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National News

Elizabethtown College hosts workshop on Anabaptist racial diversity

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Elizabethtown College is presenting a workshop, “Divided by Faith: Racial Diversity and Anabaptists Today,” on Thursday, April 16, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., in the Young Center’s Bucher Meetinghouse. Sponsored by the Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies and the Sociology and Anthropology Department of the college, the workshop features Michael O. Emerson, Ph.D. Emerson is the Allyn and Gladys Cline Professor of Sociology and founding director of the Center on Race, Religion, and Urban Life at Rice University. The workshop is open to the public free of charge.

Emerson will discuss his research on racism among American evangelicals and share his stories and findings from multi-ethnic congregations in the U.S. Also included will be an overview of findings about race and racism from Church Member Profile 2006 (a study of Anabaptists in the U.S.) by Elizabethtown College professors Conrad Kanagy and Jeff Bach, and responses by several Mennonite and Church of the Brethren pastors including Leonard Dow, pastor of Oxford Circle Mennonite Church a Franconia Conference Partner in Mission.

At 7:00 p.m., students in Kanagy’s Sociological Theory course will host an “Author Meets Critics” discussion with Emerson, where they will critique his work and pose questions. This event will also be held in the Bucher Meetinghouse and is open to the public free of charge.

Emerson is the co-author of several books, including the award-winning “Divided by Faith: Evangelical Religion and the Problem of Race in America” and “People of the Dream: Multiracial Congregations in the United States.” The latter book won the 2007 Oliver Cromwell Cox Award for making the most significant contribution to overcoming racism, awarded by the Racial and Ethnic Minorities section of the American Sociological Association. His most recent books are “Passing the Plate: Why American Christians Don’t Give Away More Money” and the forthcoming “Religion Implicated: What Sociology Teaches Us about Religion in Our World.”

Lever and Kauffmann named to Denominational Ministry leadership roles

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Lee Lever has begun a new assignment as interim director of denominational ministry for Mennonite Church USA Executive Leadership. He will lead a team of denominational ministers providing support and encouragement for conference ministers.

In his new role, Lever will work collaboratively with area conferences and churchwide agencies to equip conference ministers for their work with congregations. Lever and denominational ministry staff also oversee the pastoral call system, pastoral salary guidelines, resource packets for conference ministers, and more.

“Mennonite Church USA is on a journey of responding to God’s call for us to be a people of healing and hope; and we want to help area conferences as they provide connections and build relationships among pastors and congregations,” said Lever.

Nancy Kauffmann will join Lee Lever as a denominational minister for Mennonite Church USA Executive Leadership, effective May 1. She joins Linford King, Phil Bergey and Iris de León-Hartshorn as denominational ministers responsible for building strong, churchwide relationships with Mennonite Church USA area conferences and their staff.

Lever began as a denominational minister with Executive Leadership in August 2007. He previously served for three years as associate conference minister with Western District Conference. He has served as pastor of Eden Mennonite Church in Moundridge, Kan., and Menno Mennonite Church in Ritzville, Wash. In 2005 and 2006, he also served as a consultant training congregational teams for Gospel in our Culture Network and Church Innovations.

Lever holds a master’s of divinity degree from Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary (AMBS) in Elkhart, Ind., and a doctor of ministry in congregational development from Seabury-Western Theological Seminary, Evanston, Ill. Lee and his wife, Terri, are members of Faith Mennonite Church in Newton, Kan., and live in Moundridge. They have three adult children.

“I sense the Holy Spirit working within Mennonite Church USA in new ways, drawing us toward a renewed understanding of who we are and what we are to be about in the midst of changing times,” said Lever.

Kauffmann has served as a conference regional minister for Indiana-Michigan Mennonite Conference since 2000. Previously she served on the pastoral team of College Mennonite Church in Goshen, Ind., for 19 years. She also served for three years on the student services staff for the former Mennonite Board of Missions and taught youth ministries courses at Goshen (Ind.) College for four years.

Kauffmann is part of a pastors group that has been reflecting on the nature of missional leadership. She is grateful for the opportunity to be part of the denominational ministry team and explore what it means to pray for God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. “God is calling us to keep this question central in our lives no matter where we are serving,” she said.

Kauffmann holds a master’s of divinity degree from AMBS and a doctor of ministry degree from Claremont (Calif.) School of Theology. She and her husband, Joel, live in Goshen, Ind., and have two adult children. Kauffmann is a member of the College Mennonite Church in Goshen.

Goshen students spend spring break building cultural bridges in the nation's capital

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It wasn’t a week on the beach for seven Latino and six Anglo students from Goshen College during spring break the last week of February. Instead, it was an intense week that involved learning about other cultures and doing service in Washington, D.C., as they spent time with the bilingual Mennonite congregation, New Hope/Nueva Esperanza.

New Hope meets for worship in a rented school auditorium in Alexandria, Va., praising God in English and Spanish. On Feb. 22 the sermon was in English, with Spanish translation available. Sometimes the reverse is true. Pastors Kirk and Marilyn Hanger lived in Mexico City for 10 years as church planters. They and others provide human bridges in this vibrant, diverse Mennonite congregation of Latinos, African-Americans and Anglos. After church, Anglos in the Goshen group were introduced to the delicious Mexican stew, posole.

First-year student Ben Baumgartner’s favorite part of the trip was hearing stories from members of the New Hope congregation. Church members fled civil war in El Salvador and the Congo. They have struggled with abuse, deportation, language barriers, drug addiction, prison and mental illness. But all have been touched by God’s grace and healing.

Sophomore Hector Varela was especially impressed with the multiculturalism he saw in the New Hope congregation and “the faith and perseverance that keeps a small church together.”

Service projects for the week were arranged by former Goshen student Brian Waidelich, who was an intern at New Hope in the summer of 2008 as part of the college’s Ministry Inquiry Program, and decided to stay on for an extra year. The Goshen group served in elementary schools, a thrift shop, the Washington Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) volunteer house and a social service agency for senior citizens. Sophomore Francisco Gallegos especially enjoyed teaching Spanish plurals to third graders in a bilingual school while their teacher attended an emergency meeting.

The group – led by Tamara Shantz, assistant campus pastor, and Becky Horst, associate registrar and grants coordinator – also visited the MCC Washington office and an international development bank that specializes in assisting small businesses worldwide. During a free day in the city, they took in the Holocaust Museum, Washington monument and many other sites.

The Goshen College Center for Intercultural Teaching and Learning sponsored this bi-cultural service trip to foster intercultural understanding and relationships. “After our first meeting on campus, I wasn’t sure this group would be able to come together and enjoy each other. But the common experiences of the week really helped that to happen,” Horst said.

By the last evening, a Latino student was playing – and winning – Rook, a popular card game among Anglo Mennonites, and Anglo students were learning how to salsa dance.

New leadership named at EMU and AMBS

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EMU Names New Provost
A 1979 honors graduate of Eastern Mennonite University will return to his alma mater as the new provost.

EMU President Loren Swartzendruber announced that Fred Kniss, currently of Chicago, Ill., will assume the second highest administrative post at the university on July 1, 2009.

The provost gives overall guidance to the undergraduate and graduate academic programs of the university as well as Eastern Mennonite Seminary, various auxiliary programs and the Adult Degree Completion Program.

“We are pleased that a person of Dr. Kniss’ experience is prepared to join the team at EMU,” Dr. Swartzendruber said. “He has demonstrated a long commitment to Christian higher education and to scholarship in our kind of context.”

Kniss is chair of the department of sociology at Loyola University, Chicago, where he has been a faculty member since 1991. During his tenure he was interim dean of The Graduate School at Loyola, 2004-05, and graduate program director the sociology department, 2000-04.

“EMU is well-positioned to face the challenges and opportunities that confront higher education,” said Dr. Kniss. “We have a clear and attractive mission, with smart, innovative faculty and staff who are not afraid to try new ideas and programs. I look forward to working with faculty, staff and students to build a dynamic community of learning, rooted in Anabaptist values, training the next generation of global citizens to serve and lead,” he added.

Kniss was a double major in sociology and philosophy and religion at EMU. Following five years of service in Kenya, he went on to earn MA and PhD degrees in sociology from the University of Chicago.

His professional activities and associations include: chair-elect, American Sociological Association Section on Sociology of Religion; Association for the Sociology of Religion; and chair, publications committee, Association for the Sociology of Religion. He is a member of the editorial board of the “Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion” and has been associate book review editor and associate editor of the “American Journal of Sociology.”

Kniss is a member of the American Sociological Association, Midwest Sociology Society, Society for the Scientific Study of Religion and the Religious Research Association.

He is married to Rosalyn Myers Kniss, associate administrator of clinical laboratories at the University of Chicago Medical Center and a member of the EMU class of 1977. They have two children – Michael, a 2006 EMU graduate, and Stephen, an EMU sophomore. They are members of Chicago Community Mennonite Church.

EMU Appoints Jantzi Interim Dean
Vernon E. Jantzi does not stay retired long. The professor emeritus of sociology at Eastern Mennonite University is serving part time this year as coordinator of a feasibility study for the proposed Center for the Study of Abrahamic Traditions at EMU. The Center would provide a setting where practitioners and scholars belonging to the three Abrahamic faith traditions – Judaism, Islam and Christianity – could collaborate in research, training, learning and relations that further peace, just development, security and wholeness in North America and in the rest of the world.

Beginning July 1, 2009, Dr. Jantzi will serve as interim vice president and undergraduate academic dean for the 2009-2010 year at EMU. He succeeds Dr. Marie S. Morris, who is completing her ninth year in the position.

The appointment was announced by Dr. Lee F. Snyder, interim EMU provost.

“Many know Vernon Jantzi as an accomplished faculty leader, an esteemed professor, scholar and servant of the church with extensive international involvements,” Dr. Snyder said. “We’re pleased that he is available to take on this transitional role.”

Jantzi’s administrative and academic experience include serving seven years as director of EMU’s Center for Justice and Peacebuilding; two years as chair of the General Education and Curriculum Development committee and chair of the curriculum review committee for one of the Southeren Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) re-accreditation self-studies.

His international involvements include serving as director of Cornell University’s program on worker-owned and managed enterprises in collaboration with the Instituto Tecnologico de Cartago, Costa Rica and serving in Nicaragua for three years as director of the ALFALIT national adult literacy program. In New Zealand, Jantzi assisted in the founding of peace centers at two universities. He also serves on the bi-national board and executive committee of Mennonite Central Committee.

AMBS Interim President Announced
The appointment of George R. Brunk, III, as interim president for Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary was announced by Ray Friesen, chairperson of the AMBS board, on Feb. 19. Brunk will begin his assignment on July 19 and serve until a new president begins, a tenure Friesen anticipates will be six to twelve months.

Brunk was vice president and academic dean of Eastern Mennonite Seminary, Harrisonburg, Va., from 1979 to 1999, after serving as acting dean for two years. He continues as professor of New Testament at EMS and has taught occasional courses at AMBS. In addition, he has served in numerous leadership positions in the Mennonite Church over the last 30 years. He holds a Doctor of Theology degree from Union Theological Seminary in Virginia and a Bachelor of Divinity degree from EMS. He was ordained to Christian ministry in the Virginia Conference in 1964.

“The board is pleased to have George Brunk join the administrative team at AMBS,” Friesen said. “We believe this early announcement and the unique gifts Brunk has will bring a sense of stability for the seminary community, donors and constituency through this time of transition while we also manage the effects of the economic downturn. We ask the church to pray for the seminary and its leadership team during this time.”

Brunk said, “I am honored by this appointment as interim president of AMBS. The seminary is a leading educational institution for church leadership formation in the Mennonite tradition. My hope is that my acceptance of this role will symbolize the common mission we share between our Mennonite Church USA seminaries, as well as among all Mennonite educational institutions. AMBS is on a good course, and I am committed to hold and strengthen that course during this transitional time.”

Brunk is married to Ruthann Miller Brunk and has two adult children.

J. Nelson Kraybill, president of AMBS since 1997, announced his resignation in September. He will end his assignment at AMBS in July and will pursue other ministry opportunities.

A search committee is seeking a new long-term president for AMBS, to begin sometime in early 2010.
In reflecting on the interim appointment, Jantzi said, “EMU has fostered a lot of creativity in recent years. I’m looking forward to helping us move forward in that spirit amid the stress of current economic realities.”

MCC to implement budget cuts

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Amid the global economic crisis, Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) is reducing its budget in the coming year while continuing to focus its resources on helping people in poverty around the world.

The budget for MCC’s international program, which carries out relief, development and peacemaking work in more than 50 countries, will be reduced by about $2 million and administrative expenditures also are being cut, according to Arli Klassen, MCC’s executive director.

“As we make difficult decisions, our highest concern is for the hundreds of thousands of people around the world whose lives are touched by MCC’s work,” she said.

These cuts for MCC represent a 10-percent reduction. MCC U.S. and the regional MCC offices in the U.S. are facing a 9-percent reduction. MCC Canada and provincial MCC offices are also facing budget cuts. However, it is not yet clear what the size of the budget cuts in Canada will be. The financial year for the MCCs in Canada ends on Aug. 31.

“Our hope, still, is that the generosity of donors will enable the MCCs in Canada to meet their financial commitments to the people we serve,” said Don Peters, executive director of MCC Canada.

While more people are giving money to support MCC’s work than in previous years, the average contribution decreased in 2008, and the economic turmoil has affected MCC in other ways. In particular, the value of contributions from Canada was reduced because of a sharp drop in the value of the Canadian dollar relative to the U.S. dollar. Nearly half of MCC’s funding for international program comes from Canadian contributions in Canadian dollars. MCC’s financial reserves were also reduced by losses in financial markets.

Klassen asks for prayer for the work of MCC and renewed giving to support MCC’s mission.

“Thank you for your commitment to walking alongside people who face poverty and conflict, whether we have big resources or smaller resources,” Klassen said. “Our commitment to sharing God’s love does not change.”

Executive Leadership hires consultant for churchwide operations and alignment

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By Marathana Prothro, Mennonite Church USA

Mennonite Church USA Executive Leadership announces the appointment of LaVern Yutzy of Lititz, Pa., as a consultant on churchwide operations and alignment. Yutzy began in the role Jan. 8.

Yutzy will be responsible to help the denomination to live within its means, eliminate duplication and achieve its goals. He will be called to identify ways of integrating churchwide priorities into the programs and practices of the entire churchwide system as well as propose ways for simplifying the system.

“We are hopeful that LaVern’s work in this role will work to set the stage for further transformation of identity, purpose and organization for Mennonite Church USA,” said executive director Jim Schrag.

The hiring is connected to a February 2008 Executive Board statement that declared “our vision and call to engage in God’s purposes in the world is not adequately supported by our present relationships, behaviors and organization.” Later in 2008, the Executive Board outlined several approaches it would take to strengthen the churchwide system. Some of those areas already have been implemented while a proposed plan for one board of directors for the entire denomination has been deferred.

A June 2008 plan called for the hiring of a chief operations officer who would be responsible for working across the system to improve its effectiveness. Initially, board members and Executive Leadership staff envisioned this to be a full-time, long-term staff person.

However, in light of impending transitions for key leadership roles — namely executive director Jim Schrag and associate executive director Ron Byler — staff felt it would be best to hire a consultant who would be responsible for ensuring forward movement as well as lay a foundation for new leaders to work from once those transitions are completed. The consultant assignment will be part time and last between 10 and 12 months until a new executive director is in place for the denomination and can make decisions about long-term staffing needs.

Executive directors and board chairs of churchwide agencies (Mennonite Education Agency, Mennonite Mission Network, Mennonite Publishing Network and MMA) are supportive of this direction.

“LaVern’s leadership experience in complex organizations and organizational dynamics will serve the church well. He brings a demonstrated capacity to listen to many voices and synthesize the key themes,” said Mennonite Publishing Network board chair Phil Bontrager. “His willingness to share his gifts will serve the church well as we seek to better align priorities and focus our efforts across the multiple dimensions of Mennonite Church USA.”

“I am thankful that someone with LaVern’s experience, knowledge and wisdom has accepted this call. His love, commitment and passion for the church are gifts that we will all benefit from,” said Carlos Romero, executive director for Mennonite Education Agency. “I am looking forward to this opportunity to work with LaVern, finding ways in which we can better serve Mennonite Church USA.”

As current board chair for MMA, Yutzy is quite familiar with the process and the need for a serious examination of Mennonite Church USA’s systems and structures. His memo of agreement outlines specific guidelines for addressing any conflicts of interest that may arise while working in the consultant role.

Yutzy served as CEO of Philhaven, a faith-based provider of behavioral health services in south central Pennsylvania that is a part of Mennonite Health Services Alliance, from 1991 to 2008. He started working with the organization 13 years earlier as a clinical social worker and spent time in other roles before taking on the chief position. He has experience directing strategic planning processes, providing leadership training and consulting with area conferences, non-profit organizations and boards of directors. In other consultant work, Yutzy has offered board development, executive coaching, and governance and structure revisions.

Yutzy has a master of science in health administration degree from the Medical College of Virginia/Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Va., and a master of social work degree from The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. He earned his bachelor of arts degree in sociology from Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg, Va., in 1970 and an associate of arts degree from Hesston (Kan.) College in 1968.

Mennonite Church USA announces Executive Director search committee

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By Marathana Prothro, Mennonite Church USA

The Mennonite Church USA Executive Board has named its search committee to find a replacement for executive director Jim Schrag. In October 2008, Schrag announced his plans for retirement in November 2009.

Moderator-elect Ed Diller of Cincinnati, Ohio, will chair the nine-person committee, which plans to start work immediately. Committee members include Glen Guyton of Yorktown, Va.; Charlotte Hardt of Mount Vernon, Wash.; Sue Miller of Middlebury, Ind.; Juanita Nuñez of Ocoee, Fla.; Patty Shelly of Newton, Kan.; David Sutter of South Bend, Ind.; J. Richard Thomas of Lancaster, Pa.; and Keith Weaver of Reinholds, Pa. Moderator Sharon Waltner of Parker, S.D., will be an ex officio committee member and join the group as necessary.

All committee members are actively engaged with Mennonite Church USA and are committed to its mission and vision, Diller said. The committee includes Executive Board members as well as others from across Mennonite Church USA. The board intentionally sought a breadth of knowledge and expertise to bring valuable perspectives to the table. Of the nine committee members: five are pastors; three are business people; two are academics; three are strongly connected to area conferences; and two are Racial/Ethnic people.

“Our committee believes the new executive director must be able to lead and strengthen the ministry and witness of our church as we strive to be the church God wants us to become,” Diller said. “I anticipate this process will take on a sense of patient urgency as we are highly committed to finding the right person for the job, but also want to avoid a gap in leadership.”

Staff and board members expect the process to take between six and eight months to complete. The committee will begin its work immediately and will meet or otherwise communicate frequently until a new executive director is named, Diller said.

The Executive Board’s executive committee currently is developing guidelines and parameters to assist the search committee in its work. One of the first tasks in the process will be for the Executive Board and the search committee to develop an appropriate executive director job description. Diller said this will be done with broad consultation from across Mennonite Church USA, including input from Executive Leadership, agencies and conferences.

“It’s already become evident that we’re looking for a person who will be a spiritual and missional leader for the denomination and someone with enthusiasm and drive who can build relationships and trust — both between individuals and within our churchwide system,” Diller said.

As updated information on the search process is available to be made public, it will be shared with churchwide staff, area conferences and Mennonite news outlets.

Speaking from within the community: MCC launches new program for young adults

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Cathryn Clinton, Mennonite Central Committee

In January 2009, Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) will launch the Seed program, a two-year program for young adults aged 20-30. The program, composed of international teams, will focus on the components of service, reflection and advocacy. It will begin in Colombia, and then expand to other locations.

Eight to 10 young adults from Canada, the United States, Colombia and other Latin American countries will learn together. As people of faith, they will analyze the Colombian context of social and armed conflict, serve in practical ways through local church programs and begin discerning the roles and ways they can transform society and use advocacy in their home communities and beyond.

The program development and vision have been a collaborative process with the Mennonite Church of Colombia (IMCOL), the Mennonite Brethren Church and the Brethren in Christ Church in Colombia. The program seeks to meet the needs of the Colombian church by connecting young adults from North, Central and South America with the Colombian churches work of peace and justice in the midst of violence and poverty.

The reflection component will begin in Colombia with three months of studying language, cultural orientation, global economics, development, peace-building and theology. There will be regular workshops and seminars during the participants’ time of service, so that they can integrate what they are learning with the macro issues of policy, lifestyle and economics in their own home communities.

The participants will individually go to diverse locations in Colombia. They will work with local Anabaptist churches to facilitate their programs for the community. The goal of this time is walking and serving alongside communities that struggle for peace and justice in the midst of difficult situations.

They will have a final two-week session designed specifically to explore advocacy tools in order to communicate and invite others to work alongside the Colombian church.

Daniel Leonard, program coordinator, says, “This is just another piece of the strategy as we continue our work in both advocacy and service…which is speaking from within the communities we are serving in hopes of increasing our capacity to connect large structural issues with people who we have real and authentic relationships with. It is our hope that in doing this we will have greater understanding of how we are connected globally and how we can be better connected.”

MCC is exploring expanding the Seed program to the Democratic Republic of Congo, as well as locations in the Middle East, Asia and the Caribbean. These programs will be encouraged to coordinate communication and information with one another, creating a global network.

For more information about the Seed program contact Daniel Leonard at drl@mcc.org.