Mosaic Mennonites

Missional - Intercultural - Formational

Conrad Martin

“Well Done, Good and Faithful Servant!” – Celebrating Conrad Martin

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After 23 years of faithful service to Franconia Conference and then Mosaic Mennonite Conference, Conrad Martin (Blooming Glen [PA]) will retire from his role as Director of Finance and FMC Properties Board’s (the property-holding company of the Conference) Chief Operating Officer on October 31, 2024.  

His work has touched each person who is a member of a Mosaic congregation or Conference-Related Ministry. Since early September, he has been training the new Director of Finance, Paulus Thalathoti (Plains [Hatfield, PA]). 

Some of those he worked with on the Conference’s Finance Committee reflected on Martin’s impact over the years.  

“Our Conference has been so blessed by the dedicated attention Conrad has placed on the stewardship of our resources–dollars, properties, and relationships,” shared Barb Rice, (Deep Run East [Perkasie, PA). “As a long-time Finance Committee member, I was always confident that every detail was properly accounted for.”  

“Conrad always had his finger on the financial pulse of the conference and was able to give helpful financial insight to projects or mission opportunities as they arose,” reflected Cory Longacre (Souderton [PA] Mennonite), who has served as the Finance Committee Chair for the past seven years.  

“He served Franconia Mennonite Conference (FMC) and Mosaic faithfully as if the assets and accounts were his own. I appreciate how Conrad is working diligently to pass the baton to Paulus and finishing strong, so our conference doesn’t miss a beat.” 

As Martin has been reflecting on his years in this role, he has recalled many memories and wanted to share some of the highlights:  

Three-legged stool 

“The first Conference executive I worked for, Phil Bergey, described Franconia Conference as a three-legged stool. The first leg was the many congregations of the region, meeting the spiritual needs of individuals. The second leg was the many Conference-Related Ministries (CRMs), meeting physical needs. The third leg was the many Mennonite businesses, meeting the financial needs of the Conference, churches, and CRMs. I pray we can continue to foster strong relationships with each of these groups.” 

E3 

“I loved E3 (Equipping Leaders, to Empower others, to Embrace God’s mission). This was the mission statement of Franconia Conference for many years. The staff set aside a full day to finetune the statement, so that it was meaningful and memorable.  While this is not the formal mission statement of the Conference today, it can still be the way we do ministry.” 

One IVEPer can change the world 

“Her name is Henny Samadi. She came to the Conference from Indonesia through the Mennonite Central Committee IVEP program. She helped the Conference connect with independent Indonesian congregations that were new to south Philadelphia. I will never forget her youthful exuberance and how her work continues to reverberate many years later because of how those Indonesian congregations are such an important part of our Conference now.” 

If you build it, they will come

“In the early years of becoming a multilingual conference, Conference leaders decided to purchase translation equipment. We didn’t need it often at that time, but they had the foresight that we would eventually have many languages in the Conference and would want everyone to be able to participate. I was given the small job of setting up the equipment and handing out headsets at Assembly. I enjoyed that task because it gave me the opportunity to meet new people.” 

Owning a shopping center  

“It was the dream in the 1980s of a few businesspersons within the Conference to purchase a shopping center, renovate it, put good tenants in place, and sell it to the Conference to become an income stream for the Conference for years to come. In 2001, I sat in on the settlement of the purchase, in the presence of these visionaries. One of hats I wore was to manage this facility. It continues to be a blessing to the Conference financially.” 

Did it have to be on Christmas Day? 

“Managing a shopping center isn’t always convenient. One Christmas I got a call that the power was out at the shopping center. My day was filled with several trips there, monitoring the progress by the power company, as a transformer on the property had blown out, causing a loss of power to the whole neighborhood. It was not the merriest of Christmases.” 

Daring to dream 

“In the early 2000s, Conference leaders were wrestling with the concept of property ownership. Many people wondered why the Conference owned a farm. We were blown away when an offer came to buy the farm for more money than we could have imagined it was worth. We began to dream of all the ways the Conference could use this money. Growth of ministries, assisting congregations, and investing funds for the future. A Conference Vision and Financial Plan taskforce was formed and held lots of discussions. In the end, I believe the right decision was made; hold onto the farm property and sell the development rights (ensuring that the farm would stay a farm).” 

Investing in the Kingdom 

“In the mid-2000s, Phil Bergey took a trip to the Netherlands to learn about the remnant of Mennonites living there. Phil shared that they are incredibly wealthy, but the church is nearly dead. The message I carry from his trip is that putting money into savings or properties isn’t the only way to invest the resources that have been entrusted to you. Spending money on ministry is an investment in the kingdom of God, not unlike the parable of the talents.” 

Merger and tears 

“It was the dream of many in Franconia and Eastern District Conferences to ‘undo’ the separation between them that had existed for more than a century. The process of bringing the two together took many years. The day of the merger vote was emotional for many people. As we tabulated each vote, I remember counting; yes, yes, yes; on and on it went. I will never forget the look of shock that Sherri Binder (the merger taskforce chair) had when I informed her of the unanimous decision to merge. I was in tears. It was a joyous occasion.” 

COVID loneliness 

“While many were able to work from their homes during the pandemic, the nature of my work led me to come into the Conference office every day. It was lonely being the only person in the office. I had experiences working alone in various assignments I had overseas, so perhaps these helped prepare me, but it was still difficult. I appreciated the support I received from my fellow colleagues from a distance.”  

Elderly wisdom 

“One of the reasons the loneliness of COVID was so difficult was because I had many years of Conference work sharing meals with wise elders. Although there were many, I mention two: Claude Good and Noah Kolb. It was energizing to talk with Claude about his days in Mexico and his excitement of connecting with persons from around the world during the onset of The Worm Project. He also taught me a lot about humility. Noah taught me so much about gardening, that it became one of my favorite hobbies. I miss those conversations.” 

A Rich history 

“I would be amiss not to name the influence Rich Moyer had on my early years with the Conference. He came to the Conference in the 1980s and carried so much history that was invaluable to me, as a newcomer to eastern Pennsylvania and Franconia Conference, in adjusting to my job. I had several years of overlap to learn from him. I hope the memories of the past 23 years will not be lost after I leave.” 

Just-a-swingin’ 

“Phil also described Franconia Conference as a swing (based on the teachings of Leonard Sweet). To swing, one needs to lean back and kick their feet out. He said the Conference was leaning back on our rich 300-year history, all the way back into the arms of Jesus, while simultaneously kicking forward into the future, in alignment with where the Spirit is leading us. I hope we continue to define Mosaic Conference as one that builds on its strong historical foundation, as we move out into the future.” 

A simple blessing 

“I pray that God will continue to bless the work of Mosaic Conference as we strive to be faithful in our work and to be good stewards of the resources God has given us.” 

Thank you, Conrad, for your intentional and thoughtful stewardship and leadership over all these years! You will be missed. 

Conrad Martin at his last Mosaic Staff Meeting where he was gifted a plant for his greenhouse.

Do We Really Disagree?

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by Conrad Martin

I hear a lot these days about how much we disagree. Can I disagree on how much we actually disagree? I’ve been wondering over the past few years why it is that we say we disagree when it seems that we are only talking past each other, even to the point that one could say we aren’t even speaking the same language? 

Photo by Afif Ramdhasuma on Unsplash

My Sunday School class recently studied the book Winsome Convictions, co-authored by Tim Muehlhoff and Richard Langer. The subtitle of the book is Disagreeing Without Dividing the Church. About two-thirds of the way through the book, a light came on in my mind as to why we seem to be talking past each other in our “disagreements.”  The authors state that what we have actually achieved is only misunderstanding, rather than real disagreement. How can we disagree when we don’t even understand what the other person is saying? The authors don’t suggest we need to agree on issues, but we do need to understand what the other person is saying. 

The authors’ recommendation is simple: Before we can claim to disagree with another, we should be able to first state the other person’s position or side. How many times have we heard, “Wait a minute, that isn’t really what I’m saying at all?” We must first be able to state the opinion or position of the other in a way that the person can nod and say, “Yep, you got it right, you really understand me.” Once we are speaking the same language, we can move on to deciding whether or not we truly disagree. This may require several attempts at stating the other’s position, but it helps to build mutual respect and trust that we are aiming for. 

Photo by Chris Liverani on Unsplash

Stating the other person’s position in a way they find agreeable doesn’t mean that you agree with their position; however, the authors of the book do say it needs to involve both facts and feelings. They ask whether we can reach a level of understanding that can not only state the facts of the issue, but also state how the other person’s beliefs make them feel and why those beliefs make them feel that way. Perhaps we need to get to the level of understanding that we can not only state what the person believes, but also state why it is so important to them. Personally, I’m a facts guy rather than a feelings guy, but I am interested in knowing why things matter to people. 

I don’t know if this really works or not, but I’d like to give it a try. Anyone want to test this out with me? I invite conversation and correspondence, and I will try my best to say your position back to you in a way that you can say, “Yes, you understand me.” At the very least we can aim for better understanding in our disagreements and perhaps find some areas of agreement along the way.   

Conrad Martin

Conrad Martin is the Director of Finance for Mosaic Conference.

What Does Fruit Look Like?

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By Conrad Martin

I was having a discussion the other day with my wife about how people will know we are followers of Christ.  Her answer was a good one. Do we exhibit the fruit of the Spirit of God living in us?  She must have been thinking of Matthew 7:20: “… by their fruit you will recognize them” (NIV).  Galatians 5:22-23 lists the fruit: “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance [patience], kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”

But I said, these are all intangibles. What does love actually look like… same for joy, peace, kindness, and all of the others?  If we look for goodness and faithfulness, what specifically will we find?  Can we point to something or someone and say, now there are examples of patience and gentleness?  How do we exhibit an intangible?

I wasn’t quite satisfied with the discussion and began to think about the fruit of the Spirit more deeply.  What if I converted the fruit into an adverb form? Could we identify the fruit more easily and tangibly?  What if we use these words instead: lovingly, joyfully, peacefully, patiently, kindly, virtuously, faithfully, gently, and disciplined. 

What if we use these fruit adverbs to inform the way we do our jobs, the way we relate to others, and pretty much the way we do anything? What if we live: 

  • more lovingly by caring for another person’s needs above our own, seeing the other person the way God sees them, and being more forgiving of others?
  • more joyfully by spreading our thanksgiving to God in infectious ways and lifting the spirits of others?
  • more peacefully by working to reduce conflict around us and in us, which leads to wholeness?
  • more patiently by showing a calmness when there is impatience and chaos all around us?
  • more kindly by guarding our negative words and instead lifting others up with words of encouragement?
  • more virtuously by working with the highest of integrity and moral standards?
  • more faithfully by honoring trust that others have in us by being true to our words and true to our beliefs in God?
  • more gently by showing a meekness and humility that casts aside callousness and pride?
  • more disciplined by working free from distractions, not giving into the whims of the moment or sudden impulses and fleeing the desires of the flesh as described in Galatians 5:16-21, the section preceding the fruit of the Spirit passage. 

Would people notice anything different about the way we live our lives and the way we relate to others that reflect the Spirit of God living in us?  “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water,” Jeremiah tells us, and points out that such a person “… never fails to bear fruit” (Jeremiah 17:7-8, NIV).  Will people see fruit that shows we have been transformed by the power of Christ and have a personal relationship with him, because we have put our trust and confidence in him?   

As I look back over my list of fruit adverbs, I am humbled at how difficult the list is and how much I need the Holy Spirit living within me.  Exhibiting the fruit of the Spirit is a daily challenge I face for my walk in the Spirit. 

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water,” Jeremiah tells us, and points out that such a person “… never fails to bear fruit”

Jeremiah 17:7-8, NIV

Conrad Martin

Conrad Martin is the Director of Finance for Mosaic Conference.

Mosaic Budget Ends Positively for 2021 

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The Mosaic Conference fiscal year ended January 31, 2022 on a positive note. Giving from congregations was slightly higher than expected for the 2021 budget year. With 85% of Mosaic congregations giving financially to the Conference, as they were able, we recognize that every congregation gave something to enrich the Conference, whether financially or in other ways. We are grateful for the generous support of our congregations. 

During the previous fiscal year (2020), the Conference received a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan which was recorded as a payable in 2020. This past year, the loan was forgiven by the bank, so that was included as income for 2021.  Approximately half of the PPP income was set aside in a pastoral assistance fund with the remaining portion designated for Mosaic’s operating budget. As a result, the total income for the operating budget this past year was higher than budgeted. 

As activities increased throughout the Conference in 2021 due to fewer pandemic-related restrictions, expenses increased from 2020. Nevertheless, expenses were still less than what was budgeted, making our bottom line net a positive. Some expenses were increased, such as travel, but other expenses were lessened, such as the Mosaic Annual Assembly, as well as the biennial Mennonite Church USA Conference, due to virtual participation.  

For 2022, more has been budgeted for Leadership Development, Leadership Minister travel, and Missional Operations Grants (MOGs), with the goal to strengthen and support our congregational leaders and encourage new congregational ministries.   

Leviticus … in 2021?

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Is there anything in Leviticus that applies today?  I often view Leviticus as just a lot of rigid rules and religious activities that are not relevant for us today. Recently, I was surprised. While there are a lot of rituals that can be confusing, there is also a lot about stewardship and generosity, integrity and justice, and respect that we can still apply to our daily lives in 2021.  There is a lot about God’s desire that we be in right relationships with others.   

Stewardship and generosity

Our gifts to God, whether financial, time, or talents, should be from our first fruits and the best we have.  Do we give God our best?  A theme repeated often in Leviticus is that when we give our best, it is an aroma pleasing to the Lord. 

Another theme repeated throughout Leviticus is that generosity is for everyone.  Often repeated are the words, “If anyone cannot afford…” This phrase is followed by a less valuable commodity which can be given, but just as acceptable to God. Therefore, everyone can participate in being generous, no matter what their economic status is. 

Integrity and Justice

Chapter 19 says to treat others fairly. We shouldn’t show favoritism to anyone, great or small. We also shouldn’t seek revenge or carry a grudge, which is really the definition of forgiveness. There is even something in Leviticus for business persons: we should pay our employees fairly and promptly (19:13b), and use honest business standards (19:36), all of which affects our customers, vendors, and employees. 

Chapter 19 also says a lot on how to treat our neighbor: don’t lie to them, steal from them, slander them, or do anything that would endanger their lives. Instead, we are to love them as we love ourselves.  Chapter 6 says how we treat our neighbor is a comparison to how faithful we are to the Lord.  When we deceive or cheat a neighbor, we are being unfaithful to the Lord. 

There is also advocacy and care for the poor and the foreigner in the book. We must treat and love the foreigner as we do ourselves.  Sounds a lot like we should treat them as if they were our neighbors. We also are advised to allow them to glean our fields after the harvest.  What are some “gleaning” options that we can leave behind by those of us in non-agrarian settings?   

Respect

Chapter 19 also goes on to advocate for the elderly and our parents, giving them proper respect, just as you would respect or revere God. 

Leviticus does have something to say to us in 2021.  How we live in community and relate to others is reflective of our faith in God. 

Plan B

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by Conrad Martin, Director of Finance 

So how has your Plan A for the year 2020 turned out?  We probably all had great plans for 2020 in January, ruined by the COVID-19 pandemic.  

Last month, I heard a sermon on Acts 27, where Paul is on his way to Rome via ship when they encountered bad weather.  Paul warned the ship’s crew that they would be better off waiting for better traveling weather.  The crew ignored Paul and set sail anyway, right into a hurricane.  Paul was forced to implement a Plan B which eventually saved the lives of 276 crew and passengers. 

I started to think about other Plan B’s in the Bible.  There are many biblical stories of people who needed to follow Plan B. Sometimes they rejected Plan A, while other times they were forced to choose Plan B by someone else or by mere circumstances. Regardless, these stories show us how God still uses alternatives to further God’s work.

Here are a few examples: 

  • David was not originally supposed to be the king over Israel, but King Saul chose to reject God.  God brought Plan B, David, a man after God’s own heart.  
  • Jonah’s travels to Ninevah could have gone a lot smoother, had he followed God’s Plan A. God used Plan B to get Jonah to Ninevah, but it wasn’t easy.  (It did perhaps make for a more interesting story, however, as many Plan B’s are.)

I reflected back on my own life and the many Plan B’s that got me to where I am today.   Coming out of high school, I had a Plan A for my life: marriage, children, career.  God had a different plan, one that worked better being single.  I spent more than a decade in ministries in Tanzania and Bangladesh with God’s Plan B.  

One of my assignments with Mennonite Economic Development Associates in Tanzania was to replicate their model of micro-financing across the country.  One week into my assignment, a major fraud was discovered in a field office.  I spent the next four years on Plan B, working to resurrect that project.  

When I first came to work for the Conference, I was told that they had originally planned to hire someone else.  When that plan fell through, my resume just happened to be sitting on the desk of the conference executive at the time.  I became Plan B, and God is still using me in that role.

We learn in Genesis that humankind initially lived in the Garden of Eden. I can only assume that it was meant to be forever.  But that plan didn’t turn out well, as humankind chose another way.  In response to human rebellion and sin, God embarked on a mission to rescue creation that culminated in Jesus. 

How has God used you in the Plan B’s of your life?

A Note from Conrad Martin, Director of Finance

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Many of us feel incredibly helpless as we watch the news. We want to help. We want to find medical supplies for the health workers who are caring for patients. We know of so many who are unemployed or struggling financially due to COVID-19. There are so many requests these days for financial assistance as charities across the nation face a decline in giving. Where to begin? Should we start with those with which we have a personal connection?  Some of the charities in need are just down the street; our congregations have a personal connection with many of these and have even already supported them financially.

One thing that has become very evident over the past two weeks is that our churches are more than bricks and mortar.  Our churches are people; they are us. As I read and watch what local congregations are doing during this “crisis”, it is apparent that the church staff are putting in overtime to serve isolated congregations. In many churches, staffing is the largest percentage of a church’s budget. Given that staff are working extra hard during this pandemic, we as an isolated community should put in a little extra effort to support our congregations financially, even if we aren’t meeting in a building. Not only will our church staff be supported financially, but the broader ministry of the church will be enabled to continue as many others need the church now, more than ever.

A Tradition of Mutual Aid

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by Conrad Martin, Director of Finance

The last week of August, I had the honor of representing Franconia Conference at the 50th anniversary of the Mutual Aid Sharing Plan (MASP).

The Mutual Aid Sharing Plan was established to provide coverage for the medical costs of the international workers for Anabaptist organizations around the world.  While each organization has its own plan, each member organization pools their resources together to share the risks involved in medical-related expenses.

In the 1950s, purchasing any kind of insurance was still frowned upon by many Anabaptist groups, but the concept of mutual aid sharing was at the heart of these groups.  In 1955, Mennonites leaders from across North America came together to establish the Association of Mennonite Aid Societies, which led to more formal collaborations between groups for sharing the risks related to “housing and lands.”  In 1957, Mennonite Indemnity, Inc. (MII) was established to serve Anabaptist communities under the umbrella of Mennonite Central Committee (MCC).

Edgar Stoesz was working for MCC, with responsibilities serving MII, when he noticed a need for the sharing of medical costs for international workers.  He was attending a meeting of the Council of Mennonite Mission Board Secretaries and overheard a conversation between one of the organizations represented at the meeting and an insurance agent.  The prices that were being quoted for medical coverage shocked him and Stoesz remembers wondering why these organizations couldn’t pool their resources and share in the cost of medical claims.  He determined that it would save these organizations a lot of money.  He shared his idea with the group and immediately they asked him to create a plan and report back to them.

The concept Stoesz came up with was simple: member organizations would total up the medical costs for each worker at the end of the year and any costs in excess of $1,000 would be distributed equally over all of the member organizations, based on the number of participants.  So in 1969, MASP was created.

In the early years, there was little overhead, so Stoesz was right—it did save a lot of money.  Initially there were six member organizations, of which Franconia Conference was one, providing medical coverage for the missionaries sent to Mexico and other countries.  Over the years, many other Anabaptist mission boards throughout the United States and Canada joined in MASP.  Also over time, some member organizations birthed their domestic programs into new entities (for instance, Ten Thousand Villages was birthed out of MCC) and so MASP began to invite other domestic Anabaptist organizations into the sharing plan.

In more recent years, the medical insurance world has become more and more complex.  Staff were brought on to focus on these details.  In 2010, the Affordable Care Act created some challenges for MASP and the concept of the end-of-year reconciliation had to be changed.  Actuaries were contracted to develop a system of premiums calculated at the beginning of the year, and so MASP began to function more like an insurance company.  Reinsurance was purchased to handle any extremely high medical costs.  In 2015-16, several large domestic claims were almost too much for the MASP, leaving the MASP board to consider dropping the domestic organizations.  Instead, the decision was made to stick together and weather the storm; MASP came out of that period a stronger organization.

In celebration of its 50th anniversary, MASP commissioned Jewel Showalter to write a book on its history.  A copy is available in the conference office.

Today, Franconia Conference continues to partner with the MASP member organizations for medical coverage for Robert and Bonnie Stevenson, serving in Mexico.