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by Sharon K. Williams, Minister of Worship, Nueva Vida Norristown New Life congregation

At the gracious invitation of Eastern District Conference, Franconia Mennonite Conference delegates joined in Eastern District’s Spring Assembly on May 4. The purpose of this unique gathering at Zion Mennonite Church in Souderton was to receive and discern recommendations for the possible formation of a new conference arising from the reconciliation of Eastern District and Franconia Conferences. The new conference would be affiliated with Mennonite Church USA, of which both conferences are members.

What transpired at this assembly likely exceeded everyone’s expectations. The members of the joint Structure and Identity Task Force guided us through their prayerfully conceived recommendations for an annual assembly, conference board structure, delegate representation, member congregations, and Conference-Related Ministries (CRMs). Delegates shared questions and gave thoughtful feedback to the task force members in break-out groups. The positive spirit and “humble confidence” of the task force (as noted by Steve Kriss, Franconia’s Executive Minister) was contagious.

The recommendations represent the best practices of both conferences’ cultures. Careful consideration was given to the representational needs of all our congregations according to size, ethnic backgrounds, and locations. The task force also noted areas that need further discernment: procedures for delegate voting, CRM participation, receiving new congregations, and of course, a new name for the new conference.

What should have been a boring trudge through a proposal for reorganization and new structure was an amazing gift in our reconciliation process, enlivened by the Holy Spirit.

Eastern District’s Spring Assembly style is delightful. Scott Roth (Eastern District executive minister) “strongly encouraged” delegates to “brag” about how God is working with our congregations to share the gospel with our communities. Time for informal conversations was deliberately left open in the assembly schedule. I had several interesting conversations with delegates of different demographics.

Some people acknowledged the real potential for “the big fish to swallow the little fish.” But my Eastern District friends reminisced about cooperative, fruitful Eastern District and Franconia efforts in lay leadership training, prison ministries, education, and missions dating back to the 1960s. Franconia delegates anticipated that a new, joint conference won’t change the day-to-day life of their congregations. In many situations, reconciliation between neighboring Eastern District and Franconia congregations has already been found. Delegates from our newer congregations are patiently waiting for this work to be accomplished and are glad to be witnesses to the possibilities of this reconciliation. All agreed: why have we waited so long?

During lunch, Aldo Siahaan (Franconia Leadership Minister and pastor of Philadelphia Praise Center) led our “mixed” table in a fun conversation about possible names for the new conference. After identifying a few realities such as our conferences’ expanding geography and offering some trial suggestions, “Mennonites Without Borders” seemed to be the most satisfying idea!

by Aldo Siahaan, leadership minister

I came to the United States in October of 1998.

Earlier that year, there were riots and violence in Indonesia.  Christians and those of Chinese ancestry were the scapegoats. At that time, President Suharto, who led Indonesia for 32 years, had to step down. Suharto was named the most corrupt president in the world, based on the 2004 Global Corruption Report, allegedly embezzling $15-35 billion.

Between 1998 and 2004, Indonesia experienced a change in presidency three times. It was a difficult period, due to power struggles by the political elite and many riots in Indonesian cities.  In the decade following this troubling time, many politicians were caught in corruption.

Then, a new figure appeared and ran for president: Joko Widodo, often called Jokowi. He did not come from a military background.  He came instead from a poor family who lived on the edge of the river in the city of Solo in Central Java. He became an entrepreneur, then the mayor of Solo. After successfully changing Solo on many different levels, people started to recognize his work. He continued on to become the governor of Jakarta. Jokowi then won the presidential election in 2014.

Many of his political opponents underestimated him because of his thin body, lack of a political “face,” and because he didn’t have much money or experience.  They said, “He is nobody!” 

But during his presidency, for the first time, Indonesia has had universal health insurance, a program to help poor children who need school, and stable gasoline prices. Jokowi`s children aren’t involved in politics and don’t take advantage of their father’s power (like children from previous presidents did).  Indonesia is made up of thousands of islands.  Jokowi has led efforts to build infrastructure across the country to help strengthen the economy.

It’s common to hear people say, “Now, I feel the care of a leader” or “He understands what we feel.” Wherever Jokowi goes, he’s like a celebrity because many people want to take a selfie with him.

Even though he is a devoted Muslim, when I see President Jokowi, I see that his actions align with Jesus’ teaching. He cares for the poor, doing justly, is a servant leader, and is not greedy with power and money. For his opponents, President Jokowi is Mr. Nobody but for me and the people who see his work and action, he is Mr. Somebody.

The people in power thought Jesus was Mr. Nobody, too.

In April of 2019, Jokowi won the election in Indonesia again.  It was a relief to many Indonesian Christians, both in Indonesia and here in the States, who believed that his victory will help the country continue to advance and develop. His opponent was backed by a fundamentalist Muslim party that wanted to implement Sharia Law in Indonesia.  This brought back memories of the fear and violence that caused us to flee our homes twenty years ago.

I invite my brothers and sisters in Christ to pray for Indonesia and for our President Jokowi in this critical moment. There are ongoing tensions.  Please pray for peace and for the safety of Christians in Indonesia.

by Josh Meyer, Franconia congregation

How do we sharpen who we are?  We do it in relationship with others.  One person encounters another and there is an interchange of ideas, feelings, and values.  Isolated from others, we become dull—our thinking, our feelings, even our faith, becomes blunted.  The remedy is to routinely rub lives with other people: generating heat, sparking new thoughts, sharpening ourselves as people and as pastors.

Such has been the experience of a Learning Community I’m a part of.  Encouraged by Randy Heacock and partially funded by Franconia Conference, our group of four pastors (Jessica Miller from Perkasie congregation, KrisAnne Swartley from Doylestown congregation, Franco Salvatori from Rocky Ridge congregation, and myself) has met together monthly for conversation, prayer, personal/pastoral development, and the kind of sharpening that comes from sharing our lives with one another.  Walter Sawatzky (Plains congregation) serves as our coach and facilitator.

This circle has been deeply meaningful for each of us, despite the fact that we come from very different contexts.  We’re not all the same age.  We don’t all share the same theology.  We don’t all have the same experiences.  We don’t all come from Mennonite backgrounds.  We serve very different kinds of churches. 

However, despite these differences, we have much in common.  As Jessica observes, “We all wonder about the best way to lead the church forward in the 21^st century.  We all seem to have an itch to experiment and try new things.  We all share a deep love for the work of the kingdom and sharing God’s love with the world.  We’ve all been frustrated by congregational politics, yet we have stayed in ministry.  We all want God’s best for the people we serve.” 

Finding a place where what unites us is a higher priority than what divides us has been refreshing for my soul and has sharpened me as a person and pastor.

In addition to the common values we share, our circle has discovered a camaraderie rooted in mutual trust.  Franco articulates the importance of this dynamic: “In a political, social, and religious environment where people are functioning out of suspicion and fear, it is nice to have a group who can discuss a wide range of very personal and professional topics with a level of trust that mitigates fear.” 

Pastors often function with varying levels of keeping up their guard, but as Franco points out and the rest of us affirm, our circle quickly became a place where those guards were lowered so that thoughtful, intelligent, informed reflection could take place. 

This is not the first “pastors’ group” I’ve participated in over the years, but it is one of the most meaningful I’ve experienced.  Part of the reason for its success is the intentional and professional coaching offered by Walter.  He often provides research/analysis from leadership and church studies that allow us to interpret our local issues within the context of broader discussions.  Furthermore, he encourages us to look inward toward the underlying passions, motivations, and assumptions that undergird our personalities and leadership. 

KrisAnne reflects on the value Walter adds to our Learning Community by noting how “his non-judgmental listening, his thoughtful questions, and the way he connects different aspects of a situation to reveal what’s going on underneath all gently guide our group toward greater maturity in relationships and in leadership.”

How do we sharpen who we are?  We do it in relationship with others, and one of the most sharpening places for me in the past year and a half has been this Learning Community.  I pray that we all find places of decreased isolation and increased sharpening in the years ahead.

by Emily Ralph Servant, Director of Communication

Over the last two years, executive minister Steve Kriss has been building a diverse staff to accompany Franconia Conference’s credentialed leaders, congregations, and Conference Related Ministries through a time of fluidity and change.  In April, two new leadership ministers joined Franconia’s team to walk alongside a range of new and established congregations as we seek to follow Jesus together.

Marco Güete (Sarasota, FL) and Josh Meyer (Telford, PA) began their conference work by joining Franconia’s staff retreat at Spruce Lake (Canadensis, PA) in early April.  Güete will serve as an interim leadership minister for a cluster of congregations in Florida who are exploring conference affiliation.  Meyer will assume congregational responsibilities from other current staff as roles shift toward missional initiatives and executive priorities.

“Marco and Josh represent different generations of Anabaptist leadership,” reflects Kriss.  “They both bring strong commitments to the church and will add depth and wisdom to our staff team.”

Marco Güete has broad experience in the church as a pastor, missionary, radio host, church planter, and conference minister.  He currently works with Mennonite Education Agency in their initiatives with Spanish-speaking leadership development and formation and, like many of the Floridian Anabaptist communities, he moves readily between Spanish and English.  Güete is the director and founder of the bi-national Anabaptist Biblical Institute training program (IBA), from which Franconia Conference has several graduates, and has an MA in theology from Northern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Roy Williams, moderator of the Florida network of congregations and former moderator of Mennonite Church USA, has worked with Güete for many years.  He witnessed Güete’s good work at integrating their conference, despite the challenges, and was impressed by the ways he was able encourage participation from congregations who were on the margins of the church.  Williams recommended Güete for the Franconia staff position, noting that he seemed like a good fit because “he has experience working with Mennonite Church USA, he’s a good leader, and he’s well-trained.”  Güete has a heart for the conference priorities of formation, mission, and interculturalism and “brings people in and gets them involved.  He’s very good at inclusiveness,” says Williams.

Josh Meyer is the pastor of discipling and preaching at Franconia congregation and has served on the conference’s Faith and Life Commission, Ministerial Committee, and reconciliation process’ Structure and Identity Task Force.  Meyer has an MDiv and DMin from Biblical Theological Seminary (now Missio Seminary) and teaches public speaking at Eastern University.  Meyer recently completed a doctoral thesis that worked to identify the factors that cultivate and confirm calling among millennial leaders serving in our conference and he is particularly interested in helping congregations connect the good news of God’s great love with younger generations and those without a faith background.

Associate Executive Minister Mary Nitzsche has served with Meyer on the Ministerial Committee since 2014. In her experience, his thoughtfulness, reflective questions, insights, and pastoral experience have greatly contributed to their conversations regarding the credentialing process, discernment of potential credential candidates, renewal requirements, and the ministerial misconduct policy and procedure.  These years of working with these processes firsthand will enable him to effectively assist pastors and congregations through the credentialing process and accompany them in times of change or transition, she reflects.  “As our youngest Leadership Minister, Josh brings energy and passion for expanding his leadership gifts and for developing other younger leaders to serve our conference into the future.”

“We continue to rely on both experienced and emerging leaders to help shape our conference into the future,” observes Kriss.  “I am grateful for both Marco’s and Josh’s willingness to join our team and to bring their gifts into our shared work together.”