Conference News

Plans move ahead to improve Souderton playground

January 24, 2012 by Emily Ralph Servant

By Emily Morris, emorris@montgomerynews.com
Reprinted from the Souderton Independent

Gerry Clemmer, pastor of Souderton Mennonite Church, Jen Ruggiero, and Tara Cupitt stand inside the gazebo at the playground at Chestnut Street and Wile Avenue in Souderton. They are working to revitalize the park through fundraising events in the Souderton community. Souderton Independent photo - SUSAN KEEN

Plans to improve the public playground at Chestnut Street and Wile Avenue in Souderton are moving along, with a group of volunteers working on the project hoping to tag on to some of the momentum of the borough’s 125th anniversary.

“We’re partnering together and inviting the community to join us in this project,” said Gerry Clemmer, pastor of Souderton Mennonite Church.

Clemmer and fellow volunteers Tara Cupitt and Jennifer Ruggiero, both neighbors of the playground, are working under the name Chestnut Street Playground Community CARES to bring new, safer equipment to replace the aging existing features at the park. In addition, they’ll be refurbishing the gazebo that sits in the park.

The small corner playground, which has been there as long as anyone at the church can remember, Clemmer said, has not been updated in years, housing largely old steel equipment. Clemmer said the church donated one newer piece of equipment in 1999, which still exists and would remain as part of the plan. That was the last time the park was updated.

One of the primary goals is to create a safe and accessible playground for the numerous children who live in the neighborhoods surrounding the playground.

“The neighborhood is filled with school age kids,” Cupitt said.

To meet the safety goal, one of the key elements will be handicapped accessible equipment, including swings. There will also be a music station, which is an interactive piece of playground equipment that is appealing to all children, but also particularly good for children with autism and Asperger’s, Ruggiero said.

“Our goal is to encompass all children that might have some kind of disability,” Ruggiero said.

In addition, the playground will be designed to appeal to a wide age range, rather than just smaller children as the equipment does now. The goal is to get a larger playground structure that will appeal to those aged 7 to 12, and several other pieces to meet the age ranges below that. The playground is also visited regularly by children from the nearby Head Start program and other nearby nursery and preschool programs.

Cupitt, whose sons are 12 and 14, said her sons often go to the park to play football or baseball in the field below, and that field will remain for those purposes.

The group is currently working with the borough’s engineering firm, Boucher & James, to analyze the park property and create a master plan that can then be used to work on fundraising for the new equipment. Plans for the new park may include improvement of grading so that it is more accessible for both children or parents who may be in wheelchairs or handicapped in other ways.

Fundraising will be a key part of the project in the coming months, Ruggiero said. The goal is to raise a minimum of $65,000, though the group has plans that could incorporate more elements if more funding is raised. The group will be reaching out to larger companies in the area, along with smaller businesses, which may be able to support the project in other ways. For example, Ruggiero said, Action Karate recently donated the profits from the sale of gis — the outfits its students wear for karate — to the playground project.

The group is looking for large structure sponsors at $20,000 or more, smaller structure sponsors of $10,000 or more, $5,000 for a handicapped accessible swingset, $1,000 for the merry-go-round and spring rider, $500 for picnic tables and benches and $250 for trees and landscaping. Sponsorships over $500 will have their names placed on a recognition board in the park. Ruggiero said several businesses have already expressed interest in helping, including Moyer Indoor Outdoor, which has said it will help to maintain the trees and landscaping in the playground. Plans for the playground will preserve the existing trees.

For individual fundraising, the group hopes to have a number of events that may include a pancake breakfast and basket Bingo, and it will be hosting a block party in conjunction with the June 23 parade that will be part of the Souderton 125th celebration this summer.

The group hopes to begin fundraising in earnest after receiving a final plan for the park to show potential donors. The borough has said it will pull out some of the older pieces of equipment beginning in the spring, Ruggiero said, and the new equipment could be purchased piece by piece as money is raised. The goal is for the project to be completed by early fall.

“What we’re really wanting to do with this is to build a sense of community,” Ruggiero said.

Donations to the playground can be made Attention: Chestnut Street Playground to Souderton Mennonite Church, 105 W. Chestnut St., Souderton PA 18964 or Souderton Borough, 31 W. Summit, St., Souderton PA 18964. Checks and donations should note that they are to be earmarked for the playground project.

To learn more about the playground project or get involved, contact Pastor Gerry Clemmer, Tara Cupitt, or Jennifer Ruggiero.

Christmas light, shining into the new year

January 24, 2012 by Emily Ralph Servant

by Emily Ralph, eralphservant@mosaicmennonites.org

Ubaldo Rodriguez, pastor of New Hope, Baltimore, stood in the Walmart parking lot on Christmas afternoon, at a loss. Even in the midday light, there was a hovering shadow. What were they going to do?

Weeks earlier, he and his congregation had received a call from a family in Pennsylvania who wanted to join them on Christmas to serve the homeless in their community. The family was going to bring all the food—what a wonderful way to celebrate Christmas!

So Rodriguez invited fifty people to share the love of God—and Christmas dinner—with them. The dinner was set for 2pm on Christmas afternoon at Wilkens Avenue Mennonite Church.

Just past noon on Christmas Day, however, they made a shocking discovery—the food from Pennsylvania had spoiled on the trip. How were they going to feed their guests? They went to the supermarket, to Walmart—everything was closed. It was Christmas, after all.

Franconia Live Nativity — Franconia shares a live nativity with the community.

Now, as they stood in the parking lot at Walmart, trying to figure out some way to redeem this Christmas, they received a phone call. A member of Wilkens Avenue who owned a restaurant had come to the dinner—with enough food to feed fifty people.

In that moment, Rodriguez and his congregation experienced a real Christmas miracle. There was a light shining in the darkness.

And it was a light that could not be quenched. All throughout Franconia Conference this Christmas, congregations stood alongside Christ as light in the darkness.

2011 Souderton Christmas Parade — MIddle School students from Penn View walk in the Souderton Christmas Parade

Franconia (Pa) congregation kept watch in a live nativity during the week leading up to Christmas, providing soup, hot dogs, cookies, and hot chocolate for their visitors. Middle school students from Penn View Christian School (Souderton, Pa) took their live nativity on the road, walking in the Souderton Christmas Parade.

Plains (Hatfield, Pa) has a yearly tradition of caroling at the Montgomeryville Mall, an event that always draws crowds and participation from bystanders who can’t help but join in the breathtaking harmonies. This year, they also hosted a gift exchange for Manna on Main Street, a Lansdale (Pa) soup kitchen, providing gifts for almost 450 children.

Christmas gift exchange at Plains — Plains partnered with Manna on Main Street to distribute gifts to local children.

Upstate at Whitehall, the light was particularly bright on Christmas Eve, when the Christ candle in the Advent wreath was finally lit after a long season of waiting. The woman who carried the candle up the aisle battles mental illness. She lit the Christ candle and proclaimed, “Arise, shine, for your light has come!” The congregation stood and responded, “The light shines in the darkness . . . and the darkness has not overcome it.”

Christmas Eve is only the beginning—the Christ has arrived and continues to walk with his people through times of darkness and difficulty. This is why Whitehall also celebrated Ebenezer Sunday the week after New Year’s.

The congregation brought in a big stone like the one the prophet Samuel erected while Israel was battling the Philistines (1 Samuel 7). Members of the congregation wrote on the stone, listing the good and hard times that God has led them through. The stone will sit as a memorial of God’s faithfulness, first inside the sanctuary and then later in the church garden—an Ebenezer, their “stone of help,” for “Thus far has God helped us” (vs 12).

Whitehall-Ebenezer — A stone of help from Whitehall's Ebenezer Sunday

The light of Christmas shines into the new year—through darkness, uncertainty, and fear.

And the darkness has not overcome it.

“We praise the Lord for his continued love for people [and] his provision,” said Rodriguez, reflecting on his Christmas miracle. But he acknowledged that the love, provision, and light are not just for us to enjoy, but to extend to all people. “I hope we continue to share in practical ways with others the gift given to us all,” he said, “the gift of love, hope, and joy from our Lord Jesus Christ.”

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Has your congregation had a meaningful service or event? Are you planning something special? Send stories and photos to Emily or let us know what is coming up!

Unexpected mutual aid helps save church building

January 16, 2012 by Emily Ralph Servant

By Sheldon C. Good Mennonite Weekly Review

norristown-church — Nueva Vida Norristown New Life Church was on the brink of foreclosure of its 104-year-old meetinghouse in the summer of 2011. — Photo provided

When Nueva Vida Norristown (Pa.) New Life Church acquired a 9,000-square-foot office building adjacent its meetinghouse in November 2007, a local realtor projected it would only take six months to fill it with tenants. Then the Great Recession hit.

“Little did we know that a week after we closed on the building the economy — local, national and global — would tank,” said church member Jim Williams.

The six-month plan didn’t work. The building had one tenant, an attorney’s office, that relocated in 2010. ASSETS Montco, a small business training program, moved in as planned in 2008, but was hit by economic hard times and closed in 2010.

By last summer the congregation was on the brink of foreclosure of its 104-year-old meetinghouse, listed as collateral for the new building’s mortgage. The church property is less than 10 miles northwest of Philadelphia.

The past four years have tested the 100-member congregation’s faith that God will provide for a situation they discerned as God’s leading. Thanks in part to a mutual aid effort by Franconia Mennonite Conference churches, the Norristown congregation has extra time to firm up its financial footing.

From the beginning, the building purchase has been part of a larger congregational vision.

In 2007 Nueva Vida Norristown New Life launched “Enlarging Our Place in God’s World,” a $2 million capital campaign. The campaign seeks finances for the office building and meetinghouse renovations to create a base for intercultural ministries of racial justice and reconciliation, economic access and opportunity for disadvantaged people, and income generation to support the ministries.

Working with a church consultant and other professionals, the congregation developed a long-term strategy. It includes renting the office space to pay off the building’s mortgage and then to fill it with community-oriented ministries.

“People will go into an office building, but they might never go into a church,” Williams said. “If you can expose people to the gospel, there’s a chance they will begin to connect with the congregation.”

More than 30 potential tenants have looked at the building.

“Their reasons for not signing vary; most people cannot pay the going rate,” he said. “Market values for rent space have come down over the past few years, and the church is willing to take less than the going rate.”

Norristown Office Building — The 9,000-square-foot office building adjacent Nueva Vida Norristown (Pa.) New Life Church. — Photo provided

Without rental income, the church could only cover the interest on the office building’s mortgage.

“We have never missed a payment, even though we’re paying three points higher than today’s interest market,” Williams said.

Several pastors and leaders in Franconia Mennonite Conference, of which the congregation is a member, learned of the plight. Conference moderator John Goshow met with leaders from seven sister congregations to propose a mutual aid effort.

In September, they initiated a conference-wide appeal for $95,000 to satisfy the mortgage’s needs for a year. To date, 14 churches, businesses and individuals have committed $64,300.

Goshow said the situation shows how conferences and congregations can work together.

“A pastor told me recently that when a church is in trouble, we have to reach out and help,” he said. “And Nueva Vida Norristown New Life is a model church that is really making a difference in their local community.”

Williams said he never expected the conference to initiate a mutual aid appeal.

“It’s a display of true community,” he said. “They saw we were in trouble and said, ‘we want to help.’ We attribute it all to the movement of God.”

Even when they were almost foreclosed on, Williams said, the congregation still had faith God would provide. Through this journey, their faith has been strengthened.

“We still believe we’re doing God’s will in this,” he said. “We can fill a huge void in the Norristown area. We are prayerful and hopeful that we’ll be able to meet our obligations and move God’s vision forward.”

If the church can find tenants for all three floors, Williams projects good cash flow.

“We continue to receive inquiries, which is a good indicator that businesses are looking to grow again,” he said.

Reprinted by permission of Mennonite Weekly Review.

UN Art Ambassador to visit Ripple Allentown

January 2, 2012 by Emily Ralph Servant

On Sunday, January 8, 2012, at 4 PM, Ibiyinka Alao, UN Art Ambassador from Nigeria, will be the guest speaker at Ripple. Ripple meets at Christ Fellowship Church, 12th & Chew Sts., Allentown. Ibiyinka Olufemi Alao is an artist who recently represented his country — Nigeria — and became the first place winner of the prestigious United Nations International Art Competition amongst 61 countries. His entry “Girls and a Greener Environment” chronicles the life of a girl-child from infancy to adulthood and the values she acquires along the paths of life.

In between exhibitions, Ibiyinka finds himself giving open lectures at universities and schools, and setting up workshops in community centers across the country. As Nigeria’s Art Ambassador, Ibiyinka is available for speaking engagements, participation in seminars, panel discussions, workshops and exhibitions. www.ibiyinka.com

Ibiyinka’s presentation at Ripple will be followed by an interactive painting workshop, then dinner in the fellowship hall of the church. Everyone is invited to attend this inspirational, active presentation. For more information, visit www.ripple-allentown.com

County approves dev. rights sale for Indian Creek Farm

December 16, 2011 by Emily Ralph Servant

Montgomery County (Pa.) commissioners approved an agreement for the sale of development rights for Franconia Conference’s Indian Creek Farm last week, pending the results of a land survey. The sale is based on an amount of $14,024.54 per acre on the preserved land. The Conference expects to receive approximately $500,000 in total.

The farm, located off Indian Creek Road in Lower Salford Township, Montgomery County is home to Living Hope Farm. The farm operates based on a model of CSA (Community Supported Agriculture), which is a “method of farming that emphasizes safe, locally grown food, supports a local economy, and allows persons to participate in deepening their connection to the land and to each other,” according to Living Hope’s website. Living Hope Farm is a 501 c-3 non profit led by Jill Landes of Blooming Glen congregation.

The sale of development rights means that the owners of the farm give up their rights to sell the land for development—it will forever remain a working farm no matter who owns it. The worth of the land is determined by a rating system that considers factors such as the access of the land to the road, soil quality, and suitability for building homes. The county did an appraisal of the farm in August which evaluated the current value of the farm and the value of the farm if it were to be sold for a housing development. The price given is based on a formula that includes subtracting the first number from the second.

The sale of development rights is a result of the recommendations included in Franconia Conference’s Vision and Financial Plan from 2007, which called for the proceeds of the sale to be used to pay off the mortgage of the Souderton (Pa.) Shopping Center on Route 113, a property the Conference has owned since 2001. The recommendations also included a call for the farm to be used for ministry, leading to the establishment of Living Hope Farm in 2010.

Franconia Conference young adults serve with MMN

December 12, 2011 by Emily Ralph Servant

Snyder serves with Service Adventure

ELKHART, Ind. (Mennonite Mission Network) – Carl Snyder, of Danboro, Pa., began a one-year service term with the Service Adventure program in August 2011. Snyder is living in community with other young adults in a unit house in Anchorage, Alaska.

A 2010 graduate of Central Bucks East High School (Buckingham, Pa.), Snyder is the son of Karen and Phil Snyder and a member of Doylestown (Pa.) Mennonite Church.

Swartz serves in Radical Journey assignment

Kate Swartz, of Spring City, Pa., began a one-year service term with the Radical Journey program in August 2011. Swartz is serving with a team in China.

A 2011 graduate of Christopher Dock Mennonite High School (Lansdale, Pa.), Swartz is the daughter of Rachel and Timothy Swartz and is a member of Salford Mennonite Church in Harleysville, Pa.

Clemmer serves in MVS assignment

Aaron Clemmer of Harleysville, Pa., began a one-year term of Mennonite Voluntary Service August 2011 in San Francisco, Calif., as a volunteer and support coordinator with Mission Graduates.

A 2011 graduate of Eastern Mennonite University (Harrisonburg, Va.), Clemmer is the son of April and Michael Clemmer and is a member of Towamencin Mennonite Church in Kulpsville, Pa.

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Through Service Adventure, young adults, ages 17-20, live in a household community, with a leader, for 10 months in cities and towns across the United States. Since 1989, Service Adventure participants have served in medical clinics, tutored children, worked with senior citizens, repaired old housing, and helped meet additional needs across North America. They’ve visited new cities; experienced different people, foods and cultures; climbed mountains and camped in deserts; attended concerts, lectures and college events.

Rooted in the Spirit of Jesus, MVS invites adults, age 20 and older, to join together in Christian ministry for one- or two-year terms in various locations in the United States. MVS gives young adults the opportunity to live out their faith and discern God’s call for them by assisting congregations in service ministry to their communities.

In the same Spirit, Radical Journey invites adults, ages 18 through 30, to join together in Christian ministry for one-year terms in various locations around the world. Through Radical Journey, young adults engage in an experience of cross-cultural learning, service and formation as followers of Jesus Christ.

Mennonite Mission Network is the mission agency of Mennonite Church USA and exists to lead, mobilize, and equip the church to participate in holistic witness to Jesus Christ in a broken world. Mission Network envisions every congregation and all parts of the world being fully engaged in mission.

More information about Service Adventure & MVS.

Gathering on Holy Ground

December 12, 2011 by Emily Ralph Servant

by Stephen Kriss, Philadelphia Praise Center

franconiamenconf0142 — Rev. Dr. Dennis Edwards encourages Franconia and Eastern District Conferences to follow the example of Christ. Photo by Stacy Salvatori.

Gwen Groff, pastor at Bethany Mennonite Church in Bridgewater Corners, Vermont, drove the seven hours south for the joint Franconia and Eastern District Conference Assembly on November 11-12 for what she suggests became a “beautiful cacophony.”

Groff and more than 300 others from across both Conference communities along with Mennonite Church USA representatives gathered Friday night at Penn View Christian School in Souderton, Pa, in the first joint worship service for both Conferences since 1999. The opening worship, which featured a combined cross-conference, multi-ethnic and multilingual worship team, kicked off the gathering switching swiftly back and forth between Creole, English, Indonesian, Spanish and Vietnamese—the worshipping languages of the 60 congregations that make up both conferences.

The worship team lead by Emily Ralph gathered for months together in preparation to lead interculturally and multilingually in Creole, English, Indonesian, Spanish and Vietnamese. Photo by Stacy Salvatori.

Groff describes her experience, “I always look forward to the singing at Conference Assembly worship services. Coming from a small congregation, I enjoy the big sound, the full harmony. When I come into an Assembly worship space, if I see that we’ll be using the blue Worship Book hymnals I like to sit in the center of it all to be surrounded by the four part harmony. When I see a screen and projector, instruments and microphones, I usually take a seat on the periphery.

“This year I found myself most moved by the kind of singing I usually hang back from. Singing all together, with some singing in Indonesian, some in Spanish, some in Vietnamese, some in English and some in Creole, was disorienting in a way that was challenging, enlightening and beautiful.

franconiamenconf0131 — Friday worship. Photo by Stacy Salvatori.

In worship there is often an invitation to sing or pray each in our own language, but this year the multicultural worship team was leading in all the different languages, switching languages between verses, between lines, singing in different languages at the same time. There was no right language to be singing in at any particular moment. We all could experience how it felt to be singing new words and not knowing if we were pronouncing them correctly. We all knew how it felt to be a little off balance. It wasn’t about political correctness (or it was what political correctness should be). It was about leveling the ground as we worshipped together, and it was holy ground.”

While energetic music and multiple languages marked the shape of the worship, Rev. Dr. Dennis Edwards, pastor of Peace Fellowship Church in Washington, DC, a Franconia Conference Partner in Mission, focused intensely in an evening message that explored the possibilities of the assembly theme, “Unity and Maturity in Christ” based on Ephesians 4. The whole of the worship gathering was broadcast in five worshipping languages and available online through a live stream. Over a dozen persons from a variety of congregations helped to coordinate technology, translating, and communication for the event.

IMG_2573B — Saturday joint session. Photo by Emily Ralph

The spirit of gathered worship was framed further through Saturday’s joint delegate session held around tables that considered the further cooperation between both Conferences in a move toward healing the 1847 historic rift between the groups. Overwhelmingly, representatives from both conferences gave permission by raising green cards that suggested a continuation to explore life together more extensively and collaboratively. Considering the future of the conferences, Sam Claudio, Jr., associate pastor at Christ Fellowship in Allentown said in a time of reporting, “Hopefully we’ll be able to be a positive witness [in a way that people will say], look how they came together after this long division in love, in peace, in charity, in grace.”

After recognizing the affirming move, Dave Hersh, moderator of Eastern District Conference responded, “I’m really excited about what we’ve accomplished. Your direction to us is loud and clear. We’re going to continue working together.” The conferences divided for business sessions, but re-gathered for lunch and a commissioning worship that recognized each person’s role and contribution in both conference communities.

franconiamenconf0286 — Brent Camilleri, Deep Run East, and Derek Cooper, Doylestown, enjoy Friday’s ice cream social. Photo by Stacy Salvatori.

In general business, Eastern District Conference marked the transition of Ron White of Church of the Good Samaritan (Holland, Pa) into the moderator role succeeding Hersh of Grace Mennonite Church (Lansdale, Pa). Marta Castillo of Nueva Vida Norristown (Pa) Mennonite Church was affirmed as assistant moderator for Franconia Conference for a special one year term.

First time Franconia Conference delegate Derek Cooper of the Doylestown (Pa) congregation said, “I appreciated the worshipful tone. Beginning and ending the assembly in worship united the community and guided our interaction throughout the weekend. I also appreciated the prayer ministry. It created a Spirit-led presence that saturated the building.”

Reflections on Conference Assembly 2011:

franconiamenconf0013 — Mary Martin (left), shown preparing to lead worship with fellow worship leaders and church friends Tuy Tran and Hoai Huynh from Vietnamese Gospel. Photo by Stacy Salvatori.

“I enjoyed singing with young people in several languages. I was inspired in (the) bringing together (of) a group of singers and instrumentalists with limited preparation time.” —Mary Martin, Vietnamese Gospel

I thank God for what felt like a renewed sense of vision, energy and hope among our Conference body. Worshiping our Lord together in several languages was inspirational! God is preparing us for heaven, where followers of Jesus “from every tribe and language and people and nation” will bow down before the Lamb in worship. (Rev. 5:9) — Steve Landis, Franconia

For me the recognition, acknowledging, and welcoming of the different leaders was very inspiring; I believe the greatest asset of any organization is people. As someone from the global South, I still feel that we have a long way to go in order to have some of our leaders in higher leadership positions. — Ubaldo Rodriguez, New Hope Fellowship, Baltimore

Friday worship. Photo by Stacy Salvatori

It was particularly touching to see elements of my parent’s homeland incorporated in the assembly. When I asked my mother afterwards on Saturday what she had thought, she smiled and said the celebrating, unity, and sense of community made her feel warm inside. — Theresa Nguyen, Plains

Assembly was a welcome opportunity to share space across our cultural diversity. Especially Saturday morning, moving in the direction of healing the long time division between Eastern District Conference and Franconia Conference. — Bob Walden, West Swamp

I think that Friday and Saturday was just a glimpse of what the kingdom of heaven will look like and that is a certain hope that God puts in us. The longing to just worship God regardless of our differences. I appreciate the fact that the Holy Spirit is moving around and uniting people from different languages. — Adrian Suryajaya, Philadelphia Praise Center

Thank you to:

Penn View Christian School for the use of facilities and the support of janitors, staff, and audio/visual personnel.
Dancers from Nueva Vida Norristown New Life for sharing your gifts as we gathered for Friday night worship.
Worship Planners and Worship Team Members for the time and energy you invested into planning, practicing, and leading our congregation in worship.

Saturday delegate session. Photo by Emily Ralph

Translators for helping us to understand one another.
Everence for sponsoring Friday night’s ice cream social and Bally Mennonite Church for providing and serving the ice cream.
One Village Coffee for donating coffee for the weekend.
Perkasie Mennonite Church for providing snacks and serving coffee on Saturday morning.
Zion Mennonite Church for use of your hymnals
Salford Mennonite Church for providing and serving lunch.
Franconia and Eastern District Board and Committee Members for supplying baked goods and deserts.
Litany Writers for your creative energy in tying everything together.
Prayer Ministry Participants for covering the gathered assembly in prayer.
Technology assistants who insured that the glitches were managed and that the flow of the worship was enriched and participation enhanced through our use of the web.

Editorial: Working together to forward the Reign of God

December 12, 2011 by Emily Ralph Servant

by John Goshow & Ron White, Moderators, Franconia & Eastern District Conferences

The Mennonite Church is a church of peace and reconciliation, yet we hold the record for splits, said historian John Ruth in the video produced for our last Conference Assembly. The 1847 split between Franconia and Eastern District Conferences was a defining moment in the history of Mennonites living in eastern Pennsylvania. The question for our conferences now is whether we should continue to walk different roads.

On Saturday morning of our joint assembly, Warren Tyson, Eastern District Conference Minister, and Ertell Whigham, Franconia Conference Executive Minister explored this question with the delegates of both conferences. They pointed out the numerous ways that we share a similar vision. Both place value on maintaining an Anabaptist/Mennonite peace witness. Both share Christ’s message of peace with God and fellow humans through nurturing vital congregations, which in turn plant new churches. Both embrace an intercultural identity that clearly identifies cultural bias and racism as sin and works to populate healthy, dynamic, intercultural congregations. Both provide accountability, connection, and resources for our pastors and church leaders. Both are working to develop intercultural systems that welcome new language groups and embrace development of culturally diverse congregations of one body; we continue to grow what it means for dominant people groups to let go of
established patterns of how churches function and what are acceptable expressions of music and faith.

The table group conferring and reporting that followed this presentation clearly indicated a desire for Franconia and Eastern District Conferences to continue to work together cooperatively. Conference leadership will now take this strong affirmation to engage in dialogue on developing further ways of working together to forward the Reign of God.

Conference Assembly 2011 found many ways of modeling the values of both conferences. Our conferences worshiped together on Friday evening and heard an inspiring message on Unity and Maturity in the Body of Christ by Dennis Edwards, pastor of Peace Fellowship Church in Washington D.C. The assembly planning team consisted of members of both conferences. The worship teams included individuals from both conferences and represented the diverse languages of our conferences including English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Indonesian and Creole. The Peace and Justice Committee presented Walking in the Way of Peace 2012, a year-long emphasis on the Gospel of Peace that includes Bible study, bridging intercultural boundaries and teaching on becoming salt and light through peace witness. The Ministerial Committees of our two conferences introduced individuals who were credentialed for ministry in the past year. The Saturday afternoon service integrated worship and business in a seamless and inspiring way.

Luke and Dorothy Beidler received the Everence National Journey award, which was presented by Randy Nyce, an Everence Church Relations Representative and a member of the Franconia Conference Board. This issue of Intersections includes an article that celebrates Luke and Dot’s life-long commitment to serve Jesus in whatever way he leads.

Assembly 2011 provided the first opportunity since 1999 for Eastern District Conference and Franconia Conference to come together for business and worship. The blending together of two conferences, different cultures and five languages was both inspiring and energizing. Someone suggested that this experience may be a small glimpse of what Heaven will be like:
After this I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes and held palm branches in their hands. (Rev. 7:9)

Conference News

Reflections on Conference Assembly 2011:

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