Mosaic Mennonites

Missional - Intercultural - Formational

Conference News

Mwaipopo Joins Mosaic Board

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Emmanuel Mwaipopo joined the Mosaic Conference Board in January 2023.  Along with his role on the Mosaic Board, Emmanuel will serve as Chair of the Intercultural Committee.

Emmanuel Mwaipopo was born in Tanzania. Although his mother was a Mennonite, he was raised in his father’s Roman Catholic tradition. He moved to the US in his 20s to attend Temple University in Philadelphia, PA, where he studied computer information systems. A professor at Temple introduced Emmanuel to a local Mennonite church in Philadelphia.

Later Emmanuel moved to Norristown, PA where he became involved with Nueva Vida Norristown New Life Mennonite Church, where he now serves as an elder.  Emmanuel is a software engineer and works for Comcast. He and his wife care for four children. In his free time, Emmanuel plays ultimate frisbee. 

Mosaic Moderators Meet with Mennonite Church USA Executive Board

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MC USA Executive Board Responds with Open Letter

By Sue Conrad Howes

On Saturday, January 28, 2023, Mosaic’s Moderator Angela Moyer Walter and Assistant Moderator Roy Williams met virtually with the Mennonite Church USA’s Executive Board, a 15-member volunteer board that guides the denomination and supervises the MC USA Executive Director.

During the meeting, Moyer Walter and Williams shared a timeline of Mosaic Conference since 2007. In that timeline, the MC USA Executive Board learned about the growth of recent-immigrant churches, the addition of California and Florida congregations, reconciliation work between Eastern District and Franconia Mennonite Conferences, Mosaic’s experiences at the MC USA Special Assembly in Kansas City in May 2022, and the development and implementation of the Pathway Forward document in the fall of 2022. 

This meeting was a follow-up to an open letter that the Mosaic Moderators sent to the MC USA Executive Board on November 15, 2022.  After receiving the letter, MC USA’s Executive Board invited the Mosaic Moderators to meet with them face-to-face.  During the course of the meeting, Moyer Walter and Williams read portions of the open letter to the Executive Board. 

“It was good that we read parts of the letter; it was honest and accurate,” said Moyer Walter. “They heard the hurts, the pain, and the frustration.” 

After 20 minutes of presentation, Moyer Walter and Williams invited questions and conversation.  When the 45 minutes of allotted time was over, the Executive Board extended the time by 15 minutes. At the end of the hour, everyone acknowledged that the conversation could have continued for much longer.  

Moyer Walter reported that the Executive Board acknowledged the information gained from the timeline was helpful in their understanding of Mosaic today. They also affirmed Mosaic’s 2-year time frame for the Pathway Forward process.  

Moyer Walter asked the Executive Board, in light of this deeper level of understanding, “Is there room for Mosaic’s diverse perspective within MC USA?”  The Executive Board overwhelmingly responded “yes.” Moyer Walter therefore invited MC USA to more engagement with Mosaic Conference over the next two years. 

Although the time for discussion was limited, Moyer Walter reported that she and Williams felt heard, the Spirit was present, and the response from members of the MC USA Executive Board was kind. At the same time, the conversation needs to continue. “It is very difficult to try to speak as Mosaic in such a short time frame. Mosaic has multiple things to say to MC USA leadership,” said Moyer Walter. “I’m aware that we need to honor all our Mosaic voices, and that can be tricky. I felt like we were able to do that as best we could.”   

Moyer Walter knows that some members of Mosaic Conference desired for her to express their anger to MC USA leaders. She is willing to share that anger, but wants to work at understanding what is underneath the anger, to articulate the complicated layers of frustration and hurt. “We want to be a people of peace and reconciliation and to bear witness to the good news of Jesus,” shared Moyer Walter.  “We bear witness to Jesus by how we manage conflict. That does not mean that we are weak or spineless but that we are honest and take time to listen and honor each other.”  

In reflecting on the time spent with MC USA’s Executive Board, Williams said, “We are family. We may not always get along, but we are still family.  We do not hide from conflict, but we commit to working with each other for better understanding in the future.” 

After the meeting, MC USA’s Executive Board formally responded to Mosaic’s open letter by publishing an open letter of their own (also available in Spanish, Indonesian and Vietnamese).

Sue Conrad Howes

Sue Conrad Howes is part of the communication team for Mosaic Mennonite Conference. She is an ordained pastor in MC USA and is a chaplain at St.Luke’s Penn Foundation. She and her husband live in Quakertown, PA and are members at West Swamp Mennonite Church.

Burkholder Finishes and Reflects on Moderator Role

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By Eileen Kinch

On December 31, 2022, Ken Burkholder concluded his three-year term as Mosaic Conference moderator. In this role, Burkholder gave leadership to the Executive Board, the Executive Committee, and the Conference Assembly.

Prior to being moderator, Burkholder served on the former Franconia Conference Board. “Ken has steadily and graciously led us through our reconciliation process and through a global pandemic, in the midst of complicated denominational relationships,” said Steve Kriss, Executive Minister of Mosaic Conference.  

COVID-19 has defined Burkholder’s time as moderator. His term began in January of 2020, and the lockdown came in March. The Mosaic Executive Board quickly switched from in-person meetings to meetings over Zoom.  Two of the three Conference Assemblies that Burkholder led also took place virtually. “Leadership is about planning and setting a clear vision,” Burkholder pointed out, “but it also requires flexibility to adjust to unexpected situations, such as a pandemic.” 

Mosaic continues to experience the wide-ranging effects of COVID-19. Burkholder observed that current tensions in Mosaic Conference are not new; the same tensions were already present in the former Franconia Conference. Mennonite Church USA (MC USA) actions and COVID-19, however, accelerated these tensions. The polarized, divided atmosphere “raised the temperature and level of anxiety,” and the lack of face-to-face communication made the tensions harder for people to handle. “We need to be talking together, taking communion, and praying together,” Burkholder said. Mosaic needs to heal from the disruption of fellowship. 

We need to be talking together, taking communion, and praying together

KEN BURKHOLDER

Yet there were joys and accomplishments for Burkholder amid the challenges. The Shalom Fund, a mutual aid effort during the pandemic that raised $217,945, was a “terrific testimony to the community … [and to] God’s faithfulness.” The Board was also able to meet in person, but outside, at Spruce Lake Retreat in July 2020 to form Mosaic’s mission and vision statement, as well as to affirm that Mosaic was to be missional, formational, and intercultural. Burkholder was glad that the Board affirmed these biblical and Anabaptist values. 

Ken leads with a tangible love for God and the Church…

ANGELA MOYER WALTER

“Ken leads with a tangible love for God and the Church,” said Angela Moyer Walter, Mosaic’s incoming moderator. “He listens well, laughs readily, and understands the complexities of church leadership. During difficult times, he is humble, honest, and open to the leading of the Spirit.” 

Although Mosaic faces challenges, Burkholder remains hopeful in what God has done, what God is doing, and what God will do. He hopes that Mosaic Conference will focus on where it is united, which is in its vision to embody the reconciling love of Jesus in a beautiful and broken world. He looks forward to focusing primarily on his pastoral team role at Souderton (PA) Mennonite Church.  

Mosaic Conference extends it sincerest thanks to Ken Burkholder for his work and trusts that God will be working through him in his future endeavors. 

Eileen Kinch

Eileen Kinch is part of the Mosaic communication team and works with editing and writing. She holds a Master of Divinity degree, with an emphasis in the Ministry of Writing, from Earlham School of Religion.

Giving and Receiving Counsel Update

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At its November meeting, the Mosaic Board affirmed the recommended actions regarding a Giving and Receiving Counsel process with Beth Yoder. In April, Yoder officiated a same-sex wedding.  

The discernment process, as outlined in the Giving and Receiving Counsel document, included a conversation with a review team comprised of members of both the Ministerial Committee and Credentials Committee. Yoder was not employed as a pastor in a Mosaic Conference congregation at the time of the officiating, though remains a member of Salford (Harleysville, PA) Mennonite Church where she was most recently part of the pastoral team.

The following recommendation came from the review team which was then affirmed by the Ministerial Committee and forwarded for final processing to the Mosaic Board: 

We find Beth Yoder’s actions in officiating a same-sex wedding to be at variance with the policy and teaching positions of Mosaic Conference, specifically with Statement Three of the Church Together Statement Grace and Truth, which states that pastors credentialed in the Conference may not perform same-sex covenant ceremonies. We reaffirm that the Grace and Truth statement is the policy and teaching position of Mosaic Mennonite Conference. In accordance with the Giving and Receiving Counsel document, each incident is to be handled on a case-by-case basis. We recommend that Rev. Beth Yoder’s ministerial credentials with Mosaic Conference be placed on probation for a period of two years. Probation is defined by A Mennonite Polity for Ministerial Leadership as “the credential held by those…who are placed under close supervision for a specified period of time in order to determine whether the credential will be continued.” 

Review team members included: Sherri Binder (Ripple), Tami Good (Souderton), Josh Meyer (Franconia), Michael Howes (West Swamp), and Aldo Siahaan (Philadelphia Praise Center). 

Mosaic Board Begins Pathway Process

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At their November 21 meeting, the Mosaic Conference Board developed the next steps in moving on the Pathway that was affirmed at our fall Assembly.  While not the only agenda item for this meeting, the Board discerned the following actions to keep pace with the two-year maximum timeline for strategic planning and affiliation clarification for Mosaic Conference: 

  • The Board affirmed the staff to begin leading our time of prayer and fasting.  Noel Santiago, Leadership Minister for Missional Transformation, will serve as the primary staff person for this process, which will run alongside and integrally with the strategic planning in the coming months.  Noel will begin to introduce a process of praying Scriptures developed in collaboration with other staff and leaders from Faith Chapel (Los Angeles, CA), including Pastor Grace Pam and George and Mukarabbe Makinto.  These prayers will begin our process of praying the text as we listen to the Spirit together. To learn more about praying scriptures, please watch this short video.

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Download the Praying Scriptures

The Board also laid out plans for the strategic planning process itself.  A request for proposals will be developed and shared with numerous consulting options who fit Mosaic’s specific needs of experience with faith-based communities, strategic planning, and intercultural capacity. The Board hopes to name this group at its next meeting in January 2023.   

  • In January, the Mosaic Board will receive nominations from across Mosaic membership to serve on a Steering Team.  The Steering Team (6-12 persons) will be a mix of Board, staff, and Conference members who bring a strong commitment to Mosaic’s missional, formational, and intercultural priorities and our shared vision to embody the reconciling love of Jesus in our broken and beautiful world. 

Here are some important actions for Mosaic delegates and leaders to do now, as we journey on this Pathway together: 

  • Continue to watch, pray, and fast as we seek God’s direction for us together.   
  • Initiate groups to pray with you in your community or individually, as guided by the praying the Scriptures model. (Watch this video now and watch for more information coming in Mosaic News.)
  • Prayerfully discern persons you might nominate for the Steering Team in January. 

The Steadfast Love of God in a Time of Change

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by Stephen Kriss

In June, I wrote a Mosaic response related to the outcomes of the Mennonite Church USA Special Delegate Session at Kansas City.  In a second article, I outlined essentially nothing had changed in our relationships together as Mosaic Conference.  Now we are preparing for our annual Assembly, six months after those denominational meetings, and the waters have not calmed for us as a community.  It has become a difficult time to lead and navigate together. Yet, the steadfast love of God is still present. 

In response to the Kansas City meetings, we planned a series of listening sessions in June. The sessions were well attended, but we needed a more focused and intentional effort to hear across the breadth and width of our conference.  The Mosaic Board approved a Listening Task Force made up of gifted and committed leaders.  I am grateful for their steady work.  They set out to listen to every community and ministry.  Though they didn’t accomplish that fully, some clear themes emerged which give a possible way forward together. 

Meanwhile, some congregations and leaders have become increasingly frustrated. And some days that includes me. I have had numerous people repeat to me, “You have a tough job,” or, “I wouldn’t want your job.”  I’m grateful for the recognition of the difficulty of the work.  However, I am committed to walking us through this time together.  We can do the difficult work, and we can do it while allowing the fruits of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control — Galatians 5:22-23) to be cultivated within each of us and our communities. 

We can do the difficult work, and we can do it while allowing the fruits of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control — Galatians 5:22-23) to be cultivated within each of us and our communities. 

The Task Force has done important work of taking time to listen and brought significant recommendations back to the Board. There is a sense of urgency within some of us.  We live in a time of quick responses.  We want to be responsive. At the same time, the transforming work of God often has a different sense of timeliness than we might often prefer. 

As staff, we have begun to work in several areas that are highlighted by the Task Force.  We are working on clarifying the information and needs to help us make good decisions.  We do not all have the information we need.  We will work to identify and define these issues in the next weeks and months.   

I have been in conversation with key partners, including Mennonite Church USA, Mennonite World Conference, Everence, Mennonite Mission Network, Mennonite educational institutions, other MC USA Conferences, and leaders of other US-based Anabaptist networks.  We want to be able to make informed decisions about our future together. 

As Mosaic, our diversity is a strength and a challenge.  We are being mutually transformed together as a community, yet at the same time we also struggle to fully understand how to listen and discern well in ways that will allow us to make decisions together.  What we learned from Kansas City is that we are not at our best with processes that lead to divided votes resulting in winners and losers rather than inclusive discernment. Voting by ballot is one of the least communal forms of decision-making.  I believe we can work at decision-making differently that is honest, patient, and maybe even joyful Spirit-work.

I believe we can work at decision-making differently that is honest, patient, and maybe even joyful Spirit-work.

We are sharing the recommendations to the Board by the Task Force in preparation for the upcoming Assembly scattered sessions where we will hear more from Task Force members and continue conversations together. It’s excellent work. And it’s incomplete work.  We still have work to do. 

Mosaic Conference was born from our commitment to reconciliation; it has grown through our commitments to becoming missional and intercultural.  We are now being tested in our formation and discipleship, how we make decisions about essential and tough issues together.   

Our Mosaic vision to embody the reconciling love of Jesus in our broken and beautiful world is still unfolding even within us. We will physically gather to embody this for the first time next month in the midst of turmoil. Jesus will be present with us. 

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases.  His mercies never come to an end.  They are new every morning.  (Lamentations 3:22-23, ESV)  

Stephen Kriss

Stephen Kriss is the Executive Minister of Mosaic Conference.

Mosaic Listening Task Force Update

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By Jenny Fujita

The Mosaic Board tasked us, the Mosaic Listening Task Force, with leading a listening process and reviewing Mosaic Conference’s relationships with Mennonite Church USA (MC USA). Specifically, we are to listen to each Mosaic community and ministry and provide direction for further discernment at the upcoming Assembly on November 5 at Souderton (PA) Mennonite Church.

The Mosaic Listening Task Force has met twice so far. The first session focused on sharing general reflections and questions that might be helpful to ask in the days ahead. At the second session, we focused more on reading, processing, and learning. We’ve collected and read letters sent to the Mosaic Board, notes taken from post-MC USA Delegate Assembly Listening sessions, and reflections from Listening Prayer times. These represent a combination of hopes, dreams, needs, and anxieties. 
 
Utilizing a checklist of Mosaic churches and ministries, we are checking off those groups who have shared with us and preparing to reach out to those we haven’t.  We are especially interested in connecting with those who have felt unheard, including some of our multicultural and smaller churches and organizations, as well as others who live, serve, and minister from the margins. 

If you have anything you would like to share about your hopes for Mosaic Conference, particularly in regards to our relationship with MC USA, please email Jenny Fujita at jenny@fmpr.net, and I will ensure that your comments are shared with the entire Task Force. If your church or ministry has not submitted feedback yet, we will be reaching out.  Our Task Force is creating several feedback processes to ensure that all Mosaic groups will be included and recognized by our Assembly on November 5.  Next week we will be announcing dates and locations for further opportunities to share your thoughts and ideas at “Assembly Scattered” meetings in October. 

Already we are beginning to see some themes emerge as we listen, read, and process your input, but we are not yet ready to arrive at any conclusions. We will continue to prayerfully and openly connect and discern.  Our hope is to knit together our mosaic of voices and the Holy Spirit’s leadings in a way that guides us in November and brings Mosaic’s mission and vision to life for and through all of us.

Jenny Fujita

Jenny Fujita is a member of the Mosaic Listening Task Force.  She is also the Pastor of Upper Milford (Zionsville, PA) Mennonite Church.

Mosaic’s Listening Task Force Members Named

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On July 18, the Mosaic Conference Board moved to form a task force to lead a listening process and review of the Conference’s relationships with Mennonite Church USA (MC USA).  Nominations for the task force were gathered from across the Conference. The task force members are:

  • Maria Hosler Byler, Salford (Harleysville, PA)  
  • Herman Sagastume, Perkiomenville (PA), Mosaic Board member 
  • Eden Strunk, Ambler (PA) 
  • Roy Williams, College Hill (Tampa, FL), Mosaic Board member 
  • Nathan Good, Swamp (Quakertown, PA)  
  • Jenny Fujita, Upper Milford (Zionsville, PA) 
  • Jeff Wright, Blooming Glen (PA) & Leadership Minister for California 
  • Sonya Stauffer Kurtz, Zion (Souderton, PA) 
  • Aldo Siahaan, Philadelphia Praise Center (Philadelphia, PA) & Leadership Minister 
  • Mike Derstine, Plains (Hatfield, PA)  
First row (L-R): Maria Hosler Byler, Salford (Harleysville, PA), Herman Sagastume, Perkiomenville (PA), Eden Strunk, Ambler (PA), Roy Williams, College Hill (Tampa, FL), and Nathan Good, Swamp (Quakertown, PA).
Second row (L-R): Jenny Fujita, Upper Milford (Zionsville, PA), Jeff Wright, Blooming Glen (PA), Sonya Stauffer Kurtz, Zion (Souderton, PA), Aldo Siahaan, Philadelphia Praise Center (Philadelphia, PA), and Mike Derstine, Plains (Hatfield, PA).

The task force will meet for its first meeting the week of August 15. The goal of the task force is to listen to each Mosaic community and ministry and to provide direction for further discernment at the upcoming Annual Assembly on November 5 at Souderton (PA) Mennonite Church.