Mosaic Mennonites

Missional - Intercultural - Formational

Marta Castillo

Sanchez Named Leadership Minister for Intercultural Transformation

by

Mosaic Conference has named Danilo Sanchez to a new position as Leadership Minister for Intercultural Transformation effective May 1, 2022.  Sanchez had been part of Mosaic’s Youth Formation team over the last several years and also worked with intercultural initiatives.  In his new role, Sanchez will support the work of the Intercultural Committee which began with the formation of Mosaic Conference in 2020. 

Sanchez grew up as an active participant at Boyertown (PA) Mennonite Church. As an adult, he has worked with Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) and has served on the pastoral teams of Whitehall (PA) Mennonite Church and Ripple (Allentown, PA) congregation.  Sanchez will continue his work with Ripple Community Inc (a Mosaic Conference-Related Ministry) and Ripple congregation.  Sanchez’s experiences with diverse congregations combined with his deeply rooted commitment to Anabaptism and the various Mosiac communities are an exciting combination of passion and knowledge.  

“Danilo brings a depth to our Conference work and broad relational connections,” said Stephen Kriss, Mosaic Conference Executive Minister.  “His Spanish language skills help to strengthen bridges to our growing Spanish language communities.  I’m grateful he was willing to step into this new role.” 

Marta Castillo previously held this position and began a transition from the role when she began as Associate Executive Minister in February of this year.  Sanchez will continue to serve as part of the Youth Formation Team and in his role as the Mosaic Conference representative to the board of Mennonite Central Committee East Coast.  He also will serve as one of the Conference representatives to the Mennonite Church USA Constituency Leadership Council.  Sanchez lives in Allentown, PA with his wife, Mary, and two daughters and will continue his work based in Allentown. 

A Mosaic of Californian Hospitality

by

For through him [Jesus] we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.

Eph. 2:18-22, NIV 

In the body of Christ, there are no strangers, only fellow citizens of the Kingdom, brothers and sisters whom we have not met.  In my new role as Associate Executive Minister, I recently visited California, to get to know some of our California congregations better. The brothers and sisters, pastors, and leaders of the Mosaic churches there welcomed us and each other with open arms and hearts.

We can know that we are welcomed and accepted by God. God showed us the ultimate hospitality by giving us access to the Father by one Spirit through Jesus Christ.  Since we have all been welcomed in by Christ, we welcome each other in with love and grace.   

Soon after I arrived on Friday night, about 20 of us enjoyed a meal of gratitude and fellowship together as we talked and learned to know more about each other and our families, lives, and ministries.   

(L-R) Marta Castillo, Martin Ejiofor, Chidi Ihezuoh, Mukarabe Makinto, George Makinto, Chuwang Pam, Grace Pam, Cherokee Webb, Effiem Obasi Otah, and Jeff Wright at LA Faith Chapel. Photo provided by Marta Castillo.

On Sunday morning, “Bishop” Jeff Wright, his wife, Debbie, and I worshipped and celebrated a full service at LA Faith Chapel together with a mostly Nigerian congregation.  Lively, Spirit-filled worship songs kept our bodies moving and our voices raised in praise to God. Several young people sang a special song. We shared a time of blessing, prayer, and anointing for the seven leaders from the congregation who are in the credentialing and transfer process with Mosaic. A couple who had been married the previous day danced joyfully down the aisle as they gave thanks to God.  After the service, we shared a delicious meal which featured “puff balls” (delicious balls of fried dough).   

During my trip, I experienced a truly joyful mosaic experience of fellowship. We enjoyed a quick stop to celebrate a birthday lunch with Pastor Virgo at Jemaat Kristen Indonesia Anugerah (JKIA) in Sierra Madre, CA, breakfast with Pastor Jeff Wright and Makmur Halim, and a tour of the Joyful Music & Arts School in Los Angeles with Pastors George and Mukarabe Makinto with a bonus lunch overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

Photo by Marta Castillo.
Pastors and leaders of Mosaic congregations in California gather for dinner and fellowship. Photo by Stephen Zaccheus.

A shout out to Leadership Minister Jeff Wright for the relationships and connections that he has built over the years that have resulted in blessing and growth for pastors and churches. There were many words of affirmation and respect expressed for Jeff which I also echo. Thanks be to God! 

Preparing for a Bigger Tent 

by

My family and I love to go camping. Over the years, as our children grew, we needed a bigger tent. There were times when friends were invited along, and we needed more tents to accommodate extra people. Both required extra space, longer, more numerous cords, and stronger stakes and hammers to secure the tents. Although we had to adjust for the increases and for the growth, we were most happy to do just that.

This past week, I started in my new role as Associate Executive Minister of Mosaic Conference. When I said “yes” to this new role, I knew that I would have to step up my game. I recalled Cindy Angela’s staff blog a few weeks ago, when she wrote about being stretched out and the discomfort that stretching may bring, based on Isaiah 54.

Recently I returned to the familiar verses of Isaiah 54 to pray and prepare: Enlarge the site of your tent and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out; do not hold back; lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes (Isa. 54: 2, NRSV).

The “site of my tent” is going to be enlarged by my new role. I have to adjust to being stretched out and fully engage with my new responsibilities and a number of new relationships. If I did not believe that God had called me to serve in this capacity, I would not have accepted this position. I would have held back and stayed, content with where I was.

Photo by Julio Castillo.

“Lengthening cords” and “strengthening stakes” sounds like challenging work. However, I strongly believe that God will always give us what we need to fulfill what God is calling us to do. In addition, most of the new spaces God calls us into are exciting and seemingly beyond our capacities. If they were exciting, safe, and perfectly reasonable, we would not look to God for strength or seek the power of the Holy Spirit to move forward into them.

Photo by Marta Castillo

Lengthening the cords is to go further in effort and reach, to extend ourselves as Jesus did through cycles of ministry, times with friends, prayer, and rest. It means serving in ways that stretch us and help us to grow. It also increases our capacity to work with greater precision under the guidance of the Spirit.

Strengthening your stakes involves the development of a deeper capacity to seek and know the presence of God. Our depth of relationship in Christ enables us to deal with the circumstances and conflicts that will come and mistakes that we will make. It also allows us to feel the rock beneath our feet through the storms and to draw strength from the living waters in our roots during the heat of the day or times of drought.

Enlarging the site of our tents is what God does. It is the way that God’s Kingdom grows. Allow the curtains of your habitations to be stretched out, do not hold back; lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes. Pray for me, and I will pray for you.

Marta Castillo to Become Associate Executive Minister

by

Effective February 1, 2022, Marta Castillo will assume the role of Associate Executive Minister for Mosaic Conference.

In recent years, Castillo has served as the Leadership Minister of Intercultural Formation and brings strong experience in pastoral leadership and intercultural understanding to the Conference leadership team. She is passionate about the intercultural work of unity in cultural diversity, antiracism, and racial reconciliation.

The daughter of Franconia Conference mission workers, Marta (Beidler) Castillo grew up in both Vietnam and Indonesia. While English is her first language, she lives in a bilingual family and community of English/Spanish speakers and speaks English, Indonesian, and Spanish. Castillo has been shaped by four of the cultural communities in Mosaic Conference and is well attuned to both our Conference’s history and future.

Marta Castillo will assume the role of Associate Executive Minister of Mosaic Conference in February 2022.

“We are very excited to have Marta in her new role,” said Janet Panning, Mosaic Board member and Ministerial Committee Chair. “Marta’s depth of intercultural experience and her fluency in three of our worshipping languages, combined with her deep faith commitment, make her the right person at this time in our Conference life.”

As Mary Nitzsche, the current Associate Executive Minister, moves toward retirement, she will reduce her workload but will remain on Mosaic staff. Nitzsche will continue to relate closely to the Board, along with Executive Minister Stephen Kriss, and will serve as a Leadership Minister. As Nitzsche transitions out, Castillo will continue her work with the intercultural committee while adding responsibilities with the ministerial credentialing process and representing our Conference in public settings.

Castillo is committed to prayer along with active engagement of diverse neighborhoods with the message of Good News. “I appreciate Marta’s commitment to reminding us of the Holy Spirit’s working in and among us. She not only reminds us but demonstrates it through her walk and work,” shared Noel Santiago, Mosaic Leadership Minister for Missional Transformation, who leads a conference-wide prayer time with Castillo each Wednesday at noon (Eastern). “Marta accompanies others with sensitivity to the Spirit’s leading and will bring that sensitivity to her role in helping process and discern leaders’ calling and credentialing.”

Castillo is a graduate of Dock Mennonite Academy (Lansdale, PA) and Eastern Mennonite University (Harrisonburg, VA). She has a certificate in Christian Ministry from Eastern Mennonite Seminary and is currently working on a Master of Arts in Christian Leadership through the Kairos Project (Sioux Falls [SD] Seminary), with an expected graduation date of April 2022.

From 2007-2017, Castillo served as a pastor for Nueva Vida Norristown (PA) New Life congregation. During that time, she served on the Conference board and was Assistant Conference Moderator. She also has worked with the Norristown School District, Bridge of Hope-Buxmont, and as the interim pastor at Wellspring Church of Skippack (PA).

Castillo is married to Julio and has three young adult sons and one granddaughter. She is a member at Nueva Vida Norristown (PA) New Life congregation, where she also serves as an elder.

Creating Spaces

by

Mutual transformation happens when we acknowledge, own, and celebrate our cultural differences, allowing ourselves to be changed by our relationships with God and others.  The theme for the 2021 Mosaic Annual Assembly is “Mutual Transformation,” based on  Romans 12:2-10.   

“Christians are strangers and aliens within all cultures. Yet the church itself is God’s nation, encompassing people who have come from every tribe and nation. Indeed, its mission is to reconcile differing groups, creating one new humanity and providing a preview of that day when all the nations shall stream to the mountain of the Lord and be at peace.” 

from Confession of Faith in a Mennonite Perspective, Article 10 

To be mutually transformed, we need to recognize our status as aliens and strangers in this world.  We “do not think of ourselves more highly than we ought, but rather think of ourselves with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of us” (Romans 12:3, NIV). We learn to identify and locate ourselves in cultures, worldviews, families, and systems. Then we decenter ourselves, in order to re-center ourselves in Christ so that we can be reconciled to God and to others. 

Mutual transformation within the framework of Mosaic Conference means that power and equity will shift around the table.  Part of intercultural work is letting go of power and part of the work is empowering others.  

Loosely calculated, in Mosaic Conference, 40% of our staff, 30% of our credentialed leaders, and 20% of our congregations are persons of the Global Majority (a.k.a. people of color) and that number is growing.  (People of the Global Majority (PGM) is an emerging term surrounding race that is arguably the most universally inclusive. Unlike the terms “minority” or “marginalized,” the term People of the Global Majority offers Black, Brown, and Indigenous people – who are numerically in the majority all over the world – an empowering term that encompasses a global solidarity against racial injustice.) 

“the term People of the Global Majority offers Black, Brown, and Indigenous people – who are numerically in the majority all over the world – an empowering term that encompasses a global solidarity against racial injustice.”

One of lesser-known components of fall Assembly is a gathering called, “Nations and Generations,” held for the leaders of the Global Majority (the leaders of color) in our Conference.  Imagine an intercultural space where language, nationality, and cultural differences are recognized and honored.  An “us” emerges from growing relationships and connections as similarities, shared experiences, and unity in Christ result in mutual transformation.  Meeting together is one way for leaders to encourage one another, worship, build vision, and celebrate God’s work.   

This year’s “Nations and Generations” gathering will be held virtually at three different events, in three languages (Spanish, Indonesian, and English).  If you are a person of color/global majority within Mosaic Conference, we invite you to join with other leaders from our Conference, in the language of your choice, to share stories of mutual transformation and empowerment. 

En Español | Dalam Bahasa Indonesia

May God bless us all as we meet together in our Annual Assembly! 

May God continue the intercultural, formational, and missional work of mutual transformation in and among us!   

Giving Justly

by

My family taught me through example to be generous with what I had and to share with those in need. The Church taught me to give a tithe of 10% of my income back to God. When I was younger, I remember reading the counsel that as your income increased, that you should seek to increase the percentage of your giving.  

When I read scriptures about Jesus’ conversation with the rich young ruler (Luke 18:18-29) and the descriptions of the early church’s economics in Acts 4:32-35, I am convinced that I am off the mark about money and wealth. 

In his book, “Who Will Be a Witness? Igniting Activism for God’s Justice, Love, and Deliverance,” Dr. Drew Hart expresses the need for the church to move “from a hyper-individualistic lens of wealth as an issue of rights and private property, to the viewpoint of early Christian leaders that nothing is solely yours to do with however you desired. Everything was from God and was to be shared.  People that hoard wealth and then give to the poor are not actually engaging in charity.” (p. 250, emphasis mine) 

That is the line that stuck with me. Most of the time, I give from my extra.  I keep back what I need or may need in the future.  I give from what I think I can live without.  

Hart continued:

We ought to participate in the new thing God is doing, and it cannot exclude our economic discipleship and our relationship to wealth and poverty.  There is significant dissonance between the American church and the thrust of biblical teaching on wealth and poverty, especially when we see that scriptural wisdom climaxes in the life and teachings of Jesus.  We will not find a faithful way of participating in God’s economy until we are converted from our internalized thinking, which is apathetic to poverty and triggered by any form of redistribution of resources.” (p.250)

How do I (and how do we) move towards giving “with an eye towards redistribution and not merely comfortable charity”?

Injustice has always allowed for unequal distribution of money and wealth.  Injustice and racism in the United States has benefitted white people economically.  This video by Phillip Roger Vischer (co-creator of Veggie Tales and What’s in the Bible, founder of Big Idea Productions and Jellyfish Labs) gives an excellent explanation of the ways that wealth has been unequally distributed over the years.  

When the rich young ruler heard Jesus’ word, he turned away from Jesus (Luke 18:23). But Zacchaeus does not. Instead, Zacchaeus stood up and said, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount” (Luke 19:8, NIV)  Zacchaeus gave money to the poor, but he also made reparations and made amends for the wrong he had done, by paying back money to those who had been wronged.

During our recent webinar with Dr. Hart, I asked, “What steps can we take to answer Jesus’ call to be radically faithful with our wealth?”  

Hart responded, “If you care about something, you will find ways to respond.”   

Lord Jesus, I care about your call to economic justice and discipleship.  Help me to find meaningful ways to respond and to be faithful!

Celebrating our African-American Culture

by

Charlene Smalls, minister at Ripple (Allentown, PA), is passionate about educating our African American community of its rich history and rich roots. Her passion is heightened now, in this time of grief and trauma due to COVID-19, our inability to gather with family and friends in community, and racial unrest and injustice. She invites all of us to awaken to the needs of the Black community and work together to address those needs.

“Awaken my brothers and sisters to the rich roots and culture of the Black men and women that you sit with, mostly in silence. Embrace us as a people, a culture, and a community,” Smalls said. “Sit with your heart rather than just speaking from your education and your book learning and look at the picture. You can not speak to an issue that you haven’t lived.”  

From December 26 to January 1, Smalls shared about Kwanzaa, a weeklong celebration of African and African American culture, with her congregation. “I heard about diversity, diversity, diversity when I came into the conference. I learned about the Mennonite faith, accepted it, and celebrated it as my faith,” said Smalls. “Kwanzaa celebrates and affirms black people. I invite you to learn and celebrate our culture, accomplishments, and principles with us in the same spirit that I celebrate with you.”  

Yvonne Platts, of Nueva Vida Norristown (PA) New Life, has been celebrating Kwanzaa for many years. Because of COVID-19, she went online to share the principles. She hopes that people can see and embrace the beauty, strength, and gifts of Black people.  

Minister Charlene Smalls and Yvonne Platts posted videos of their Kwanzaa celebrations on Facebook. Learn more about Kwanzaa through these videos that our sisters recorded with commitment, love, and passion.  

“Kwanzaa offers a new dialogue on Black culture, about our positive contributions to the world, and not just the negative stigma of race,” says Dr. Adam Clark, associate professor of theology, Xavier University. “The beauty of Kwanzaa is it doesn’t start Black history from slavery,” explains Clark. “It actually starts us as inventors of civilizations.”

Kwanzaa, comes from the Swahili phrase, “matunda ya kwanza,” or “first fruits of harvest.”  It is celebrated annually, December 26 through January 1. 

The seven principles (nguzo saba) of Kwanzaa include: 

  • Unity (umoja)  – To strive for and maintain unity in the family, community, nation, and race. Unity in Christ – Ephesians 4:1-6;11-13
  • Self-determination (kujichagulia): To define, name, create, and speak for ourselves.  Take Hold of the Prize – Philippians 3:12-17
  • Collective work and responsibility (ujima): To build and maintain community; to make our brothers and sisters’ problems our problems, and to solve them together.  Working Together – I Thessalonians 5:12-18
  • Cooperative economics (ujamaa):  To build and maintain our own businesses and profit together from them.  Community Harvest – 2 Corinthians 9:10-15
  • Purpose (nia): Our collective vocation is one that builds and develops our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness.  Caring for One Another – Hebrews 13:1-7
  • Creativity (kuumba): To always do as much as we can, in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it.  Sharing Our Gifts – 1 Corinthians 12:1-11
  • Faith (imani):  To believe fully in our parents, teachers, leaders, people, and the righteousness and victory of our struggle. Faith, Love and Understanding – Ephesians 1:15-25

The primary symbols of Kwanzaa are the seven candles, candle holder, unity cup, placemat, crops, corn, and gifts. A key custom during Kwanzaa is the daily lighting of the Kinara, the candle holder. The black candle symbolizes the people themselves, the red candles are for the struggle or blood shed in the past, and the green candles represent the Earth or the abundance of future possibilities.

Introducing the New Intercultural Committee

by

We need another committee!  

What? 

Said who? 

Said the newly formed Mosaic Mennonite Conference.

With the formation of Mosaic Mennonite Conference, the new by-laws included the inclusion and formation of the Intercultural Committee. This committee shall provide leadership in the areas of undoing racism, sexism, and cultural bias, and in facilitating and supporting mutual transformation in intercultural contexts. This committee will be represented on the conference board by its chair as a non-voting member. 

Photo by Marta Castillo

As a conference located in multiple states and with global connections, we believe God’s design is for all people in all places to flourish and be transformed by loving, mutual relationships with God and one another.  To see this become a reality, by the power of the Spirit, we shape our lives and our work together around missional, intercultural, and formational priorities.

We have this intercultural priority: “As human beings made in the image of God, we acknowledge, own, and celebrate our cultural differences, allowing ourselves to be changed by the relationships we build across cultures while we work together for racial justice.”  

With this priority, we purposely bring people of different cultures and ethnicities alongside one another. However, we are committed to something deeper than that. We strive for more than just a distant appreciation of one another, or other cultures accommodating to the dominant white culture. 

An intercultural commitment means we nurture “a deep understanding and respect for all cultures.” This means we work at deep relationships, even if this means uncomfortable conversations, where “no one is left unchanged because everyone learns from one another and grows together” (see Spring Institute for more).

Photo by Marta Castillo

The work has already begun. In the past 3 years, an intercultural staff team of Chantelle Todman, Marta Castillo, Hendy Matahelemual, Aldo Siahaan, and Danilo Sanchez have been assessing and moving current relationships and communities in an intercultural direction. We have been building connections between communities and leaders of the global majority. We have also been educating and coaching congregations and leaders around the themes of racial justice, cultural differences, and mutual transformation. 

During our first meeting with the intercultural board committee in October 2020, staff shared the work that we have done as a team. We look forward to joining and following the lead of this new committee.

Diverse in geography, culture, gender, and age, this new committee represents experience, passion for intercultural work, and desire to see growth in themselves, their congregations, and in the conference.  We ask for your prayers and your support for this committee and for this intercultural work. 

The Mosaic Intercultural Committee members are:

  • Beny Krisbianto, chair, Nations Worship Center, Philadelphia, PA
  • Roy Williams, College Hill Mennonite Church, Tampa, FL
  • Josue Gonzalez, Encuentro de Renovación, Miami, FL
  • Emmauel Mwaipopo, Nueva Vida Norristown New Life, Norristown, PA
  • Jocelyn Clement, Eglise Evangélique Solidarité et Harmonie, Philadelphia, PA
  • Jenna Villatoro, Philadelphia Praise Center, Philadelphia, PA
  • Steve Zacheus, JKI Anugerah congregation, Sierra Madre, CA 
  • Marta Castillo (conference staff)
  • Danilo Sanchez (conference staff)

For further information and resources, please go to https://mosaicmennonites.org/intercultural/.