News

Mennonite Church USA Convention 2009 will take place in Columbus, Ohio, June 30 to July 5, but people who don’t make the trip physically can still experience convention on the Internet like never before.

The Executive Leadership communications team will provide Web and social media coverage of the churchwide convention for the first time this year. In addition to the official convention web site there will be a presence on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube as well as a Blip.tv channel.

The overall strategy for using social media to keep all parts of Mennonite Church USA connected to the convention was shaped by communications intern Tim Blaum of Goshen, Ind., and Web content manager for Mennonite Church USA Executive Leadership Chris Rahe.

“We see this as an opportunity to experiment and seek new ways of allowing convention participants to help us tell the story of what happens at conventions,” Rahe said. “We know that Mennonites are increasingly taking cues from our society, and we want to make sure we’re communicating in ways that allow us to interact and be relevant in the 21st Century.”

New videos will be uploaded to YouTube and Blip.tv daily during Convention 2009. Videos will include exclusive interviews with some of the speakers and presenters, other scenes from the convention and daily video updates.

To access the Convention 2009 videos, visit the YouTube site here.

Twitter users inside and outside of Columbus will be able to interact in real time by following the MC USA Twitter link where convention goers will be able to post about their experiences 140 characters at a time. A hashtag of #MC_USA09 has been suggested for all convention-related posts. Twitter accounts are not necessary to see the posts.

Others may be more comfortable with Facebook. Mennonite Church USA has had a Facebook page as well as a convention Facebook group since last year, and the pages will be regularly updated throughout convention. People can join the convention group by going to www.facebook.com and searching for “Mennonite Church USA Convention.”

Fans can upload photos and videos, post on the wall and join in convention discussions on the discussion board.

Rahe and Blaum are looking forward to reaching out in new ways.

“Social media are a great tool for the church to extend the Columbus experience to others outside the city,” Blaum said. “It also helps integrate with other communities in new ways by interacting with individuals who notice our activity in Columbus via our presence on the Web.”

Members of the Mennonite Church USA Executive Director Search Committee were initially told by some in the church that it would be difficult to find qualified individuals interested in becoming the new executive director of Mennonite Church USA. Some suggested that no one would complete an application without being specifically asked to do so.

After a June 6 meeting in Chicago, the search committee is delighted to report that these fears were unfounded. More than 80 people were nominated or self-applied for the executive director position. Most of these individuals were personally contacted by the committee, and many spent additional time praying and discerning about their personal call to this churchwide role.

One thing became very clear to the committee. Each of the more than 80 people nominated or who had applied for the position is deeply engaged with the vision and mission of Mennonite Church USA and in the work that God is doing in the world. Based on these contacts and the gifts these men and women possess, the search committee is confident that the future of Mennonite Church USA will remain strong and that its efforts to join in what God is doing in the world are on track.

Describing the search committee process, Keith Weaver, moderator of Lancaster Conference, said “I am impressed by the way the search committee continues to work together. We are now focusing on a smaller number of persons and we are beginning exploratory conversations with some potential candidates.”

Committee member David Sutter, a pastor of the Kern Road Mennonite Church in South Bend, Ind., added, “We feel that the individuals who have applied for or have expressed interest in this role have significant leadership gifts. Our commitment continues to open ourselves to the Spirit’s leading to identify the person who will best fit the leadership needs the church has identified for these times. As the process moves forward, we welcome new applications from anyone who feels called to apply. Until an individual is named to the position, the committee is open to consideration of all applications received. We give thanks for God’s leading.”

Juanita Nuñez, a search committee member and a pastor of Ebenezer Christian Church, Apopka, Fla., shared, “We are praying for our work and for all of the persons involved in the search process, and we are trusting in the leading of the Holy Spirit.”

In responding to questions about the progress of the search, Ed Diller, moderator-elect and chair of the search committee, has routinely responded, “Finding the right person is the most important work of the committee. While there may have been some advantages in introducing the new executive director at the Delegate Assembly in Columbus, the timing of the appointment has always been seen as secondary to finding the person that God is calling to this position at this time.”

The search committee continues to request for prayers from the church for the ongoing discernment process and asks all members of Mennonite Church USA congregations to pray that the Holy Spirit will be active within the committee and in the lives of all who are involved in the process.

Amy Gingerich, a member of Summit Mennonite Church in Barberton, Ohio, has been appointed to the newly created position of Herald Press editorial director at Mennonite Publishing Network (MPN).

“I am very excited about the work of Herald Press, and its mission of addressing issues important to Mennonites and other Christians today,” says Gingerich, presently working as managing editor of Gather ’Round, a Christian education curriculum for children, youth and adults published cooperatively by MPN and Brethren Press.

“At a time when many people are interested in Anabaptist ideas, I believe Herald Press can be the voice of Anabaptism to the broader church.”

At the same time, Gingerich is “passionate about the future of the Mennonite church. I look forward to collaborating with Mennonite agencies and authors on books that will shape our understandings of what it means to be followers of Jesus.”

“We are excited to have Amy join us,” says MPN executive director Ron Rempel. “Her passion and skills will help us to build on the strong foundation of Herald Press, and grow in new directions so we can better serve the church and its witness in the world.”

Prior to her work with Gather ’Round, Gingerich worked as a reporter, section editor, copy editor, columnist and page designer from 1998 to 2004 for the South Bend, Ind., Tribune and the Vacaville, Calif., Reporter.

In addition to teaching Sunday school and being part of the worship and nurture committee at her church, Gingerich is a member of the planning committee for the 2009 Mennonite Church USA Assembly.

Gingerich has a Master of Divinity from the Pacific School of Religion in Berkley, Calif., and a B.A. in communication and Bible-religion from Goshen College. She also studied at Eastern Mennonite Seminary.

Mennonite Publishing Network is the publishing agency of Mennonite Church USA and Mennonite Church Canada. It provides materials that equip the church to experience and share the gospel from an Anabaptist perspective.

At its April meeting, the Executive Board approved a final job description for the new Executive Director. The description was significantly shaped by feedback the Search Committee received from many persons across the church. A priority for the committee has been to engage all of Mennonite Church USA in this process. Dave Sutter, committee member said “It is our goal to conduct this search in a way that models our theology of being an organic body where all parts work together for the common good.”

In its meeting, the Search Committee reflected on what was learned through this intensive listening process. Many persons expressed gratitude, and some surprise, for a process that is committed to authentically include and listen to all parts of the church. To be as inclusive as possible, search committee members made phone calls to young adults, adult members in the pew, conference leaders, executive board staff and former moderators. Other persons responded online to the invitation to send their perspectives to the Search Committee. Some just wanted to let the committee know they are in prayer for the search process and Mennonite Church USA during this time.

Some persons wanted the Executive Director to be a pastor while others wanted a “corporate type CEO.” Overall, the committee heard that people want someone with the heart of a pastor and the skills of a CEO. There was affirmation for an individual with the ability to “initiate and lead sustainable change.” The committee heard the desire for all parts of the denomination to effectively work together and be inspired by an Executive Director who calls us to walk together on the missional journey we are traveling, guided by the Holy Spirit.

Other modifications included changing the need to work out of the Newton or Elkhart office from essential to desirable and including a sense of humor as an essential quality. This was the fourth revision of the job description based on input from a variety of sources. The Search Committee appreciates the time, thoughts and prayers offered as part of the process.

As the search committee travels further along the discernment journey, committee members again request the prayers of everyone in the church. Often in the listening process committee members heard that this is a significant time in the life of the church and choosing the person God is preparing for this position is a critical decision. The committee heard a yearning to effectively and creatively move forward in bold witness to healing and hope through Jesus Christ. Committee chair Ed Diller said “We are so grateful for the counsel and prayers we have received. Now we ask you to pray for the committee as discernment continues and also to pray for the person whom God is already calling to this position.”

Members of the Search Committee include: Moderator-elect Ed Diller (chair) of Cincinnati, Ohio; Glen Guyton of Yorktown, Va.; Charlotte Hardt of Mount Vernon, Wash.; Sue Miller of Middlebury, Ind.; Juanita Nuñez of Ocoee, Fla.; Patty Shelly of Newton, Kan.; David Sutter of South Bend, Ind.; J. Richard Thomas of Lancaster, Pa.; and Keith Weaver of Reinholds, Pa. Moderator Sharon Waltner of Parker, S.D., is an ex officio committee member of the committee.