Executive Director Glen Guyton urges MC USA to face challenges with faith, reimagine its structure, and engage congregations in shaping a hopeful, Christ-centered future together.
Glen Guyton is the executive director of MC USA. He is the first person of color to serve in the role. Glen has almost 30 years of leadership experience in the denomination. Guyton joined the MC USA Executive Board staff in 2009 as the director of Intercultural Relations, and for the next serval years, held various staff roles until becoming executive director. An officer in the United States Air Force when he first joined the church, Guyton credits several Mennonite leaders for teaching him what it means to be an Anabaptist Christian, in particular Bishop L.W. Francisco III, oversight pastor at C3 Hampton, and Titus Peachy, formerly of Mennonite Central Committee, which led him to leave the military and commit to nonviolence. Guyton holds a bachelor’s degree in management from the United States Air Force Academy and a master’s degree in education from Regent University. He is the author of several books including, “Navigating Microaggressions at Work: A Guide to Understanding and Avoiding Microaggressions in the Workplace,” and “Reawakened, Activate Your Congregation to Spark Lasting Change,” which explores eight keys to developing the abilities of congregations to bring healing and hope to their communities. Guyton is also a professional member of the National Speakers Association.
How do we plan for the future of Mennonite Church USA?
When I look across our denomination, I see both the beauty and the strain. Mennonite Church USA is a body shaped by deep faith, diverse cultures and a longing for God’s peace. Not unlike many other denominations across the United States, we also face declining membership, financial stress and questions about our structure and identity. While these challenges don’t define us, they remind us that planning for the future cannot wait.
I believe in the church of Jesus Christ, so this is not a message of hopelessness, but of warning. According to the Pew Research Center, the “decline of Christianity in the U.S. has slowed, may have leveled off.” Both opportunities and challenges lie ahead for MC USA and the broader Christian family. Will we be ready for what is next? Planning for the future is not about predicting what will happen. It is about preparing ourselves to respond faithfully to whatever may come. Think about the parable of the 10 virgins in Matthew 25. The scripture reminds us to prepare, keep our lamps full and keep watch because we don’t know the day nor the hour that opportunity will come to our door.
Naming our challenges
I shared with our Executive Board four strategic priorities: governance, organizational structure, agency relationships, and mission alignment. These may sound like inside-baseball topics, but they affect life in every congregation. If our governance is unclear, decisions become muddled. If our finances are unstable, resources for mission dry up. If our agencies and the denomination drift apart, congregations lose the strength that comes from shared work.
We also need to face operational realities. Our biennial convention, for example, inspires many but also carries significant financial risk. Staff transitions are reshaping our capacity. These are not reasons to despair but reminders that careful planning matters. Prayer is powerful, but stewardship and wise planning are also practices ordained by Jesus. In Luke 14:28-30 (NRSVUE) Jesus says, “For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to ridicule him, saying, ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’” There is much work to finish in MC USA
Reimagining structure
One of the most important conversations that we are about to embark upon is the work of our Structure Review Committee. This group has been tasked with reviewing how MC USA is organized, our membership model, our funding and our governance. Their goal is not to tear down but to strengthen our connections and build structures that reflect our values.
The answers will not come overnight, but the process is crucial. We cannot expect a healthy future with outdated frameworks.
Imagining futures
Beyond structure, we are intentionally looking ahead. Our upcoming work, as board, staff, and stakeholders, will help us envision multiple challenges and opportunities for MC USA over the next 10 to 15 years.
Why is this important? Because imagining multiple futures frees us from assuming tomorrow will look just like today. It allows us to see risks and opportunities we might otherwise ignore. For example:
- What if current membership declines accelerate?
- What if new generations bring transformative energy and reshape our priorities?
- What if financial collapse forces us to rethink what “denomination” means?
- What if new models of collaboration bring a renewed sense of unity and mission?
Reimagination is not a prediction but a tool to help us ask: how will we prepare? You see, as a person of faith, I believe we have a divine hand in shaping the outcome of our future, but we must see it and believe it. “The human mind plans the way, but the Lord directs the steps.” Proverbs 16:9 NRSVUE
Holding on to our core
As we do this planning, it is vital to remember what does not change. Our vision is clear: God calls us to be followers of Jesus Christ, growing as communities of grace, joy, and peace so that God’s healing and hope flow through us to the world.
We claim Jesus as the center of our faith, community as the center of our lives, and reconciliation as the center of our work. These commitments ground us, regardless of the scenarios the future holds.
What this means for the members of MC USA
You may wonder: what does all this mean for my congregation? Here are some practical ways the future planning of MC USA touches you:
- Your voice matters. The Structure Review Committee will be seeking input from congregations. When opportunities arise to share your perspective, take them. The future of MC USA is not written in offices; it is written in pews, fellowship halls and neighborhood ministries.
- We need your engagement. Membership decline is not just about numbers; it’s about presence. Each time we show up in the local church at worship, in service, at area conference gatherings, or attend the national convention, we reinforce that the church matters.
- Generosity is mission. Financial sustainability is a challenge. When you give, you are not just paying bills, you are fueling peace, Anabaptist faith formation and witness in the name of Jesus.
- Next generation leadership. Our youth and young adults are not simply the future of the church. They are the church today. Part of our planning must include creating space for their leadership.
A posture of hope
Planning for the future is hard work, but it is also an act of faith. We believe God is already at work redeeming and restoring all things. Our task is not to control the future but to walk faithfully into it.
As we imagine scenarios, restructure our systems, and wrestle with finances, we do so with confidence that God is not finished with MC USA. The Spirit still calls us to be a community of grace, joy, and peace.
So let us plan boldly, act faithfully and trust deeply. The future is uncertain, but the God who leads us is not.