MC USA will provide a diverse offering of seminars, led by people and organizations across the denomination, at the Follow Jesus ’25 convention next week.
By Jessica Griggs for Mennonite Church USA
MennoCon23 attendees participate in a MennoMedia-led seminar.
ELKHART, Ind. (Mennonite Church USA) — In preparation for Mennonite Church USA’s upcoming national convention, Follow Jesus ’25, the denomination has released the convention’s equipping seminar schedule. Follow Jesus ’25 will take place in Greensboro, North Carolina, July 8-12.
“We are fortunate to have seminar offerings from people such as Dr. Lerone Martin, who will speak about MLK Jr.; Summer Owens, who will address how to use struggle to forge resilience; and Dr. Melanie Howard, who will discuss decolonizing the Bible,” said Rod Hollinger-Janzen, administrative assistant for MC USA Church Vitality and the seminar schedule organizer. “There is a great diversity of offerings, from contemplative prayer to Mennonite Action; from peacemaking with Muslims through art to church planting; from a human sexuality curriculum to sports as a spiritual discipline. Together the seminars form a beautiful mosaic made up of the energies and concerns our church members carry within our national community.”
With approximately 120 seminars, offered over 12 seminar time slots, convention-goers can choose to learn about a plethora of topics from a wide variety of voices from across the denomination. Speakers include representatives from each of the Mennonite colleges and universities, Anabaptist Climate Collaborative, Anabaptist Disabilities Network, Brethren Mennonite Council for LGBT Interests, Casa Alterna, Coalition to Dismantle the Doctrine of Discovery, Everence, MC USA’s Women in Leadership, Mennonite Central Committee, Mennonite Men, Mennonite Mission Network, MennoMedia, Peaceful Options for Training & Careers, and RAWtools, among other Anabaptist-Mennonite organizations. Additionally, several pastors, conference ministers and MC USA staff will present seminars, with Lorraine Stutzman Amstutz, Michael Danner, Karla Stoltzfus Detweiler, Nancy Kauffmann, Olivia Krall, Sue Park-Hur and Duncan Smith representing the denomination.
Seminars for this convention have been organized into learning tracks, focusing on the mind, heart, body and spirit. Learning tracks are designed to help convention-goers participate in seminars on related topics, but it is not necessary — and sometimes not even possible — to stay on the same learning track the whole week.
Seminar leaders self-identified which of the following tracks their seminars best represented:
- Mind track: Anabaptist theology and faith formation — A track for educators, intellectuals and theologically-minded individuals.
- Heart track: peace, justice and belonging — A track for activists and those looking to make a difference in the world through Anabaptist peace and justice values.
- Body track: church structure and leadership skills — A track for church leaders and those seeking practical ways to lead in Anabaptist settings.
- Spirit track: worship and spiritual disciplines — A track for anyone looking to deepen their spiritual practices and worship experiences.
Seminars are also organized by their intended audiences, with offerings for adults, youth, credentialed leaders and intergenerational audiences. These labels are intended to help participants identify seminars that may be of interest to them, but registrants are able to attend any of the seminars, regardless of their intended audience.
“Anabaptists focus on following Jesus,” said Hollinger-Janzen. “We try to discern the way of Jesus in the middle of everyday life, as we interact with family, neighbors and strangers and as we attend to our daily tasks — work, travel, participating in the economy and political processes in various ways.
“How do we discern the way of Jesus in these diverse circumstances? We do it in community, as we listen to and dialogue with others in our church who are grappling with similar challenges. This is why seminars continue to be a central part of how we express ourselves when we gather. It’s because they help us ask the right questions and keep growing as we follow Jesus.”
Special events
Various organizations will also offer special events throughout the week. Some events will be open to all, while others are open to specific groups. Some events offer meals or refreshments, and others offer entertainment. Check the convention Special Events page for more information about each event and register to attend, where relevant.
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