Commentary: Gulf States Mennonites survive with resilience
Jim Schrag, left, stands with Thounge near his boat in Venice, La. Schrag met Thounge, a member of Lighthouse Mennonite Fellowship in Buras, La.
By Jim Schrag
Shrimp season was opening the next day. Robert Zehr, moderator of Gulf States Mennonite Conference said we probably wouldn’t find fisherman George Reno or his son George Jr. They had just purchased a boat to replace one lost to Hurricane Katrina that needed parts and repairs. Their misfortune is common in their community.
I was on a visit to Gulf States Mennonite Conference, the second smallest of Mennonite Church USA’s 21 area conferences. Robert and I were driving to the end of Plaquemines Parish, a string bean of land stretching down from New Orleans, lined with levies on either side for miles.
“Outsiders sometimes doubt if all the efforts of the Corps to repair these levies are worth it for this small strip of land,” Zehr said. “But this is where people live and it supports a whole fishing industry.”
It was also the location of Lighthouse Mennonite Fellowship, probably Katrina’s greatest casualty among Gulf States Mennonite Conference’s 14 congregations in Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama and Arkansas.
We pulled onto a drive leading to a simple cement block building, freshly shingled and painted bright blue. A sign in front announced “Lighthouse Fellowship Church, a congregation of the Gulf States Mennonite Conference.” A smaller sign said it had been a Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) work site.
The congregation has not worshiped there since Katrina. The building sustained severe damage but miraculously survived the winds and tides of Katrina. Surrounded by miles of lingering debris, the parish is still a colossal disaster site.
Earlier that day, we met with Lighthouse pastor Tony Duplessis and his wife, Donna, who lost their home in the storm. They are among thousands of Katrina’s exiled victims, living in an unused parsonage providing ministerial services to a non-denominational congregation in exchange for shelter. Though I was impressed with their resolve and sense of gratitude, I saw grief and stress in their eyes.
In the fishing village of Venice, we met Thounge Mguen, a Vietnamese shrimper and Lighthouse member. He took us on a tour of his boat. Deep in the hold he pointed to where he had repaired a two-foot hole in the bow, below water line. It was a miracle, he said, that his boat survived, washed several hundred yards ashore, and that the flood waters had not entered his boat.
We later heard the shrimp season had opened well, with encouraging catches, providing not only hope for economic recovery, but also giving a boost to Mennonite brothers and sisters who are seeking healing and hope, clinging to their faith in the restorative power of God.
Steve Cheramie Risingsun, pastor of Poarch Community Church in Atmore, Ala., took us to his boyhood home among the Houma Tribe in the nearby Louisiana parish of Terrebonne.
The islands where this tribe lives are dotted with houses built on pilings up to15 feet in the air. Due to this specialized construction, most had survived the onslaught of Katrina’s twin, Rita. MDS was busy in this community; most of its volunteers hailed from eastern Mennonite Church USA conferences.
We heard profound gratitude for the help of fellow Mennonites, other Anabaptists and Christians who had “come from the north.”
Our visit to the eastern half of New Orleans confirmed “You have to see it to understand it.” From the now-famous lower Ninth ward, past the once broken levy, the devastation was complete and apparently untouched. This destruction stretches for miles eastward.
Many pastors insist restoration needs to start with the refurbishment of churches. Yet to my outsider’s eye, I wonder where the restoration is to begin, and who will lead the way. In more fortunate areas, signs dotted businesses announcing “now open” or “opening soon.” One church sign invited, “Come here to pray and find healing and hope.” Iglesia Amor Viviente had sustained moderate damage in the storm. Ninety percent of the congregation has returned, led by Pastor Carlos Enrique Bernhard.
We traveled eastward, dipping to the coast between Pass Christian and Gulfport, Miss. For miles, foundations were all that remained of homes, businesses and schools. Unlike parts of New Orleans, this area appeared clean. I later learned it had been cleanly swept by the storm itself. The first two or three street blocks literally were pushed inland and deposited upon their neighbors’ debris.
Our destination was Pearl River Mennonite Church in, Philadelphia, Miss., for Gulf States’s mid-year worship and fellowship experience. The church is located on land owned by the Choctaw Tribe. Built in the 1960s; it has been pastored for the last 30 years by Glen Meyers, assisted by his wife Emma.
Attending the gathering were Marcus Smucker from Lancaster Mennonite Conference and Walter Sawatzky of Franconia Mennonite Conference. Both have been visiting the pastors in the conference, offering pastoral care to those suffering from the stress of disrupted congregations and damaged facilities.
I discovered a resiliency in Gulf States Mennonite Conference. No one wishes for the attention a natural disaster brings. But there is a golden, if fleeting, opportunity in the experience—a rare chance to experience a deeper level of spirit and emotion in the fellowship of churches, joined with other area conferences in Mennonite Church USA and the larger Christian church. Relationships known at a distance now have faces. There is the rare opportunity to hear the tone of individual voices and work side by side. Memory is etched with the common experience of shared tears and the laughter of God’s people.
The Biblical image of David and Goliath came to mind. David—this small conference, even this small denomination—can do great things under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit as we adhere to the best of our understanding of mutual aid and as we are agents of God’s grace in Jesus. We become one in a miraculous way when we combine another’s need with our own deep desire to make a difference in this world. Even if Goliath appears again in another great storm or a different form, David will not be vanquished. Photo available.
Jim Schrag is executive director of Mennonite Church USA. He recently spent time touring areas affected by Hurricane Katrina.
Waterloo, Ont./Scottdale, Pa.—Reports of new marketing initiatives and progress on stabilizing finances highlighted the May 5 and 6 annual meeting of the Mennonite Publishing Network (MPN) Board, held in Scottdale, Pa.
In the past year MPN focused on building relationships with congregations in Mennonite Church USA and Mennonite Church Canada. Marketing initiatives included researching curriculum use in congregations, appointing a resource advocate coordinator, holding a “train the trainers” event for the Gather ’Round curriculum, making follow-up phone calls to all congregations and improving online access to MPN materials. Other efforts included exploring new markets for the Simply in Season cookbook and hosting a successful Anabaptist-focused bookstore at the churchwide assembly, Charlotte 2005, in Charlotte, North Carolina.
“A source of encouragement this past year,” said executive director Ron Rempel, “was that the MPN mission statement seems to be resonating with our churches and supporters.” He cited responses from the congregational survey and also from phone calls to selected donors. The mission statement calls on MPN “to provide resources that equip the church to experience and share the gospel from an Anabaptist perspective.”
New Faith & Life Resources titles from the past year include: Sing the Journey, a hymnal supplement; Jesus Friends, vacation Bible school material; Fun Bible Skits. Gather ’Round, a new Sunday school curriculum for children, youth and parents is available for this fall, along with other established curricula and periodicals that are widely used in congregations. In book publishing, Simply in Season topped the sales charts. Herald Press published a total of 19 new books last year on themes such as basic beliefs, marriage and family, peace, and Anabaptism.
“We have shifted from a survival mode to engaging the future,” said Board chair Phil Bontrager in observing that MPN operated in the black for the last three years. A clean, unqualified audit showed a break-even year on a cash basis. Publishing revenue included $185,000 in donations, which helped to offset $250,000 in curriculum development costs. Total costs included $615,000 in debt payments for principal and interest—financed in large part from on-going operations. Over the past four years, the long-term debt has been reduced from $5.1 million to $3 million.
While celebrating the significant progress in debt reduction, the Board focused on strategies to keep MPN relevant and viable for the future. The Board approved an advancement plan to further strengthen the relationship of the publishing ministry with its constituency and to raise funds for curriculum development and other publishing priorities. The Board also endorsed plans to increase publishing revenue from an improved title acquisition process and from additional marketing staff. The new marketing position will include some work in advancement and fundraising.
Outsourcing quotes for order fulfillment and warehousing for the U.S. showed that the most cost-effective option for now is to provide these services from the MPN facility in Scottdale, Pa. The facility will continue as one of the operational centers for MPN, subject to review as circumstances change. The other two centers are Waterloo, Ont. and Newton, Kan.
The Board continues to review the performance of Provident Bookstores in a challenging retail environment. Two stores were transferred to local ownership in the last 12 months as resources are focused on strengthening the remaining six stores.
In addition, the Board unanimously approved the appointment of Ron Rempel as executive director to an additional three-year term. A recently completed review of his leadership included consultation with the Joint Executive Committee of Mennonite Church USA and Mennonite Church Canada and with MPN management staff.
“We received strong affirmation of Ron’s gifts from everyone we spoke with,” said Phil Bontrager, MPN Board chair. “We are extremely grateful for the leadership and vision that Ron provides as the publishing ministry has stabilized and now moves forward developing and providing materials that serve the church.”
Rempel, from Waterloo, Ont., began as executive director in August 2003. Prior to that, he was editor and manager of Canadian Mennonite—and its predecessor periodical, Mennonite Reporter—for 24 years.
In an opening devotional for the Board, Lorne Peachey of Scottdale reflected on his experiences as a former editor at Mennonite Publishing House. Referring to the text from John 20:31, Peachey said the foundational purpose of writing and publishing should be to help people believe Jesus is Lord or Messiah. He urged the Board to apply the “Jesus way” to its ongoing policies and decisions.
The MPN Board includes five from Mennonite Church USA (Phil Bontrager, Curtis Berry, June Krehbiel, Joe Lapp, one vacant position) and three from Mennonite Church Canada (Laverne Brubacher, Abe Bergen, Carry Dueck).
For more information, contact:
Ron Rempel, executive director, 519-888-7512; rrempel@mph.org
Phil Bontrager, Board chair, 419-446-3480, PhilipEBontrager@sauder.com
Mennonite Women USA and Laurelville retreats capture a timely moment for caring for women
From left, Alice Suderman, North Newton, Kan., and Shan Copeland of Salina, Kan., enjoy intergenerational sharing at the Women in retreat in early April at the Airport Hilton in Wichita, Kan. The retreat was co-sponsored by Mennonite Women USA and Laurelville Mennonite Church Center in Mount Pleasant, Pa. A WIC was also held at Laurelville in late March. (Photo by Laurie Oswald Robinson)
by Laurie Oswald Robinson
WICHITA, Kan. (MW USA) – For Shan Copeland, a 31-year-old mother of two small children, a weekend getaway at a Women in Conversation Retreat (WIC) in Wichita in early April was a rare treat and needed break.
“Treasuring Time,” – the theme for retreats co-sponsored by Mennonite Women USA and Laurelville Mennonite Church Center located in Mount Pleasant, Pa – was a fitting topic for a busy, stay-at-home mom. Copeland hoped taking time to nurture her relationship to God and to other women would renew her energies for her family.
She was not disappointed, says Copeland, who lives in Salina, Kan., with her husband Shawn and children Caleb, 3, and Addison, 20 months.
“Talking and laughing with my mother and aunt in our room and sharing in our conversation circles with women of all ages helped me to gain some perspective on my life,” Copeland says.
“It was neat to be the youngest woman at my table. Talking about my kids brought smiles and tears to the eyes of women ranging in age from their 40s to 80s. Many of them said, ‘Hang on to this time with your small children. You will never get those years back.’”
Copeland was one of 130 women participating at the Wichita WIC at the Airport Hilton. That’s where women from nine states enjoyed keynote sessions led by June Alliman Yoder, professor of communication and preaching at Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary in Elkhart, Ind.; and her daughter Mandy Yoder Schrock, associate pastor of First Mennonite Church in Indianapolis, Ind.
The participants also enjoyed workshops and worship; seminars; and “Menno Spa,” an afternoon of pampering, exercise and free time. This retreat followed a WIC retreat held in late March at Laurelville in Mount Pleasant, where the same number of women participated and enjoyed the sharing by the mother-daughter duo.
Retreat ministry a sign of the times
Copeland’s experience of receiving spiritual nurture and intergenerational connecting are two reasons why Rhoda Keener, executive director for MW USA, is making retreat ministry an ongoing focus for the organization. Attendance doubled at both sites since the 2004 retreats, says Cheryl Paulovich, program director at Laurelville. In the last eight years, MW USA and Laurelville have provided four biennial retreats. The next retreats in 2008 will be held at Laurelville April 11 through 13 and Wichita April 18 through 20.
Keener and Paulovich believe increased interest is a sign of the times. Women are searching for a deeper spiritual life that helps them to balance work, family, church and a personal walk with God. They are searching for a way to care for self and a way to care for others. They are searching for a way to reach across their backyard fence in caring relationships as well as across the world in meaningful service.
“I’m becoming more aware of the significant needs women have for nurturing themselves and their families, as well as deepening spiritually and finding healing, restoration and balance,” Keener says. “It’s my hope MW USA and Laurelville’s retreat ministry will be a conduit of God’s care and a channel for women to care for one another.”
Paulovich said, “Laurelville is committed to partnering with Mennonite Church USA organizations to offer retreat experiences for holistic renewal. It is deeply rewarding to collaborate with MW USA in providing a safe space for women from across the country to gather for renewal of body, mind and spirit.”
From left, June Alliman Yoder, professor of communication and preaching at Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary in Elkhart, Ind.; and her daughter Mandy Yoder Schrock, associate pastor of First Mennonite Church in Indianapolis, Ind., bring a keynote address on “Treasuring Time” at the Women in Conversation retreat in Wichita, Kan. They also were presenters at the WIC in Mount Pleasant, Pa. The retreats were co-sponsored by Mennonite Women USA and Laurelville Mennonite Church Center in Mount Pleasant. (Photo by Laurie Oswald Robinson)
Mother-daughter duo take time to share
The speakers helped facilitate this caring spirit in four sessions by sharing on the subject of time, followed by sharing in conversation circles. The sessions were: “This is the Time of Our Lives”; “As the World Times”; “Wasting Time”; and “Redeeming Time.” The mother and daughter joined other women in providing ministry. At Wichita, they included Lee Schmucker, Wichita, get-acquainted activities, and Kay Schroeder, Newton, music and worship leader. At Laurelville they included Rebecca Sommers, Sarasota, Fla., get-acquainted activities; and Louise Ranck, Ephrata, Pa., music and worship.
During Saturday morning’s session, the speakers focused on how different cultures across the globe treat time differently. They spoke about how western culture, with its emphasis on linear time-keeping with clocks, has lost a deeper sense of time supplied by nature.
“Time for many cultures is cyclical and dominated by nature, the seasons and moons, springtime and harvest,” Yoder said. “I’ve been told the Hopi language has not words for linear time. There is no past or future – all of time is one great present. In African culture, time is measured by the time it takes to boil a handful of rice or how long it takes a candle to burn.”
On Saturday evening, the speakers focused on how western culture places a high value on being busy, which can foster a false sense of what living is all about.
“We are taught from a very young age in our American culture that in order to feel worthwhile and successful, we have to cram more and more into each day,” Schrock said. “We are taught that we are more prestigious when we are busy.
“But the paradox of productivity is that the more we attain the less we are really able to live and the less we can embrace the mysterious. We are reduced by the amount of things we do and the speed at which we do them.”
Yoder reflected on how Sabbath can lead us from a busyness that keeps us mindlessly alive to a quietness that leads to abundant life.
“The longer I live the more I realize I need time to disconnect from work so I can reconnect with God,” she said. “I need to refrain from work some time each day, one day each week and an extended weekend each year. By doing this, we can grow in a way we can’t grow when we are trying to get a bunch of things done.”
Copeland believes retreating for the weekend of “Sabbath” with God and her sisters in Christ helped her to value time in a new way.
“Everything we talked about during the weekend made me realize how special time is,” she says. “I have a lot of choices to make about how I spend it.” Photos available.
Laurie Oswald Robinson is editor for Mennonite Women USA and its bimonthly publication, Timbrel.
Mennonite Women USA prepares to care for future generations of women
From left, Jean Kilheffer Hess, a board member for Mennonite Women USA, and new board member Cora Brown, representing the African American Mennonite Association, discuss issues at the spring board meeting, held April 21-22 at Eighth Street Mennonite Church in Goshen, Ind. (Photo by Laurie Oswald Robinson)
by Laurie Oswald Robinson
GOSHEN, Ind. (MW USA) – The word “endowment” evokes images of money. But it can also symbolize ministry as older women understand how long-term giving will help Mennonite Women USA (MW USA) care for daughters and granddaughters.
Envisioning how the organization can best serve future generations was a central theme for the MW USA board at its April 21 to 22 meetings at Eighth Street Mennonite Church in Goshen, Ind. Rhoda Keener, executive director for MW USA, said many older women who belong to sewing circles throughout Mennonite Church USA are asking how they can better connect and care for younger women both locally and globally.
Helping MW USA to build its endowment – resources used for long-term initiatives rather than for yearly operating costs – is one answer, she said.
“While we care for today’s women with the resources we have now, we also need to think about how we will build a funding base to care for future generations,” Keener said. “This generation of older women who choose to leave this kind of legacy can help ensure our organization will continue to be a viable ministry for years to come.”
Marty Lehman, director of financial development for Mennonite Church USA, gave input April 22 at Eighth Street Mennonite Church on how MW USA can grow its endowment. She said endowments are different from annual gifts, often used for yearly operating expenses.
“Endowments are end-of-life life gifts people give as part of their estate,” Lehman said. “We often want our money to live beyond us, and endowments are a very good way to do that.” Endowments also are used for new initiatives and help an organization in a “dry” year.
Board members said building the endowment means building good relationships with women across Mennonite Church USA who feel led to give in this way. The board has set a goal of building a 1.2 million endowment within the next 10 to 15 years. MW USA invests all estate gifts with Mennonite Foundation to allow the money to grow, even as it supports current ministries. They include Sister-Link, International Women’s Fund leadership training, scholarships and teaching resources for women in Mennonite Church USA congregations.
The board brainstormed about how MW USA can build interest in endowment giving: use volunteers to help communicate the message in different venues; collect stories of women who are blessed when they make lifestyle choices enabling generosity; develop a communication plan; and share information about endowments with current Lydia Circle givers – those who give $500 or more in a year to support operating ministry expenses.
Several board members cautioned the organization to not to alienate women who cannot give money but can give other resources, such as time and talent.
“This kind of discussion is really very ‘middle class,’” said Regina Shands Stoltzfus, new board representative for the Great Lakes region. “We need to find ways to engage people who think they don’t fit into this framework or who really don’t fit. We need to keep sending the message that all women belong to this organization, whether they have monetary resources or not.”
Telling the stories in Timbrel
Part of the communication plan will include telling stories in Timbrel about how women’s generosity makes women’s ministries a reality; and how those ministries touch and change lives. Patricia Burdette, board representative for the Editorial Advisory Council which provides counsel for MW USA publications, led the discussion about Timbrel’s future vision and goals.
Part of that vision recognizes God has gifted women to be “quilters” – connectors of different parts of community. Timbrel can connect women to God, to other women, to local and global communities, to their roots, to real stories of women who have found hope and redemption and to other women who are searching or unchurched. It can also connect women across generations, as old, middle-aged and the young interact in various settings and ministries.
Cora Brown, new board representative for the African-American Mennonite Association, said Timbrel can tell stories about real women with real struggles.
“Many women deal with real- life issues that bring a lot of wounds that need healing, understanding and care,” she said. “Timbrel can be a part of bringing that healing. Timbrel can be a part of reaching out to our broken world.”
Helping to build an antiracist church
Part of Timbrel’s charge is to tell the stories of women of all backgrounds and ethnic groups. Because of her ongoing work with helping to dismantle racism in the church, Stoltzfus led a discussion on antiracism April 22.
“The church ought to live out a different reality than what our society calls real,” she said. “The church needs to bring peace and justice to our communities through our denomination. To begin, our language base needs to be the same. Anti-racism can be a positive just as anti-violent is a positive term. Racism is a systemic structural issue; an institutionalized phenomenon.”
Stoltzfus gave board members a chart with a continuum of how people work toward dismantling racism. There was some consensus the board is moving from being passive/symbolic toward an actual identity change.
To help with this identity change, board members agreed to read a book to facilitate discussion at their next spring meeting: Set Free: A Journey Toward Solidarity Against Racism. It’s written by Iris de Leon-Hartshorn, Tobin Miller Shearer and Stoltzfus. Board members agreed to read another book of their own choosing on the topic.
Burdette said MW USA is a good place to start working on dismantling racism because women are gifted at relationship-building and making visions reality. Burdette is five-eighths Native American and teaches writing and Native American Literature at Ohio State University.
“Women set the tone of the family and the community and shape how certain topics are viewed and received,” Burdette said. “Women move beyond talking to getting things done. Becoming more antiracist requires we do what women have always done: working through the hard parts of relationships to get to the benefits of those relationships.” Photo available.
Laurie Oswald Robinson is editor for Mennonite Women USA and its bimonthly publication, Timbrel.
New Retreats for Adults at Rocky Mountain Mennonite Camp
DIVIDE, Colo. – Rocky Mountain Mennonite Camp is expanding its programs for adults in 2006 by offering a new series of topic-specific weekend retreats. The camp has provided programs for youth and families as well as facilities for churches and other groups for more than 50 years.
“Adding these retreats with an adult focus helps us share our facilities with more people,” says Corbin Graber, executive director of the camp. “It’s a powerful and conducive setting for reflection and working on the more difficult issues of our lives.”
Rocky Mountain Mennonite Camp is the camping ministry of Mountain States Mennonite Conference, one of Mennonite Church USA’s 21 area conferences. It is 9,620 feet in elevation and located on the western slopes of the Pikes Peak massif in Divide, Colo.
The topic-specific retreats will focus on personal spiritual growth, environmental concerns and family concerns. The first retreat, “Grounding Our Lives in Spiritual Practice” will be June 2 through 4. It will be led by Kathryn Damiano. A lifelong contemplative and a member of Heartland Friends Meeting (Quaker) in Wichita, Kan., Damiano has been a spiritual director for 23 years, a teacher and retreat leader, including ministry as an instructor at AMBS-Great Plains in North Newton, Kan.
A retreat called “Faith and the Earth” will be Aug. 11 through 13 and focus on the environmental crisis and the spiritual basis for environmental concern. Speakers include Luke Gascho, executive director of Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center of Goshen College (Ind.), and Lorna Habegger Harder, professor of Biology at Hesston College (Kan.).
The final topic-specific retreat of the season will be “Caring for Aging Parents” and will run Oct. 13 through 15. During this retreat, participants can reflect on the challenges and rewards of caring for their parents. The retreat leader will be Bev Baumgartner, chaplain at Schowalter Villa in Hesston, Kan.
“These programs offer something for people who want to grow spiritually, and we can help by providing a powerful connection to God’s creation in the natural world,” says Graber. “We hope to provide a memorable experience for individuals, and through them help strengthen the broader church community as well.”
For more information on Rocky Mountain Mennonite Camp or to request information on these retreats, visit www.rmmcamp.org or call 719-687-9506.
