Mosaic Mennonites

Missional - Intercultural - Formational

Andrés Castillo

Not Your Typical Mennonite: A Take on Violence 

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by Andrés Castillo

I remember my first Judo Club practice at West Chester University. Its demanding drills would eventually lead to throwing, sweeping, and wrestling other students on blue mats.  

A semester of Kickboxing Club left me similarly realizing I had never known how to properly throw a punch or kick before—let alone at another person. 

Within a couple of years, I was regularly feeling invigorated following my weekly Jiu Jitsu* or Muay Thai† classes. 

In my teens, much to my parents’ dismay, I began listening to rock and metal music. In 2021, I would be invited to my first ever hardcore‡ music show. I witnessed a brutal karate dance floor accompanied by loud, fast music. I even clumsily attempted to participate by throwing myself at friends and flailing my limbs around. 

These days, I attend a couple shows each month to continue perfecting the art of karate dancing known as moshing, and I play in two hardcore bands. 

If you are slightly horrified at this point, I will admit this to you: as someone who identifies as Mennonite, these activities are fun for me, and I now consider them a big part of my personality.  

Andrés Castillo (right) playing guitar with his band at a show in Phoenixville, PA. Photo provided by Andrés Castillo.

I cannot explain why I signed up to try martial arts during college. And although I always had a special connection to music, I never imagined myself physically participating in it with such zeal. I had never been athletic, aggressive, competitive, or a dancer.  

Sometimes I question my newfound joys. Do I like violence? 

Growing up, I knew of my poppop’s prowess in badminton and tennis. I also knew of his and my nana’s involvement in the Vietnam War as peacemakers. As missionaries teaching English, they stared violence calmy and dutifully in the face. 

My grandparents enjoy hearing about my hobbies, but I sometimes wonder how they can connect with a grandson who enjoys “violent” activities. Expressing my interest in such things at church or family functions sometimes raises eyebrows. “Where’s the nonviolence in that?” some ask. 

The Confession of Faith In a Mennonite Perspective tells us that, “Although God created a peaceable world, humanity chose the way of unrighteousness and violence.”  

Have I chosen the way of unrighteousness and violence? 

The confession continues to say, “[Mennonites] witness to all people that violence is not the will of God. We witness against all forms of violence, including war among nations, hostility among races and classes…and capital punishment.”  

Andrés Castillo (left) practicing Brazilian Jiu Jitsu with a friend in Conshohocken, PA. Photo provided by Andrés Castillo.

My insider opinion is that martial arts classes are a place of personal strengthening and friendship where pride is frowned upon; hardcore shows provide a place to let out stress in a controlled-chaos environment. These are consensual activities, and I doubt they will lead me toward a love of true violence and unrighteousness. 

I reflect on a conversation with Juan Marrero of Crossroads Community Center (Philadelphia, PA). Part of Crossroads’ enrichment activities for youth involve boxing. Juan sees boxing as an empowering activity that discourages young people from defaulting to gun violence and has been used to resolve lethal situations in his neighborhood. 

I challenge you to discover what unorthodox pastimes exist in your community and the purposes they serve for those who partake in them. Was your pastor in a punk band? Is Mosaic Executive Minister Steve Kriss a “gym bro”? As we seek to celebrate differences within Mosaic, it is worth discovering what more of them are. 

*Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, a grappling art popularized in the 90s 
†Thai Kickboxing 
‡Hardcore is a music scene/style originating in the 80s, but has often been used as an ambiguous term 

Andrés Castillo

Andrés Castillo is the Intercultural Communication Associate for the Conference. Andrés lives in Philadelphia, PA, and currently attends Methacton Mennonite Church. He loves trying new food, learning languages, playing music, and exploring new places.

Sharing Stories Across Languages and Perspectives

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Staff Profile for Andrés Castillo

by Jennifer Svetlik

“I like journalism, writing, and helping people from different backgrounds share their stories,” reflects Andrés Castillo, Intercultural Communication Associate for Mosaic Conference. “Stories are a way of sharing what the Conference does, even in the midst of differing perspectives and beliefs. Working for Mosaic Conference allows me to be a part of the challenging work of holding together these various perspectives.”  

Andrés officially began his new Mosaic role, part-time, in November 2023. Prior, he had been working off and on for Mosaic conference since 2019. His role will expand to a full-time, one-year position in January 2024.  

In this role, Andrés is writing newsletter articles, making updates to the job postings and announcements page, responding to the Mosaic office email account, and greeting and supporting those who visit the Mosaic office in Lansdale, PA. As part of the Intercultural and Communication teams, he has recently been participating in Conference-related events and reporting on them in Spanish. 

“It is rewarding to hear many different stories and viewpoints, and also be able to practice Spanish and Russian,” Andrés shares. He is also looking forward to planning events with the Intercultural team that involve not only sharing food, but also exhibiting art and music from various cultures.  

Andrés really enjoys providing Spanish-English translation for Mosaic’s communication, whether long reports or brief announcements. Prior to coming on staff with Mosaic, he worked for a translation and linguistic quality control company as a translation project manager. This prior experience helps Andrés understand the needs of each translation job.  

Andrés has the distinction of currently being the only member of Gen Z on the Mosaic staff. “Working for Mosaic in my 20s seemed interesting because I’d be the only person of my generation on staff, and I think and act differently because of the perspective my life experience provides,” Andrés reflects. “I think having someone from my generation is a benefit and challenge at the same time, because my generation is an angry one, and we prioritize different things than the older generations.”  

Andrés grew up in Norristown (PA) and now lives in Philadelphia. He is a graduate of West Chester University of Pennsylvania with BA degrees in Spanish and Russian language. He attends Methacton congregation (Norristown, PA) with his grandparents. He appreciates that the congregation is very accepting, and also enjoys the open sharing time during the second hour after worship. 

Andrés Castillo, Mosaic staff member, makes shoofly pies (a PA Dutch baked good) under the direction of his nana. Photo provided by Andrés Castillo.  

In addition to the English, Spanish, and Russian he knows, Andrés is casually studying Polish these days in preparation for an upcoming trip to Poland and Slovakia. He hopes to eventually learn Arabic.  

He enjoys practicing mixed martial arts, playing video games, exploring Philadelphia, and going to the gym. He plays guitar, bass, and drums and enjoys writing and playing music with three hardcore bands comprised of his good friends.  

As a cook, Andrés enjoys trying new recipes from other cultures, especially Slavic, Hispanic, Indian, and Southeast Asian cuisine. “But these days, I mostly cook on a budget and eat vegetarian food, sometimes even inventing new vegan creations by accident,” Andrés says. “I eat a lot of chickpeas.”  

Jennifer Svetlik

Jennifer is a member of the communication team, helping with editing, writing, and content creation. She was born near Houston, TX and spent a decade living in an intentional community in Washington DC, before moving to Lansdale, PA with her spouse, Sheldon Good. She is a graduate of the University of Texas and Washington Theological Seminary. She serves as Children’s Faith Formation Director at Salford Mennonite (Harleysville, PA). Jenn has two elementary-school-aged children and loves biking, camping, gardening, and vermicomposting with her family.