Conference News

Protecting God’s Gifts: Congregations Prepare for New Child Protection Laws

June 4, 2015 by Conference Office

Barbie Fischer

As Pennsylvania rolls out new Child Protection laws, Franconia Mennonite Conference is working to support congregations and leaders in the updating of their child protection/safety policies. In this effort, Franconia and Eastern District hosted a Child Protection Seminar held at Towamencin Mennonite Church on May 13^th and May 20^th. The seminar enabled pastors, associate pastors, youth leaders, along with children and family ministry directors to learn about the new Pennsylvania Child Protection laws that are now in place to help preserve the family.

“We need to set high standards as communities of faith for creating safe spaces for our children to grow in the image of God. The state is setting certain standards for us. This is an opportunity to be a witness in our communities for the value we place on our children and youth,” said John Stoltzfus, conference youth minister.

The seminar was presented by Mandy Mundy, from the Network of Victim Assistance (NOVA) in Bucks County. She reviewed briefly how the new child protection laws came to be, and gave an overview of what the laws say. She explained what and who a mandated reporter is. Noting that the new laws expand who is required to be a mandated reporter. For the Conferences and congregations this includes all pastors, credentialed leaders, and paid and unpaid staff who are responsible for children during a scheduled church activity or function. This would include nursery/childcare volunteers, and youth sponsors for all church related activities/events.

Mundy also explained that “a mandated report is required to report suspected child abuse.” She briefly explained what is meant by “suspected” and the information a mandated reporter would need to make a report. Participants were reminded that a report does not mean a child will be removed from their home. Mundy also reminded participants that child abuse is not just physical or sexual but also mental and emotional. Some of the definitions of child abuse have also changed with the new laws and those changes were noted in the presentation.

Following that, Mundy reviewed the basic process for reporting suspected child abuse. She also discussed with the participants who under the new laws would be required to have background checks (referred to as clearances).

At the end of the seminar participants were given an opportunity to share what is already in place at their churches and what changes they have been making to address the new laws. Many ideas were exchanged and discussed.

Stoltzfus stated, “Attending this seminar made it clear to me that while many of our churches already have good child safety policies in place, we also have much work to do in updating our policies to meet new state requirements and in better aligning our vision of who we are called to be as a people of God with our practices of creating safe spaces for our children.”

Franconia Conference continues to work to aid congregations in this transition with the new laws and will be posting a page on the website dedicated to Child Protection. On this page the Conference plans to post the updated Conference Child Protection Guidelines and looks forward to being able to provide sample forms for congregations. If your congregation is willing to share your policy or forms for others to use as an example please contact Barbie Fischer at BFischer@FranconiaConference.org. Stay tuned to Intersectings for the announcement of when the new Child Protection Page is up and running.

To download the slides presented by Mundy at the Seminar click here.

Conferences Meet with MC USA Executive Director

June 4, 2015 by Conference Office

Colin Ingram

Ervin Stutzman, executive director of Mennonite Church USA, met with Franconia and Eastern District Conference members on May 28 at Zion Mennonite Church. The meeting aimed to educate attendees on the MC USA structure and what is happening in the denomination, along with preparing delegates for the upcoming Convention.

“We are gathered this evening to know what it means to be delegates at Kansas City this summer,” Stutzman said.

About one-fifth of the 68 attendees to the meeting were first time delegates. Stutzman reminded delegates their role includes prayer, open discussion, and discernment regarding resolutions. A delegate job description can be found on the MC USA website.

One of the responsibilities of the delegates at the 2015 Convention, Stutzman pointed out, will be discerning what a “majority” is when approving resolutions. Previously, this has been 51 percent of delegates. MC USA is suggesting using a two-thirds majority approach. Delegates will be given time to discern what approach they would like to use prior to voting on the resolutions at Convention.

Throughout the evening, Stutzman highlighted parts of Mennonite Church USA: An Overview, the Purposeful Plan, the updated 2013 Membership Guidelines, and the five Resolutions.

Mike Derstine of Plains Mennonite Church said, “The Purposeful Plan was helpful to see exactly what they’re doing and to hear [Stutzman’s] desire to help the church focus on our common strengths and common vision.”

The Purposeful Plan contains the “seven priorities” of the MC USA Executive Board. Page 20 starts a list of the priorities and displays specific goals intended to fulfill them.

Stutzman reviewed the five Resolutions last. The first three resolutions were addressed individually: Israel-Palestine Resolution, Faithful Witness Amid Endless War Resolution, and the Churchwide Statement on Sexual Abuse. The other two resolutions relate to one another and therefore were talked about together. Those resolutions being the Resolution on the Status of the Membership Guidelines, and Resolution on Forbearance in the Midst of Difference.

The Membership Guidelines were reviewed before assessing the resolution regarding them. Number 3, 4, and 5 of Part I of the Guidelines were highlighted to show the relationships of authority between congregations, conferences, and MC USA. Stutzman made note that this is important to remember when considering the resolutions on the guidelines and the resolution regarding forbearance.

Stutzman also noted that Part III of the Membership Guidelines was added in 2001 and reviewed why and how it was added. He spoke of this section of the Guidelines being reviewed with the resolution as there is continued tension around the content of Part III.

Conference Welcomes Summer Intern

May 28, 2015 by Conference Office

This week the Conference welcomed Colin Ingram who will be serving as a communication intern with Franconia Conference and Finland Mennonite Church, where he attends. As a Liberty University student, he is completing a degree in Communication Studies: Advertising/Public Relations. During his internship, Colin will be responsible for writing articles, covering conference events, managing social media, and doing some work on the Conference website.

Previously, he has served two summer pastoral internships at Finland and one at Infinity Mennonite Church in Harlem, New York (Lancaster Conference). From his experiences he has found an interest in preaching, discipling, and visitation. In his time at Liberty he co-hosted a weekly radio show called The Late Night Request for 90.9 FM The Light. Hosting the show required writing and performing scripts for on-air content. Some public relations principles he has gravitated towards are media writing, graphic design basics, and Thought Leadership. Regarding the Mennonite world, Colin has served on service trips with Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) to New Orleans and Gary, Indiana. At Liberty University he went on two Ministry Exposure Trips to Baltimore and Boston. On the Boston trip Colin observed church planting, taught a Brazilian Church youth group, and street evangelized at Harvard University and in Boston suburbs. In Baltimore he observed ministry reaching women in prostitution and/or sex trafficking. In his free time Colin enjoys exploring new towns and coffee shops.

Ministerial Committee Update

May 20, 2015 by Conference Office

by Stephen Kriss

The Ministerial committee of Franconia Mennonite Conference board met on May 6th at Christopher Dock Mennonite High School. The committee approved and recognized the following changes in credentialed minister status.

Penny Naugle from Plains Mennonite Church was licensed toward ordination for her work as a chaplain at Rockhill Mennonite Community. Nathan Good, associate pastor at Swamp Mennonite Church, was licensed toward ordination.

Ministerial Committee Update 5-21-15 web — Angela Moyer was ordained on May 17, 2015.

In addition, the Ministerial committee approved Kris Wint, pastor at Finland congregation, for ordination which will take place at Finland Mennonite Church on June 28th. Josh Meyer, teaching/preaching pastor at Franconia congregation was also approved for ordination and his ordination ceremony will be on June 28th as well. The Committee is pleased to announce that the ordination of Angela Moyer took place this past Sunday, May 17th at Ripple in Allentown.

Other changes to credentialed minister status include, Doris Diener, Franconia congregation, who was received by transfer from Southeast Mennonite Conference has been moved to retired. James Longacre, Bally congregation, was shifted to a retired credential as well.

Gerry Clemmer, former lead pastor at Souderton congregation, John Bender, former interim associate pastor at Franconia congregation, and Mark Derstine, who completed his work as Chaplain at Living Branches, were moved to active without charge.

Steve Kriss is Director of Leadership Cultivation & Congregational Resourcing , as well as a LEADership Minister, in Franconia Mennonite Conference.

Conference Welcomes Gwen Groff to the Board

May 14, 2015 by Conference Office

by Barbie Fischer, communication manager and administration coordinator

The Franconia Conference board welcomed Gwen Groff as a new board member at their May 11 meeting. Gwen has served as pastor of Bethany Mennonite Church in Bridgewater Corners, Vermont since 1999.

During that time, she has been very active in the conference, in spite of the distance. She has served as a Franconia Conference delegate or congregational delegate at Mennonite Church USA (MCUSA) conventions and has attended most Franconia Conference assemblies. Gwen’s encouragement also prompted Franconia Conference to start recording pastors and leaders events, so that those who could not attend would still be able to access that resource.

Gwen grew up in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania and completed her undergraduate work at Eastern Mennonite College and Franklin & Marshall College. She later received a master’s degree in Theology and Pastoral Counseling from Lancaster Theological Seminary. While in seminary, Gwen interned with and then served part-time at Community Mennonite Church in Lancaster.

Prior to pastoral ministry, Gwen held several roles with Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), including working in peace education in the Akron, Pennsylvania office, and at the London Mennonite Center in the United Kingdom. She also served as MCC’s director of women’s concerns.

While in London, Gwen met her husband, Robert Buchan. They have two children, Lilly, 18, and Andrew, 16.

Gwen said what she loves about Vermont is the landscape “summers, springs, and falls, in that order.”

She also loves the people in her congregation, and how they do things with integrity and a lot of intention. Says Gwen, “You don’t accidentally wind up in a Mennonite Church in Vermont. The church had to planted.” (Bethany is one of only two MCUSA churches in Vermont.) What seems to draw Vermonters to Bethany and the Mennonite tradition is the peace witness, the opportunity to sing together, and the community, as the congregation is active in one another’s lives throughout the week.

Gwen brings many strengths to her role as a board member with Franconia Conference: a willingness to listen, to learn from others, and an enthusiasm for the work of the conference. She is most excited about the mission, “Equipping leaders to empower others to embrace God’s mission.”

Stephen Kriss, LEADership minister for Bethany, says, “Gwen is an experienced pastor and trusted leader. She’ll bring deep wisdom and love for the church with a Vermonter perspective yet as someone who has grown up in Pennsylvania Mennonite contexts and with a connection with Anabaptism in the UK. Her insights, questions along with her poetic and prophetic voice will help us to keep navigating while listening for God’s in-breaking.”

In her spare time Gwen enjoys walking in the woods, singing in various acapella groups, playing piano, patch work quilting, and “the fascinating role of parenting teenagers.” What energizes her is making connections, storytelling and seeing how pieces connect “to my story and to God’s story.”

Miraculous Connections Amidst Crisis in Nepal

May 14, 2015 by Conference Office

by Robin Nafziger, Vincent Mennonite Church

How extraordinary–or dare we say miraculous?–is it that two people called to serve God on different continents, separated by almost 8,000 miles and twelve time zones, are both supported by Vincent Mennonite Church, and brought together to help one another and the people of Nepal after the devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake first struck the region on April 25, 2015. As the aftershocks rise to a magnitude 7.3 quake this past Tuesday, God reminds us He is moving amidst the shaking mountains making connections for His children.

Dave Mansfield with Dale and Bethsaba Nafziger at Top of the World Coffee Shop located in Kathmandu Nepal (April 30, 2015)

Years ago, God had put in motion His plan to bring aid and comfort to the people of Nepal living in fear with the aftermath and aftershocks from the earthquake. Following God’s call to serve in Nepal many years ago, Dale Nafziger now resides in Kathmandu, the capital city, where he and his family witnessed and experienced the panic of this natural disaster very personally. Meanwhile, halfway around the world in Las Vegas, Nevada, Dave Mansfield followed God’s call to serve over a decade ago and remains in leadership at the YWAM base located there while also serving and leading with RescueNet, an all-volunteer international disaster response team. With approximately 90 volunteers from 16 countries, RescueNet has the capability to deploy a team to the site of a disaster within 24 hours of a request for aid.

Shortly after the earthquake struck Nepal, RescueNet was preparing to assemble a team of responders who were waiting to deploy once help was requested. As Dave Mansfield prepared the way for his team, one of the first calls he made was to Dale Nafziger, a fellow follower of Christ with ties to the same home congregation.

Through this connection, Dale Nafziger and his wife Beth were able to offer a location to Dave and his 16-member RescueNet team at Top of the World Coffee Shop in Kathmandu, which is owned and operated by the Nafzigers. The shop offered a place for the RescueNet team to store equipment, and organize their medics and children’s aid workers before sending them out to the heavily-damaged neighboring villages. Top of the World Coffee Shop also provided an opportunity for the RescueNet team to connect with Dale, Beth and locals seeking refuge and a sense of normalcy. Dale and Beth also gave the team access to people familiar with the language, the area, and the customs in order to allow them to accomplish as much as they could under difficult circumstances. In addition, Beth, a nurse, was able to provide contacts in the Nepal Christian Medical and Dental Association as well.

It is a monumental task to organize the right people, plan logistics and prepare the appropriate equipment to travel thousands of miles to an unfamiliar land to serve people you may not understand. Yet, God’s miraculous design allowed Dave and Dale to come together in Nepal at the time of the earthquake to support and encourage each other as they assist God’s children in a time of need, comforting the people of Nepal, building on the common bond of congregation, and the call of God.

Please continue to pray for the people of Nepal as they continue to recover from the original earthquake and repeated devastating aftershocks.

Ensuring Our Children’s Safety

May 7, 2015 by Conference Office

Attend the Leadership and Congregation Training on New Pennsylvania Child Protection Law

In an effort to strengthen our church communities to be safe spaces for our children and youth, and to move toward compliance with the new Pennsylvania child protection law, Franconia Mennonite Conference and Eastern District Conference are joining with Bucks County NOVA (www.novabucks.org) to offer a crucial training for churches – “Child Protective Services Training”. We as a church have an obligation and an opportunity to ensure our child protection policies and culture are at their best. This is why the Franconia Conference Ministerial Committee strongly recommends that credentialed leaders attend one of the seminars. In addition, it is advised that each congregation have a representative or team there as well.

This training seminar will be held twice: Wednesday, May 13, 9:30-12:00 noon and Wednesday, May 20, 7-9:30 pm at Towamencin Mennonite Church, 1980 Sumneytown Pike, Kulpsville. To register for the training click go to http://mosaicmennonites.org/rsvp/.

This new legislation impacts both volunteers and paid staff responsible for caring for children in regularly scheduled programs, activities, or services including Sunday school teachers, youth leaders, Christian Education leaders, pastors, church staff, nursery staff, and Christian nurture leaders. Therefore it is encouraged that your congregation send a team of persons to this training, both staff and volunteers.

This training will:

Increase knowledge of who is classified as a mandated reporter and what those responsibilities are under the new Child Protective Services Law.
Increase probability of suspecting child abuse when there is “reasonable cause.”
Increase knowledge of procedure for reporting of child abuse to child protective services.
Include conversation with other churches regarding best practices.
Educate and prepare our communities to deal with and prevent child sexual abuse.
Teach the steps to help prevent abuse, recognize warning signs, and react responsibly when abuse occurs.

Some churches are already taking steps to address the new law while others are still trying to determine how to best implement the new requirements. We will hear from a few of our congregations who have already made strides to address the requirements of the new law and will discuss ways in which your congregation can continue to ensure the safety and well-being of our children and youth. We look forward to seeing you at the Child Protective Services Training as we all work together to strengthen our church communities to be safe spaces for our children and youth.

New Beginnings: Building Spiritual and Academic Hearts and Minds through Christ Jesus

May 6, 2015 by Conference Office

by Sharon Williams

“I am so grateful for the way God is working in the lives of our young people,” say Pastor Jon Moore while reflecting on his 14 years of pastoral ministry at New Beginnings Community Church of Bristol. “It is so amazing to see what God has done through our church, making it a safe haven for the children and youth of Bristol, a place where they could do things they really wanted to do.” Although the congregation held her last worship service in September 2013, the legacy of God’s love lives on.

Pastor Jon recounts several stories of young adults whom he still mentors. A seven-year-old girl who wasn’t learning how to read will graduate from high school this year, due to her mother’s encouragement and the nurturing of a loving church. A boy, who came in contact with the church through a broken window incident and resultant community service, graduated from Temple University and works in sports administration in Los Angeles. A family whose involvement in the church helped them to stay focused on following Jesus, worked hard to buy a home and send their twins to Mansfield University. Jon’s daughter, Felicia, who ministered beside him through her high school and college years, now has a master’s degree in adult education and is a youth pastor’s wife.

Pastor Jon arrived at Bristol in 1986. His home church was Diamond Street Mennonite Church in Philadelphia. His passion for ministering with the young people was infectious. “Near the end of his pastorate, Pastor Ben Bussey told the congregation, ‘Jon Moore loves this church so much, you should call him to be the next pastor,’” recalls Cathy Nyagwegwe, a former leader of the congregation. After a short interim pastorate, Jon was called to be New Beginnings’ pastor in 1999.

The vision and the ministry at New Beginnings started with a similar call. Before there was a Mennonite congregation in Bristol, “Brother Wilson Overholt . . . was challenged by Bishop A. O. Histand in 1936 that a Mission should be started in the Lower Bucks area.” This call became clearer in the 1940s, when the Overholts twice provided foster care for a family in Bristol whose mother was struggling with illnesses. In 1947, this unnamed family hosted cottage meetings in their home, and “were baptized and received into the fellowship at Deep Run Mennonite Church”[1] At the same time, a visiting missionary, likely J. D. Graber, preached “every church (should have) a mission”[2] at Deep Run. Convictions were stirred, and the Franconia Conference “Mission Board granted permission to start a work in Bristol.”[3]

Two government housing developments, Terraces I and II, were chosen as the geographic focal point for the ministry in Bristol. Some 600 homes had been built in 1918 to accommodate a large number of shipyard workers during World War I.[4]

Leadership was called forth from Deep Run and other congregations in the conference. Sunday school, worship, open air services, summer Bible schools were conducted at the community center, in tents, and at the public school. In 1954, Howard Rush was ordained as pastor and moved with his family to Bristol. The transition from mission outreach to congregation had begun. After 10 years of ministry, increasing attendance and a great flurry of community outreach, the mission board purchased land and organized the building of the Bristol Mennonite meetinghouse in 1958. The summer Bible school taught 246 children that summer.

The congregation also had a steady flow of interaction with leaders from conference, the denomination, and related ministries and missions. Pastor Rush represented the congregation in interviews about community race relations and with State Parole Board, and in a Liquor Licensing hearing about a proposed bar in the neighborhood.

Delores Long Derstine was a teenager when her father, George Long, was called as pastor with the Bristol congregation (1966–1973). “He had a passion for the youth of the community. He made sure that we had active boys’ and girls’ clubs and a youth fellowship,” Delores recalls. The youth attended Camp Men-o-lan and later, Spruce Lake Retreat. Annie Davis, one of the Bristol students at Christopher Dock Mennonite High School lived with the Long family. Young people and adults sealed their commitments to Christ and the church through baptism.

“My father also built relationships with the African-American pastors in Bristol, and once attended a worship service in one of their churches, which was quite a cross cultural experience for him,” Delores remembers.

The congregation and community experienced many changes in the 1970s. The housing developments were deteriorating and being torn down; this prompted many of the Bristol families to move to other places. Raymond Jackson was the first African-American pastor called to shepherd the Bristol congregation in 1976. Pastors Gary Young (1987–1991), Ben Bussey (1992–1999), and Jon Moore (1999–2013) followed. The congregation chose the name New Beginnings Community Church in 1987. “Of Bristol” was added to the official name in 2008.

“Building spiritual and academic hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” became the congregation’s vision statement. The church started the New Beginning Learning Center of Bristol in 2007, with a library and computer lab for school children. Tutoring and mentoring, sometimes in the late evenings, was worth it—for today, some of those children are productive and committed Christians with careers as nurses, beauticians, business owners, and with various corporations.

“People tend to live in a box of their own culture,” reflects Pastor Jon. “Moving outside the box helps children to grow. We held summer camps and field trips. We visited and hosted Taftsville (VT) Chapel Mennonite Fellowship, which supported our youth programs and helped us with two flooded basement incidents. Our congregation sponsored a Christian hip hop artist concert, and enjoyed camping and retreats at Spruce Lake Retreat and Camp Hebron.

“Our mission was to equip children and their families with a Christian perspective for moving beyond downward life cycles. We held several dedications for individual teens as a way to both call and release them for ministry. As they worked beside us, they were being equipped to be leaders. Everything was done to inspire children and youth grow up to be who God was calling them to be.”

Pastor Jon claims Romans 8:37: “We are more than conquerors through [Christ] who loved us” (NRSV). Today he lives with muscular dystrophy, but he stays in touch with the Bristol community and the young people he continues to mentor. “I do what I need to do, and let the rest go. I want my testimony to encourage others to press on [toward the goal of knowing and living for Christ]” (Philippians 3:7-12). He is grateful to God for the witness of all the persons who ministered faithfully, doing their part to spread and live the Gospel of Jesus Christ in Bristol.

Sharon K. Williams is a musician, editor and congregational/non-profit consultant. She serves the Lord with the Nueva Vida Norristown New Life congregation as minister of worship.

[1] Esther Leatherman, “History of Bristol Mennonite Church, 1948-1981,” unpublished, 1981, 1.
[2] Conversation with John Ruth.
[3] Leatherman, 1.
[4] C. Stanley Taylor, “Bristol, America’s Greatest Single Industrial Housing Development” in American Architect, Vol. 113, Part 2, 1918, 599–615.

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Attend the Leadership and Congregation Training on New Pennsylvania Child Protection Law

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