Mosaic Mennonites

Missional - Intercultural - Formational

global

MCC U.S. invites applications for transitional executive director role

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Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) U.S. is seeking a transitional executive director to provide vision and oversight for all MCC programs in the United States during a time of significant organizational change.

The assignment is expected to begin on July 1 and continue for two to three years. The full-time, salaried position involves extensive travel, mostly in Canada and the United States. The director will lead MCC U.S. forward in a time of organizational restructuring while a long-term executive director is found. The transitional executive director will not be considered as a candidate for the executive director position.

The transitional executive director is responsible for general oversight of program planning, development and coordination; budget management and staff supervision. The director will focus on implementing organizational change in cooperation with executive directors of MCC and MCC Canada and other provincial and regional MCC leaders. New Wine/New Wineskins, MCC’s new shared vision and restructuring process, will guide the organizational change. More information is available at newwineskins.mcc.org.

Qualified candidates will uphold MCC U.S. values of faith in Christ, peace, justice, service, anti-racism, anti-sexism and anti-oppression; will be a member in good standing of a church that is a part of MCC’s supporting constituency; will exhibit a commitment to personal Christian faith; and will be committed to the teaching of nonviolent biblical peacemaking. Women, minorities and other underrepresented individuals are encouraged to apply.

Interested candidates should send a resume and letter of interest no later than April 1 to MCC U.S. Board Executive Search Committee, 234 South Main Street, Suite 1, Goshen, IN 46526. E-mail submissions can be sent to MCCUSEDSearch@mhsonline.org. Individuals wanting to recommend a candidate may also contact the search committee.

MCC, a worldwide ministry of Anabaptist churches, shares God’s love and compassion for all in the name of Christ by responding to basic human needs and working for peace and justice. MCC envisions communities worldwide in right relationship with God, one another and creation.

Urban leaders take first steps toward forming global network

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by Linda Espenshade

A newly formed network of urban Anabaptist leaders, facilitated by Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), is developing organically. Person by person, they are gradually connecting with each other because they share the commonality of engaging the city as Anabaptists.

The formation of the network is based on one founding principle – Anabaptist leaders who are committed to caring for the cities they live in can benefit from relating to urban Anabaptists from all parts of the world. Once connected, they will better understand how they can support each other in their efforts.

“We have Korean Anabaptists longing to be in relationship with other urban Anabaptists,” said Joe Manickam, Asia director for MCC. “We have urban Anabaptists in London who are longing to be in relationship with other urban Anabaptists. The same can be said for Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Vancouver and the list goes on.

“So this initiative is here to give credence to this voice coming out of the city,” said Manickam, who together with the Rev. Leonard Dow, pastor of Oxford Circle Mennonite Church in Philadelphia, birthed the idea. MCC’s role is simply to connect the urban voices. Dow is vice chair of the MCC U.S. board of directors.

“We want it to remain very organic,” said Manickam. “We want it to evolve as the people want it to evolve without outside pressures telling it what it should be.”

The first steps of the network took place in August when a group of urban leaders, most from Philadelphia, flew to Seoul, South Korea, where they were hosted by the Korea Anabaptist Center (KAC). Starting with these two groups was logical because KAC already participates in MCC’s exchange programs and was interested in more interaction, and Philadelphia is home to the largest group of MCC urban constituents on the East Coast.

For participant Ron Tinsley, communications director at Philadelphia Mennonite High School, the most valuable experiences of the trip were the personal discussions and times for reflection that were amply built into the schedule. Tinsley is a member of Oxford Circle Mennonite Church.

“Sometimes we get so busy looking at programs that we don’t get a chance to understand where (the other leaders’) hearts are at and listen to their dreams and fears,” Tinsley said, adding that a prophetic sense can emerge from these kinds of conversations.

Some of the discussions, including those about stereotypes and racism, were difficult, Tinsley said. Instruction by Jeff Wright, an urban missiologist from Southern California, revolved around “theology of place” or building of intentional community in the city.

The Philadelphia guests also visited two Anabaptist churches and learned about several peacemaking organizations. KAC teaches peace-building skills to North Korean defectors and South Korean young people. The organization also works with other peace groups to create understanding of past hurts among people from South Korea, Japan and China.

When KAC Administrator Kim Kyong-Jung paid a return visit to Philadelphia and then to Los Angeles in November, he was glad to witness urban churches at work within a multicultural society. South Korea, which once was predominantly homogeneous, is becoming increasingly diverse.

“This means that many different types of conflict issues exist, which makes churches’ jobs harder,” he wrote in an e-mail after his visit. “The churches’ missional approaches are being challenged as they look to this kind of social phenomenon.”

Encouraging young people to serve in cities around the world through MCC’s Global Service Learning program is important to this emerging network. For example, Korean Jung Joo Park, who is a participant with MCC’s International Volunteer Exchange Program (IVEP), is working with Oxford Circle Mennonite Church and its community partners.

“Here in the U.S., I am valued as Asian, adding to the cultural diversity of Philadelphia, and it does not seem to matter that I am a foreigner,” Park said. “Once I go home, I hope to introduce a deeper understanding of and respect for diversity in South Korea.”

Making these kinds of “flesh and blood connections” between Anabaptists from different cities is exactly what Ruth Keidel Clemens, executive director of MCC East Coast, hopes will happen as the network develops. “Urban Anabaptist churches are a priority for MCC East Coast, and bringing its leaders together with those from other countries strengthens all involved, as we seek to engage the cities together as Anabaptists,” she said.

Clemens and Manickam are discussing possibilities for holding a conference of urban Anabaptist practitioners as another way to bring people together to learn from each other. Until then, the conversation will continue, person by person.

Colombian Mennonite churches call for prayer and action for peace

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by Jenny Dillon

Colombia’s Mennonite churches are again calling on congregations in the United States to join the cry for justice, peace and healing in Colombia during the Days of Prayer and Action for Peace on April 18 and 19.

In response to the call, the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) U.S. Washington Office has prepared activities on the theme, Face the Displaced, for congregations and other groups to use. The activities include calls to prayer and opportunities to witness to the violence and injustices in Colombia.

With nearly 5 million internally displaced persons, according to CODHES, a Colombian human rights organization, Colombia is home to a severe, yet hidden, humanitarian crisis. Many people have fled their homes in the face of the armed conflict between government forces, newly re-formed paramilitary groups, and guerrillas, all vying for power and territory.

In October 2009, The Christian Center for Justice, Peace and Nonviolent Action (Justapaz), an MCC partner, and other organizations participated in a delegation to observe the humanitarian and human rights situation in the southern district of Córdoba. The findings from this mission represent an alarming precedent. They illustrate the growing humanitarian crisis, a deterioration of respect for human rights in the area and increased violence as a result of burgeoning paramilitary actions.

Colombia suffers an inequitable distribution of wealth with two-thirds of the population living in poverty, according to the Colombian National Institute of Administration and Statistics, while a small portion is wealthy. Across the country, municipal and departmental governments are compromised through paramilitary links. Analysts and church communities report that powerful economic interests in the drug trade and other big business, such as palm oil and mining, are behind the violence and forced displacement.

These economic injustices exacerbate the four-decades-long conflict, producing grave violations of humanitarian law, displacement and a high murder rate – some 2,500 to 3,000 a year, according to government, international news and human rights sources. Between January and October 2009, paramilitary groups, which were allegedly rearmed, assassinated six church leaders and caused the displacement of five communities, a total of 1,230 people.

On Sunday, April 18, Colombian Mennonite churches ask congregations, faith-based groups and organizations to worship, reflect and pray for the victims, perpetrators and peacemakers.

On Monday, April 19, churches are asked to make a public witness by sharing stories, speaking with government officials, holding public vigils and doing other advocacy activities. As a part of the Face the Displaced campaign, organizers are asking groups to prepare by assembling portraits of the faces of displaced Colombians for public display. After April, the “faces” will be sent to Washington, D.C. for display and presentation to policymakers.

Instructions for hosting portrait-making gatherings are included in the MCC U.S. Washington Office’s packet of worship resources and advocacy materials. The packet also includes prayers, a bulletin insert and a sample letter to lawmakers. Sign up to participate and/or to learn more at washington.mcc.org/days, or contact Theo Sitther at the MCC U.S. Washington Office, 202-544-6564, tsitther@mcc.org.

MCC’s relief kits, comforters, meat and more en route to Haiti

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by Linda Espenshade, MCC New Coordinator

Mennonite Central Committee continues to ship relief supplies to Haiti despite obstacles that slow delivery.

The Port-au-Prince port is still only operating at about 10 percent of the capacity it had before the earthquake, said Darrin Yoder, Material Resources manager. Alternate ports are available, but delivery is hindered because of distance or because the ports are not equipped with cranes to facilitate easy unloading.

Airlifts are prohibitively expensive, said Daryl Yoder-Bontrager, area director for Latin America and the Caribbean, so they are used sparingly. When MCC did use an airlift to bring 70,000 pounds (31,751 kilos) of canned meat into Port-au-Prince on Jan. 24, the shipment had to be rerouted to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, reportedly because of airport traffic.

The meat, which is canned by MCC volunteers, was transferred to trucks that were escorted to Haiti by United Nations (U.N.) personnel. Once the trucks reached the U.N. World Food Program warehouse in Port-au-Prince on Friday, Jan. 29, more delays were encountered as trucks from many organizations waited, sometimes for days, to unload supplies.

The MCC Haiti staff was able to start collecting the meat on Wednesday, Feb. 3. From the shipment, Assemblée de la Grace, a Mennonite church on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince, distributed more than 1,000 cans of meat to church and community members, many of whose houses were destroyed in the earthquake.

Five other MCC partner organizations distributed portions of the shipment. TIMKATEC, Timoun Kap Teke Chans, one of MCC’s partners, is conducting a feeding program for 500 children, some of whom were homeless prior to the earthquake and others who are newly homeless.

Meanwhile, two more shipments of meat, each about 35,000 pounds (15,875 kilos) are scheduled to arrive at the port of St. Marc, Haiti, on Feb. 18 or 19. Trucks will transport the shipments three hours south to Port-au-Prince.

Relief kits, heavy comforters and other supplies also are on the way and will continue, according to Yoder. Already sent are two shipments that contain 2,688 relief kits, 4,591 comforters, various medical supplies, 250 tarps and 192 boxes of water bottles, flashlights and deodorant. Their estimated arrival dates are Feb. 20 and Feb. 28.

MCC also expects to supply about 9,000 tarps before the rainy season begins in April.

Previously, MCC sent 1,000 water filters and about $53,000 in cash to MCC Haiti and its partners to be used in the first days of relief efforts. The Mennonite churches in the Dominican Republic also donated and delivered food and supplies.

Twenty medical boxes, designed to supply 800 adults and children for two to three months, currently are being distributed in Haiti. Yoder said the Haiti Response Coalition, a new MCC partner in Port-au-Prince, was grateful for the supplies that “were exactly what was needed for the mobile clinics currently serving several camps of internally displaced people.” In addition, at least 5,000 first aid kits, purchased by MCC, will be distributed to families.

As of Feb. 12, 2010, contributors have given an estimated $8.3 million, the majority of which will be used for rebuilding once the initial crisis has passed. An MCC assessment team is scheduled to convene in Haiti on Feb. 22 to evaluate the situation and make recommendations for ongoing work.

MCC Haiti alumna to lead disaster recovery efforts

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by Linda Espenshade, MCC News Coordinator

Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) Haiti alumna Dr. Susanne Bradley Brown – a pediatrician and healthcare legislation analyst from Albuquerque, N.M. – will lead MCC’s long-term disaster response to the Haiti earthquake.

As MCC’s new Haiti disaster coordinator, Brown will be responsible for strategic planning and implementation of MCC Haiti’s disaster response plan. During her three-year term, she and MCC partners, workers, local staff, churches and others will work with Haitians who are rebuilding their lives.

“There are lots of opinions to be heard, inside and outside of Haiti, as we work at the wisest and best response to the earthquake,” said Daryl Yoder-Bontrager, area director for Latin America and the Caribbean. “Sue will be able to help pull those opinions together and lead the MCC Haiti team as it continues to formulate and carry out a strong MCC recovery program.”

As a doctor, Brown has worked in Haiti with MCC, starting in 1974-1978 as director of Hospital Grand Riviere du Nord. In 1986-1988 she was a physician at Hospital Mombin Crochu. The experience has given her “a familiarity with the rhythm of the culture,” she said.

Throughout her career as a physician and university professor, Brown has worked with health care organizations that represent people who are homeless, Native American women, children of incarcerated parents and people with mental illness.

Brown, who is a member of Albuquerque Mennonite Church, is currently employed as a healthcare and social services policy analyst for the New Mexico Senate. In this position, she also is working to protect the needs of people whose voices are not always heard.

Brown was interested in leading MCC’s disaster response in Haiti because she wanted to be part of a team that could develop a creative response to the crisis, as well as the ongoing chronic problems Haiti faces. Although healthcare, nutrition and potable water are issues, she’s keenly aware that the disaster response also could include small business development, healing of emotional trauma, construction projects or a range of other ideas.

“I look forward to figuring out how MCC’s partners, the Haitian government and nongovernmental organizations can work together,” Brown said.

Brown will join MCC’s assessment team in Haiti, beginning Feb. 22, as the team assesses the situation and makes recommendations about MCC’s mid-term and long-term disaster response plan. Her assignment will begin in early April.

Eastern Mennonite Seminary offers cross-cultural seminar in United Kingdom

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Eastern Mennonite Seminary at Lancaster (PA) is offering its first ever cross-cultural experience to the United Kingdom.

“Struggle and Hope in Post-Christendom,” led by Stephen Kriss and Stuart Murray Williams, will explore Christian presence and witness in Bristol and London, England.

Kriss is director of communication and leadership cultivation with Franconia Mennonite Conference in eastern Pennsylvania and an adjunct instructor for EMS Lancaster, and Williams is a trainer and consultant with the Anabaptist Network in the United Kingdom.

“Post-Christendom is a new understanding of the place of the church and Christian life in a world of multiple faiths, multiple perspectives and spirituality that is not tied to a particular religion,” said Kriss.

“We want to give people a glimpse into both the possibilities and awkwardness that exist in post-Christendom context,” he continued. “What I have learned from my connections in the United Kingdom is that there is the real possibility for Anabaptism to thrive as church is decentralized.

“I hope that by listening to the stories of leaders in the United Kingdom the class would gain a sense of the possibilities in our present and future.”

Orientation for the course will begin May 1 at EMU Lancaster. The group will travel in the United Kingdom May 16-24. The group will reassemble June 25-26 to reflect on their experience and to discuss how to apply what they’ve learned to congregations in the United States.

Students may earn three hours of graduate credit. Travel, lodging and fees cost $2,750; credit tuition is $1,100 and non-credit tuition is $495. Priority will be given to students taking the course for credit. The deadline for registration is Mar. 15, 2010.

For more information, visit www.emu.edu/lancaster/seminary/cross-cultural or contact Mark Wenger, director of pastoral studies, at (717) 397-5190 or wengermr@emu.edu.

MCC sends structural engineers to assess soundness of homes in Haiti

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by Linda Espenshade

Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) sent three structural engineers to Haiti on Saturday Jan. 23, for one to four weeks.

The engineers will examine houses and other buildings to determine if they are in danger of collapse or if they are safe for occupation. Currently many Haitians are sleeping on the streets or in open areas because they don’t feel safe in their homes.

“People are scared to go back in their buildings without someone looking at them to be sure they are sound,” said Ron Flaming, director of international programs for MCC.

Leading the engineering team for MCC is Johann Zimmermann, a licensed structural engineer from Harrisonburg, Va., who served with MCC in Burkina Faso, Mozambique and Nicaragua. He attends Community Mennonite Church, Harrisonburg.

He will be joined by Peter Pereverzoff of Rochester, N.Y., and Marcus Schiere, from the Netherlands.

Zimmermann, who is self employed and a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity, said he was motivated to go to Haiti as he thought about the safety of the people. From his personal experience of living through an earthquake in Central America, he understands the uncertainty that survivors feel.

“You’re afraid. Am I safe or not?” said Zimmermann, explaining the uncertainty. “It’s really anxiety producing. If you have children, you are worried about them more than you are about yourself.”

In Haiti, Zimmermann hopes to work alongside Haitian builders because they are the ones most familiar with the local building techniques. He would like to teach them how to assess the structural soundness of buildings, so the work can continue after he and the other engineers are gone.

The engineers’ task involves a significant element of judgment and probability, Zimmermann said. They will look at the way cracks in houses were formed to determine if they are only aesthetic or if the house is in danger of falling down.

In anticipation of sending a second crew of structural engineers, MCC is inviting people who would be willing to volunteer for two to four weeks to send an e-mail to Jan Siemens in human resources, jds@mcc.org.

MCC continues to post daily updates on efforts in Haiti using blogs and podcasts

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Along with regular updates from various MCC workers currently in Haiti, on January 18th, MCC began posting podcast updates from Haiti.

MCC has also posted a special page called “On site” which features first-person reflections, thoughts and observations from people who are responding to the Haiti earthquake. The page is updated regularly.

For more information on MCC’s ongoing relief effort in Haiti visit www.mcc.org.