It was visibly evident that community and relationships were at the center …
Samantha Lioi
Every Ordination is Miraculous
Each person who says yes to the invitation of God and the community strengthens the possibilities of future “yes” responses into the next generation.
Memorial Day & Pentecost
May we face the soul wounds of people we don’t understand, and so find the Holy Breath speaking new life in all of us …
Credentialed Leaders Gather to Discuss MCUSA Survey
Last year, Mennonite Church USA surveyed credentialed leaders on a variety of issues and questions … Conrad Kanagy of Elizabethtown College, offered a glimpse into the perspectives of leaders from coast to coast.
Conferences end Peace and Justice Minister role
by Stephen Kriss, Franconia director of communication After a two-and-a-half-year experiment with a new model for peace and justice ministry in Eastern District and Franconia Conferences, conference leaders ended the […]
Pastors, leaders travel to Israel and Palestine
by Brook Musselman, for the Come and See tour This week, we are sharing several reflections from participants on the October 2014 “Come and See” tour to Israel and Palestine. […]
Franconia congregations partner to fight human trafficking
by Sheldon C. Good, for Franconia Conference As debate around human sexuality continues to leave many church leaders wondering what binds together people with diverse beliefs, at least four Franconia […]
Nations Worship celebrates new space, all invited
by Samantha Lioi, minister of peace & justice, Franconia Mennonite Conference Pastor Beny Krisbianto and other leaders of Nations Worship Center in Philadelphia are celebrating a milestone in their long […]
Franconia Conference gathers to celebrate, pray, confer, listen
Franconia Conference delegates and leaders gathered November 2 at Penn View Christian School in Souderton, Pa. to celebrate God still at work. With a packed auditorium for a third united assembly with Eastern District Conference, representatives gathered to listen and pray, to celebrate newly credentialed and ordained pastoral leaders, and to work alongside one another after an over 150-year rift created two separate Mennonite entities. The theme “God still @ work” was an extension of the 2012 theme, “God @ work.”
Taking time for justice: learning from Samantha Lioi
In a recent book, Mennonite Church USA executive director Ervin Stutzman noted that the peace rhetoric of the Mennonite church has shifted focus away from nonresistance and toward justice. This significant change in language suggests that urban, suburban, and rural congregations are undergoing an attitude adjustment toward the neighborhood. Unlike nonresistance, the work of justice is naturally outward-oriented, concerned with the common good and the overall health of the local community.
Conference announces realignment of staffing
Due to continued reductions in congregational giving, Franconia Conference has made a number of staffing adjustments, most effective February 1, according to Executive Minister Ertell Whigham. These adjustments are in response to a call by the conference board in May of 2012 to reduce staff FTE (full-time equivalency), stewarding both financial and human resources while better aligning personnel with conference priorities.
Remembering Becky Felton
The 2012 Peace Mug Award for Franconia and Eastern District Conferences, announced at the joint fall Conference Assembly, honors Becky Felton, who passed away peacefully on November 2, 2012 after a courageous struggle with cancer.
Making peace in the neighborhood
When congregational leaders of Nations Worship Center (NWC) chose to purchase a large old commercial building on Ritner St. in South Philadelphia, they couldn’t have guessed the disruption this would be in their lives—and the lives of the folks in that neighborhood. The building was once home to the Knights of Columbus and a catering business. Residents remember attending Sweet Sixteen parties and wedding receptions held there years ago. But for the last 10 years, it’s been vacant. When the neighbors and neighborhood association heard of NWC’s plans, Pastor Beny Krisbianto and others began hearing rumors of discontent and surprising misunderstandings.