Mosaic Mennonites

Missional - Intercultural - Formational

Call to Ministry Stories

My Calling to Pastoral Ministry

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By Makinto

Growing up as an atheist in a staunchly secular German family, nothing prepared me nor foreshadowed my call to ministry, other than the will and plan of God in his infinite mercy and wisdom. Although I was surrounded by churches, the primary purpose of a church, in the eyes of my father, was to host organ concerts or be the objects of admiration for historical facts and architectural beauty. Although a protestant church offered rehearsal space to my first teen jazz band, the first time I heard the gospel was at age 16, on a European bicycle tour, when I was accosted by a barely older teen at a fountain in Rotterdam, Netherlands who explained Jesus to me in two minutes. 

Curiously, many of the songs I wrote in my early professional music career, even before coming to Christ, talked about mercy, love, a higher power or even God. It was as if my spirit longed to have a relationship with a creator I didn’t know. God also endowed me with a personality that seeks balance and reconciliation and is interested in other people’s well-being, thus foreshadowing pastoral characteristics. 

 As a professional musician and performer, I was keenly aware that music had the power to bring people together and create an atmosphere of unity, albeit temporarily. I even experienced the redeeming and healing power of music: one night in Paris at an after-hours jazz bar, I performed an original song describing the power and glory of God (this was 10 years prior to giving my life to the Lord Jesus). A distinguished elderly lady in the audience was healed from a chronic condition, which she testified about tearfully the following night, attributing it to listening to my song the previous evening. Although I lacked a personal relationship with God at the time, I nevertheless got a glimpse of God’s power and care for his people.   

Being a critical and analytical person, I researched every mayor religion to understand their core values and teachings: I read the Quran, the Bhagavat Ghita, Confucian Analects, and the Bible. All these writings talked about love as the central element of God’s transforming power and character. Fast forward to 1999 at Day Spring Church, a Bible-believing, Holy Spirit-filled charismatic church in New York City. I was increasingly convinced that the real, living God teaching, expressing, and modeling true love was the one who sacrificed himself on the cross for the people he loved. On a trip to Burkina Faso in May 2000, I gave my life to the Lord Jesus Christ. 

My wife Mukarabe and I promptly immersed ourselves in praise, prophetic, and intercessory ministry and were ordained into ministry by Dayspring Church in NYC in 2003. That same year, prompted by the Holy Spirit, we left the East Coast and journeyed 11 months in a travel trailer across the continental United States. God taught us valuable lessons concerning faith, prophetic ministry, provision, healing, and obedience. We became the praise team for a church in Mississippi for three months, opened a soup kitchen, held revival and reconciliation services, and praised Him on campgrounds, city parks, and churches of many denominations in what we called “A family traveling for Jesus.”  

In 2005 God led us to Los Angeles (California) Faith Chapel, an urban church in LA mostly attended by Nigerians and African Americans, affiliated at the time with PSMC (Pacific Southwest Mennonite Conference). Pastor Chuwang Pam invited me to be part of his pastoral staff as Associate Pastor of Worship and Men’s ministry, true to the central mission of the church found in 2 Timothy 2:2.  

Since then, God has allowed me to serve three churches as Pastor of Worship and Musical director, teach and preach the word, gain a certificate in Anabaptist studies from Hesston College, and be a credentialed minister in the process of ordination at Mosaic Conference.  

My pastoral role extends also to our mission in East Africa. Amahoro International, our nonprofit organization and Conference-Related Ministry (CRM) of Mosaic Conference, operates a refugee development center in Uganda. I have come to realize that God has equipped me for service in unorthodox pastoral, missional, and counseling positions that don’t always fit traditional church settings. The same is true for Joyful Music & Arts, the music school I founded in 2009 in California. Many students call me their pastor, and some of them do not attend or are not declared Christians.  

This is not to say that I won’t at some point respond to a pastoral calling in a local church or plant one, here in the US or in Africa. But I have learned to follow the Holy Spirit’s leading, and He has often led me towards unorthodox ministry according to His will. His thoughts are indeed higher than our thoughts, and his plans higher than ours. Despite my own shortcomings, I have learned to trust and wait on God’s leading. 

Makinto

Pastor Makinto is director of Amahoro International, a mission organization promoting peace and development in East Africa, a Conference-Related Ministry. He has toured the world for 30 years as an international musical performer. 

A Pilgrimage of Formation: The Call of Pastor Juan José Rivera (Seguidores de Cristo, Sarasota, FL)

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Pastor Juan José Rivera (right) sings together with Leadership Minister Marco Güete (left) and Tomás Ramírez (center, Luz y Vida Mennonite) at a Mosaic Florida pastors meeting in February 2024, at Pastor Secundino Casa’s ranch in Tampa.

The Lord called me to establish 25 churches, travel to different places, and form new leaders. 

As a youth in Honduras, I took a chance at serving as an altar boy in my Catholic church for a while. I wanted to confirm for myself that the Catholic church was the true one, and in a way, contradict the Evangelical church. However, when I noticed time and time again the priest could not answer my questions, and the Christian pastor always could, God began to call me to a different path. 

My conversion to Protestantism caused fights between my parents and me. They forced me to decide between them or my religion. I tried to explain, “it’s not religion, it’s Jesus,” but my mother kicked me out of her house. Thus, a pilgrimage began in my life. 

In my newfound independence there was of course the need to survive, but I did not want to leave the church. I began studying and obtained a bachelor’s degree in psychology at the National Autonomous University of Honduras (UNAH). 

There was a pastor and some church members who helped me complete my theological studies. I studied with the church Iglesia de la Santidad, where I was taught through a Bible institute not unlike today’s Anabaptist Bible Institute (IBA). Afterward, I went to seminary in Costa Rica for three years. 

I later taught as part of a missionary outreach program with Lancaster Mennonite Conference (LMC) and obtained a certificate from the Anabaptist Hispanic Biblical Seminary (SeBAH). 

While studying in the Semilla Seminary in Honduras, I was invited to work with LMC in the U.S. I arrived there in 1988 with my wife Elena and my children Isaac, Islia Edith, Jacer (born in Honduras), and later, my son Wolseley was born in New Jersey. 

In Camden (NJ) I established the church Iglesia Menonita Manantial de Vida (Fountain of Life) as an LMC church. I was a member of the council of Hispanic Mennonite churches in Pennsylvania and participated as coordinator of the Mennonite churches in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.  

Years later, I read in a Mennonite newspaper that they were looking for leaders to help consolidate a Mennonite church in Sarasota, Florida. I went to Sarasota with the goal of establishing the congregation, which consisted of newcomers. Marco Güete recommended that we join Mosaic Conference. 

This has been just a little of what I have done in my ministry. The theme of establishing congregations has been present in my life since I was young. God calls me to train leaders using Jesus’ method described in Matthew 28:19 (NLT): “Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” 

I did not feel worthy: the call of Pastor Fernando Loyola (Centro de Alabanza) 

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by Fernando Loyola

Transcribed and translated by Andrés Castillo

In my father’s room I stumbled across a Bible passage: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God” (Mat 5:8). I did not consider myself pure in heart—on the contrary, in those days I was an alcoholic and had been abusing my authority as a policeman. I began to cry. 

In this context, in Mexico, I received my call. I was neither a Christian nor did I know what it meant to read the Bible. 

One day, the desire to follow Christ came to me, but I didn’t know where to start. I told my mother, who simply responded, “you already follow Christ.” While it was true that my family was Catholic, I knew that even drug traffickers in my country aligned with the Catholic faith. I replied, “I feel like there is more to following Christ.” 

One day my older brother introduced me to Kirk Hanger, a Mennonite missionary, and through him I learned about the gospel. I started going to church, where I met my wife, Letty. I began studying and became a teacher. Although I still didn’t understand what it meant to follow Christ, I wasn’t drinking, and things were going better for me. 

Unfortunately, the increased salary of the new job influenced me, and I relapsed. I stopped going to church and my wife’s leadership role was taken away. I began to be mentally and verbally abusive to her, which caused her to leave me and take our two daughters with her. I reacted by doing what I knew best: I drank. 

I was ready to let myself die, so much so that I ended up with alcohol poisoning and my sister, a nurse, aided me in recovery. The Lord reminded me of something I had once said: “God, I know You exist, but I want to live my life my way.” 

I went to a rehabilitation center. During my time there, I felt that the Lord was calling me to go to the United States. I knew my wife, Letty, was there and while I was finishing my rehabilitation program, she called me and invited me to come reunite with her. 

Despite the possible dangers, I believed it was what I should do. “Don’t the United States belong to me?” God asked me. The next day I started the journey and managed to get to Denver, where my wife lived. This call really was from God. 

In Denver, Letty and I went to church, worked, and lived “the American dream.” One day through Kirk Hanger my wife received a call to go to Philadelphia. I was helping her there when we suddenly received a call; Aldo Siahaan from Philadelphia Praise Center (PPC) was looking for a pastor who could help engage the Hispanic community. 

Shortly after accepting PPC’s invitation, people began to call me “pastor.” I did not feel worthy. I prayed, “God, confirm this call, and may there be no shortage of food in my house.” 

We now live a few minutes’ walk from Centro de Alabanza’s new building, which is undergoing renovations. I am studying at Anabaptist Mennonite Bible Seminary (AMBS). Some members of the church are studying with the Anabaptist Bible Institute (IBA) and with the Hispanic Anabaptist Bible Seminary (SeBAH) and my wife and I lead Bible studies. 

We have two daughters: Fernanda, 22, who supports with praise by playing the piano; and Daniela, 19, who is studying law. My hobbies are watching movies based on real events with my wife and reading about Biblical topics. 

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. 

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.  

My Narrative of Inadequacy, Flipped Upside Down

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by Gary Alloway

Growing up, I was a kid who was a good at everything but never excelled at any one thing. I was a committed athlete, but never a star. I was a good student, but there were always a few students above me. I had friends, but others were more charismatic. Since I never had my own “thing,” I always saw this as a weakness in myself.  

When I was 16, God got a hold of my life, and I chose to follow Jesus. At age 18, in a moment of doubt and desperation, I heard God speak the words, “Serve me.” I consider those two moments to be my points of calling. I gave my life to serving God and helping broken people find Jesus.

And yet, for much of my young adulthood, I wandered. I wandered intellectually, trying to find how my beliefs held together. I wandered theologically, exploring everything from evangelicalism to Orthodoxy. I wandered between non-profit ministry and pursuing an academic career, and somewhere in the midst of this, I got a business degree.

At age 24, I was in seminary and not sure what I was doing with my life. I still felt like I was good at a little bit of everything but was not excelling at any one thing.  

One day, God turned this narrative on its head. I was talking with an old friend, and a light came on. Jesus took the narrative of inadequacy and said to me, “You are exactly who I need you to be.”  

Suddenly, I looked again at pastoral ministry and realized that this is a job that requires being good at a little bit of everything rather than being good at one particular thing, especially in the local church. What other job requires public speaking, counseling, budgeting, and knowing the basics of building repair? What other job changes so drastically from day to day … I may be planning a liturgy at one moment and planning a community meal in the next. What other job provides new challenges in every season, often ones that I could never foresee?  

I attended an academic seminary. I remember a professor, who had served the church for many years, say, “If you really want to use your brain, go into pastoral ministry, not academics.” He was right. For someone whose brain likes to wander in a million directions, pastoral ministry never runs out of things to think about. For someone who gets bored easily, pastoral ministry provides something new in every season. For someone who is good at a little bit of everything, but fails to have a specialty, pastoral ministry is a perfect fit.  

I often get exhausted by the ever-changing, never-settled state of the local church. But if church work ever gets boring, then I will probably be ready to move on. So, today I celebrate the local church, with all its chaos and challenges, and am thankful God made me just as I am. 

Gary Alloway

Gary Alloway is a pastor and church planter of Redemption Church of Bristol (PA), which is a Mosaic Partner in Ministry and was founded in 2009.  Gary serves with his wife, Susan, and his children, Augie (9) and Rosey (7), who deeply love pretzel dogs from the Bristol Amish Market.  Gary has a passion for Philadelphia sports, crossword puzzles, and for seeing broken people connect to the amazing love of God. 

Trust That the Turtles Are There 

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I have always wanted to help people and to care for them.  As a middle school student, I tutored elementary students in our community. Every summer I was a candy striper at the local hospital.  Since high school, my career has been in customer service.

Although my family of origin was traditionally Baptist and Pentecostal, my family began to attend a Mennonite church because my daughter’s friends attended the Mennonite church. My extended family thought this was weird: Black & Mennonite didn’t compute.

Soon, our church introduced a new Associate Pastor.  I began to sense that I was supposed to work with him.  I had a full-time career, but I kept having this tug.  I kept saying, “No thanks God, I am fine.”

Then one night I had a dream: I was attempting to walk across a lake and as I took a step, a turtle would pop up for me to step on. As far as I looked, I saw no turtles, but when I placed my foot out, a turtle would appear to guide me across the lake.

I felt like God was saying he would provide. Through more prayer, God encouraged me to talk to the Associate Pastor. I believed God and trusted that the Associate Pastor would have the rest. Who was I that God would speak to me about serving in a church?

Jaye Lindo (right) and her husband, Robert Lindo. Photo provided by Jaye Lindo.

The Associate Pastor responded, “Praise God, you are an answer to a prayer.” However, the church had never paid for office assistance before. I thought, “Ok, thanks, I tried. Have a nice day.” Problem solved.

Yet, the church called me to an interview. I was curious as to why God didn’t lead me to talk to the Lead Pastor, so during the interview process I apologized to the Lead Pastor that I didn’t come to him, but I felt that I was specifically supposed to work with the Associate Pastor.  The Lead Pastor then informed me, confidentially, that he was retiring. I am still amazed by the love of God to gently woo me into service.

The family, board, and church affirmed me to serve as Director of Operations. The Lead pastor retired and the Associate Pastor became Lead Pastor and soon hired an Assistant Pastor and Youth Pastor.

While serving with these pastors, they often highlighted my gifts and encouraged a call to ministry. They allowed me to lead and participate in many pastoral functions. Eventually, after some pastoral transitions, the church and my family anointed me to serve as Youth Pastor.

In 2017, I completed the S.T.E.P. (Study and Training for Effective Pastoral Ministry) program through EMU. I was the Youth Pastor and co-led our Youth Mentoring Program. In 2018 I completed Stephen Ministry Leadership Training and trained 18 Stephen Ministers as I led our Pastoral Care program. In May 2022, I will complete my EMU Certification as a Spiritual Companion.

Leadership Minister Emily Ralph Servant leads the licensing service for Pastor Jaye Lindo. Photo provided by Jaye Lindo.

In each position I have been able to serve more, love more, give more, and grow more.  This is my call.

My call journey has been a progression. I didn’t wake up one day and know that I was going to be Pastor of 7 Ways Home Fellowship and Leadership Development Associate with Mosaic Conference. God has always told me to put one foot in front of the other, and I will be supported by God each step.

I am grateful that I am part of this beautiful Mosaic Community.  Trust that your turtles are there; just keep moving forward!

Called into Ministry

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February 2, 2022

by Hilarion Chidi Ihezuoh

The call of God is a human’s long-term commitment to his divine plan and purpose. A person dwelling in his/her calling is the most blessed place to be on earth. No wonder Paul wrote of our calling as “a high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 3:14).

Pastor Chidi Ihezuoh (2nd from left) and his family.

My call into ministry began when I was working as a bank auditor in Nigeria. As an auditor, I travelled throughout Nigeria with the gospel of Christ in mind. I met people of different cultures and values, as Nigeria has over 250 ethnic groups and 500 languages. During this time, I was involved in the Pentecostal church, Winners chapel, which is spread throughout Nigeria. I was actively involved as a cell minister and part of the church financial board. I began to see the movement of God as I prayed for people, with healing following, shared the gospel of Christ, and most importantly, experienced winning souls for Christ. I followed up with these people to continue the nurture, and I experienced great joy as they were still standing strong in the Lord.

As my 40th birthday approached, I desired to leave my career in banking and start my own business in producing palm kernel oil. I usually inquire of God before I undertake any task, and this time my spiritual mentor was involved. We both prayed separately. Not long into the prayer time, my spiritual mentor said that Lord wants me to relocate to the US for mission work and not pursue the business I want to do. This came as a shock to me.

I then went on a retreat of fasting and prayer. On retreat, I heard the Lord clearly tell me, “I am sending you to the US, but you must ensure you work in ‘righteousness’ and do everything right.” Acts 1:8 was the matching order, paraphrased, “God will release his power; you will witness in the US and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”

Pastor Chidi Ihezuoh (right) and his wife, Stella Adigo Ihezuoh.

My journey to California was contrary to the initial plan of settling in New York. This, in my opinion, was orchestrated by God. We joined Los Angeles Faith Chapel, and on the first Sunday of worshipping at the church, a woman walked up to me, laid hands on me, and started to pray for me. The woman started making declarations saying, “I see the call of God upon your life, the land will hear of your name, and you will do great things for the kingdom of God in the land.”

After church service, I realized the woman, Pastor Grace Pam, was the co-founder of the church. This was a confirmation of God’s call in my life.

The Los Angeles Faith Chapel became home for my family and me. Pastor Chuwang Pam graciously allowed me to lead prayer meetings and offer pastoral care, and God showed up and healed people.

Eventually, Pastor Chuwang Pam encouraged me to enroll in the Journey Program, a missional leadership development program through Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary (AMBS). I am happy to say I completed the program in September 2021. I was installed and licensed as a Pastor with Mennonite Church USA on February 10, 2019. In December 2021, I was ordained and credentialed as a Pastor within Mosaic Conference.

For me, we can never run away from his calling, “For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable” (Romans 11:29, AMP). You may decide to go do your own business and not pay attention to his divine purpose, but God will always find you, for His calling is final.