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Jenifer Eriksen Morales
jeriksenmorales@mosaicmennonites.org

I was eight years old, but remember the moment clearly. The table at the front of the sanctuary was set, and the Alpha congregation was silently praying. I tried to pray, but was overwhelmed by the stirring within and around me compelling me to go to forward. I followed the movement of the Spirit and left my chair. Although my parents said I could not take communion and had to wait until I was older and baptized, my need to follow the pull of Love was strong. I walked over to my pastor, knelt down next to him, and whispered, “Uncle Henry, I love Jesus and Jesus loves me. I know I’m young and not baptized, but I want to follow Jesus and I need to be a part of Christ and this church. Please, can I take communion?”

Pastor Swartley swept me up in a giant hug. He interrupted the congregation’s prayer, told them what I said, and asked those who agreed I could participate to stand. The entire congregation stood. Many had tears in their eyes. I don’t remember the taste of the bread or the grape juice. But I recall being included at the table and the embraces from the body of Christ following the service inviting me to know and follow Jesus. In hindsight, I realize as I awaited the congregation’s response, I was looking at a church in the midst of a moment of divergence. History, tradition, polity, faith, and past, present, and future experiences collided with my question. This was a significant moment in my spiritual journey and for the congregation who later decided to regularly include children at the Lord’s Table by serving crackers and grapes.

Because I was blessed to be raised in a home dedicated to the Christian faith, and a Mennonite church, my journey in life and faith are interrelated. While I can name situations where a deeper understanding of God, community, and self emerged, I have no “testimony” but rather numerous stories of God at work in, around, through, and in spite of me as the Holy Spirit continues to call. I was pushed to transcend various comfort zones in my choice to attend Eastern Mennonite University. A semester in Central America opened my eyes to issues such as poverty, racism, international relations, and literacy. Living and worshiping with a Catholic family helped me see spirituality through the eyes of others and challenged my Mennonite understandings.

In the middle of my tenure at EMU God called me to short term mission work in Bethlehem, the West Bank. This proved arduous, as I experienced turmoil from the political situation, cultural differences, and difficult team dynamics. Though I learned much and gained a deep love and appreciation for the historical and worldwide church, I returned to EMU doubting myself, my faith, and my God. Friends and the campus pastor supported me through this painful experience. In the end, my relationship with God, and my Anabaptist identity deepened. Remarkably, during this tumultuous time God continued to work. I discovered an interest in working with people from different countries, and my friends encouraged me to pursue pastoral ministry. A seminary course, “Growing Churches,” awakened a passion for church growth and redevelopment. Though I was certain of my calling into ministry, I struggled with my role as a woman due to the tradition in which I was raised.

Instead, I began coordinating an adult and family literacy program. I entered this job ill-equipped and hesitant. Through God’s wisdom, guidance, and grace, much determination, a passion for the people and community I served, and a supervisor who taught and mentored me to lead confidently, I developed the skills necessary to provide leadership for the program through a time of transition which led to rapid and sustaining growth.

In the meantime, my home congregation at Alpha was going through a difficult period and the congregation gave me space to lead. They allowed me to bring ideas that enabled the small church to subsist in a new and meaningful way with ample opportunities to hone my preaching and teaching skills. Their trust was both humbling and empowering. Though the church didn’t traditionally support women in ministry they came to understand and respect my call. The same people to embrace me as a called child also helped me embrace and test my calling as a woman leader. Their support gave my husband and me the courage to move our family to Indiana so I could follow God’s call to study at Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary (Elkhart, IN).

While at AMBS my faith became more grounded in scripture and theology. I was able to discern and claim my passion and gifts for teaching, working interculturally, and leadership. I found this most visible in the area of growth and development. I realized a need in the church for support during times of transition and felt specifically called to work in this area as an interim pastor and a resource person. I am committed to helping church leaders develop practices that enable congregations to cope in the midst of change. Through opportunities to study, worship, and serve with congregations in transition and turn-around, I have seen God at work reconciling, transforming, and equipping congregations.

The many stories I hear of God at work in Franconia Conference congregations as they participate in Jesus’ mission are exciting. I sense a dedication to following God’s call to the continual process of learning and growth along with the vision, passion, grace, and courage required to do so. I am attracted to the rich history, the ever-increasing diversity, and the commitment to “equip leaders to empower others to embrace God’s mission.” I suspect at times history, tradition, polity, faith, and past, present and future ideas and experiences collide. But I am certain God is at work creating and recreating, restoring and renewing. For this reason I look forward to ministering with and in the congregations of Franconia Conference.

Felicia Moore, New Beginnings
fmoore@mosaicmennonites.org

Pastor Jon Moore wrestled with the idea of becoming an ordained pastor. He started attending Bristol Mennonite Church (which became New Beginnings Community Church soon afterward) in May of 1986, through a relationship with Raymond Jackson, the congregation’s pastor at the time. Moore gave his first sermon in August that year and was later appointed as a chairperson to the administration council in December.

After some time at New Beginnings, Moore began to feel God calling him to participate in ministerial leadership trainings. In 1999, Pastor Moore returned to help the congregation, becoming interim pastorate. He was interested in ministry, but the idea of ordination seemed far-off .

After years of discerning, people from near and far came to celebrate and witness Pastor Jon Moore’s ordination on May 20, 2007. The special day started with an unusual morning worship at New Beginnings congregation, filled with a time of testimonies and “hallelujahs.” Everyone was invited to a special fellowship meal before the afternoon service.

In the afternoon, the sanctuary was crowded. The whole congregation was part of the service in some shape or form. Many chose to celebrate by presenting a praise dance or simply sharing a word of encouragement. Conference Minister, Ertell Whigham,
who has known Pastor Moore for years, officiated. He stated, “When you’re licensed, you do ministry. When you’re ordained you are ministry. The ministry is you.” Many present nodded and agreed with an “amen.” At the end of the service, Pastor Ertell asked the church council to surround Pastor Moore so that everyone could extend their arms in prayer. Gifts were presented to Pastor Moore and he was dressed in a white robe and given a new Bible. It was the first time in Franconia Conference that an African American was ordained by another black American pastor.

Pastor Moore believes that ordination means his life is now about ministry and shows a long-term commitment to the leadership at New Beginnings. He wants to be realistic with people but to show something different about God’s love. He says, “My hope is to touch lives, one at a time.”

photo provided by Jon Moore

Mary Lou Cummings, Perkasie
cumminghome@comcast.net

According to the teachings of Eastern Mennonite University professor, Dr. Lisa Schirch, peacebuilding is a verb full of adventure, drama, and creativity. Learning how to build peace has not only taken her to Iraq, but also to West Point and Carlisle Military Academies as well as Joint Forces Command – not the usual pacifist’s approach.

In her experiences in Iraq with Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), Schirch found that community development projects – digging wells, sharing water, starting small businesses – were natural peacebuilding events. “Sunni, Shiite, and Kurdish people came together as they worked out how to build the well and how to share the water,” she said. “And the development projects created jobs for young men in villages where the unemployment rates have soared to 50-70 percent. Imagine what American cities would be like if the unemployment rates were that high.”

As she was preparing to leave, Iraqis came to her and said, “It was wonderful that you came here to teach us about peacebuilding with MCC, but what are you doing about U.S. foreign policy at home?” According to Schirch, she’s heard that countless times before while working in various places around the world, and most recently while she was in Indonesia this past May.

Her response to this question is to spend about two days each week in Washington, D.C., meeting with many different groups and individuals, members of Congress, and military personnel. Her ability to listen with genuine respect often gains her access to real conversations. For example, Schirch says she hears two sets of questions that usually begin the conversation on peacebuilding. The first is, “Why do other countries hate us? What will keep us safe?” The second is,“How can we protect the American way of life? How can we keep our cheap oil and protect our economic dominance?”

“Well, war has not produced the hoped-for safety; in fact it has been drastically counter-productive. So, what would work better? To protect the American way of life for the next 40 years, the U.S. will have to reserve for itself half of the planet’s resources. That may not be viable! It is time for creative new thinking.”

In her presentation, Schirch described a national security strategy as a three-part framework: development, diplomacy, and defense. All three are important. However, while the U.S. spends $1 billion per week on the Iraq War, it only spends half of one percent of the national budget on international development assistance, and much of that serves only to bolster U.S. interests. Schirch directs a project called The 3D Initiative at Eastern Mennnonite University’s (Harrisonburg, VA) Center for Justice and Peacebuilding, a project that aims to advocate for more balanced spending and effort in development and diplomacy.

“The failures in Iraq have many people in the military beginning to lose their faith in firepower and interested in thinking about a different way of building security. The military academies are introducing courses on conflict resolution.”

One reason for much of her travel abroad is that universities in many countries ask for help to initiate peacebuilding and conflict resolution courses in their curriculum. This is new and positive, as it has become clear – on an international scale – that war does not produce much. Except hatred.

For more information, see 3Dsecurity.org or The Little Book of Strategic Peacebuilding, by Schirch. Photos provided by Mary Lou Cummings

Erin Odgers, Plains
eodgers1982@yahoo.com

In the remote West bank village of At-Tuwani, our May 2007 Christian Peacemaker Team delegation sat listening to village leader, Hafez, tell stories of the harassment the village faces from the nearby Israeli settlers, and the lack of police investigation and prosecution of these crimes.

He went on to tell us of the time settlers killed many of their sheep by placing poisonous, barley-covered pellets under the shrubs where the sheep graze. He explained to us, that in the midst of this violence, he has had to make the decision as to whether to retaliate with violent attacks or to resist with non-violent actions. With much contemplation, he came to the conclusion that non-violence is the only solution for the village, explaining to us that, “if we fought back, it would cause more violence.”

In response to this violence, Hafez told our group that since 2000, his village has invited both Israeli and international peace groups to come visit the village in order to educate the global community about challenges they face. Christian Peacemaker Teams and Operation Dove – both nonviolent action groups – currently have teams of people living in the village as international
observers monitoring children who walk near the settlements to go to school. Hafez said, “I’d like to tell the truth to the world. I know we need time, but with Israeli and international help I have hope.” He welcomed our group into his village to share his story in hope that we, as US Americans and Canadians, would tell their story once we returned to North America. He encouraged us to tell his story by saying, “When you come here I believe we are like friends, and you can tell our story like friends.”

This story is a snapshot into the lives of the Palestinians my teammates and I met while on this 12-day delegation to Israel and Palestine. I have found the Palestinian people to have a great sense of hospitality, resiliency, a commitment to nonviolence, and a hope in a future void of a military occupation. As I sat listening to Hafez, I felt a great sense of responsibility. He was inviting our group into his village to share a meal together and the story of the people of At-Tuwani who have faced threats to their homes, their livelihoods, their families, and their land. Just like Hafez, each Palestinian we met asked that we tell their stories when we return home. Each one possessed a hope that these stories will spread and will change the conscience of U.S. and Canadian
people in order to bring about change.

Having been entrusted with these intimate stories, I find that my journey has not ended, even after I have stepped off the plane. Instead, it has just begun. My task is to tell the stories of my new friends in Palestine to my friends here in the U.S. Through these stories, I have a hope, just as I learned from the Palestinians: that the world will see their suffering and call for an end to the injustices they face.

photo provided by Erin Odgers