(Mennonite Church USA) — Hope for the Future (HFF) 2018 participants have released an open letter to Mennonite Church USA. The gathering, which took place on February 1-4 in San Antonio, Texas, brought together leaders of color from across MC USA around a theme inspired by Vincent Harding’s 1967 speech at Mennonite World Conference in Amsterdam “The Beggars are Marching … Where are the Saints?” “Through sermons and stories, as we explored together the various issues facing us, Harding’s strong ethic of love seemed to be lifted up,” said Iris de León-Hartshorn, director of Transformative Peacemaking for MC USA and member of the HFF planning committee. In small groups around tables, HFF 2018 participants addressed the question, “What prophetic word would you have for MC USA?” A group of writers composed a letter based on the themes that arose, presented it to the group and made revisions based on the group’s feedback. The letter, included below, was affirmed by 75 percent of HFF 2018 participants. “We are at a turning point in our history where the seeds that were sown generations ago with Vincent Harding and others, such as the Minorities Ministries Council, are bearing fruit,” the letter reads. “We … Continue reading Hope for the Future 2018 participants release open letter