More than 100 people jammed into room 2211 at the Kansas City Convention Center on July 5, 2023, to hear the preliminary results of a denomination-wide research study about the experiences of women in ministry in MC USA. Amy Zimbelman, conference minister for Mountain States Mennonite Conference, and Elizabeth Johnson, PhD candidate at Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, presented the results of the study during a seminar titled “Gathering Stories, Envisioning Equity: Toward a Church in Which Women in Ministry Thrive” at Mennonite Church USA’s MennoCon23 convention. “I've taken the role of... read more →
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If you are not happy with the results below please do another searchMennonite Church USA Executive Board is strengthening its ongoing commitment to creation care and climate justice by expanding its Peace & Justice ministries to include Mennonite Creation Care Network (MCCN). The transition is the result of a mutual agreement with Everence®, an agency of MC USA that has previously provided administrative services for MCCN and continues to provide financial support, and Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center of Goshen College, which has managed the daily operations since its formation in 2005. The transition process will begin Aug. 1, 2023. “As people of faith, we need to talk about climate justice and... read more →
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This blog post is in celebration of Father's Day, June 18. Wil LaVeist, PhD, is Mennonite Mission Network’s senior executive of advancement, responsible for the division that includes the Donor Relations and Marketing and Communication departments. He is a former newspaper columnist, award-winning multimedia journalist, talk radio host and executive for major media organizations. Wil is a published author of four books, including "Dear Daughter: A girl dad's marriage advice on love, pain, healing and the law." He has contributed writings to several other published works. ________________________________________ I didn’t expect that a day of shopping with my daughter to help furnish her... read more →
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Leslie James is a retired medical librarian and worship planner. She resides, gardens and works in her studio in Wichita, Kansas. She is a member of Hope Mennonite Church. _______________________________________ Whether you call them actions, traditions or rituals, congregations, much like nuclear families, have ways of celebrating, mourning or remembering together that act as treasured ways of being family. Some examples include certain ways of celebrating communion or gathering for Maundy Thursday, or what will be served at a funeral meal or given to children following their Christmas program. Usually, these action/traditions/rituals become treasured, because they, first, touched a congregation... read more →
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This post is part of Mennonite Church USA’s #BeTransformed series. Marc Smithers lives in Western New York with his wife, Ailie; their two kids; and their border collie, Fly. He attends the Sojourner’s Mennonite Fellowship in Belfast, New York, and serves on its leadership team, as the coordinator of the Service Team. ______________________________________________ I traveled a little over an hour to Clarence Center-Akron Mennonite Church in early February with a sense of apprehension. Though I have not had much experience with church conflict from which to draw, I had been selected as one of three delegates from our church to... read more →
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Melanie Springer Mock is a professor of English at George Fox University, Newberg, Oregon, an evangelical Friends institution, where she primarily teaches first-year writing, memoir and journalism courses. She is author or coauthor of several books. Her essays and reviews have appeared in Ms. Magazine, The Nation, Christian Feminism Today, the Chronicle of Higher Education, Runner’s World, and Inside Higher Education, among other places, and she is a regular reviewer for Anabaptist World, Red Letter Christians and Christians for Social Action. Melanie and her husband live in Dundee, Oregon, and have two 19-year-old sons. She is a stepmom to two adults and “Nani” to two grandsons. In her free time, Melanie... read more →
ELKHART, Indiana (Mennonite Church USA) — MennoCon23, Mennonite Church USA’s (MC USA) leading faith formation event, in Kansas City (Missouri) Convention Center, July 3-6, 2023, will host a variety of engaging exhibitors throughout the week. The 26 exhibitors will include Anabaptist organizations, colleges and missions. Lisa Lehman, project manager for MennoCon23, said, “Everyone should plan to visit the exhibits of Mennonite Church USA agencies, schools and other Mennonite-related organizations throughout the week. Not only will you learn something new, but you also will not want to miss the swag, food and other interactive components planned throughout the week.” MC USA’s... read more →
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Linda Gehman Peachey is a freelance writer living in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. She has a Master of Divinity from Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary, Elkhart, Indiana, and a Doctor of Ministry from Lancaster Theological Seminary. Previously, Linda worked for Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) on women’s concerns and also served with her husband, Titus, as co-director of Peace and Justice Ministries. They also worked in Laos with MCC, 1981-1985. She and Titus have two adult daughters and enjoy visiting them in Chicago and Guatemala. She is a member of East Chestnut Street Mennonite Church in Lancaster. Linda is also a member of MC USA's Women in Leadership steering... read more →
The Mennonite Church USA (MC USA) Executive Board addressed agenda items for the upcoming 2023 Delegate Assembly and affirmed several key relationships during its online Zoom meeting on Jan. 27 and 28, 2023. 2023 Delegate Assembly The Executive Board discussed potential bylaw and other changes that will allow the Executive Board to operate more efficiently and effectively by streamlining and clarifying MC USA’s governance structure. Associate Executive Director for Church Vitality Michael Danner presented an update on the Prevention and Accountability Project, a comprehensive misconduct guidebook being developed in partnership with Mennonite Church Canada. One change being considered is adjudicating... read more →
Mennonite Church USA (MC USA) is hosting a collaborative Youth & Young Adult Climate Summit, July 7, 2023, at the Kansas City (Missouri) Convention Center. The event will bring together experts in climate change, spiritual activism and social justice to explore the ways that young people ages 14 to 25 can put their faith to work to address the spiritual and human crisis caused by climate change. Registration opens on March 1 here. The cost is $49 per person and includes lunch. MC USA is collaborating with partner organizations, Mennonite Creation Care Network and Anabaptist Climate Collaborative, to provide attendees... read more →
En Espanõl The Mennonite Church USA (MC USA) Executive Board welcomed Mosaic Mennonite Conference Moderator Angela Moyer Walter and Assistant Moderator Roy Williams to its online Zoom meeting on Jan. 28, 2023. Moyer Walter and Williams officially presented an open letter to the Executive Board, published by Mosaic in December 2022. They shared a timeline of Mosaic’s history and discussed the challenges they are facing in their two-year strategic plan to determine affiliation following the 2022... read more →
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Clara Weybright is a graduate of Eastern Mennonite University, in Harrisonburg, Virginia, where she studied environmental science. She is currently a Juris Doctor (J.D.) candidate at Temple Law School, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Upon receiving her J.D., Weybright intends to focus her legal practice on justice work. Previously, Weybright was a climate futures fellow at the Center for Sustainable Climate Solutions and worked with the MCC National Peace & Justice Ministries in Washington, D.C. With these organizations, she researched and wrote climate policy through a peace and justice lens. She was also a member of the Mennonites against Militarism council, and... read more →
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Connie Zehr is the moderator and acting conference minister of New York Mennonite Conference. She and her husband, Keith, live in Lowville, New York, and are members of Lowville Mennonite Church. They have three adult children and three granddaughters. Connie graduated from Hesston College. ______________________________________________________ My experience with conference leadership began in Oct. 2021, when I was named the moderator of New York Mennonite Conference (NYMC). I announced my retirement as the pastor of care and nurture at Lowville Mennonite Church in Jan. 2022, effective at the end of June 2022, and I started a list of things I looked... read more →
Several leaders from Mennonite Church USA Executive Board and staff attended the Mosaic Mennonite Conference assembly at Souderton (Pennsylvania) Mennonite Church, Pennsylvania, on Nov.5, 2022, where delegates voted 81.5% in favor of initiating a two-year strategic planning process. MC USA Executive Director Glen Guyton from San Antonio, Texas, Moderator-elect Jon Carlson of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and Chief Communication Officer Camille Dager, a Mosaic... read more →
Mennonite Church USA (MC USA) Executive Board staff has posted the new “Guidelines for Developing Organizational Resolutions and Church Statements in Mennonite Church USA” on the MC USA website. The guidelines are effective immediately and apply to proposed organizational resolutions or church statements submitted for consideration by the 2023 Delegate Assembly (Kansas City, Missouri, July 7-8, 2023). Any MC USA conference, congregation or constituency group may submit a resolution. The deadline for submitting resolutions for the 2023 Delegate Assembly is Jan. 9, 2023. Resolutions should be sent to the Resolutions Committee via the Executive Director of Mennonite Church USA using... read more →