By Jenny Castro (Mennonite Church USA) — At Youth Ministry Council: The Gathering 2016, held Jan. 29-Feb. 1 in Orlando, Florida, 42 youth workers from across Mennonite Church USA met to network, encourage one another, worship together and explore approaches to faith formation through real-life scenarios. “It was an amazing time of meeting, connecting and problem-solving with other Anabaptist youth ministers and pastors,” says Lindsay Diener, youth minister at Jubilee Mennonite in Meridian, Mississippi. “As a new youth minister, I sometimes... read more →
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If you are not happy with the results below please do another searchLa quinta reunión anual de líderes generará políticas abarcadoras [English] Por Wil LaVeist HAMPTON, Virginia (Red Menonita de Misión/Iglesia Menonita de EE. UU./Agencia Menonita de Educación) — En el quinto encuentro anual de “Esperanza para el futuro” (HFF, por sus siglas en inglés), realizado del 21 al 24 de enero, hubo un fuerte sentir de que es hora de poner las ideas en acción para incrementar la diversidad racial/étnica en los puestos... read more →
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Glen Guyton is chief operating officer of Mennonite Church USA. Since I have primary oversight of the Mennonite Church USA finances and the planning of our national convention, it is hard for me to totally unplug from my work. Technically I am supposed to be on sabbatical, but people in Mennonite Church USA keep emailing me and texting, asking me what I am going to do. Here is a sampling of what they have been asking since the “big announcement" : “Are you nervous about convention?” “How challenging is your job right now?” “What is going on with the staff?”... read more →
[Español] By Jenny Castro Sandra Pérez, a member of Manhattan (New York) Mennonite Fellowship, serves on the New York City oversight ministry team for Atlantic Coast Conference and on the steering committee for the Women in Leadership Project of Mennonite Church USA. She works and serves across cultures, equipping leaders with resources to build relationships across the church. (Mennonite Church USA) — Sandra Pérez’s mother brought her to New York City when she was just eight months old. Her father had been killed in a car accident in Puerto Rico just months... read more →
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Horace McMillon serves as the tent making pastor of Open Door Mennonite Church of Jackson, Mississippi. He and Monique, his bride of 19 years have two teenaged children. Prior to their move to Jackson, Horace served as Associate Pastor of the Community Mennonite Church in Markham, Illinois. He is the author of "No Mo'Broke: Seven Keys to Success from a Christian Perspective." Horace earned a Mater of Arts from Chicago Theological Seminary and holds a Doctor of Ministry from Oval Bible College. We are urban. We are multi-cultural. We are Southern. Located in Jackson, Mississippi, Open Door is the only Mennonite... read more →
Conversations provide structure for feedback By Janie Beck Kreider (Mennonite Church USA) — Approximately 40 young adults at KC2015 — the Mennonite Church USA convention held June 30–July 5 in Kansas City, Missouri — gathered July 3 for an evening of synergistic conversation on a range of church-related topics. “We wanted to create a space where young adults could get together and talk about their concerns and what matters to... read more →
ELKHART, Indiana (Mennonite Church USA)—Mennonite Church USA’s Executive Board (EB) staff announces recent and current staff transitions: Colleen McFarland served Mennonite Church USA for almost five years as archivist and director of archives and records management at the denominational archives in Goshen, Indiana. In May 2015, she transitioned to the position of head archivist with Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth, Kansas. “Colleen has done a tremendous amount of work giving direction, providing parameters for our archives and planning for the future of our archives,” says Iris de León-Hartshorn, director of transformative peacemaking.... read more →
(Mennonite Church USA/Mennonite Education Agency)—More than one year ago, Mennonite Church USA’s Executive Board appointed a task group to address concerns about the Hopi Mission School (HMS) — a K–8 school in Kykotsmovi, Arizona, affiliated with Mennonite Education Agency. On Sept. 14, 2015, a lawyer retained by that task group on behalf of Mennonite Church USA filed a complaint to recover the land on which HMS has been operating. In the complaint, Mennonite Church USA requested that the court order the current HMS board and administration to vacate the property and return it to Mennonite Church USA. The task group... read more →
[Español] (Mennonite Church USA)—For the third time this year, Mennonite Church USA’s Executive Board (EB) gathered in Kansas City, Missouri. On the agenda for the Sept. 17–19 meeting were discussions of the implications of decisions made by the Delegate Assembly at the Mennonite Church USA convention in Kansas City this summer (June 30–July... read more →
(Mennonite Church USA/Mennonite Education Agency) — A task group convened to address concerns about the Hopi Mission School (HMS) — a K-8 school in Kykotsmovi, Arizona, affiliated with Mennonite Education Agency — continues to work alongside key stakeholders to plan for the school’s future structure. The task group is also gathering names and stories from past volunteers to plan ways to continue HMS’s work into the future by building on positive relationships with past volunteers, the Hopi people and Mennonite Church USA. The task group was convened in June 2014 to address the administration and financial activities of HMS. In... read more →
Jon is lead pastor of and a member of Forest Hills Mennonite Church in Leola, Pa., Atlantic Coast Mennonite Conference. Stan Shantz, chairperson of the Leadership Discernment Committee, described Carlson as having a firm focus on the vision, mission and goals of the denomination, as well as the gifts needed to lead in this role. “There’s a graciousness about the way Jon leads,” said Shantz. “He does well at inviting others’ perspectives into the discussion. Jon builds bridges between people.” Shantz also said that Carlson offers a fresh perspective that “will be healthy and bring a sense of hope to... read more →
By Meg Short KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI (Mennonite Church USA) — Delegates unanimously approved two new resolutions during the final delegate session on July 4. The resolutions were brought forward on site and scheduled to be heard the last day during the time allotted for unfinished business. A Statement of Support for Israeli and Palestinian Partners in Peacemaking, proposed by the Mennonite Palestine-Israel Network (MennoPIN), was drafted in response to the tabling of the Resolution on Israel-Palestine on July 1. It laid... read more →
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By Brianna R. Lugibihl Mennonites crowded Kansas City streets for a prayer walk as part of the convention’s opening night festivities. Participants prayed for reconciliation among faith communities and for those impacted by racism, in addition to petitions for environmental justice and peacemaking throughout the world. Participants traveled a mile-long loop from Jefferson to Washington Street and paused and prayed at five locations throughout Kansas City: the Golden Dome of Immaculate Conception, the statue of Lewis... read more →
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Sarah Ann Bixler deeply loves Mennonite Church USA and its commitment to God’s healing and hope. She has served throughout Mennonite Church USA in education, youth ministry, curriculum writing and conference leadership. Sarah is currently a Master of Divinity student at Princeton Theological Seminary in New Jersey, where she lives with her husband, Benjamin, and their three children. A few weeks ago, as part of a visioning process for the future of the Women in Leadership Project, Sarah was asked this question: How can you imagine the church transformed through the work of the Women in Leadership Project? Her response... read more →
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Mariah Martin is currently a junior at Eastern Mennonite University where she studies nursing and plays field hockey. Though her home base is Greencastle, Pennsylvania, she spent the last semester traveling through Jordan, Palestine, Israel, Turkey, Greece and Italy through Eastern Mennonite University's cross cultural program. She enjoys long talks, writing, rock climbing and anything outdoors. In the future, she hopes to pursue a career as a nurse midwife and eventually work overseas. In the past semester I did enough to fill a typical bucket list. I rode a camel through the Negev desert. I planted olive trees on a farm in Palestine.... read more →