Mosaic Mennonites

Missional - Intercultural - Formational

Conference-Related Ministries

What is a Mennonite? Sharing our Roots with Conference-Related Ministries

by

by Margaret Zook

I was recently tickled to discover that the question, “what is a Mennonite?” can be answered in a two-minute Youtube video.  

But to understand the practical theology which motivates and shapes today’s Conference-Related Ministries (CRMs) and their work of service requires much more.      

CRM St. Luke’s Penn Foundation (SLPF) cabinet members and President Wayne Mugrauer gathered on a recent Monday morning to enter more deeply into the history of Anabaptist Mennonites.     

CRM SLPF cabinet gathers in the MHEP Meetinghouse. Photo by Margaret Zook.
President Wayne Mugrauer & Pastor Sue Conrad Howes share Q&A time at the “What is a Mennonite?” session. Photo by Margaret Zook.

Since 1955, Penn Foundation has been connected to the Anabaptist community as a CRM, reflecting the faith of their founders and the biblical values that influence the organization. In July 2021, Penn Foundation joined St. Luke’s University Health Network, an institution with Catholic roots, creating a fully integrated health network based on shared values. 

To understand the origins of the Anabaptist faith, there is no better place to enter the story than the exhibits and voices of the Mennonite Heritage Center (Harleysville, PA), another CRM. With stories, humor, and depth, Joel Horst Nofziger, Director of the Mennonite Historians of Eastern Pennsylvania (MHEP), led the group through an interactive tour. 

MHEP’s Director Joel Horst Nofziger, right, and the Mennonite history displays capture attention of SLPF cabinet members. Photo by Margaret Zook.

With curiosity and interest, the group lingered with questions of clarification exploring the connections and uniqueness of Catholic and Anabaptist values.    

It was a rich morning of connections and relationships. I offer thanks to the organizations who invested time and resources to connect faith, beliefs, and works of service.     

Margaret Zook

Margaret Zook is the Director of Collaborative Ministries for Mosaic Conference. She and husband, Wib, are members of Salford Mennonite Church and live in Harleysville, PA.