and set apart these people for service to God. From choosing by lot, to shoulder tapping, and seeking to develop a Culture of Call, to credentialing processes that include filling out Ministerial Leadership Information forms, references, and interviews, God’s calling is discerned and recognized in a diversity of ways. 

On Sunday, June 2, 2024, Iglesia Nueva Vida Norristown New Life (PA) was joined by Providence Mennonite (Collegeville, PA) to celebrate the recognition of one of these being set apart. It was the ordination and installation to ministerial office of Pastor Nering Huete at Iglesia Nueva Vida Norristown New Life. Pastor John Holsey of the Providence congregation brought the message from this passage   

Pastor Nering was born in Tegucigalpa, Honduras where he ministered in a variety of church settings, ultimately in the Mennonite Church of Tegucigalpa. In 1984 the Lord called him to be the pastor of Iglesia Menonita El Buen Pastor in Lancaster, PA. Later he served as a chaplain in Chester County, from where he retired. 

However, God still had more for Pastor Nering. God again called him into ministry at Mosaic congregation Iglesia Menonita Ebenezer in Souderton, PA and now at Iglesia Nueva Vida Norristown New Life. His partnership with Providence came about as a new Partner in Ministry formed there called Iglesia Menonita Jesucristo Viene. 

The gathered body prays over Pastor Nering. 
The gathered body prays over Pastor Nering. 

On this day, however, the community of faith gathered in worship, prayer, scripture reading, preaching of the word and celebration of covenant making as we recognized, affirmed, and set apart Pastor Nering for the work of ministry. Family, friends, and sisters and brothers in Christ gathered around him in prayer and together, we all recommitted ourselves to the work of Jesus’ ministry.  

Of course, we did do one thing a bit differently than the early church in the Acts 13 passage; we had a wonderful time of fellowship afterwards with food from a variety of different countries. To God be the glory! 

Noel Santiago

Noel Santiago is the Leadership Minister for Missional Transformation for Mosaic Conference.

Differences That Unify, Not Divide

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by Mary Nitzsche

When I was in the ordination process, I was serving as a Leadership Minister for Ohio Conference of Mennonite Church USA. Since I was not pastoring a congregation, the pastors I accompanied were asked to evaluate my readiness for ordination. One pastor, whom I will call Sam, struggled with whether he could support my ordination given his theological interpretation of scripture. Sam took this matter so seriously that he re-read the scriptures about the role of women in leadership, discussed his perspective with trusted colleagues, and prayed about this decision. In his prayerful discernment, he came to his prior conclusion that women should not be ordained.  

Sam communicated his position in a lengthy written document sent certified mail to me and multiple conference leaders. The letter ended with his conviction that he would not stand in the way of the conference decision. There were no threats to leave the conference or denomination if there was support for my ordination. There were no threats he would no longer accept my leadership role in accompanying him in ministry.

Mary Nitzsche (left) was ordained as Regional Pastor of Ohio Conference at Oak Grove Mennonite Church in Smithville, OH on November 16, 1997. Photo provided by Mary Nitzsche.

 

My ordination was supported by the other pastors, conference leadership, and the Ministerial Committee of Ohio Conference and Central District Conference. With his congregational responsibilities, Sam was not able to attend my ordination on November 16, 1997, 26 years ago. 

Because I was unsure of how my ordination would impact our relationship, it took six months after my ordination to have the courage to call Sam. I asked if I could visit his congregation and get to know them. The first thing out of Sam’s mouth was, “Would you be willing to preach?”  

I was shocked and I hesitated to respond. How could he invite me to preach in his congregation while not endorsing the ordination of women, I wondered. Without needing to understand his reasoning, I accepted the invitation with humility and tears of joy. I had experienced God’s grace like never before.  

From this gracious brother, I learned the importance and priority of relationship over belief. I learned the importance of prayerful discernment on matters of belief with an openness to new interpretations. I learned that two people can take scripture seriously, study it carefully, follow Jesus faithfully, and interpret the same scripture differently. I learned that when there is disagreement, there can be mutual respect rather than judgment, and a willingness to remain in fellowship rather than separate. While I understand there are times when separation may be best for a relationship or faith community, I do not believe this should be the norm.  

Before his impending death on the cross, Jesus’ prayed three times for his current and future disciples, “that they will all be one–as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” (John 17:21 NLT). Jesus’ disciples had different personalities and different understandings of Jesus and his mission, and as such, the oneness to which Jesus was calling them did not mean sameness. 

Jesus’ invitation was to remain in relationship even when perspectives are different. In a polarized world in Jesus’ time and now, oneness is a sign of faithfully following the teaching and practices of Jesus. I learned this 26 years ago from my gracious brother in Christ, and I hope my life has demonstrated Jesus’ prayer over these many years of ministry.  

Mary Nitzsche

Mary Nitzsche is a Leadership Minister for Mosaic Conference. She and her husband, Wayne, are Midwest natives. They have two adult daughters, Alison and Megan, son-in-laws, Michael and David, and two grandchildren.

As a Leader, I’m Tempted

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by Hendy Matahelemual

A church asked me to preach as part of a series on the prophets. The week I was scheduled, the prophet was Jesus. When I prayed about what to say, I felt the Holy Spirit wanted me to talk about how to lead like Jesus. I was taken aback. “No, not leadership,” I thought. 

Leadership is one of the most challenging topics for me to preach about. Perhaps this is because I struggle with self-confidence. Most of the time I don’t feel like a good leader. 

Henry Nouwen’s book In the Name of Jesus: Reflections on Christian Leadership, gave me encouragement. Nouwen writes that a leader is tempted to be relevant, spectacular, and powerful. In my leadership roles, I’m tempted to try to be everything to everyone. Especially in an immigrant community, the pastor’s role is not limited to preaching and leading Bible study. We are expected to be so much more: handyman, driver, interpreter, legal counsel, realtor, and 24/7 emergency and information hotline. The community might have unrealistic expectations. If we are not careful, burnout and depression are around the corner. 

When Jesus was tempted in the desert, the devil tried to get him to use his power for the wrong reasons. I think the devil uses the same tricks on leaders today. I have fallen into the “relevance” trap because I want to be recognized as a pastor who helps people. There’s an urge inside of me to be useful for my congregation, conference, and community. 

There is nothing wrong with helping meet people’s needs. But the motive must be genuine love, not a desire to impress others or fill a void in one’s own life. Meeting the world’s needs might solve an immediate problem but not an eternal one. Maybe you fixed someone’s furniture or helped resolve an asylum case. These good deeds don’t meet the deepest human need: God’s love. 

“God’s love can be manifested through personal connections,” Nouwen writes. “We live in a culture where everything is measured by results, achievements, and numbers, but there’s less emphasis on relationships and connections. As leaders, we need to be irrelevant to this culture by being vulnerable as individuals who also need love from God and care from the community.” 

The next temptation is to be spectacular. In Indonesia, I worked as a pastor at a megachurch. We had an average attendance of more than 2,000 people and about 40 staff. Every year, we baptized around 100 people. 

When I moved to the US, everything changed. I pastor a small congregation. At one point, we had fewer than ten people in our Sunday service. I had to work two or even three jobs to support my ministry. In the first three years, we baptized three people. My wife and I felt like failures. Friends back home asked why we were wasting our time and energy. They said we should return to Indonesia. 

We are glad we stayed. I learned a lot leading a small congregation. The congregation sees me as I am. I cannot hide behind the pulpit on a big stage, out of reach. Others see my vulnerability and our lives become intertwined. My congregation sees our struggles in marriage, parenting, and making ends meet. At first, this seemed like frailty. But we grew to understand it as a blessing. Others love us as we are. 

Nouwen says a leader needs the people as much as they need the leader. I’m trying to grow as a leader while being led by others, and to lead like Jesus by not giving in to temptation to be relevant, spectacular, or powerful.   

A version of this article originally appeared in Anabaptist World and is reprinted with permission.

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.

Reflections From the Holy Land 

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“How was the trip, Josh?  What were some of your major take-aways from Israel?” 

I’ve struggled to answer this question since returning home from a recent learning tour with about 35 folks from Franconia (PA) Mennonite Church.  We traveled together not merely as tourists, but rather as seekers of God on a spiritual pilgrimage.

Unpacking and processing the lessons from our journey will take a lifetime, but one key takeaway was a reminder of all the ways the Gospel is good news especially for “outsiders.”  At nearly every site we visited, I was confronted with this core biblical truth:  The Good News is more inclusive1 than we might think.

We visited Bethlehem and went to the Shepherds’ Field, where angels announced that the birth of Jesus would be “good news of great joy for all people.”  It was not just for a select few; not just for insiders; not just for those who believe all the right things.

We visited Capernaum, standing on the very shore’s edge where Jesus called his first disciples. The Bible describes them as “unschooled and ordinary.”  Later he calls tax collectors and zealots — traitors and terrorists — to be his followers.  These are the people he calls to follow him?  Yes, because the Good News is more inclusive than we might think.

We visited Magdala and were brought to tears as we considered the courage, sacrifice, and faith of Jesus’ female disciples – righteous women of God who played such a crucial role in Christ’s ministry: followers, students, disciples, patrons, evangelists. 

We stood in the Upper Room, where Jesus got down on his hands and knees and washed the feet of those who would betray him. I find this nearly incomprehensible.  Yet that is what he did. 

We visited the place where Jesus was crucified, touching with our hands the rock in which his cross was set, and we remembered how as he was being put to death, he prayed for his crucifiers: “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they’re doing.”

And then we went to the empty tomb, where Jesus defeated death and sin and shame, so that everything can be reconciled to God through him.  All things.  All people.  No exceptions.  The Good News is more inclusive than we might think.

We climbed to the top of Mount Arbel, where Jesus met the disciples after the resurrection and gave them the Great Commission.  From that vantage point, atop the mountain overlooking the towns and villages and horizon, one gets a vivid sense of what’s in mind when he says, “Go and make disciples of all nations”: that is, as far as the eye can see.

The list goes on. If I took anything away from our trip to the Holy Land, from my study of Scripture, from following Jesus throughout my life, it’s this.  The Good News of the Gospel is more inclusive than we might think.

And as followers of Christ, our invitation – our mission — is to receive, embody, and extend this Good News to our community and to the world.

May it be so … and may it begin with you.

1 I’m using the word “inclusive” here in its most basic sense: expansive, all-encompassing, comprehensive in scope.

Building Community: When the Spirit Unexpectedly Changes Us 

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Lately I have been reminded of the Spirit’s unexpected, mysterious, and holy transforming work. Our knowledge, understanding, and experiences of God and faith are limited given our culture, families, friendships, faith traditions, and life experiences. These relationships and our experiences form us and shape our beliefs and perspectives.   

It is easy to get locked into our perspectives as being “right and faithful.” It is difficult to see God, faith, and life from another perspective unless life’s circumstances or relationships challenge our understandings. But these are the circumstances which the Spirit’s unexpected, mysterious, and holy transforming work often happens. 

Being a part of a faith community all my life, I have a perspective of what community is and how to build community in that setting. In times of challenge, pain, suffering, I rely on my faith community to strengthen, care, and offer hope. Like many Christians, I have wondered how people who do not claim faith get through difficulties without faith in God or a faith community to provide support and hope.  

Recently, my perspective of community was expanded beyond my “churchy” understanding and experience. I witnessed the power of a group of friends gathered in a non-church setting — a bar — having deep, authentic conversations. These friends have been present to listen, care, and support each other during a cancer diagnosis or treatment, job challenge or loss, or death of a family member. 

Photo by Daniel Funes Fuentes on Unsplash

I also witnessed the importance and value of community building at my grandson’s school. Administration, teachers, and staff work diligently to connect students and their families of different or mixed cultures and religions to feel valued, included, and accepted. At school assemblies, activities, and programs, the diversity and uniqueness of their students and community is highlighted and celebrated. 

I have also witnessed how tragedies, addictions, or mental illness provide opportunities for building communities of support, care, accountability, and hope. The groups that form around a shared life experience often represent people of different cultures, faith experiences or traditions, and sexual identities. These groups are often more accepting, authentic, vulnerable, and open to sharing deeply, holding each other accountable, and honoring their differences than I experience in the church. 

In these three examples, I am reminded that the Spirit’s unexpected, mysterious, and holy transforming work often involves circumstances and people that challenge my perspectives. The Apostle Paul wise words in 1 Cor. 13:12-13 reminds me, “Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely” (NTL). 

In these three examples, I learned that the Christian church is not the only entity intentionally valuing and building supportive, caring, compassionate, and accountable communities where all its members are valued. Unfortunately, the church often divides over theological disagreements rather than doing the difficult, slow work of building a community that acknowledges, owns, and learns to live with their diversity. This Spirit-led and mutually transforming work requires attentiveness, humility, curiosity, patience, and grace for self and the other.  

My perspective and understanding of God, life, and community are expanded when I allow the Spirit to soften, shape, and lead me. 

God’s Perfect Timing

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By Cindy Angela

We sing a song regularly at Philadelphia Praise Center called, “Waktu Tuhan” or “God’s timing.” The song’s lyrics explain how we should trust in God’s timing and how God’s time is always best for us even though it’s hard to understand. The song is so easy to sing, but, living out the words is much harder. It’s not always easy to trust in God’s timing.  

I especially feel the pressure of trusting God’s timing when the world seems to demand quick decisions, and I don’t feel like I have time to wait for God to respond. Even if I pray, I still ask myself, “How do I know if my plans are in accordance to God’s plans for my life?” 

Proverbs 16:9 says, “We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps” (NLT). I don’t always know for sure if I’m following God’s timeline for my life. But I know that my plans can’t supersede God’s answers. God’s answer can vary between “yes”, “no,” or “wait”, but I think they all work together to reveal His perfect timing for my life. 

The Green Light (Yes, Go, Now!) 

When God says, “Now is the time,” I sometimes find that it is not the answer I expected. It might feel fast… even too fast. Often, God’s guidance is in response to things I didn’t even pray or think about. These green lights from God have come in many forms to me: a job offer, a graduate program, or even marriage. But in the end, I found myself looking back at these green lights and being incredibly humbled and amazed by God’s faithfulness in my life, even if it didn’t feel like it at the time. 

The Yellow Light (Wait) 

I’m currently in my 2nd trimester of pregnancy and being pregnant has made me reflect on God’s process of timing. A typical pregnancy is 40 weeks, and those 40 weeks can feel very long and full of anticipation, especially for a first-time mother like me. In these weeks, the baby is being shaped in the womb and growing daily. There is some pain, discomfort, and anxiety, but I wouldn’t trade these months of waiting and growing for anything. How wonderful is God’s design! 

 “The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake.” 

2 Peter 3:9, NLT

The Red Light (No) 

Lastly, when God gives His red light (which God often does), I always believe that there are better things in store for me. I remember this verse often because I see it happen throughout my life: “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11, NLT). 

When I look back at my life, I can see the bigger picture form. I see the wonder in God’s “yes”, “no,” or “wait”. I hope to be a better listener to God’s answers. I want to trust and anticipate God’s perfect timing, and maybe I will actually live out what I sing on Sundays at church. 

“Waktu Tuhan pasti yang terbaik 
Walau kadang tak mudah dimengerti 
Lewati cobaan, ku tetap percaya 
Waktu Tuhan pasti yang terbaik” 

“God’s timing is the best 
Even though it’s hard to understand
Though I go through trials, I still believe 
God’s timing is the best.” 

NDC WORSHIP – WAKTU TUHAN

The opinions expressed in this content are those of the author and may not reflect the official policy of Mosaic Conference.

Cindy Angela

Cindy currently works as a Digital Communications Associate for the conference. Cindy was born and raised in Surabaya, Indonesia before moving to Philadelphia, PA where she graduated with a degree in Communications and Digital Media Technology from Temple University. She attends Philadelphia Praise Center with her husband, Andy.

Finding the Right Balance 

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by Randy Heacock

I recently began physical therapy to improve my balance.  For the past several years, so-called friends and family have suggested that my walk does not look natural.  Though I do not feel any pain when I walk, some have remarked that it is painful to watch.  On my initial visit, my therapist said my gate is “different”.  Slowly, over 62 years, my adjusting for pain has caused me to walk in a less-than-healthy way.   

I have been wondering if my prayer is also lacking balance. Like walking, has my prayer life been adjusted by and directed by pain? A bulk of our prayers seems to be need-driven.   If a loved one experiences suffering, we ask God to give healing. If we are facing a challenging circumstance, we ask for wisdom or strength. The many prayer requests that fill our bulletins seem to be driven by need.  

As an example, southeastern PA has not had much significant rainfall in the past few weeks, causing very dry conditions. I would imagine that some of us have prayed for rain. In 2 Chronicles 7, God declares, “At times I might shut up the heavens so that no rain falls … Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land” (vss. 13-14, NLT). I cannot recall the last time I heard someone suggest this formula for prayer. I cannot ever remember seeing this type of request on a prayer chain.    

As I continued with physical therapy, I did stretches, a few weights, and eventually some balance exercises.  In the end I went from being able to balance on one leg for 2.5 seconds to consistently more than 30 seconds in six weeks.   

I believe changing my prayer balance will take much longer.  But there are a few things that I have already discovered.  To my surprise, the biblical witness has a much greater view and practice of prayer than the need-driven approach that seems so common in our churches. 

In Ephesians 3, Paul tells his audience of the many wonderful ways he prays for them so that they may be filled with the fullness of God. Surprised, I discovered our need-based approach to prayer is short-sighted in what we wish to see accomplished.  Being filled with the fullness of God is to be filled with the God who in creation created life out of nothing and who in Jesus gave life in the midst of death.  Praying out of need sets the bar too low for what God wants to do.    

To my surprise, the biblical witness has a much greater view and practice of prayer than the need-driven approach that seems so common in our churches. 

How is your prayer balance? Why settle for anything less than being filled with the fullness of God?   

The opinions expressed in this content are those of the author and may not reflect the official policy of Mosaic Conference.

Randy Heacock

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

Learning to speak the Gospel like a Pennsylvanian… 

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by Jeff Wright

Almost 16 months ago, Debbie and I loaded up our SUV, left the sun-soaked, desert beauty of southern California and drove east.  We arrived in Souderton, PA to snow.  

The call of God I experienced as a young adult, to become a missionary in the US, began anew.  After 35 years as an Anabaptist missionary family serving in Southern California, I was now turning a page – from life as an urban Anabaptist missiologist to an interim pastor in a small-town, 270-year-old, Mennonite congregation.  The plan was to serve one year – and leave feeling lucky I hadn’t done too much damage.  

We make plans…and God laughs. 

My interim service has so far been about fulfilling three buckets of work: preaching with zeal and joy, leading the church staff to renew their work with healing and purpose, and aligning the congregational leadership and ministry systems to be more transparent, more faithful to the Gospel, and more effective in expressing love for our neighbors. 

Almost immediately, I realized there was a language barrier.  My dialect of English, shaped by southern California and lots of different cultures, was often unintelligible to my new friends.  I needed to use a dialect of English that paid attention to nuance, to deeply interconnected family systems, to the availability of resources, and to the new landscape that made a 15-minute drive an adventure in trying not to get lost. Learning to speak Pennsylvanian has not been easy. 

But God is faithful. 

When Speaking Pennsylvanian, Slow Down. It quickly became clear that to be helpful, I would need to accept the urging of leadership to stay longer.  The breakneck speed of life in southern California combined with the whipsaw nimbleness required of church life to adapt to new realities wasn’t going to work in southeast Pennsylvania. My one-year assignment became 18 months, and now has been lengthened again.  The local pastoral search committee is working hard.  I’m glad they are taking their time, even if it means I must keep working at being cautious and slow in this different environment.  

When Speaking Pennsylvanian, Speak Up. In my previous life, the role I grew into and was most comfortable involved speaking quietly and behind the scenes, recruiting, equipping, deploying, and supporting pastors.  Now, to my constant astonishment, people want to know what I think.  Don’t get me wrong, I don’t have a problem with telling people what I think.  It is just that now someone else is initiating the request for me to speak up and speak out.  It’s unnerving.  When I speak, the people listening are not looking for me to engage in moral mumbling.  They want me to speak with clarity, and to sound a call. They want me to proclaim what it really means to follow Jesus within the triple cocktail of contemporary crises:  an accelerating post-Christendom, the long game of chronic COVID, and the advent of our culture becoming a digital Babylon. 

When Speaking Pennsylvanian, Say It Again (and Again). Mission work in southern California is frequently about finding new ways to say things.  I’m learning that the Pennsylvanian dialect of faith is not bored by repetition. “More will be revealed.” “Recruit, equip, deploy, and support.” “You’re either in ministry…or in trouble.”  These are all aphorisms that I use regularly in my Pennsylvania ministry. The communication challenge in Pennsylvania isn’t so much to be original – it is to be repetitive without becoming a self-parody. 

Most days, when I remember how to speak, it goes well, and I get to see the grace of God flow in Pentecost-shaped forms of the Gospel in new tongues. 

The opinions expressed in this content are those of the author and may not reflect the official policy of Mosaic Conference.

Jeff Wright

Jeff Wright is a Mosaic Leadership Minister serving churches in California and Pennsylvania.  He is also serving as the interim Lead Pastor at Blooming Glen (PA) Mennonite Church.  Recently, Jeff and Debbie rented a PO Box at the Blooming Glen Post Office to facilitate the flow of mail between Pennsylvania and their permanent home in Riverside, California. This may have been the most cross-cultural thing Jeff has ever done in his life (eating scrapple comes in a distant second).