Mosaic Mennonites

Missional - Intercultural - Formational

MCUSA

MC USA Delegate Report

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Approximately 300 delegates from throughout Mennonite Church USA (MC USA) gathered July 7-8, 2023, at the Kansas City (MO) Convention Center to discern together some aspects of the denomination’s future. Many of the attendees had participated in MennoCon ’23, held prior to the delegate assembly.  

Each session of the delegate assembly began with worship music and a Bible study by Rev. Dr. Sarah Bixler. The Bible studies looked at different scenes from the Upper Room before Jesus’ betrayal and crucifixion and after his resurrection. 

After the first Bible study, the assembly was convened by MC USA Moderator Linda Dibble. An agenda and rules were adopted and minutes from the 2022 Delegate Assembly were summarized and approved. Then Sue Park-Hur, MC USA Director of Ethnic Engagement, led the delegates in a game of Mennonite bingo to get to know one another. After a break, Glen Guyton, MC USA Executive Director, gave a State of the Church message. After this, there was an introduction to the Agency Governance & Operational Alignment Resolutions being put forward by the Executive Board. 

After lunch and a further time of singing and Bible study, delegates heard a report from the Mennonite Education Association and received and voted to affirm a slate of new members for various denominational boards and committees. Delegates then heard a report from Mennonite Mission Network and a testimony from the pastor of Koinonia Indian Mennonite Church (Clinton, OK) about how they are implementing their Peace and Justice Grant. After a break, Everence and Mennonite Health Services Association (MHS) gave reports about their work. 

Banners line the hallways of the convention center in Kansas City for MennoCon 23. Photo by Marta Castillo.

The delegates then voted on whether or not to modify the denomination by-laws to change the occurrence of delegate assemblies from every two years to every three years. To pass, the resolution needed to receive a two-thirds majority vote for adoption. The resolution failed by a very narrow margin. Many of those who spoke against the resolution cited a concern that youth would not be gathering as frequently and a general desire to meet more rather than less frequently.  

Resolution two, to amend the bylaws to clarify the role of program entities, passed by an overwhelming majority. Before adjourning for day one, delegates began to provide feedback and counsel about resolution three, to change Everence and MHS from agencies to program entities. 

Saturday morning began with singing and the final Bible study segment. Michael Danner, MC USA Associate Executive Director, gave an update on the development of new procedures to prevent and deal with incidents of abuse of various kinds in congregations. This was followed by a report from MennoMedia.  

After a break, delegates moved on to floor discussion and voting on resolution three, to change the status of Everence and MHS from agencies to program entities. This resolution passed with an overwhelmingly positive vote.  

After this, Ivanna Johnson from Boulder (CO) Mennonite Church spoke about how her congregation is using a peace and justice grant to partner with a nearby elementary school to provide resources and support for impoverished students. The MC USA Anti-racism team then gave its report and there was a report from the Corinthian Plan. 

The Transforming Wall at MennoCon 23. Photo by Danilo Sanchez.

To close out the delegate assembly, Jon Carlson, pastor of Forest Hills Mennonite Church (Leola, PA) was installed as the new Moderator of MC USA. Carlson spoke about his desire to focus on three Mennonite values in the next biennium: peace, especially living at peace with one another despite deep differences; simplicity, especially in how we organize our work together; and family, emphasizing the ongoing transfer of leadership to younger generations.  

Mosaic Conference to Attend MennoCon23 

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Mosaic Conference members will be attending and participating in the upcoming biennial convention of Mennonite Church USA in Kansas City, MO, also known as MennoCon23.  The convention for all ages will be held July 3-6 and delegate sessions will follow on July 7-8.   

Mosaic Conference will be represented in many ways at the Convention, notably by: 

  • Danilo Sanchez, Leadership Minister for Intercultural Transformation and one of the Pastors at Ripple (Allentown, PA), is on the MennoCon planning team. 
  • Marta Castillo, Associate Executive Minister. 
  • Gwen Groff, Pastor of Bethany Mennonite Church (Bridgewater Corners, VT), and Roy Williams, Assistant Moderator and Pastor of College Hill Mennonite Church (Tampa, FL) will attend as Mosaic Board representatives.  
  • Stephen Zacheus, Associate Pastor of Jemaat Kristen Indonesia Anugerah (Sierra Madre, CA) and member of Mosaic’s Intercultural Committee, and Michael Howes, Pastor of West Swamp Mennonite Church (Quakertown, PA) and Ministerial and Credentialing Committees member, will attend as Mosaic Committee representatives.  
  • Noel Santiago, Leadership Minister for Missional Transformation, will be assisting with Spanish Interpretation. (Mosaic Conference’s interpretation equipment will be used for the Convention.) 
  • Lindy Backues, of Philadelphia (PA) Praise Center, will be leading seminars. 
  • Whitehall Mennonite Youth (Allentown, PA) and Salford Mennonite Youth (Harleysville, PA) will be attending as a joint youth group.  

Other individuals from Mosaic Conference will also be attending as active participants too.  

Please pray for the MennoCon23 gathering in Kansas City in July and for those attending.

MC USA Executive Board Nominates Marty Lehman as Moderator-Elect

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Marty Lehman
(photo by Rex Hooley)

The Mennonite Church USA (MC USA) Executive Board has nominated Marty Lehman of Goshen, Indiana, as moderator-elect for the Delegate Assembly cycle beginning July 2023. Lehman is a former associate executive director for Churchwide Operations for MC USA and has a deep affiliation with and affection for the denomination.  

“I love our church and believe in what our church is doing and trying to do,” said Lehman. She said she hopes that we can “be known as people that are reaching out and caring for the most vulnerable in [our] communities … people that show up … people who serve as the hands and feet of Jesus, so that God’s healing and hope can flow through us to the world.”  

Pending affirmation by the Delegate Assembly, which will meet in Kansas City, Missouri, on July 7-8, 2023, Lehman will serve alongside incoming moderator, Jon Carlson of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. 

To read more, please see the full article. 

Official Notice of May 2022 Special Delegate Assembly

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From: Linda Dibble, moderator, Mennonite Church USA

The MC USA bylaws (Article V, Delegate Assembly, 4. Meetings, state that: “d. In the case of a special meeting, written notice of the special meeting (which will include the time, date, and place), and the purpose for the meeting, along with the proposed action to be taken, shall be submitted to area conferences and to member congregations at least ninety (90) days in advance of the date of the meeting. Area conferences shall keep the Executive Board notified of congregational members and any changes thereof.”

A special session of the Delegate Assembly is scheduled for May 27 (starting at 7:00 p.m. CDT) through May 30 (ending at 12:00 p.m. CDT), 2022, at The Westin Kansas City at Crown Center, Kansas City, Missouri.

The purpose of this special meeting is to complete the 2019-2021 biennium resolution process. Delegates will discuss and vote on resolutions that were delayed due to the global pandemic.

These two resolutions are scheduled for a vote:

This resolution is designated as a study resolution:

MC USA delegates will determine if this resolution will be discussed and voted on at this special assembly:

The bylaws of MC USA state:

a. Each congregation of the Mennonite Church USA is eligible to send one (1) delegate for each one hundred (100) congregational members, or fraction thereof. Also, congregations may send an additional youth delegate (ages 16-21).
b. Each area conference of the Mennonite Church USA is eligible to send one (1) delegate for each one thousand (1,000) area conference members, or fraction thereof. Also, conferences may send an additional two youth delegates (ages 16-21).
c. Each Racial/Ethnic group which has been officially recognized by the Executive Board may send three (3) delegates plus one (1) delegate for each one thousand (1,000) members of such recognized Racial/Ethnic group. Also, Racial/Ethnic groups may send an additional two youth delegates (ages 16-21).
d. Each member of the Executive Board is automatically a delegate.

For more information about this special delegate assembly, visit https://www.mennoniteusa.org/special-delegate-session-22/

Preparing for MC USA’s Special Delegate Session

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On May 27-30, 2022, Mennonite Church USA (MCUSA) will hold a Special Session of the Delegate Assembly in Kansas City, MO. Each Mosaic congregation is eligible to send delegates to this important meeting in the life of our community and witness together.   

Mennonite Church USA is providing background resources and hosting a series of educational webinars (see below) to prepare delegates and their conferences / congregations for the Special Session of the Delegate Assembly in May.

Mosaic Conference will also be offering preparation work to help resources delegates and pastors in the months ahead.  The resources are intended to help prepare delegates for the upcoming discernment and voting that is planned for this special session.   

Upcoming January webinars:

Monday, Jan. 24, 2022 07:00 PM (EST): The development of resolutions, especially church statements, must seek to follow our ecclesiology. We believe the church exists at the congregational, area conference and national conference levels. While each person is responsible for developing and maintaining a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, our understandings of the revelation of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit are refined and tested by the community of believers on the three levels of our church. This seminar will explore the current role resolutions play in MC USA and hope we might shape the resolution process in the future. 

Monday, Jan. 31, 2022 07:00 PM (EST): Join MC USA’s Iris de Leon Hartshorn (facilitator) and panelists Jamie Pitts of AMBS, Pastor Isaac Villegas of Chapel Hill (North Carolina) Mennonite Fellowship and Shana Peachey Boshart of Mennonite Education Agency for an engaging discussion on biblical discernment. In this one-hour webinar, the panel will address three key topics:

  • Biblical and historical understanding of discernment
  • Congregational experiences with discernment
  • Best practices for discernment 

All webinars will be recorded and available on the MC USA delegate resource page. Please visit the delegate resource page for the full schedule and additional information.

"The earth is the Lord's": Visiting Israel & Palestine

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This week, we are sharing several reflections from participants on the October 2014 “Come and See” tour to Israel and Palestine. While Joy Sutter participated in the spring 2014 tour to Israel and Palestine, we wanted to include her reflections, which were shared with her fellow Mennonite Church USA executive board members at their June 2014 meeting. 

Participants in the Mennonite learning tour of Israel/Palestine visit the separation wall in the Aida Refugee Camp in Bethlehem. The wall cuts off the camp from an olive grove where residents used to work and play. (l. to r.) Isaac Villegas, Stanley Green, Ann Graber Hershberger, Mohammad Al-Azzah (Palestinian tour guide), Joy Sutter, Joanna Hiebert Bergen (MCC Jerusalem staff), Ron Byler, Tanya Ortman, Chad Horning, Ed Diller and Duane Oswald. (Photo by Ryan Rodrick Beiler)
Participants in the Spring Mennonite learning tour of Israel/Palestine visit the separation wall in the Aida Refugee Camp in Bethlehem. The wall cuts off the camp from an olive grove where residents used to work and play. (l. to r.) Isaac Villegas, Stanley Green, Ann Graber Hershberger, Mohammad Al-Azzah (Palestinian tour guide), Joy Sutter, Joanna Hiebert Bergen (MCC Jerusalem staff), Ron Byler, Tanya Ortman, Chad Horning, Ed Diller and Duane Oswald. (Photo by Ryan Rodrick Beiler)

“Come and see” were the prophetic words of an amazing journey I experienced with other Mennonite Church USA leaders in Israel-Palestine this spring. This simple invitation, to come and see, changed my worldview of the people, the politics and the pictures that I had formed in my mind prior to my visit. I always knew there was conflict happening in the Middle East, but until I was able to see it in person, I did not truly understand it, and it did not penetrate my soul.

I needed to come and see for myself so that I could better understand that the conflict in Israel-Palestine is:

  • both ancient and modern. It is deadly serious, and it is silly.
  • religious and secular.
  • fought with words, weapons and incorrect information presented in Western media.
  • about land, the air above it and the water below it.
  • about hoarding water, tearing down olive trees and building separate roads for Israelis to return to their settlement homes.
  • about 430 miles of a 20-foot-high wall with electrical fencing.
  • about watchtowers, tear gas, young Palestinians being detained and thrown into jail, interrogation and humiliation.

I heard the words of Jeremiah all the more clearly when he said, “They say peace, peace, when there is no peace” [6:14], and was reminded of Psalm 24:1: “The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, the world and those who live in it.”

A closing prayer

Leader:       We pray for laborers who cannot enter their place of work. We pray for youth and young adults who are losing hope for their future. We pray for mothers who are fed up with the bloodshed and killing and the constant use of military might. We pray for families who have lost loved ones.

Group:        Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Leader:       We pray that you would open the eyes of the world—of Israelis, of Palestinians, of Americans and Canadians—to this injustice. Help the world to see that the security and freedom of one people depends on the security and freedom of others.

Group:        Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Leader:       We pray for politicians, that they may realize that the security and peace we all long for will not come from the use of military force, but by assuring justice for all. Help us to be bold to speak for peace achieved through nonviolence as the only way for all peoples to work together for an equitable and just future.

Group:        Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Leader:       God, you have called us to be followers. Give us wisdom. Free us from hatred and bitterness. Fill us with agape love and a passion for justice, so that we might respect the rights and dignity of all. Help us to see your divine image in everyone.

Group:        Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

All:               And all God’s people say, “Amen.”

Joy Sutter, of East Norristown, Pennsylvania, is a member of the Mennonite Church USA executive board. This piece originally appeared in “On the Way,” a publication of Mennonite Church USA. Reposted with permission. 

David Boshart nominated for MCUSA moderator-elect

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by Mennonite Church USA staff

David Boshart
David Boshart

David Boshart of Wellman, Iowa, has been nominated to be moderator-elect of Mennonite Church USA (MCUSA).

Delegates will vote on the nomination at the 2015 MCUSA convention, held June 30-July 5 in Kansas City, Missouri.

Boshart is currently the executive conference minister for Central Plains Mennonite Conference. He has also served on the Mennonite Church USA Executive Board for seven years.

Prior to being appointed as executive conference minister in 2010, Boshart served as a pastor of local congregations for more than 25 years. He has a doctorate in leadership studies with an emphasis in missional theology from Andrews University in Berrien Springs, Michigan, and is the author of the books Becoming Missional: Denominations and New Church Development in Complex Social Contexts and Sex and Faith, a Bible study guide on male sexuality from the Closer than a Brother series published by Faith and Life Press. Boshart also serves as an adjunct professor at Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary in Elkhart, Indiana, and Eastern Mennonite Seminary in Harrisonburg, Virginia.

In his current role, Boshart provides leadership for the overall mission, vision and direction of Central Plains Mennonite Conference. He works with local congregations to help them focus their vision for ministry in their local contexts, and also to help develop partnerships among congregations to expand their capacity for witness and mission.

Boshart was nominated by the Leadership Discernment Committee of Mennonite Church USA, and his nomination was affirmed by the MCUSA executive board.

If delegates approve the nomination at the 2015 assembly, Boshart will serve two years as moderator-elect and two years as moderator and chair of the executive board. He would succeed the current moderator-elect, Patricia Shelly of North Newton, Kansas. The present moderator is Elizabeth Soto Albrecht of Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

Boshart is married to Shana Peachey Boshart, who serves as Central Plains’ conference minister for Christian formation, and they have three sons. They are part of West Union Mennonite Church, Parnell, Iowa.