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Hope for the Future gatherings bring together leaders of color from across the church, sometimes with white allies, to explore the ways that power, privilege and racism function in our denomination. These gatherings provide spaces of retreat, opportunities for networking and more for people of color across Mennonite Church USA. Participants work together to address racism to help the Mennonite Church embrace diversity, so that it can thrive amid the racial and ethnic demographic changes that are occurring churchwide. Everence, the Goshen (Ind.) College Center for Intercultural and International Education, Mennonite Central Committee U.S., Mennonite Church USA, Mennonite Education Agency,...
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By Mennonite Church USA staff (Mennonite Church USA) – Registration is open through January 15, 2020, for Mennonite Church USA’s (MC USA) Hope for the Future conference, an Anabaptist networking and equipping event for people of color. It will be held at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Arlington DFW South in Arlington, Texas, from January 24-26, 2020. Hope for the Future gathers leaders of color from across the church and related ministries to explore the ways that power, privilege and racism function in our denomination. “The last few years have been hard for people of color, with cultural conflicts and...
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(Mennonite Church USA) — A group of 12 Mennonite Church USA leaders who have been involved with Hope for the Future (HFF) in the past, met in Los Angeles, California, Jan. 26-27, and agreed that the next HFF gathering would take place in January 2020. The group worked together to redefine the purpose of HFF to include worship, sharing resources and learning together as people of color. This meeting was...
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(Mennonite Church USA) — The organizers of Hope for the Future (HFF) have decided not to host an event in 2019. HFF organizers, which include staff from Mennonite Church USA, Mennonite Mission Network and Mennonite Education Agency, have decided HFF would benefit from taking time off to evaluate feedback received from participants, said Iris de León-Hartshorn, MC USA associate executive director for Operations. HFF has taken place for seven years to regularly bring together leaders of color from across MC USA for networking and support, and to explore the ways that power, privilege and racism function in the denomination. “Due...
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(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...
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en español By Jenny Castro (Mennonite Church USA/Mennonite Mission Network/Mennonite Education Agency) — Nearly 70 pastors, leaders, directors, coordinators, educators, change-makers and others with connections to Mennonite Church USA (MC USA) met together Feb. 8-11 at the Hyatt Regency Riverwalk Hotel in San Antonio, Texas, for the seventh annual Hope for the Future (HFF). HFF brings together leaders of color from across MC USA to explore the ways that power, privilege and racism function in our denomination. The gathering was framed by the words of Dr. Vincent Harding...
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ELKHART, Indiana (Mennonite Church USA/Mennonite Mission Network/Mennonite Education Agency) – The annual Hope for the Future (HFF) gathering will take place Feb. 8-11 in San Antonio, Texas, with the theme “The people are marching! Where are the saints?” HFF gatherings bring together leaders of color from across the church, sometimes with white allies, to explore the ways that power, privilege and racism function in our denomination. This will be the seventh HFF gathering for networking, support, conversation and generating change. This year’s theme is inspired by the title of Vincent Harding’s address to Mennonite World Conference in 1967, “The beggars...
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Blog Post
This is the fourth post in a blog series from participants in Hope for the Future (HFF), an annual gathering of people of color serving in leadership positions across Mennonite Church USA. HFF gatherings began in 2012 and initially served to create space for mutual support among people of color in Mennonite Church USA institutions and agencies. In recent years, white leaders across the denomination have been invited to participate. Evelin Gonzalez lives in Harrisonburg, Virginia with her husband and two boys. She works at Everence® as a branch manager at the credit union. She currently serves on the Everence...
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Blog Post
This is the third post in a blog series from participants in Hope for the Future (HFF), an annual gathering of people of color serving in leadership positions across Mennonite Church USA. HFF gatherings began in 2012 and initially served to create space for mutual support among people of color in Mennonite Church USA institutions and agencies. In recent years, white leaders across the denomination have been invited to participate. Hyacinth Stevens, is co- pastor of King of Glory Tabernacle in the Bronx, New York. She is also a program coordinator for MCC East Coast in New York City. She...
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Blog Post
This is the second post in a blog series from participants in Hope for the Future (HFF), an annual gathering of people of color serving in leadership positions across Mennonite Church USA. HFF gatherings began in 2012 and initially served to create space for mutual support among people of color in Mennonite Church USA institutions and agencies. In recent years, white leaders across the denomination have been invited to participate. Danilo Sanchez lives in Allentown, Pennsylvania with his wife and two daughters. There he serves as a part-time youth pastor with two Mennonite churches and works part time with Mennonite...
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Blog Post
This is the first post in a blog series from participants in Hope for the Future (HFF), an annual gathering of people of color serving in leadership positions across Mennonite Church USA. HFF gatherings began in 2012 and initially served to create space for mutual support among people of color in Mennonite Church USA institutions and agencies. In recent years, white leaders across the denomination have been invited to participate. Eloy Rodriguez is the principal at the New Danville Campus of Lancaster Mennonite School. He lives in Lancaster, Pennsylvania with his wife Becky and three kids, Addie (9), Joel (6)...
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en español By Jenny Castro HAMPTON, Virginia (Mennonite Church USA) — As participants arrived at Calvary Community Church (C3) on Feb. 2, it was clear that Hope for the Future (HFF) has created a uniquely safe space for people of color in leadership positions across Mennonite Church USA. Bear hugs, deep sighs and prayers of thanksgiving overflowed at the opening of the sixth annual HFF gathering. More than 70 participants were in attendance at the four-day event, titled “Doing Kingdom Work,” which ended with worship at C3 on Feb. 5. Rick Stiffney, Ertell Whigham, Rolando Santiago,...
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(Mennonite Church USA) – The sixth annual Hope for the Future gathering takes place Feb. 2-5 at Calvary Community Church in Hampton, Virginia, bringing together leaders of color and others from across Mennonite Church USA for networking, support and conversation on issues of power, race and diversity across the church. More than 70 people are expected to attend this year’s event, according to Iris de Leόn-Hartshorn, director of transformative peacemaking for Mennonite Church USA and a member of the planning committee. Of those, more than 40 are people of color, she said. Attendees are coming from at least 14 states,...
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[Español] ELKHART, Indiana (Mennonite Church USA/Mennonite Mission Network/Mennonite Education Agency) — Following up on the fifth...
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Following up on the fifth annual Hope for the Future (HFF) gathering, the event’s planning committee sent policy solutions and recommendations to leaders of Mennonite Church USA institutions to recruit, retain, train and educate board and staff members to undo racism and advance intercultural transformation. The “Intercultural Competence Call to Action” was sent April 25, 2016, to board chairs and presidents/heads of the denomination’s churchwide agencies and educational institutions as well as to the nearly 60 people who attended the Jan. 21–24, 2016, HFF gathering in Hampton, Virginia. Letter accompanying the Intercultural Competence Call to Action Intercultural Competence...
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