Lea la versión en inglés aquí. By Jessica Griggs for Mennonite Church USA
ELKHART, Ind. (Mennonite Church USA) — Mennonite Church USA has named the worship planning committee for the Follow Jesus ‘25 biennial convention, which will take place at the Koury Convention Center in Greensboro, North Carolina, July 8-12, 2025. The committee, made up of Will Eichelberger, Abby Endashaw, Randall Koehler, Ryan Rohrer, and worship leaders Melissa Florer-Bixler and Caleb McClendon, met for the first time last month to begin preparations for next year’s convention.
The Follow Jesus ’25 worship planning committee met for the first time in August. Pictured left to right, top to bottom: Will Eichelberger, Rachel Ringenberg Miller, Randall Koehler, Caleb McClendon, Glen Guyton, Melissa Florer-Bixler, Ryan Rohrer and Shé Langley.
In the year leading up to convention, the worship planning committee meets regularly to discuss and organize convention’s daily worship sessions. Using this biennium’s theme, Follow Jesus, as their guide, the group will design each day’s worship service by identifying the daily themes, Scriptures and worship speakers, as well as outlining any additional worship elements that will be included in the services.
Each member of the committee serves in a specific role. From leading the band, to heading up the committee, to ensuring the audio and visual elements run smoothly, everyone on the committee works together to make worship at convention a memorable event.
“I am excited to plan worship with this group of talented people! Each member brings unique experiences and skills with them, which should result in worship services in which people feel seen and loved by God,” said Rachel Ringenberg Miller, MC USA’s denominational minister of ministerial leadership and worship coordinator for Follow Jesus ‘25.
Will Eichelberger, stage manager
Will Eichelberger will use his experience from owning his own event and wedding planning business to serve as the stage manager for convention, ensuring the correct placement of all people and things on the stage throughout each of the worship services. He attends Portland (Oregon) Mennonite Church and received a Bachelor of Arts from Goshen (Indiana) College. Eichelberger is the proud father of three boys.
“My favorite convention memory is from Orlando (Florida) ’97, when I was a high schooler,” said Eichelberger. “We used the paper message boards to meet new people and had a blast!”
Abby Endashaw, coordinator of deacons and ushers
As the coordinator of deacons and ushers, Abby Endashaw will organize the worship service volunteers at convention. She works for Mennonite Central Committee, as the summer service national coordinator, through which she facilitates workshops and sessions on community centered leadership, self-care and collective care, and cross-cultural learning. She is also a provisionally licensed therapist, through which she helps individuals and couples heal from trauma. Additionally, Endashaw serves on the MC USA Women in Leadership steering committee and will be involved in the WiL summit prior to convention. She earned a Bachelor of Science in psychology and sociology and a Master of Arts in professional counseling, both from Dallas (Texas) Baptist University. She attends First Unitarian Church of Dallas. In her free time, Endashaw likes to cuddle her cat, take salsa classes, and host dinner parties and game nights.
“Last year was my first convention,” said Endashaw. “I loved seeing how the youth groups showed up and really engaged in the Climate Summit. Their passion and conviction left me with a deep sense of hope for the future of the church.”
Melissa Florer-Bixler, worship leader
Melissa Florer-Bixler will serve as one of the two worship leaders during Follow Jesus ’25. In conjunction with Caleb McClendon, she will act as the host, providing important information, introducing the band and worship speakers, and setting the overall mood of each worship service. Florer-Bixler has been the pastor of Raleigh (North Carolina) Mennonite Church since 2016. She has also served in ministerial roles at several other churches, published two books through Herald Press, writes as a columnist for The Christian Century, and is on the board of both Anabaptist World and Central District Conference. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from Gordon College, in Wenham, Massachusetts; a Master of Arts in religion from Duke University, in Durham, North Carolina; and a Master of Divinity from Princeton (New Jersey) Theological Seminary. She enjoys going to spin class with her teenage daughter, maintaining her pollinator garden and watching the Durham Bulls AAA baseball team.
“Convention is a family reunion,” said Florer-Bixler. “I’m excited every time we gather to learn, grow and celebrate as follower of Jesus in the Mennonite tradition.”
Randall Koehler, band leader
As band leader and guitarist, Randall Koehler will lead the Follow Jesus ’25 music team. Koehler is in his fourth year of pastoral ministry, serving as the pastor of Hutterthal Mennonite Church, in Freeman South Dakota, and has been a volunteer music leader and worship leader since he was a teenager. He earned an associate degree in education from Illinois Central College, in East Peoria; a Bachelor of Science in elementary education from Illinois State University, in Normal; and is currently working on a Master of Divinity at Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary, in Elkhart, Indiana. Koehler enjoys exploring the details of daily life with his young children, listening to people’s stories and curating playlists.
“To me, Follow Jesus means that we, as diverse people, congregations and conferences of MC USA, are serious about the substance of Jesus’s teachings and examples, as foundational to our daily lives,” said Koehler. “We are disciples, first and foremost, constantly being reshaped and reformed by Jesus, in the midst of a community, committed to this same vocation and calling.”
Caleb McClendon, worship leader
Caleb McClendon will lead the worship service, along with Melissa Florer-Bixler. He is currently the assistant pastor of C3 Hampton (Virginia), but over the last decade, he has also served in various other ministry capacities, including as media director and youth pastor. McClendon received a Bachelor of Arts in communications from Regent University, in Virginia Beach, Virginia. He and his wife have two young children. McClendon enjoys helping others express their creativity, through creating and consulting on podcasts and studio spaces.
He said, “My favorite convention memory was when my wife and I got to be the worship leaders together. We had a blast, and it was a joy to do it together.”
Rachel Ringenberg Miller, worship coordinator
Rachel Ringenberg Miller is leading the worship planning committee for Follow Jesus ‘25. Before joining the MC USA Executive Board staff in 2022, she spent 15 years working in congregational ministry, with pastorates at Portland (Oregon) Mennonite Church and Shalom Mennonite Church, in Newton, Kansas. She now attends Eighth Street Mennonite Church, in Goshen, Indiana. Ringenberg Miller received her Bachelor of Arts from Goshen College and her Master of Divinity from Eastern Mennonite University, in Harrisonburg, Virginia. When she was growing up, Ringenberg Miller spent summers sailing a catamaran with her twin brother. Now, she likes to spend as much time as possible visiting Lake Michigan in the summers.
“I’m excited to worship and experience the depth and breadth of MC USA,” Ringenberg Miller said. “I love the conversations that happen in the convention center, even if the conversations cause me to be late to my next thing.”
Ryan Rohrer, AV technical director
Using his professional experience as the technical director of Lancaster (Pennsylvania) Mennonite School, Ryan Rohrer will lead the AV team to ensure that the audience can see, hear and enjoy all aspects of convention worship. Rohrer has been overseeing the education of students interested in behind-the-scenes careers for 25 years, as well as providing technical support for Atlantic Coast Conference and LMC churches. He also provides consultation for several theaters in south-central Pennsylvania, including Mennonite Life and Amish Experience Theater. Rohrer attends Grace Community Church in Willow Street, Pennsylvania. In his spare time, he likes to travel, spend time with family and serve at church. He can also wrap mic cables with his eyes closed and make perfectly sized loops every time.
“I’m excited to offer my gifts and talents to help bring those at the worship services closer to Jesus,” said Rohrer.
Mennonite Church USA is an Anabaptist Christian denomination, founded in 2002, and a recognized peace church. Members seek to follow Jesus by rejecting violence and resisting injustice. MC USA’s Renewed Commitments state the following shared commitments among its diverse body of believers: to follow Jesus, witness to God’s peace and experience the transformation of the Holy Spirit. MC USA is comprised of 15 area conferences and more than 460 congregations across the United States. MC USA is part of Mennonite World Conference, a global faith family that includes churches in 60 countries.