Mennonite Church USA (MC USA) is accepting registrations for the Special Session of the Delegate Assembly on May 27-30 in Kansas City, Missouri, from now through May 16. The registration link and other resources are available at the denomination’s Delegate Assembly Resource portal.
“We are hoping for robust participation from our racial/ethnic, conference and congregational delegates,” said MC USA Executive Director Glen Guyton. “Much of the feedback that we received in 2021 was that an in-person gathering was preferred in order for the delegates to be in community and discuss the proposed resolutions face to face. We chose a three-day weekend to allow for a more diverse representation of delegates and to minimize the time people had to take off from work.”
Each conference, congregation and racial/ethnic group within MC USA is permitted to send delegates to the Delegate Assembly, in accordance with the denomination’s Bylaws. The registration fee for the four-day event is $250 per person for delegates and guests and includes two lunches. Childcare is provided for children up to age two for $50. Payment may be made online or by check.
Mutual aid funds are available to help defray the cost of participation. Congregations with 100 or fewer members that have been active in MC USA for the past five years may request a scholarship to cover up to 70% (maximum $630) of the costs for one delegate to attend the Special Session of the Delegate Assembly. Applications may be submitted here.
The meeting, which begins at 6:30 p.m. on May 27 and ends at noon on May 30, will be held at The Westin Kansas City at Crown Center. Lodging information will be provided to registrants in their registration confirmation email. Further programming details will be available in late February.
Area conferences and congregations also are invited to bring youth delegates, 16-21, as outlined in the bylaws. A tip sheet on the Delegate Assembly Resource portal provides suggestions for how to prepare youth delegates and shepherd them through the delegate process. The “Step Up” program for youth has been suspended for this Special Session.
MC USA will provide information on pandemic-related safety protocols prior to the event.
“We want this to be a positive experience for all,” said Scott Hartman, MC USA director of event planning. “Our meeting protocols will be consistent with the recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the state of Missouri, the city of Kansas City and The Westin Kansas City at Crown Center,” added Hartman, noting that vaccinations will not be required but are highly encouraged.
The MC USA Executive Board staff has provided a wide range of resources for delegates on its Delegate Assembly Resource portal, including:
- FAQ
- Copies of the proposed resolutions
- Staff impact statements on the resolutions
- Recorded webinars on biblical discernment, the resolutions process and each of the proposed resolutions
The denomination’s Delegate Assembly is usually held every two years in conjunction with MC USA’s MennoCon churchwide convention. In response to concerns around COVID-19, MC USA held a small, hybrid convention in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 2021, with an abbreviated online Delegate Assembly. The special in-person session was then scheduled for 2022.
Mennonite Church USA (MC USA), is the largest Mennonite denomination in the United States with 16 conferences, approximately 530 congregations and 62,000 members. An Anabaptist Christian denomination, MC USA is part of Mennonite World Conference, a global faith family that includes churches in 58 countries. It has offices in Elkhart, Indiana and Newton, Kansas. mennoniteUSA.org
By MC USA staff