by Emily Ralph Harleysville, PA — “Doing church is pretty difficult today,” admitted Charlie Ness, pastor of Perkiomenville Mennonite. This wasn’t new information for the other pastors gathered for the […]
Perkionmenville
Maná de Vida Eterna springs alive along the Hudson River
Charles A. Ness, Perkiomenville perkmc@verizon.net The Hudson River Valley just north of New York City is a beautiful historic area that attracts both vacationers and residents. Towns with names like, […]
Perfect Fellowship
by Emily Ralph
“We didn’t grow up hearing about this,” one of the bishop’s staff members told me.
Some of the leaders gathered at the Southeast Pennsylvania Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America’s assembly had heard about the reconciliation process, but for others, this was a brand new story. “In the 16th century, the early Lutheran reformers, furious that the so-called Anabaptists did not share the same theology of baptism, used their influence and power to persecute Mennonite Christians,” Lutheran Bishop Claire Burkat said. Her words were greeted with an audible response and she nodded her acknowledgement at the horror.