Mosaic Mennonites

Missional - Intercultural - Formational

ministerial committee

Ministerial Committee Update – September 2024

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The Ministerial Committee makes decisions on ministry credentials and policies that promote the support, health, and training of credentialed leaders and safe church practices for congregations. They meet quarterly to act on recommendations from the credentialing committee, review and revise current policies around credentialed leaders, and provide leadership in cases of misconduct.   

Report from the September 4, 2024 Ministerial Committee Meeting

Credentialing Updates and Motions

Ordination

  • Effiem Obasi (LA [CA] Faith Chapel)
  • Emmanuel Villatoro (Philadelphia [PA] Praise Center)

Withdrawn

License Extension

  • Benjamin Toussaint (Solidarity and Harmony [Philadelphia, PA])

Active without Charge to Active

  • Samuel Charles (Bethel Worship and Teaching Center [Levittown, PA]) 
  • Tim Weaver – Mosaic Leadership Minister
Other Ministerial Committee Updates

Hearing from Beth Yoder (Salford [PA]) about her Giving and Receiving Counsel Process

Giving and Receiving Counsel Policy Update – adding steps for after committee determination

Misconduct Policy Review – for situations of conflict of interest and enmeshment

Credentialing Renewal Update – approximately half of credentialed leaders have successfully renewed their credentials

Credentialing Process Alternative Questionnaire will be tested with Partner in Ministry leaders outside of the United States.

Definitions Related to Credentials:  

  • Licensed for Specific Ministry (LSM) – Person called from within the congregation to serve in a specific leadership assignment within the congregation or another organization  
  • Licensed toward Ordination (LTO) – Issued for a three-year period with the purpose of testing the inner and outer call to ministry, further discerning of ministerial gifts, abilities, and aptitude; may or may not lead to ordination.  
  • License Extension – A three year-extension is given to a person in active ministry who has a license towards ordination but is not ready for ordination. 
  • Ordination (ORD) – Long-term leadership ministry credential appropriate for all pastors, area conference ministry staff, chaplains, missionaries, evangelists, and those determined by the church to have a continuing ministerial-leadership role in and on behalf of the church.  

Status Definitions

  • Active – held by those serving in a leadership-ministry assignment. 
  • Active without Charge – held by those not presently holding a ministry assignment.  
  • Inactive – held by those who have been without a ministerial assignment for more than three consecutive years.  
  • Retired – held by those who have retired from active ministry.  
  • Withdrawn – is given when a ministry credential is ended for non-disciplinary reasons. 

Ministerial Committee Update – June 2024

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The Ministerial Committee makes decisions on ministry credentials and policies that promote the support, health, and training of credentialed leaders and safe church practices for congregations. They meet quarterly to act on recommendations from the credentialing committee, review and revise current policies around credentialed leaders, and provide leadership in cases of misconduct.   

Report from the June 5, 2024 Ministerial Committee Meeting: 

Credentialing Updates
  • Melky Tirtasaputra – Ordination (Whitehall [PA])
  • Angelia Susanto – License toward Ordination License Extension (Nations Worship Center [Philadelphia, PA])
  • Beth Davco – License toward Ordination 3 Year License Extension (Wellspring Church of Skippack [PA])
  • Marcos Acosta – Withdrawn (Homestead [FL])
  • Angel Tamayo – Withdrawn  (Nueva Vida Norristown New Life [PA])

45 Credentialed Leaders have completed their 2024 Credentialing Renewal Process

Ministerial Committee Discussion Topics

Giving and Receiving Counsel Policy – addition of next steps of accountability, reporting, and reinstatement in cases of probation or suspension.Revision of credentialing process to add questionnaire for leaders of congregations who are not part of MC USA and don’t have access to the MLI (Ministerial Leadership Information) form.

Definitions Related to Credentials:  

  • Licensed for Specific Ministry (LSM) – Person called from within the congregation to serve in a specific leadership assignment within the congregation or another organization  
  • Licensed toward Ordination (LTO) – Issued for a three-year period with the purpose of testing the inner and outer call to ministry, further discerning of ministerial gifts, abilities, and aptitude; may or may not lead to ordination.  
  • License Extension – A three year-extension is given to a person in active ministry who has a license towards ordination but is not ready for ordination. 
  • Ordination (ORD) – Long-term leadership ministry credential appropriate for all pastors, area conference ministry staff, chaplains, missionaries, evangelists, and those determined by the church to have a continuing ministerial-leadership role in and on behalf of the church.  

Status Definitions

  • Active – held by those serving in a leadership-ministry assignment. 
  • Active without Charge – held by those not presently holding a ministry assignment.  
  • Inactive – held by those who have been without a ministerial assignment for more than three consecutive years.  
  • Retired – held by those who have retired from active ministry.  
  • Withdrawn – is given when a ministry credential is ended for non-disciplinary reasons. 

Ministerial Committee Update – March 2024

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The Ministerial Committee makes decisions on ministry credentials and policies that promote the support, health, and training of credentialed leaders and safe church practices for congregations. They meet quarterly to act on recommendations from the credentialing committee, review and revise current policies around credentialed leaders, and provide leadership in cases of misconduct.   

Report from the March 13, 2024 Ministerial Committee Meeting: 

Credentialing 

License Toward Ordination

Ordination 

  • Brooke Martin, Salford/Mosaic
  • Secundino Casas Martinez, Iglesia Menonita Shalom
  • Nering Huete, Nueva Vida Norristown New Life

Status Changes/Transitions

Retired

  •  Nelson Shenk

Withdrawn

  • Sam Claudio Jr

Transfer Complete

  •  Lydia de Jesús

License to Ordination Extension

  • Emmanuel Villatoro, Philadelphia Praise Center
  • Jaye Lindo, 7 Ways

Moved to Active without Charge

  • Franco Salvatore
  • Tim Moyer

Credentialing Renewal Process 2024: Every three years, Mosaic Mennonite Conference enters a year-long credentialing renewal process for all credentialed leaders. As our conference becomes more diverse, geographically, culturally, and in legal status, we need to continue to consider the elements of legality, safety, and culturally appropriate practices within this process and expect that we will continue to be respectful and relational. See more at:https://mosaicmennonites.org/credentialrenewal/

Definitions Related to Credentials:  

  • Licensed for Specific Ministry (LSM) – Person called from within the congregation to serve in a specific leadership assignment within the congregation or another organization  
  • Licensed toward Ordination (LTO) – Issued for a three-year period with the purpose of testing the inner and outer call to ministry, further discerning of ministerial gifts, abilities, and aptitude; may or may not lead to ordination.  
  • License Extension – A three year-extension is given to a person in active ministry who has a license towards ordination but is not ready for ordination. 
  • Ordination (ORD) – Long-term leadership ministry credential appropriate for all pastors, area conference ministry staff, chaplains, missionaries, evangelists, and those determined by the church to have a continuing ministerial-leadership role in and on behalf of the church.  

Status Definitions

  • Active – held by those serving in a leadership-ministry assignment. 
  • Active without Charge – held by those not presently holding a ministry assignment.  
  • Inactive – held by those who have been without a ministerial assignment for more than three consecutive years.  
  • Retired – held by those who have retired from active ministry.  
  • Withdrawn – is given when a ministry credential is ended for non-disciplinary reasons. 

The Kingdom Work of Committees  

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By Marta Castillo

We’ve all heard the phrase, “The church is not a building; it is the people.” In a similar fashion, Mosaic Mennonite Conference is not simply the executive minister, the board, or the staff, but rather the people of the conference working together to further the Kingdom of God. One way this is manifest is in the working committees, which are composed of faithful, discerning, creative, and collaborative volunteers from all parts of the conference.  We are grateful for those who have said yes to serving on the following four committees.  They are always hard at work, meeting together to process information, write reports, and make decisions under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and existing guidelines and policies. 

The Nominating Committee

The Nominating Committee is where it all begins, since they vet and discern new members for the Conference Board and other committees, based on nominations from others within the conference.   Nominations are made via an online form or at assembly with written forms.   

The Nominating Committee seeks to ensure that the board and various committees reflect the diversity that is Mosaic. Members should be balanced in terms of the gender, racial, cultural, geographic, and historic diversity of the Conference, reflect the diverse gifts represented in the Conference, are persons of good standing in their congregations, and exhibit a high level of intercultural capacity. 

This year we welcome Roy Williams (North Tampa, FL) as the chair of the Nominating Committee in his role as Moderator Elect. We also welcome Wendy Kwong (Souderton) to the Nominating Committee.

Roy Williams (North Tampa, FL)

The Credentials Committee

The Credentials Committee interviews and recommends individuals for credentialing. This committee has the privilege of hearing the stories, beliefs, and callings of the pastors coming into the Conference with requests for licensing and transfers, in addition to those who are being ordained.  They write reports and recommendations from interviews and other paperwork that are sent to the Ministerial Committee for approval. 

This year we welcome Lisa Quinones (Garden Chapel), Sonya Stauffer Kurtz (Zion), Drane Reynolds (Homestead), and Kathy Tuttle (Lakeview) to the Credentials Committee. 

Lisa Quinones (Garden Chapel)
Sonya Stauffer Kurtz (Zion)
Drane Reynolds (Homestead)
Kathy Tuttle (Lakeview)

The Ministerial Committee

The Ministerial Committee makes decisions on ministry credentials and policies that promote the support, health, and training of credentialed leaders and promote safe church practices for congregations. 

This year we welcome Mike Spinelli (Perkiomenville), Tomas Ramirez (Luz y Vida) and Rose Bender Cook (Whitehall) to the Ministerial Committee. 

Mike Spinelli (Perkiomenville)
Tomas Ramirez (Luz y Vida)
Rose Bender Cook (Whitehall)

The Finance Committee

The Finance Committee provides leadership on fiscal matters and develops the budget based on the vision of the Conference. 

This year we welcome Ryan Ferguson (Philadelphia Praise Center) and Jessica Clopton-Robinson (College Hill) to the Finance Committee.  

Ryan Ferguson (Philadelphia Praise Center)

*No photo on file for Jessica Clopton-Robinson

We are thankful for these and other Mosaic committees and all the faithful, hard-working volunteers who serve. To see a full list of committees and members, visit the Boards and Committees page.

Please pray for wisdom, grace, and strength for the members of these committees as they faithfully serve where God has called and equipped them to be.  

Marta Castillo

Marta Castillo is the Associate Executive Minister for Mosaic Conference. Marta lives in Norristown, PA, with her husband, Julio, and has three sons, Christian, Andres and Daniel and one granddaughter, Isabel.

Board Names Interim Chair of the Ministerial Committee

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There is much work that is done within the Conference and each person, committee, taskforce, congregations and Conference Related Ministry plays a role in that work. On April 13, Franconia Conference announced that Mary Nitzsche’s role in the work of the Conference would be changing as she joins Conference Staff, stepping down from the Chair of the Ministerial Committee and her role as a pastor at Blooming Glen Mennonite Church. While Blooming Glen enters a process of discernment to fill the role left by Mary, so too the Conference has been discerning who God might be calling to fill the role of Chair of the Ministerial Committee.

The Chair of the Ministerial Committee also would serve on the Franconia Conference Board and oversee the Credentialing Committee which conducts interviews of credentialing candidates. This is a large role, as the Ministerial Committee is responsible for overall policies related to the calling, credentialing, training, and disciplining of those persons being credentialed by the Conference, along with the granting of ministerial credentials in keeping with A Mennonite Polity for Ministerial Leadership.

Through much discernment the Board invited current Ministerial Committee member Ken Burkholder to serve as interim Chair of the Ministerial Committee. According to the Conference bylaws, this is a role that is to be appointed by the delegate assembly which does not meet until November 4. In order to ensure that the work of the Conference can continue, the Board agreed that Ken would be able to easily step into the role of chair and would be a good fit for the position long term.

Conference Moderator John Goshow stated, “Ken’s six years of experience serving on the Conference’s Ministerial Committee makes him uniquely qualified to fill the role of chair for this important committee.”

Ken’s name will be presented to the delegates at the Fall 2017 Assembly for the role of Ministerial Committee Chair and subsequently a member of the Conference Board.

Ken was originally appointed by the Conference Delegate Assembly to the Ministerial Committee in 2011.  He attended Eastern Mennonite Seminary (EMS) and received his Masters in Divinity in 2005 after working in the business world for 11½ years. Since his graduation from EMS he has been serving as lead pastor at Deep Run East Mennonite Church. He and his wife Karen (Frankenfield) Burkholder have two children – Alyssa (20) and Justin (17), a recent graduate of Dock Academy.

Executive Minister, Steve Kriss, says, “Ken brings pastoral and professional experience that offers significant wisdom and insight to lead the important work of the ministerial committee.  He will be a valuable board member as well helping to represent the current needs and possibilities of our Conference’s credentialed leaders. I’m grateful for his willingness to accept this position and responsibility in this time of transition to help offer stability and strength to our ongoing work together.”

When asked about his new role as interim chair Ken stated, “It’s an honor and privilege to respond to this call – serving God, and the church, as interim chair.  I look forward to continuing to work with a terrific team of people on the Ministerial Committee, as we, together, give leadership to the credentialing of persons across Franconia Mennonite Conference.”

In his spare time, Ken enjoys being with family, cheering for the Phillies, reading, and running.

Ministerial Committee Welcomes Sherri Binder

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sherriIn September the Franconia Conference Ministerial Committee welcomed their newest member, Sherri Binder from Ripple. Sherri brings vast experience of working with communities in crisis, strategic planning, evaluation, and community development.

Three years ago, Sherri moved to Allentown, Pennsylvania with her husband Jeremy from Honolulu, Hawaii. She states, “at the time we were very sad to leave our church (and, yes, the beach). Our church in Honolulu is a unique community that brings together people from all walks of life, including many people who would not be comfortable walking into a traditional church. We doubted we would be able to find a similar church community here, but then someone suggested that we visit Ripple. As soon as we walked through the door, we knew we had found our new church home.”

Sherri holds a B.A. in Political Science and International Affairs from Kennesaw State University (Georgia), graduating in 2001. She obtained her Master’s in Sustainable International Development from The Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University (Waltham, MA). She also holds a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Community & Cultural Psychology from the University of Hawaii (Manoa).

Currently, Sherri is the President, BrokoppBinder Research & Consulting where she conducts research on how communities recover from natural disasters, along with conducting program evaluation. She is also the Director of Ripple Community Inc., the non-profit that formed out of Ripple church, which was formed to take the community building work of Ripple Church out into the neighborhoods of Allentown. Their program –the Community [Building] Center — creates opportunities to strengthen relationships and build community with residents of the city who are traditionally marginalized, and to develop connections across social boundaries with people who live and work in Allentown.

In regards to coming on board with the ministerial committee, Sherri said, “I am looking forward to learning about the Conference and working more closely with the people who are at its heart. I’m excited to contribute to the work on the Ministerial Committee in supporting the member churches, so that the member churches can better support their local communities.”

Steve Kriss, Director of Leadership Cultivation and Congregational Resourcing, says, “Sherri brings important skills from her area of study and work with trauma and recovery.  She’s a bridge-builder, someone who seeks to understand diverse communities.  In her work with Ripple Community Inc. she has exposure to the broader issues of urban life possibilities and challenges.   She will contribute value as a professional and a person committed to faith, hope and justice in the way of Jesus.”

334117_10151016877971877_1806336748_oFor fun Sherri enjoys reading, playing the guitar, and doing “as much yoga as I can manage.” She also enjoys spending time with her husband and their dog, Jojo.

Welcome, Sherri Binder, to the Franconia Conference Ministerial Committee.