Mosaic Mennonites

Missional - Intercultural - Formational

Mennonite Church USA

Mosaic Conference explores ministry partnership as Program Entity of MC USA

by

At its January 2025 meeting, Mosaic Conference’s Board decided to explore becoming a Program Entity with Mennonite Church USA (MC USA). “Program Entity” status is designated by the MC USA bylaws to “arrange for the delivery of programs and services that carry out specific churchwide goals. [Program Entities] cooperate and network with other parts of the church around common goals.” 

Mosaic would be the first MC USA conference to shift to a ministry partnership via a Program Entity status. Everence and Mennonite Health Services are both currently named as program entities and listed as ministry partners on the Mennonite Church USA website.   

During November 2024’s annual Assembly, Mosaic’s delegates empowered the Board to work with MC USA in developing a plan that would allow Mosaic Conference to establish a “robust partnership” with MC USA. The approved action called on the Board to bring recommended bylaw amendments to the 2025 delegate assembly. 

Since the delegate action in November, Mosaic’s leadership has been gathering information and having conversations with MC USA leaders to explore the option of developing a ministry partnership as a Program Entity. Mosaic Conference moderator Angela Moyer Walter and assistant moderator Roy Williams met with MC USA moderator Jon Carlson and moderator-elect Marty Lehman leading up to MC USA’s Executive Board (EB) meeting on February 8 and have communicated with Carlson by email since the meeting. 

Lehman and Moyer Walter have since met to begin drafting a set of shared agreements integrating feedback from MC USA’s Executive Board, Mosaic staff and Board, and sibling MC USA conferences. Mosaic desires to collaborate with MC USA around core priorities including youth faith formation, intercultural leadership development, and church planting accompaniment. Additionally, Mosaic’s leadership hopes to explore ways to partner through shared values and mutual relationships, rather than transactional services. MC USA and Mosaic leadership will continue to discuss the implications on how members of Mosaic will participate in the life of Mennonite Church USA as a Program Entity. 

At the request of the denomination to work alongside other MC USA conferences, Moyer Walter shared about this proposal with conference moderators in a January meeting; direct conversations with the leadership of other conferences have been ongoing. “I value the healthy dialog we are having with many of our sibling conferences,” reflects Moyer Walter. “They have encouraged us to continue the good work that God has begun in Mosaic.” 

MC USA Delegate Report

by

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.  

Here I am, Lord

by

Josué González, of Mosaic Conference, Elected as Moderator-Elect for Hispanic Mennonite Church 

In a national assembly on January 29, 2022, Iglesia Menonita Hispana (IMH – Hispanic Mennonite Church) elected Josué González of Miami, FL, as moderator-elect.

Gonzalez is a founding member and elder of Iglesia Menonita Encuentro de Renovación (Encounter for Renewal Mennonite Church) in Miami, FL which is part of Mosaic Conference. He is a cargo flight dispatcher and is married to Noemi. González is also a student of the Instituto Bíblico Anabautista, (IBA – Hispanic Anabaptist Bible Institute) which is operated by Mennonite Education Agency (MEA). He is completing his final trimester and is set to graduate this Spring.

Iglesia Menonita Hispana is a Racial/Ethnic constituency group of Mennonite Church USA (MC USA) and reaches multicultural Hispanic and Latino/a Mennonites across the country.

González’ four-year term begins immediately. He will serve two years as moderator-elect and two years as moderator. He will also serve on the Constituency Leaders Council (CLC) of MC USA.

Marco Güete, Leadership Minister for Mosaic Conference and the director of MEA’s Hispanic Ministries Education programs, affirmed González’ readiness for this role.

“Josué has shown maturity, Christian spirituality, and intelligence serving on the local church board, and he will do well nationally with Iglesia Menonita Hispana,” Güete said.

María Teresa Pérez-Soto agrees. She is a leader of Encuentro de Renovación church and a tutor for IBA. “It is a blessing that Brother Josué González has been appointed moderator-elect of the Hispanic Mennonite Church board,” she said. “His dedication and commitment to the Lord’s work has been manifested in his Bible study with IBA and the help he has given to the local church as Treasurer. Through his passion for public speaking, Brother Josué will be a great asset for the board of IMH; additionally, he will ensure he moderates all meetings and assemblies fairly.”

González shared his thoughts about being called to a ministry position in the Hispanic Mennonite church. “When I started my studies at the Anabaptist Bible Institute, (IBA), my life changed and I started to think that God is training me not only to know more about him, but to serve him as a true disciple,” he said.

“I understood that I should work with the Mennonite Church and be able to help in the ministry where the Lord will use me. I just said, ‘Here I am Lord. I am willing to work for you.’ And this was how the Lord opened the doors to work with the intercultural committee of Mosaic [Mennonite Conference], and now with the Hispanic Mennonite Church USA,” reflected Gonzalez.

Ulises Arenas, the Executive Director of Iglesia Menonita Hispana, welcomed Josué, saying, “We appreciate Josué González becoming IMH’s new moderator-elect and we are blessed for his willingness to serve on the new IMH executive board. It is a pleasure for us to welcome Josue and work with him.”

Preparing for MC USA’s Special Delegate Session

by

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.

Need a Hymnal?

by

In the fall of 2020, MennoMedia released the latest Mennonite hymnal, Voices Together, commissioned by Mennonite Church USA and Mennonite Church Canada. “Hymnals are generational,” the planning team behind the new hymnal explain. “They reflect the rhythms of the Holy Spirit, moving among God’s people in a particular era. As worship rhythms develop new currents, the language of a recent generation needs to expand too.”

Voices Together succeeds Hymnal: A Worship Book (1992) and its two supplements, Sing the Journey (2005) and Sing the Story (2007).

The time between the release of an earlier songbook, The Mennonite Hymnal (1969), and the publication of Hymnal: A Worship Book was 23 years. The release of Voices Together in the fall of 2020 marked 28 years since the publication of Hymnal: A Worship Book.

  • Blooming Glen congregation spent one evening recently replacing all of their hymnals in their sanctuary. Photo by Betty Kulp.
  • Blooming Glen congregation spent one evening recently replacing all of their hymnals in their sanctuary. Photo by Betty Kulp.
  • Blooming Glen congregation spent one evening recently replacing all of their hymnals in their sanctuary. Photo by Betty Kulp.

Some Mosaic congregations have already purchased the new hymnal for use in worship.  A few weeks ago, Blooming Glen (PA) Mennonite Church replaced their old hymnals with Voices Together.  One of their Sunday School classes, The Christiannaires, took on the task and, with organized teamwork, were able to swap out the hymnals in one evening. 

If your congregation or organization could use copies of Hymnal: A Worship Book, Blooming Glen congregation would be happy to share their resources. Please contact Pastor Michael Bishop at Michael@bgmc.net for more information.

Mennonite Church USA Assembly: Update

by

Mennonite Church USA announced on January 27 that the biennial Delegate Assembly, which normally happens over several days, will be scaled back to one virtual session due to uncertainty over COVID-19.

Delegates will meet online from 1 to 3:30 p.m. EDT on July 10, 2021, after the regular events of MennoCon21, scheduled for July 6-10 in Cincinnati, OH.

A long-awaited decision on whether to retire the Mennonite Church USA Membership Guidelines is being postponed because delegates will not meet in person this summer.

The hybrid convention, with worship, fellowship and educational activities, will have both onsite and virtual options.

Photo from Mennonite Church USA

Work and Hope in Florida/ Trabajo y Esperanza en Florida

by

by Steve Kriss, Executive Minister

Tomorrow I’m leaving for a meeting with Mennonites in Fort Myers, Florida.  Noel Santiago and I will represent our conference in a conversation with congregations who are interested in remaining in relationship with Mennonite Church USA after the withdrawal of their conference.  They are discerning their future together as a community.  

Last month, Southeast Mennonite Conference removed itself from our national body.   In recent years, we have had growing ties to some of these communities in Miami, Tampa, and Sarasota.  Some of us spend part of our winter in Florida; some of us have pastored there; some of us have relatives in these communities.  Florida is an easy flight away from the part of our conference that is rooted in the Northeast corridor.

Several years ago, Angela Moyer (our current conference assistant moderator), Ertell Whigham (then executive minister), and I helped to lead an equipping event with Southeast Conference leaders in Sarasota.  We recognized a resonance between our conferences. There’s been a warmth between some of our conference leaders and these Floridian communities since then.  In the last weeks, we received a request to come alongside a part of what had been Southeast Conference to provide additional leadership resources and accompaniment.

Sandra and Marco Guete worship during a Southeast Mennonite Conference annual assembly. Photo by Andrew Bodden.

Last month, we invited Marco Guete to begin serving as a stipended leadership minister to work alongside the communities in Florida for six months.  Marco joined our conference staff retreat at Spruce Lake last week.  His wisdom, insights, experience, and salsa lessons were a welcome gift to our team while we were together.  I expect these deep, lively, and wise contributions to continue in the months ahead.

Where is this going?  We don’t know.  We anticipate meeting with leaders from about ten congregations in Florida this weekend; these leaders may either decide to form their own group in Florida in order to remain a part of Mennonite Church USA or express a desire to join our conference.  It’s a time of fluidity and change in church structures, with the previously unimagined becoming the new normal.

We want to be open-handed in relating to the communities in Florida.   I believe strongly that “to those whom much is given, much is required.”  We had available financial resources to offer assistance to our sibling communities in Florida from within our budget this year due to unfilled staff roles.  When the need in Florida became clear through a phone call with former MCUSA moderator Roy Williams from Tampa, we responded.  Our multilingual conference staff will continue to work to accompany the Florida communities as they discern their future.  Marco will work in this role for six months.  We are in conversation with Mennonite Church USA leadership about how this may evolve.

The Spirit continues to shake up the structures of the church.  Meanwhile, we are still willing to bear witness to the way of Christ’s peace.  And God continues to bring new possibilities for relationships and renewal that might extend right fellowship to people both near and far.   We will continue to work and hope.  Seguiremos trabajando y esperando.

Mennonite Church USA releases video resources on leadership and polity

by

Joy Sutter, MC USA moderator-elect, hails from Salford Mennonite Church.

(Mennonite Church USA) — People across Mennonite Church USA are invited to take a closer look at the denomination’s structure and healthy ways of functioning with a newly released video series featuring presentations by Michael Danner, associate executive director for Church Vitality and Engagement, David Boshart, MC USA moderator, and Joy Sutter (from Salford congregation), MC USA moderator-elect. Each speaker focuses on different topics for how leaders can understand MC USA polity and engage with one another in healthy and meaningful ways.

“I would highly encourage our church leaders, pastors and board members to watch this videos series,” said Glen Guyton, executive director of MC USA. “For a people who promote simple living, we sure developed a complex way of relating to each other. Michael, Dave, and Joy do an excellent job of pulling back the veil in these videos on how the parts of MC USA work.”

MC USA polity, or organizational way of functioning, developed through the 2002 merger of the Mennonite Church and the General Conference Mennonite Church, and this video tool aims to clarify elements of its polity as MC USA faces shifts in membership and questions of how to respond to disagreement.

In the video series, Danner poses several questions for leaders within MC USA, including how to focus on finding a “sweet spot” of involvement. “Given my roles within the structure, what am I responsible for and what am I not responsible for?” he asks.

“Polity is not the most important thing that the church does,” Boshart says in his presentation. “But a good, functional polity will make our life more predictable, enabling us to know what we can expect of one another, and that contributes to a stronger base.”

Sutter’s presentation addresses the function of the Executive Board, the 14-member volunteer board that guides the denomination and is accountable to congregational and area conference delegates, and the function of the Constituency Leaders Council, a group consisting of Executive Board representatives, area conference leaders, constituency group representatives and agency and Executive Board staff that meets semiannually to listen, discern and advise the denomination on issues facing the church. Sutter reviews how each is responsible for contributing to positive functioning for MC USA.

The video series is available in three sessions on MC USA’s YouTube channel, and leaders are invited to watch and share them widely.

“The denomination is here to serve you. Accessing the power and benefits in our system should not be a secret,” said Guyton. “Learn where the power and authority lies in our system, so that you understand how to successfully navigate MC USA and tap into its resources and global network. These videos are a great resource for those seeking to change the church, engage the church or support the church in meaningful and lasting ways.”

Watch the videos.