ELKHART, Ind. (September 15, 2026) — The Mennonite Church USA Executive Board has appointed a new Resolutions Committee and published its “Guidelines for Developing Organizational Resolutions and Church Statements in Mennonite Church USA” for the 2027 Delegate Assembly, which will be held July 9, at the First Financial Center, Cincinnati, Ohio.
The deadline for submitting proposed resolutions is Nov. 11, 2026. In accordance with the guidelines, the deadline is 240 days prior to the Delegate Assembly to allow sufficient opportunity for delegates and other constituencies to process and review proposed actions.
“Throughout this biennium, the Executive Board has been leading a process to help us reimagine Mennonite Church USA in the year 2040,” said Jon Carlson, Resolutions Committee chair. “The Delegate Assembly will provide an opportunity for the whole church to synthesize and strengthen this work by drawing on our diverse experiences. The ‘Guidelines for Developing Organizational Resolutions’ provides an important pathway for any part of the church to bring their local discernment to the broader community.”
Developed in 2025, the current “Guidelines for Developing Organizational Resolutions” is a resource to help constituents successfully submit a proposed resolution. Any MC USA conference, congregation or constituency group may submit a resolution, using the accompanying “Template for Resolutions.” Proposed resolutions must comply with the MC USA bylaws and church policy and be submitted to the Resolutions Committee via the executive director of MC USA at resolutions@mennoniteusa.org. The Executive Board will not process any proposed resolutions submitted after the Nov. 11 deadline.
“At its best, the resolutions process allows the delegates to consider and speak into current matters of faith, life and governance within MC USA,” said Michael Danner, associate executive director for Church Vitality. “This grass-roots pathway ensures that the many voices of MC USA can influence MC USA as a whole.”
Previous church statements and resolutions have resulted in significant, positive denominational changes, such as the “Churchwide Statement on Sexual Abuse” and the “Resolution on Healthcare Access.” Others have inspired the work of the Executive Board staff, conferences and congregations, such as the “Church Statement on Immigration” and the “Creation Care Resolution for Mennonite Church USA,” to name a few.
The Resolutions Committee members for 2026-2027 are:
- Jon Carlson (chair), member of the Executive Board member and lead pastor, Forest Hills Mennonite Church, Leola, Pennsylvania.
- Nathan Luitjens, executive conference minister, Central Plains Mennonite Conference.
- Richard Aguirre, member of the Executive Board and Berkey Avenue Mennonite Fellowship, Goshen, Indiana.
- Rosetta Landis, member of the Executive Board and Lowville (New York) Mennonite Church.
- Sandra Montes Martinez, associate conference minister, Western District Conference.
Mennonite Church USA is an Anabaptist Christian denomination, founded in 2002 by the merger of the Mennonite Church and the General Conference Mennonite Church. Members of this historic peace church seek to follow Jesus by rejecting violence and resisting injustice. MC USA’s Renewed Commitments state the following shared commitments among its diverse body of believers: to follow Jesus, witness to God’s peace and experience the transformation of the Holy Spirit. Mennoniteusa.org