|
|
News archive
Contact: Laurie L. Oswald (316) 283-5100, E-mail: LaurieO@MennoniteUSA.org
|
Longtime churchman was "backgrounder" for
Mennonite Church USA |
 |
by Laurie L. Oswald
This is the first story in a series
of stories depicting Virginia Mennonite Conference.
HARRISONBURG, Va. (MC USA) -- Anyone who knows what "backgrounder"
means will know that Glendon Blosser, who recently retired
from 44 years of ministry in Virginia Mennonite Conference,
can compare church work to farm work.
Blosser, now 73, farmed while he served as a pastor, conference
leader, mission worker, evangelist and educator. He owns a
135-acre farm outside Harrisonburg, and for 30 years ran a
Holstein dairy with his wife, Dorothy, where they raised four
children. In 1981, he became a "backgrounder farmer"
and still is today. He fattens Angus calves on Shenandoah
Valley grassland and then ships them to mature at feedlots
in South Dakota, Kansas, Lancaster County and Vermont.
Milking cows and fattening calves while growing the church
wasn't easy, but Blosser kept his balance, he said. "A
commitment and love for God and his church allowed me to prioritize,"
he said. "I decided early on that I'd run the farm and
not let the farm run me. When there was hay to mow and there
was church work to do, the hay could wait."
Blosser grew much more than hay through his ministry. One
could say he was a type of "backgrounder" for Mennonite
Church USA, as he helped his area conference -- part of the
former Mennonite Church -- mature in the 1960s through the
1990s. For example, he was moderator of the former Mennonite
Church during its churchwide assembly at Bowling Green '81.
That's where delegates affirmed holding the first joint assembly
with the General Conference Mennonite Church at Bethlehem
'83 in Pennsylvania.
Joint assemblies eventually led to the MC-GC merger, which
Blosser supports and trusts, even though he didn't focus on
a merger agenda during his moderator tenure, he said.
"Mennonite Church USA is championing a new structure
that incorporates strengths of both perspectives," he
said. "Former MCs are seeing how the local congregation
can effectively reach out to the community and the larger
church. And former GCs are seeing how it's important to nurture
closer relationships with the conferences and districts. ...
"I didn't go to the Nashville and Atlanta assemblies.
I felt it was important to let the younger people shape the
future church. As an insider, I've seen the integrity of our
church structures, and I really trust my church. I don't need
to be there all the time to know God is at work."
The lot of father and son
Blosser's father, Mahlon Blosser, modeled for him what it
means to "let go" and let young people lead. Before
"cultivating a culture of call" was a theme, congregations
used the "lot." For this practice, several young
men -- predetermined by the congregation as candidates --
each chose a book. The man who chose the book that held
a paper slip became the pastor, based on the belief that
the Holy Spirit led that choice.
In 1959, Blosser picked the paper slip at Weavers Mennonite
Church in Harrisonburg and was ordained. Ten years later,
Blosser was chosen to be a candidate to become an assistant
bishop in Central District, where his father was senior
bishop.
"My father had turned 65 and felt it was time to let
a younger man be trained," Blosser said. "He asked
the district to begin looking for an assistant. But since
I was a candidate, he asked that the district, which had
stopped ordaining bishops by lot, to reinstate the practice
in this case to erase any feeling of nepotism. ...
"I chose the book with the slip of paper and became
the last ordained bishop in the conference. I served as
his assistant until Dec. 16, 1974, on his 70th birthday.
That's when he wrote me a letter, telling me that he was
officially retiring from his position.
"His writing that letter modeled to me what it means
to let go and to trust. He didn't look over my shoulder
and trusted me. That gave me a real positive view of leadership
-- what it means to both take hold of it and also how to
let it go."
The conference, the denomination, the world
That modeling proved to be important for Blosser, who needed
flexibility to heed many callings. He followed God into
ever-widening circles that led from the congregation to
the conference to the denomination to the world.
During the '60s, he served as pastor at Zion Hill Mennonite
Church in Singers Glen and became involved in evangelistic
meetings throughout the region. He let go of the pastorate
in order to serve as assistant bishop, and then bishop,
of Central District.
As bishop in Central District the 1970s and 80s, he was
involved in committee work that led to restructuring of
the denomination. The denomination moved away from attempts
at regionalizing. Instead, it gave area conferences more
representation on the General Board and strengthened the
role of congregations within the conference. Those years
also brought a new openness to leadership by women and laity.
The church also focused more intentionally on its Christ-centered
Anabaptist theology that gave much focus to discipleship
and community in the '70s and '80s, he said.
"Mennonites don't have a systematic but a practical
theology," Blosser said. "I believe the deep attraction
to our church for those who didn't grow up Mennonite is
that we keep things 'simple.' "We don't look at church
as an institution. We look at it as the family of God. We
don't have complicated dogmas, and our views are simple
enough for everyone to understand. Everyone needs love,
and that's what God sent to us in Jesus."
The Blossers felt called to share this gospel with others
-- both across the street and around the world. In 1983
and 1984, Virginia Mennonite Board of Missions (VMBM) sent
them to Trinidad to train national leaders and to help the
church become indigenous. When the family returned home,
Blosser became the half-time director of home missions for
VMBM and administered an explosion of new conference-based
church plantings.
Nearing 60, Blosser wanted to study. Earlier, he'd received
a bachelor's degree in Bible at Eastern Mennonite College
(now Eastern Mennonite University) in Harrisonburg. In 1990,
he received a master's in evangelism and church planting
there. To fulfill the program's practicum, he developed
a curriculum for theological education by extension for
Trinidad and Guyana and became an adjunct professor in Trinidad.
Full circle
In his retirement, Blosser believes that mentoring is his
ministry now -- a ministry that keeps him in the race as
he passes the baton of his faith into new hands. He fully
supports Mennonite Church USA's focus on "cultivating
a culture of call," he said. He's taken several young
people to ministry inquiry banquets and encourages his children
and 13 grandchildren to remain faithful to the Lord and
to the work of his church.
"I didn't retire because I am burned out or down on
the church or tired," Blosser said. "But it's
because I have a passion to see younger leaders come into
the roles I so loved over the years. And that can't happen
unless I step aside." Photos available.
Laurie L. Oswald is news service director for Mennonite
Church USA.
| |
|
Farming
with Values that Last: Conference set in southwestern
Pennsylvania
|
|
Contact: Greg Bowman (610) 683-1470, E-mail: gbowman@fast.net
Laurelville staff
MOUNT PLEASANT, Pa. -- Agricultural economist John Ikerd,
well known in the sustainable agriculture community around
the world, will be the keynote speaker for a Feb. 27-29 farming
conference at Laurelville Mennonite Church Center. The weekend
will feature three sets of farmer-led workshops Saturday.
Ikerd, one of the most sought-after speakers on the subject
of alternative farming, will focus his speech on the conference
theme, "Farming with Values that Last: Family, Community,
Land, Faith." Ikerd will also speak about his personal
experience in moving from the conventional agriculture model
-- still promoted by the USDA and many land-grant colleges--
to becoming an advocate for sustainable farming methods.
The weekend is designed to knit new friendships among people
putting their faith into action through the way they plan
their enterprises, cherish their farms, love their families,
build their communities, respect their livestock and build
enduring relationships with their customers.
Members of the planning group of mostly farmers from Ohio
and Pennsylvania said: "Our aim is to create a joyfully
sacred environment where God is honored and well-crafted agriculture
is respected for its potential as a sign of the Kingdom of
God. We invite farmers and all people who care about well-raised
food and viable rural communities. Add your story, caution,
insight, confession, passion and vision to building the New
Agriculture."
Ikerd will join 10 farmers and others specialists as each
leads one of the 14 Saturday workshops. The day will open
with worship followed by Ikerd's keynote at 8:30 a.m. then
conclude with worship and open sharing of personal stories
related to faith and farming. The day is designed to give
maximum value to one-day attendees. It combines principles,
practical help and time for reflection on motivations, values
and attitudes.
Gary Daught, a Mennonite pastor and Bible scholar from Tucson,
Ariz., will lead three Bible study sessions. Susan Sommer,
administrator for Illinois Mennonite Conference and affiliated
with Sommer Brothers Seeds, will lead the Sunday morning worship
meditation. In addition to workshops and large group sessions,
there will be time on Saturday for informal interaction and
viewing of commercial displays.
For a promotional brochure, registration form or for more
information, call (800) 839-1021 or (724) 423-2056, write
Farming with Values, LMCC, Route 5, Box 145, Mt. Pleasant,
PA 15666-8908, or email SustainableFarming@laurelville.org.
Web is www.laurelville.org. For an electronic brochure, at
the website click on "Adult and Family Events" under
"Program Information," then "Sustainable Farming."
|
