Mosaic Mennonites

Missional - Intercultural - Formational

News

An Update from the Structure & Identity Task Force

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by Mike Clemmer, Franconia leadership minister

Rina Rampogu presents the Task Force recommendations at Spring Assembly 2019.

On May 4 at the joint Eastern District-Franconia Spring Assembly, the Structure and Identity Task Force rolled out a draft of the recommendations that were the result of months of work. The team consisted of Sherri Brokopp Binder, Mike Clemmer, Edie Landis, Josh Meyer, Rina Rampogu, Mark Reiff, Scott Roth, and Ron White.

As a way forward, the recommendations that were highlighted included the appointment of congregational and Conference Related Ministries delegates, credentialing of leaders, the new conference board structure, and how to integrate new congregations. After a presentation of the recommendations by the committee, the delegates had the opportunity to respond to the recommendations at several break-out sessions led by Structure Team Committee members. Questions and comments from these sessions were compiled and reviewed by the committee in the next phase of their work, which resumed soon after Spring Assembly.  

Delegates give feedback during breakout sessions at Spring Assembly.

The committee’s next task is to answer some of the questions brought up by the delegates regarding the recommendations, as well as to move forward in the reconciliation process by creating by-laws, structure, budgets, and supporting documents for a new merged conference. The goal is to introduce the new plan to the delegate body at delegate gatherings this fall, prior to Fall Assembly (November 1-2) and then to have it affirmed by a delegate vote at Fall Assembly.

With a lot of work ahead of them, the committee broke the work up into four specific areas: business/finance of the New Conference, Conference Related Ministries (CRM’s), naming of the New Conference, and implementation. Structure and Identity Task Force committee members divided themselves among these four sub-committees and then persons representing both Eastern District and Franconia Conferences were added to help these committees complete their specific tasks.

Please keep these persons in your prayers as they work at the task of completing this process. The committees have been formed as follows:

Business/Finance
Task Force:  Mark Reiff (Doylestown), Rina Rampogu (Plains)
Staff:  Conrad Martin (Blooming Glen)
Eastern District:  Jim Gunden (Zion)
Franconia:  John Goshow (Franconia board; attends Blooming Glen)

Conference Related Ministries:
Task Force:  Sherri Binder (Ripple), Scott Roth (Perkiomenville)
Staff:  Mike Clemmer (Towamencin)
CRMs:  Bronwyn Histand (Dock Academy; attends Blooming Glen)
               Margaret Zook (Living Branches/Penn Foundation; attends Salford)

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

Implementation:
Task Force:  Scott Roth (Perkiomenville), Sherri Brokopp Binder (Ripple)
Staff:  Mary Nitzsche (Perkasie)
Franconia:  Ken Burkholder (Franconia board; attends Deep Run East)

Charlotte Hunsberger (legal counsel; attends Blooming Glen)

Churches of Misfit Toys

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by Marta Castillo, Leadership Minister of Intercultural Formation

“At this church, we are like the island of misfit toys.”

Since I started attending at Wellspring Church of Skippack, I have heard this comment several times.  I smile when I hear it because a picture forms in my imagination of the rich yet strange collection of people, backgrounds, and personalities that we find at Wellspring—and at most churches, really.  I sigh because I also hear people acknowledging their brokenness and doubting their adequacy and suitability to be together as the body of Christ. 

I had to do a little research on this cultural reference to “misfit toys.”  What I found is that the story of the Island of the Misfit Toys is a tale of a young red-nosed reindeer (Rudolph) who is bullied for being different. He and an elf, Hermey (who wants to be a dentist), set out on an adventure to find a place that will accept them. They discover an island filled with misfit toys that have been tossed aside due to the slight ‘defects’ they possess, including Charlie, who was discarded because, instead of being a Jack-in-the-Box, he is Charlie-in-the-Box and Dolly Sue, a doll who wants to be loved.  In the end, Rudolph saves the day by finding a home for each misfit toy. 

Is there a parallel between the Island of Misfit Toys and churches?  Well, surely your church has people who have been tossed aside by the world because of the defects they possess.  Surely your church has people who have been made to feel inadequate or mislabeled.  Surely your church has people who are lost in this world and feel unsuccessful and unloved.   

In the time that Jesus spent here on earth, he took special interest in the misfits.  In Mark 2, his disciples are asked, “Why does he eat with the tax collectors and sinners?” On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”  Abigail Van Buren once said, “The church is a hospital for sinners, not a museum for saints.” 

In 1 Corinthians 12 we are reminded, “Those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together … that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.  Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.”

In the story, Rudolph saves the day by finding homes for the misfit toys.  As churches, we become “home” for all sorts of misfits (ourselves included), treating those who are weaker as indispensable and those who have experienced little honor with special honor.  We cover those who are unpresentable with special modesty and our presentable parts with clarity and honesty.  We can save the day because all misfits fit in the body of Christ. 

In the body of Christ, together, we can experience belonging, healing, reconciliation, transformation, shalom, and love.  We may continue to be misfits in this world, but in Christ, we are home, accepted, and beloved.

What Binds Us Together?

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by Mark Reiff, Doylestown congregation

When I was in seminary, I had a professor start a class by sharing with us the background of the word “religion” (or in the Latin, religaire): “to bind.”  He then asked us, What does it mean for our religion to bind us together?

The Structure & Identity Task Force (L to R): Scott Roth (Eastern District Conference), Mike Clemmer (Towamencin), Mark Reiff (Doylestown), Rina Rampogu (Plains), Ron White (Church of the Good Samaritans), Sherri Brokopp Binder (Ripple) and Josh Meyer (Franconia) – missing from photo, Edie Landis (Zion).

I can’t remember where the conversation went after that question, but as I have participated in the Structure and Identity Task Force for the new, reconciled Conference, this has been the driving question in my mind:

“What binds us together as a conference?”

For many generations, this question has been answered by some geographic grouping, both at the conference level and at the congregational level. I have often been reminded by older members at Doylestown congregation about how many of the families who are still connected to our congregation have or have had farms near the church’s building. In the same way, conferences in our denomination generally grouped congregations based on geographic proximity.

Another significant piece of Mennonite church history was the work of bishops or overseers, who were responsible for ensuring that the congregations and households within their sphere conformed to a shared understanding of Christlike living. I have been told stories by older members of my congregation about their families hiding TVs or other “worldly” things when the bishop visited. These bishops played a significant role in binding up a shared identity through setting boundaries and disciplining congregations and families.

As technology has made our world smaller and allowed information to travel faster and as our lives have become more visible through social media, our attention has shifted towards binding our shared identity around other factors. As we continue to discern a way forward in our life together as a new Conference, a few reflections stick out in my mind:

  • How we figure out a shared belief system will require more reflection, nuance, and grace given our polarized context. To some extent, when we declare that Jesus is Lord and the center of our faith, we are anchored together in that belief.  Yet theological and ecclesial fault lines exist between and within our congregations; our cultural tendency is to take the convenient road of blasting someone with whom we disagree instead of doing the hard work of self-reflection on why their contrary belief bothers us so much. I imagine the work of Franconia’s Faith and Life Commission could offer us some further wisdom in this area.
  • Even a completely successful reconciliation process could result in feelings of loss and/or grief. Many of the congregations forming this new conference have already experienced seasons of loss and grief because of broken relationships and shifting affiliations. As we come together to chart a new shared journey, it is likely that many congregations will encounter new losses, which could range from missing some past traditions to saying good-bye to familiar and beloved congregations who feel God’s call to connect elsewhere within the Church.
  • God is good and can be trusted with our shared life. This work of creating a new conference is hard because of the energy it requires and scary because we might not always know what the end result will be. Since we have entered into this process through mutual discernment and prayer, however, we can have confidence that God will provide for us as a conference and as congregational families.

As we continue to discern our way forward as a new Conference, I invite you to reflect on your sense of belonging, both on congregational and conference levels. What binds you to your faith community and why? What binds your faith community to other faith communities and why?

As we reflect honestly on this and hear from one another, God’s path forward for us will become more clear and we will be better equipped to connect with others on the journey.

Summer Interns to Serve and Learn

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by Jennifer Svetlik, Salford congregation

Listening for God’s calling. Serving their home communities. Learning from new communities. Cultivating pastoral skills. These are some of the hopes that six interns bring to their time of service and formation with Franconia Conference this summer. They come as part of the MCC Summer Service Program, the Ministry Inquiry Program, as well as the Conference’s own summer placements.

As part of the MCC Summer Service Worker Program, Jessica Nikomang will work at Philadelphia Praise Center. This summer she will direct a Vacation Bible School (VBS) for kids ages 5-12 as well as work with the Indonesian community around the church and her neighborhood, providing translation support and other help. After the summer, she will begin studies at the Community College of Philadelphia as a first-generation college student in pursuit of her dream to be a school counselor.

This will be Rebecca Yugga’s second summer serving at the Crossroads Community Center in partnership with her home congregation, West Philadelphia Mennonite Fellowship. Rebecca studies Nursing and Spanish Language/Hispanic Studies at Eastern Mennonite University (EMU). She will be planning activities for children and build on leadership skills and strategies she cultivated in the program last year.

Graciella Odelia

Graciella Odelia will serve at Nations Worship Center, which has been her home church since 2013 and where she is an active member of the worship team. Graciella studies Biology and Chemistry at Eastern Mennonite University. She will be organizing the summer VBS program in July and August at Nations Worship Center.

“Seeing kids excited to worship God makes me look forward to what God has in store for the next generation. By participating in the MCC Summer Service program, I hope to discover how God can use me in His church,” Graciella shares.

Andrés Castillo

As the Conference’s summer placement, Andrés Castillo, a member of Nueva Vida Norristown New Life, will serve as a communication intern for the conference. Andrés studies English at West Chester University. More of his writing, photography, and videos will be shared on our website throughout the summer. Andrés is excited to make connections in his communication work between Christ’s teachings and the social issues about which he’s passionate.

Justin Burkholder, who attends Deep Run East, will be working with the conference’s south Philadelphia Indonesian congregations. He will be serving with the peace camp at Indonesian Light Church as well as summer VBS programs at other congregations. Justin is in Intercultural Studies at Palm Beach Atlantic University.

“I grew up traveling into Philadelphia just for ball games or cheesesteaks and I was disconnected from the lives of people living in the city,” Justin shared. “I am looking forward to building relationships and learning what it looks like to serve the church and community in South Philly.”

As part of the Ministry Inquiry Program, Luke Hertzler, who studies Bible, Religion and Theology at EMU, will be working with Whitehall and Ripple Allentown congregations. Luke will help at Ripple’s Community Building Center and garden and test out gifts on Sundays at both Ripple and Whitehall.

“We hope Luke will bring new ideas and energy. Right now we are forming gift groups at Ripple and I hope Luke can give some direction to this new model,” Danilo Sanchez, co-pastor for Ripple Allentown shared. “Internships are important to Ripple because we care about raising up leaders. Ripple is a different kind of Mennonite church and we like to show young adults that pastoring and church can take a variety of forms.”

Summer interns are an important part of Franconia Conference’s commitment to leadership cultivation. “Each year it is a gift to interact with this next generation of leaders. We learn alongside them and contribute to their formation in the way of Christ’s peace,” Franconia’s executive minister Steve Kriss shared.

We are grateful for and look forward to sharing more about the work that these six young people will offer Franconia Conference this summer!

Meet the Moderators

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In preparation for Spring Assembly, Eastern District Conference moderator Jim Musselman and Franconia Conference moderator John Goshow share a bit about their lives and roles.

Moderators John Goshow (Franconia Conference) and Jim Musselman (Eastern District Conference)

Tell us a little about yourselves!

Jim:  I was raised in Souderton, attending Zion Mennonite Church and graduating from Souderton Area High School. I graduated Penn State Harrisburg with a concentration in Literature and Philosophy. I worked for my brother Bob at Musselman Builders, Inc. since 1979 and have recently retired. My wife of 42 years, Barbara, is a Registered Nurse and a certified holistic nurse and works at Abington Hospital Lansdale.  We also have a son, Matt, a daughter Kate, and two grandsons, Liam and Gray.  Now that I’m retired, I enjoy volunteering for Zion’s Table of Plenty and Bean Bag Project, as well as the Mennonite Historians of Eastern PA.  I enjoy genealogy and history and Barbara and I do a lot of travelling and camping with our little tear-drop camper.

John:  During my childhood years, I lived with my family in Franconia and attended Franconia Mennonite Church. In 1964, I married Janet, and our first major decision was to enter Mennonite Voluntary Service, which led to a two-year assignment at Rehoboth Mennonite Church in St. Anne, IL.  I then attended Eastern Mennonite College; after I graduated, we spent a summer at Rocky Mountain Mennonite Camp, where I led a camp for emotionally disturbed boys.  Next, we moved to Richmond, VA, where I earned a Master’s degree in Social Work.  Eventually, we moved back to Pennsylvania, where I joined the staff of Penn Foundation in 1977 as a clinical social worker, not knowing that in 2010, I would retire as the President/CEO!  Along with our three children, we joined Blooming Glen Mennonite Church, and, along the way, 10 grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren joined our family.

What exactly do you DO as moderator?

John: The Bylaws of Franconia Mennonite Conference clarify that the Moderator’s primary role is to preside over meetings of the delegate assembly, serve as Conference Board Chair and as Conference Board Executive Committee Chair. Also, the Executive Minister is accountable to the board through the moderator.

Jim: I chair the Conference Administrative Board (CAB), which meets every month or two. I stay in communication with Scott Roth (Executive Conference Pastor) and board officers.  I also set the agenda for the business portions of the Spring and Fall Assemblies.  As Moderator, I am a member of the Ministerial Leadership Committee, which oversees the credentialing and licensing of our pastors. In addition, twice a year, I attend the Constituency Leaders Council (CLC) meetings (which are like the denominational “elders”), held in various settings throughout the US.  There are also several breakfast meetings each year with Franconia Conference leadership to discuss common agenda and ventures.

What has gotten you excited about working in the role of Moderator?

At Fall Assembly 2019, John and Jim symbolically offered words of apology and forgiveness, that the two Conferences might “look well upon each other.”

Jim: This one’s easy!  What I get most excited about is meeting people from different backgrounds and places and hearing their stories. This happens at Assemblies when we share the joys and frustrations of living out our callings, whether personally or congregationally. It happens at CLC meetings and biennial Conventions. It happens at CAB meetings and one-on-one breakfast meetings. It’s really just about the joy of being an active participant in a community of hope.

John: Now in my ninth year as moderator, I feel blessed to have had the privilege of serving Franconia Conference and God in this way. It has been a pleasure to work closely with Ertell Whigham and Steve Kriss, both of whom have served our conference well as Executive Ministers. It has been inspiring to welcome several congregations from California who have joined our conference. Franconia Conference appears to be in a good place at this time, thanks to the prayers and support of all of our delegates.

At our Spring Assembly, Franconia Conference delegates will vote to affirm Ken Burkholder as Moderator (to begin in January, 2020).  Hear from Ken and Conference board member Merlin Hartman, in preparation for this affirmation.

What to Expect at Spring Assembly

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by Scott Roth, Eastern District Conference Minister

Sitting around and swapping stories of God’s work in our lives has always been a highlight for many in their faith.  The telling of tales about times when God has used a small group, youth ministry, or the littlest child in a faith community to remind us that He is there boosts our faith.  We are constantly strengthened and encouraged by the testimonies of the Lord’s greatness in our journeys on earth. 

These stories present us with a current view of how God is working within us through grace.  As conferences, many times we find our gatherings together filled with agendas and equipping, yet we miss the stories of God among us.  Sure, at lunch or break times you can catch something, but to really focus on our communities with God can be difficult.

Spring Assembly in Eastern District Conference has become this time of storytelling and encouraging others in their faith communities.  Many years ago, we started the practice during our worship service of delegates sharing what God has been doing.  Snippets of a larger story are uplifted as praises to the Lord in our spaces.  This year Eastern District Conference will continue that tradition with Franconia Mennonite Conference included.

On May 4th we will gather for a joint Spring Assembly.  The purpose of this assembly will be two-fold.  First, Assembly will be a time to celebrate, to gather in song and testimony and to bring forth the stories of what God is doing with your faith community.  It’s important to realize that those attending (that’s YOU!) will be bringing brief testimonies to share with all that are present.  As we pass the microphone around, we’ll enjoy the beauty of our living God.  So come prepared to share something of what God is doing in your faith community.

The second piece of the day will be engagement with the materials that the Structure Team has prepared as a vision for what our reconciled conferences could be together.  As the new conference grows, we need to consider how we continue to stay connected even as our family ties increase.  These materials will be distributed at Assembly so that we can work through them together.  We will listen and give feedback to the Structure Team’s proposal as a re-visioned way of being conference. 

During the morning, we will hear presentations on the vision and mission of the conference, expectations for congregations, credentialed leaders, and Conference Related Ministries, and how we conduct our ministry and business together.  These proposals explore how we might proceed, not only as a reconciled conference of Eastern District and Franconia Mennonite Conferences, but also as a conference that will be welcoming and planting new congregations into our family.  In the afternoon, we will split up into smaller groups and “kick the tires” on the newly proposed structure.  This will include a chance to ask questions and clarify what will be voted on at our Conference Assembly this November.

Coming to Spring Assembly will be a chance to renew and explore friendships within the conferences, a chance to interact and to listen to what God is and can be doing with us in the future.  As Franconia and Eastern District Conferences come together, a renewed vision for ministry can happen so that we can work towards baptizing the nations and raising up people to follow in the ways of Christ.  In the end, the re-visioning and reconciliation of the conferences will benefit the Kingdom of God.

Work and Hope in Florida/ Trabajo y Esperanza en Florida

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by Steve Kriss, Executive Minister

Tomorrow I’m leaving for a meeting with Mennonites in Fort Myers, Florida.  Noel Santiago and I will represent our conference in a conversation with congregations who are interested in remaining in relationship with Mennonite Church USA after the withdrawal of their conference.  They are discerning their future together as a community.  

Last month, Southeast Mennonite Conference removed itself from our national body.   In recent years, we have had growing ties to some of these communities in Miami, Tampa, and Sarasota.  Some of us spend part of our winter in Florida; some of us have pastored there; some of us have relatives in these communities.  Florida is an easy flight away from the part of our conference that is rooted in the Northeast corridor.

Several years ago, Angela Moyer (our current conference assistant moderator), Ertell Whigham (then executive minister), and I helped to lead an equipping event with Southeast Conference leaders in Sarasota.  We recognized a resonance between our conferences. There’s been a warmth between some of our conference leaders and these Floridian communities since then.  In the last weeks, we received a request to come alongside a part of what had been Southeast Conference to provide additional leadership resources and accompaniment.

Sandra and Marco Guete worship during a Southeast Mennonite Conference annual assembly. Photo by Andrew Bodden.

Last month, we invited Marco Guete to begin serving as a stipended leadership minister to work alongside the communities in Florida for six months.  Marco joined our conference staff retreat at Spruce Lake last week.  His wisdom, insights, experience, and salsa lessons were a welcome gift to our team while we were together.  I expect these deep, lively, and wise contributions to continue in the months ahead.

Where is this going?  We don’t know.  We anticipate meeting with leaders from about ten congregations in Florida this weekend; these leaders may either decide to form their own group in Florida in order to remain a part of Mennonite Church USA or express a desire to join our conference.  It’s a time of fluidity and change in church structures, with the previously unimagined becoming the new normal.

We want to be open-handed in relating to the communities in Florida.   I believe strongly that “to those whom much is given, much is required.”  We had available financial resources to offer assistance to our sibling communities in Florida from within our budget this year due to unfilled staff roles.  When the need in Florida became clear through a phone call with former MCUSA moderator Roy Williams from Tampa, we responded.  Our multilingual conference staff will continue to work to accompany the Florida communities as they discern their future.  Marco will work in this role for six months.  We are in conversation with Mennonite Church USA leadership about how this may evolve.

The Spirit continues to shake up the structures of the church.  Meanwhile, we are still willing to bear witness to the way of Christ’s peace.  And God continues to bring new possibilities for relationships and renewal that might extend right fellowship to people both near and far.   We will continue to work and hope.  Seguiremos trabajando y esperando.