Intersections

Mary Lou Cummings, Perkasie
cumminghome@comcast.net

According to the teachings of Eastern Mennonite University professor, Dr. Lisa Schirch, peacebuilding is a verb full of adventure, drama, and creativity. Learning how to build peace has not only taken her to Iraq, but also to West Point and Carlisle Military Academies as well as Joint Forces Command – not the usual pacifist’s approach.

In her experiences in Iraq with Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), Schirch found that community development projects – digging wells, sharing water, starting small businesses – were natural peacebuilding events. “Sunni, Shiite, and Kurdish people came together as they worked out how to build the well and how to share the water,” she said. “And the development projects created jobs for young men in villages where the unemployment rates have soared to 50-70 percent. Imagine what American cities would be like if the unemployment rates were that high.”

As she was preparing to leave, Iraqis came to her and said, “It was wonderful that you came here to teach us about peacebuilding with MCC, but what are you doing about U.S. foreign policy at home?” According to Schirch, she’s heard that countless times before while working in various places around the world, and most recently while she was in Indonesia this past May.

Her response to this question is to spend about two days each week in Washington, D.C., meeting with many different groups and individuals, members of Congress, and military personnel. Her ability to listen with genuine respect often gains her access to real conversations. For example, Schirch says she hears two sets of questions that usually begin the conversation on peacebuilding. The first is, “Why do other countries hate us? What will keep us safe?” The second is,“How can we protect the American way of life? How can we keep our cheap oil and protect our economic dominance?”

“Well, war has not produced the hoped-for safety; in fact it has been drastically counter-productive. So, what would work better? To protect the American way of life for the next 40 years, the U.S. will have to reserve for itself half of the planet’s resources. That may not be viable! It is time for creative new thinking.”

In her presentation, Schirch described a national security strategy as a three-part framework: development, diplomacy, and defense. All three are important. However, while the U.S. spends $1 billion per week on the Iraq War, it only spends half of one percent of the national budget on international development assistance, and much of that serves only to bolster U.S. interests. Schirch directs a project called The 3D Initiative at Eastern Mennnonite University’s (Harrisonburg, VA) Center for Justice and Peacebuilding, a project that aims to advocate for more balanced spending and effort in development and diplomacy.

“The failures in Iraq have many people in the military beginning to lose their faith in firepower and interested in thinking about a different way of building security. The military academies are introducing courses on conflict resolution.”

One reason for much of her travel abroad is that universities in many countries ask for help to initiate peacebuilding and conflict resolution courses in their curriculum. This is new and positive, as it has become clear – on an international scale – that war does not produce much. Except hatred.

For more information, see 3Dsecurity.org or The Little Book of Strategic Peacebuilding, by Schirch. Photos provided by Mary Lou Cummings

Erin Odgers, Plains
eodgers1982@yahoo.com

In the remote West bank village of At-Tuwani, our May 2007 Christian Peacemaker Team delegation sat listening to village leader, Hafez, tell stories of the harassment the village faces from the nearby Israeli settlers, and the lack of police investigation and prosecution of these crimes.

He went on to tell us of the time settlers killed many of their sheep by placing poisonous, barley-covered pellets under the shrubs where the sheep graze. He explained to us, that in the midst of this violence, he has had to make the decision as to whether to retaliate with violent attacks or to resist with non-violent actions. With much contemplation, he came to the conclusion that non-violence is the only solution for the village, explaining to us that, “if we fought back, it would cause more violence.”

In response to this violence, Hafez told our group that since 2000, his village has invited both Israeli and international peace groups to come visit the village in order to educate the global community about challenges they face. Christian Peacemaker Teams and Operation Dove – both nonviolent action groups – currently have teams of people living in the village as international
observers monitoring children who walk near the settlements to go to school. Hafez said, “I’d like to tell the truth to the world. I know we need time, but with Israeli and international help I have hope.” He welcomed our group into his village to share his story in hope that we, as US Americans and Canadians, would tell their story once we returned to North America. He encouraged us to tell his story by saying, “When you come here I believe we are like friends, and you can tell our story like friends.”

This story is a snapshot into the lives of the Palestinians my teammates and I met while on this 12-day delegation to Israel and Palestine. I have found the Palestinian people to have a great sense of hospitality, resiliency, a commitment to nonviolence, and a hope in a future void of a military occupation. As I sat listening to Hafez, I felt a great sense of responsibility. He was inviting our group into his village to share a meal together and the story of the people of At-Tuwani who have faced threats to their homes, their livelihoods, their families, and their land. Just like Hafez, each Palestinian we met asked that we tell their stories when we return home. Each one possessed a hope that these stories will spread and will change the conscience of U.S. and Canadian
people in order to bring about change.

Having been entrusted with these intimate stories, I find that my journey has not ended, even after I have stepped off the plane. Instead, it has just begun. My task is to tell the stories of my new friends in Palestine to my friends here in the U.S. Through these stories, I have a hope, just as I learned from the Palestinians: that the world will see their suffering and call for an end to the injustices they face.

photo provided by Erin Odgers

(click the header to read all stories)

Read the articles online:

• Inquiry emerging leaders set out into Franconia Conference ministries:Engaging and getting a little uncomfortable– Emily Derstine
• Cultivating both courageous and tentative emerging leaders:Following into surprising places– Steve Kriss
• Summer inquiry program participants begin internships
• A witness for peace through PULSE: Seeking world peace from Pittsburgh– Andrew Foderaro
• Voluntary Service in the nation’s capital: Connecting with Mennonite roots in DC– Jessica Goshow
• Reflections from Cambodia: “There is only one sky”– Greg Yoder
• Fleeing Persecution:Indonesian Christians seek political asylum through bicoastal Mennonite connections– Sheldon Good
• An enduring Mennonite value emerges:New urbanism in Downtown Norristown– Cory Suter
• Journey toward ordination:For such a time as this– Marlene Frankenfield
• The Beaumont Initiative: That God’s grace may be visible– J. Fred Kauffman

Click to View/download the printable PDF

Emily Derstine, Plains
emily.derstine@emu.edu

Upon arriving in Alexandria, Virginia, to begin my Ministry Inquiry Program internship with Nueva Esperanza/New Hope Fellowship, I didn’t know what to expect. My response to family and friends, after telling them about my summer was, “I don’t know what it’ll be like but here we go!” Although a bit apprehensive and unsure, I was ready to begin this new experience in a new place, doing something different from anything I had done before.

I visited Nueva Esperanza/New Hope Fellowship (where I would be working) once previously, and had talked a bit with Pastor Kirk Hanger, but in no way could I grasp in one visit what this internship would hold. Nueva Esperanza/New Hope Fellowship is a recent church plant in suburban Washington, D.C. The small, multi-ethnic congregation has a vibrancy and authenticity that draws people. Meeting in a school, the church relies heavily on the help and work of the congregation each Sunday, assisting in setting up and taking down chairs, sound equipment, and the ever-present coffee. Every member of the church pitches in—and is largely expected—to help, or at least to offer conversation, and they complete the tasks together, in community.

Growing up in a predominately Caucasian, middle class church in the suburbs, I wanted a different kind of church experience. I wanted to experience a diverse, urban congregation. I wanted to find out how other people did church, and to participate in the work that they are doing. I chose Nueva Esperanza/New Hope not only to get a greater idea of what pastoral ministry is like, but also to engage and to share in the ministry of another congregation, one that is drastically different from what I’m used to, and maybe even a little bit uncomfortable at times. Ministry, and my work at New Hope, is about taking risks and sailing out upon unknown waters.

Nueva Esperanza/New Hope Fellowship has many Latino attendees, enough to make translating the service into Spanish a priority. Visiting Hispanic church members who speak very little English has urged me to use my rusty, fairly conversational Spanish immediately, despite being a bit intimidated by the rapid conversation surrounding me and directed at me. A definite hope is to improve my Spanish this summer, a seemingly attainable—although potentially uncomfortable—goal for the circumstances.

What strikes me about Nueva Esperanza/New Hope is how real everyone seems. Every person present is just who they are and does not have to pretend in order to be accepted. What goes for the building goes for those inside it, too: it doesn’t have to be pretty or flawless or something it’s not. That’s not what church is. Church is about being real: being real to yourself, being real to others, being real with God and not needing to hide that. Everyone who is there wants to be there; they are committed to the church. The church doesn’t necessarily need committees; people volunteer because they want to help.

Nueva Esperanza/New Hope is outwardly focused, wanting to reach out, to assist the community, and to draw people to itself and to God. There is a certain excitement radiating from the worship and smiling faces present in the room on a Sunday morning.

Relationships are really what connect the congregation and bring it to life. The diversity present unites, instead of separating the church. The leisurely pace of gathering and time spent in conversation is refreshing. Upon entering a household, we are immediately invited to sit down, to talk and enjoy a drink, even if showing up unannounced and only intending to stay a few minutes. Amidst the whirlwind of activity around us, no project is more important than stopping to talk with a neighbor or a friend. I see God in the interactions between people and the way in which the church members relate with me and each other.

I look forward to the vast array of experiences that await me at New Hope. I hope to form meaningful relationships with people and listen to the stories of others, learning from those around me. I anticipate that the new setting will give me new ideas, new energy, and a renewed hope for what the Mennonite Church is and will become. I look forward to this opportunity as I explore further what it means to be part of the Anabaptist/Mennonite church and take part in God’s exciting work in the world.

Young adults attendees from Nueva Esperanza/New Hope: (l to r) Matt Dunton, Jacob Hanger, and Rudy Boliviano.

A record number of students will participate in the Mennonite Church USA’s summer inquiry program this summer through Franconia Mennonite Conference. The ministry inquiry program is an 11-week internship traditionally available to any student attending a Mennonite college. Students interested in a specific area of ministry are able to gain hands-on experience by working alongside a supervisor in their respective discipline. Two students will also complete academic internships within Franconia Conference ministries as well.
“The conference is blessed with the presence and ministry of these interns,” said Franconia Conference executive minister, Noel Santiago. “This represents the value our delegates place on ensuring that young adults have the opportunity to not only connect with the church, but to help shape it as well. Along with the gifts, vision, passion, questions, and ‘new eyes’ they bring to our various context, inquiry program participants contribute to the ongoing unfolding of God’s reign as we seek to equip leaders to empower others to embrace God’s mission.”

This year, through a grant from Eastern Mennonite Seminary, three Franconia Conference students attending non-Mennonite institutions have been given the opportunity to participate in the ministry inquiry program: Tim Moyer, a sophomore at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia from the Blooming Glen congregation; Felicia Moore, a member at New Beginnings Community Church, who is in her second year at Indiana University of Pennsylvania; and Andrew Liemon, a Philadelphia Praise Center attendee and first year Penn State University student. Moyer will work with Franconia Conference, while Moore and Liemon will assist with ministries at their home congregations.

Two students will intern with congregations in the Midwest: John Tyson, a sophomore at Eastern Mennonite University (EMU) and a member at Souderton Mennonite Church, who will intern at Christ Community Church in Des Moines, Iowa; and EMU sophomore Jordan Good, a member of Bally Mennonite Church, will spend his 11 weeks with Walnut Hill congregation in Goshen, IN.

Two students will work with congregations on the East coast: Emily Derstine of Plains Mennonite congregation, a sophomore studying at EMU, will spend her summer in Alexandria, VA, with Nueva Esperanza/New Hope Fellowship; and Peter Koontz, a Goshen College junior from Elkhart, IN, will intern with Oxford Circle congregation in Philadelphia. Both churches are Franconia Conference Partners in Mission.

Along with the students in the ministry inquiry program, there will be one Goshen College student who will participate in each of the college’s unique inquiry programs — camping inquiry and service inquiry: Mercy Oyama, a Goshen College sophomore from West Philadelphia Mennonite Fellowship, will work alongside various managers at Spruce Lake Retreat in Candensis, PA; Krista Ehst, a junior at Goshen College and member at Perkasie Mennonite Church, will also work at Franconia Conference.

Jessica Cassel, a sophomore at Bluffton University, is fulfilling academic internship requirements through ministry at her home congregation, Souderton Mennonite. Sheldon Good, a Goshen College sophomore, is completing an academic internship for communication in working with Franconia Conference.

Stephen Kriss
skriss@mosaicmennonites.org

Fifteen years ago, I served with the Ministry Inquiry Program in my home congregation. That summer I realized that pastoring and leading a congregation required daunting levels of commitment and work. As part of that inquiry experience, my home church gave me space to initiate a worship exchange with my predominantly Euro-American home congregation and an African Methodist Episcopal congregation in a mostly unfamiliar neighborhood about ten miles away. The exchange involved each congregation visiting the other and leading a worship experience.

On a warm Sunday night, about 80 Euro-American Mennonites ventured to the Bethel AME Church in Johnstown’s Prospect neighborhood, perched above the Conemaugh River. Having parallel parked our cars on New Street, I remember walking toward the small church as neighbors watched us. I was walking with two women, Novelda and Evelyn, who were wearing white prayer coverings. A boy who must have been about 10 asked, “What are you people doing here?” I remember one of them responding, “We’re here to go to church.”

That was true, we were there to worship with Bethel AME congregation. Though I know that Novelda and Evelyn were there because of the church, they were also there because of me. They went into an unfamiliar neighborhood to worship because of my initiative as a young intern. They carpooled and we went together to a place where we may have not imagined. I will always appreciate that both congregations explored God’s call to worship together and in that action affirmed my emerging leadership abilities and hopes.

In the last issue of Intersections, Jim Lapp reflected on his own call and response to God in ministry. In reflecting on his legacy of ministry, he also offered kind and telling words for emerging young leaders within Franconia Conference. In the on-line publication of his article, Sheldon Good of the Salford congregation who is working with Franconia Conference this summer responded pointedly to something that Jim pondered. Is the church less willing to risk with young leaders now? Sheldon responded adamantly, “yes.”

I think Sheldon might be right in his response. Taking risks with new, and young leaders is increasingly unfamiliar to established faith communities who may have the very rootedness that would allow that risk to both be possible and optimal. But in that risk, we may find ourselves walking with them into unfamiliar places that force us to rethink
our perspectives and experiences. In working with young leaders, I am learning to expect to get to new places while finding ways for the church to“show up” in surprising ways and times. It’s the best of what our shared work of leadership cultivation and the incarnation of the Good News means. Creating a culture of call is more than giving space to hear God, its also creating space where emerging leaders are affirmed and challenged in the midst of hopeful, sometimes courageous and sometimes tentative, response.

In this issue, Emily Derstine experiences new places and a different pace in suburban DC and we glimpse the array of experiences that will unfold for the dozen young adults serving in inquiry and learning experiences through Franconia Conference this summer. Greg Yoder helps us to hear God speak in translated Khmer. We learn about young Indonesians who are able to gain asylum in our own country and find we’re present in that struggle with religious persecution. Jessica Goshow goes to DC and finds that Mennonite roots run deep enough even to sustain in a new city. Andrew Foderaro’s experience in Pittsburgh carries hope and witness for peace in the Middle East. Cory Suter writes about New Urbanism and we’re invited to think about how it represents the best of Anabapitist practice. Young adults in West Philadelphia witness the rise in housing costs and initiate a new neighborhood initiative.

And we glimpse the stories of call and response that continue to emerge through all stages of life with Marlene Frankenfield and Joy Sawatzky. These are each holy and hopeful stories, finding space and opening possibilities for response. We’re going to new places together in the midst of all of this. Thanks be to God.

In reading these stories, may the courage rise within us to cultivate together the call and response of our sons and daugthers who as the prophet Joel writes will have the dreams and visions that will lead us into God’s hopeful future.

Andrew Foderaro, Salford
andrew.foderaro@gmail.com

Life seems to come at you faster than you can blink. I closed my eyes for one second as I was on a bicycle climbing the continental divide and when I opened my eyes I was standing among people at a vigil in Pittsburgh.

Upon throwing yself into the long awaited waters of the Atlantic Ocean ending my bicycle trip across the United States, I opened a new chapter in my life with no idea what it would bring. The next weeks were filled with great experiences; a short term job on a farm, spending time with long absent friends, and searching for what was next.

My parents turned my attention toward PULSE (Pittsburgh Urban Leadership Service Experience). Loosely affiliated with Mennonites, PULSE seeks to bring college graduates to Pittsburgh to live in community and work in local non-profit organizations. Because of this program I am currently living in Pittsburgh’s East End with five others and working with the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC).

Venturing into the world of “non-profit” work was like diving into a cold pool. The initial jump is intimidating but once you get in, it’s a blast. The job description I received was “we will give you a few projects and the rest is up to you, use whatever skills you have to help us out.” The Pittsburgh branch of the AFSC was opened two years ago, focusing on community development and peace advocacy. I mainly help with communication
work, writing, and event planning.

One of the main programs that I am working with is Eyes Wide Open. This exhibit spotlights the cost of the Iraq war by representing each soldier killed in Iraq with a pair of boots (our exhibit is only Pennsylvania causalities). In addition to Eyes Wide Open, I have been working to help organize peace vigils which speak out against the war and several other events.
One particular peace event on January 2, 2007, called for an end to the war following the 3000th US casualty. Although I am new to the Pittsburgh area and to the peace community, I was privileged to be one of the people who read a portion of the names of the deceased soldiers and was also given the honor of writing an article on the event for the local progressive newspaper, The NewPeople, published by the Thomas Merton Center. The following excerpt from my article gives a glimpse into the work that PULSE and the AFSC has allowed me to be a part of:

“December 31 is usually marked by joy and revelry celebrating the past year and the year to come. This latest New Year’s Eve however also carried with it a somber feel because on this particular day the total number of U.S. soldiers killed since the start of the war in Iraq reached 3000. This event really sunk in for many because of its proximity to the holiday season. It is a time for family and a time for community; not a time to have to remember the unnecessary deaths which have been a consequence of this war.

Across the country, 333 peace communities responded by holding vigils and demonstrations to remember
those soldiers who died and to call for an end to the war which has claimed them.

On January 2 in Pittsburgh, standing on the steps of the Sixth Presbyterian Church in Squirrel Hill, four people took turns reading one page each from the list of 144 Pennsylvania soldiers who had been killed in Iraq. Listening to these individuals were over 250 people holding candles and signs calling for peace. One of those listening to the names being read was Diane Santoriello whose son Neil was killed in Iraq in August 2004. She spoke about her experience as a mother of one of the soldiers and called for an end to this war. She demanded that we do everything possible to bring the soldiers home now…

The eight doors, covered in 188 sheets of paper, listing the 3003 U.S. soldiers’ names, demonstrated the breadth of the toll this war has had. This visual personalized the experience as many people searched for an individual name and remembered a soldier. Three thousand Christmas lights lined the stairs behind the speakers to further demonstrate how large a number that really is.

At the end of the vigil the 250 people, led by the Raging Grannies, marched to the beat of a lone drum through the streets of Squirrel Hill. They carried large white, cardboard doves and candles.Their message was clear – this war must end.”

Jessica Goshow, Blooming Glen
jessgoshow@gmail.com

I like new experiences – things that pluck me from my comfort zone and force me to learn and grow. This is one of the reasons I chose to do a term of service with Mennonite Voluntary Service. I decided to assist with policy work around workers rights and workplace justice at an organization called the Employment Justice Center in the District of Columbia. I graduated with an undergraduate degree in Psychology from Eastern Mennonite University (EMU); with no background or knowledge of policy and had never been to D.C. except for the requisite field trips in Middle School and High School. I chose to take up a new discipline and move to a new city because it was time for something new and, after being immersed in the “Mennonite bubble” my entire life, I knew I still had a lot to learn.

I have appreciated meeting people with varying backgrounds and beliefs. It seems that everyday I meet someone new who has a different belief set from mine, which challenges me to think in different ways. An example of this is in my place of work. I have two wonderful co-workers who do not come from a Christian environment. One comes from an atheist background but has found solace in the Quaker church, while the other is Jewish. I enjoy interacting with people who are different from me, and I have always been fascinated with different religions and why people choose to believe what they believe.

This difference in world view was one of the things I enjoyed most about the two cross-cultural experiences that I participated in at EMU (Middle East ‘04, Southeast Asia ‘05). I got to learn first-hand about religious beliefs that were very different from my own. However, I never realized that there was still much that I needed to learn about my own beliefs, values, and background. It was not until I moved to Washington, and distanced myself from the community that held me so closely for my whole life that I began to realize what it truly means to be Mennonite and how lucky I was to grow up in the community that I did.

How amazing it is to live surrounded by people who you can identify with, even in the most trivial ways. Here in D.C., I have to explain what it means to be Mennonite to just about everyone I meet. I understand that as I appreciate learning from them, they want to learn from me as well. But there are only so many times that one can explain the differences between the Amish and Mennonites before it starts to get redundant.

It has been through these experiences that I have begun to appreciate more the relationship with home — more than I did while in college. Harrisonburg, A felt very much like home to me, whereas D.C. is very different; having connections from home has been very comforting. For instance Franconia Conference staff Dave Landis and Steve Kriss came to Washington, D.C. in February to spend some time with me and my fellow VS’ers. In May a group from the Salford congregation visited to do some much needed work on our house. Not to forget the numerous cards, letters, and packages I have received from my home congregation, Blooming Glen.

These extensions of home have meant more to me now than ever before, because I know that these people not only care about me but they understand me. I can talk about things like funny cake and the “Mennonite game” without explaining them first, and they know where I grew up and know my family. Being in D.C. has done many things for me, but the most significant thing that I have gained from my time here has been something I never would have expected: the ability to connect with my roots.