MMA and Mennonite Financial Federal Credit Union announced March 31st that they will adopt a new joint name, Everence. This new name is meant to help the organizations come together to better serve their current members and to reach new people who want to integrate faith and finances. The change to the new name will be gradual and is expected to begin later this year.
In an internal announcement, Larry D. Miller, MMA president and CEO, told staff and advisors, “Now is the time to step forward and take on a new identity that clearly signals we are becoming something new – a new organization for future generations.”
“Our original vision when we embarked on this journey with MMA was that we would eventually operate under a single name,” said W. Kent Hartzler, Mennonite Financial president and CEO. “That day is now coming quickly, and I am excited about the opportunities it will give us.”
“The MMA board believes the new name will come to incorporate the faith values that are integral to MMA and to its role as the stewardship agency of Mennonite Church USA,” said LaVern Yutzy, chair, MMA Board of Directors. “We see the name as promoting a family of products and services in a way that appeals to people of all ages.”
The new name – evoking the ideas of reverence, everlasting, forever, and permanence – symbolizes the organizations’ tie to faith and the nature of its services. The logo represents a vine (with a cross in the center), symbolizing the faith community and people involved in the organizations.
Everence Financial will be the name of the umbrella organization, and Everence will apply to the names of all its associated and affiliated entities. As MMA’s banking associate, Mennonite Financial will become Everence Federal Credit Union. (The relationship between Mennonite Financial and MMA has been growing for a number of years, beginning formally in August 2007.
MMA’s agency relationship with Mennonite Church USA will continue under the new name. To clarify that relationship – and relationships with other denominations – key MMA (and later Everence) materials will begin carrying the line, “A ministry of Mennonite Church USA and other denominations.”
“I commend MMA for their effective service in stewardship and mutual aid, particularly in helping to initiate The Corinthian Plan,” said Ervin Stutzman, executive director, Mennonite Church USA. “I trust their thoughtful work to create a new brand will keep them vitally linked to Mennonite Church USA at the same time they extend their reach to other groups.”
“The Executive Committee has been in conversation with MMA about the new name and what it means for our denomination,” said Ed Diller, moderator, Mennonite Church USA. “We are supportive of this direction. This initiative has given MMA and Mennonite Church USA the opportunity to commit to even deeper relationships than have existed in the past. We are convinced that those deeper relationships will help in our efforts to join in God’s work to bring healing and hope to the world.”
The branding process formally began the summer of 2009 when MMA hired a branding consultant, FutureBrand. The organizations expect to begin using the name publicly late in 2010. Full conversion is expected to take approximately 12 months. More information is available at www.MMA-online.org.
About MMA and Mennonite Financial
MMA helps people and groups integrate their finances with faith values through its insurance and financial services. Rooted in the Anabaptist faith tradition, MMA also offers practical stewardship education and tools to individuals, congregations, organizations, and businesses. To learn more, visit www.mma-online.org or call (800) 348-7468.
Mennonite Financial Federal Credit Union is a full-service cooperative credit union chartered to serve members of the Anabaptist community throughout the United States. With the once-a-member, always-a-member policy, Mennonite Financial also provides financial services to members who are now scattered throughout the world.