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April 2009
Prophets among us We Mennonites are receiving calls to repentance these days by some who are outside our circles of relationship. Repentance might seem like strong language to the people who are issuing these calls, but that’s the way it sounds to me.
I’ll mention two such prophets, but there are more with a similar message. Greg Boyd is pastor of a mega-church in Minneapolis. Shane Claiborne is an advocate of a return to early church practices of community and service to the poor and is a popular speaker in colleges and elsewhere. Both have become attracted to Anabaptism/Mennonitism. Their common message is that our Mennonite understanding of the Kingdom of God has great appeal and relevance to many today. So why aren’t we doing more with it? Boyd suggests that we may have tied this up in our history, in old cultural expressions that don’t communicate to younger people in the early 21st Century. Claiborne suggests that a return to the original forms of radical discipleship to Jesus is the way. What is God doing by sending these prophets to speak at our meetings of boards and on our college campuses? Is a revitalized witness in need of discovery or recovery or both? These days we are often concerned about preserving the church that has nurtured us. But perhaps our Anabaptist/Mennonite witness will not be carried into the future by the vehicles of historical/cultural forms we have known. That thought might perplex us, even upset many of us. But that is the way prophets usually speak through the ages. Are we listening? How can your congregation respond? Jim Schrag is Executive Director of Mennonite Church USA back to top How will your congregation respond?By now your congregation should have received a mailing with information about Mennonite Church USA’s new health benefit plan for pastors and church workers. The Corinthian Plan is a response to a mandate by Mennonite Church USA delegates in 2007 that called for developing a way “to cover all of our pastors with basic health insurance.” The plan provides a way for every congregation to participate and a way to assist those who are currently unable to provide insurance for their pastor. It provides an opportunity to practice mutual aid and to work for greater justice in health-care access for pastors and church workers.
Every congregation is invited to learn more about the plan and enroll. Act now to obtain a quote and decide how your congregation will participate. The deadline for enrollment is Oct. 1, 2009.
For complete information, visit The Corinthian Plan online.  It’s estimated that as many as 100 pastors in Mennonite Church USA are currently uninsured. J.P. Masih, pastor of Asian Mennonite Community Church in Aurora, Ill., is one of them. His church can’t afford to pay for health coverage.
Lacking health coverage can be difficult for J.P. and his family. “Doctors sometimes fear seeing people who don’t have insurance,” he says. “Or they aren’t as serious about their diagnosis.” And although J.P.’s family has taken advantage of a charitable hospital located two hours away, the cost of travel and parking in order to reach this health care can be prohibitive.
The Corinthian Plan could help the Asian Mennonite Community Church – and other small congregations – provide health coverage for pastors like J.P. “We could then have health coverage, at least for emergencies,” he says. “It would definitely be a benefit.”
back to top Lever and Kauffmann named to Denominational Ministry roles Lee Lever of Moundridge, Kan. Lee Lever of Moundridge, Kan., and Nancy Kauffmann of Goshen, Ind., have been named to Denominational Ministry roles. Lever has begun a new assignment as interim director of Denominational Ministry for Mennonite Church USA Executive Leadership. He will lead a team of denominational ministers providing support and encouragement for conference ministers. Kauffmann will join Lever as a denominational minister for Mennonite Church USA Executive Leadership, effective May 1. She joins Linford King, Phil Bergey and Iris de León-Hartshorn as denominational ministers responsible for building strong, churchwide relationships with Mennonite Church USA area conferences and their staff.  Nancy Kauffmann of Goshen, Ind. Lever holds a master’s of divinity degree from Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary (AMBS) in Elkhart, Ind., and a doctor of ministry in congregational development from Seabury-Western Theological Seminary, Evanston, Ill. Kauffmann has served as a conference regional minister for Indiana-Michigan Mennonite Conference since 2000. She holds a master’s of divinity degree from AMBS and a doctor of ministry degree from Claremont (Calif.) School of Theology. For more information on Lever and Kauffman, read the news release announcing this transition. For more information on Denominational Ministry or to access resources created by this team, click here. back to top April 30 is early registration deadline for Convention 2009The early registration deadline for Mennonite Church USA Convention 2009 is April 30. May 22 is the deadline for reserving a convention meal package. Convention 2009 will be June 30 to July 5 in Columbus, Ohio. Convention 2009 will include gatherings for children, junior youth, youth, young adults and adults as well as the biennial Delegate Assembly and a special Pastors’ Day event. Registration may be completed online or with a paper form. Regardless of whether you register online or with a paper form, you should begin by reading through the Convention 2009 registration information booklet. Paper registration forms are available in English and Spanish. If you have questions or difficulty registering, contact Scott Hartman via e-mail at ScottH@MennoniteUSA.org or toll-free at 1-866-866-2872. back to top Convention Chronicle available for downloadYouth sponsors and pastors were sent the final edition of Convention Chronicle for Convention 2009, in Columbus, Ohio. Convention Chronicle is a newsletter created and distributed by Executive Leadership to provide youth sponsors and pastors helpful information for preparing to participate in Mennonite Church USA Conventions. This issue includes information on youth special guests, worship leaders, speakers and an exciting new addition to the youth gathering that will challenge them to “step out” in new ways. If you missed or lost your copy, or if you’re just curious, the March Convention Chronicle is available for download here. Feel free to make copies for others in your congregation. Earlier issues of Convention Chronicle (and other helpful Convention 2009 resources) can be downloaded here on the Convention Media & Downloads page. back to top Receive donations onlineIs your congregation one of the hundreds taking advantage of the giving Web site for Mennonite Church USA? Any Mennonite Church USA congregation, area conference or organization is able to receive secure debit/credit card donations through the site. More than $70,000 was given to Mennonite Church USA congregations through the site in its first year of operation. The site allows users to make donations to one or multiple organizations in a simple, secure debit/credit card transaction. Receipts are then e-mailed, and users have an opportunity to print out a sheet to place in the offering at their congregation, if they wish. Congregations and others who have not yet activated their account on the site only need to pay a one-time fee that goes to support the site’s infrastructure. For more information or to make arrangements for your congregation to participate in this site, contact Scott Hartman via e-mail at ScottH@MennoniteUSA.org or call toll-free at 1-866-866-2872. back to top Time to appoint delegates for Convention 2009Mennonite Church USA Convention 2009 is only months away, and congregations should have either appointed or be in the process of appointing delegates for the Delegate Assembly. The Delegate Assembly is the decision-making body of Mennonite Church USA and meets every two years as part of Mennonite Church USA conventions. This year’s convention will be June 30 to July 5, 2009, in Columbus, Ohio. Delegates will meet from 8 to 10 a.m. and 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. daily Wednesday through Saturday the week of the convention. Congregations should have received a letter from Jim Schrag outlining the 10 guidelines for selecting delegates. Once the delegates have been appointed, it’s important to turn these names into Executive Leadership as soon as you can. While the previously announced deadline was April 1, there is still time for congregations to submit delegate names. You can do this by entering your delegates on the Mennonite Directory Congregational Update Web page. See item 20 on your congregational profile and enter your delegates’ names along with their e-mail and mailing addresses. You may update this information through June 15. Once you have appointed your delegates and submitted their names, direct them to the special Delegates section on the Mennonite Church USA Web site. As Convention 2009 and the Delegate Assembly draw nearer, delegates will be able to find important information that will help them prepare and discuss items with others in your congregation. In addition, Executive Leadership suggests that all Mennonite Church USA delegates subscribe to The Mennonite as a way of learning about what’s happening in the broader church and preparing for the Delegate Assembly. back to top | |
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