By MC USA staff,
Video created by Emily Ralph Servant and Cindy Angela, Mosaic Mennonite Conference
Mosaic Mennonite Conference, an area conference of Mennonite Church USA (MC USA), welcomed eight new Florida-based congregations into membership at its annual Assembly on Nov. 7, 2020. The Assembly met virtually via Zoom. The congregations were members of the former Southeast Mennonite Conference. Meet the pastors and see highlights of the official welcome in the video above.
“Watching Mosaic Mennonite Conference welcome these congregations was a highlight of the assembly for me,” said Michael Danner, MC USA associate executive director for Church Vitality. “In the midst of uncertainty following Southeast Mennonite Conference’s exit from MC USA in 2019, Mosaic worked intentionally with these congregational leaders to develop a mutual and supportive home and partnership. I pray God blesses these new relationships!”
Graphic design by Cindy Angela.
The eight congregations are:
- College Hill Mennonite Church, Tampa – Pastor Roy Williams
- Homestead Mennonite Church, Homestead – Drane Reynolds, contact person
- Iglesia Evangélica Menonita Shalom, Tampa – Pastor Secundino Casas-Martínez
- Iglesia Menonita Encuentro de Renovación, Miami – Pastor José Andrés Mendoza
- Iglesia Menonita Luz y Verdad, Lakeland – Pastor Lydia de Jesús
- Iglesia Menonita Luz y Vida, Orlando – Pastor Tomás Ramírez
- Iglesia Seguidores de Cristo, Sarasota – Pastor Juan José Rivera
- North Tampa Christian Fellowship, Tampa – Pastor Carl Walcott
For more information, read profiles of the congregations published by Mosaic Mennonite Conference.
Mosaic Mennonite Conference, Lansdale, Pennsylvania, was formed by the 2019 reconciliation of Eastern District and Franconia Mennonite Conferences. The conference is comprised of more than 60 congregations, with member churches in California, Florida, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Vermont.
Mennonite Church USA is the largest Mennonite denomination in the United States with 16 conferences, approximately 530 congregations and 62,000 members. An Anabaptist Christian denomination, MC USA is part of Mennonite World Conference, a global faith family that includes churches in 58 countries. It has offices in Elkhart, Indiana and Newton, Kansas.
As a Florida-born native present at the beginning of Southeast Mennonite Conference, and who helped plant a church there, and who has now pastored for 31 years in Harrisonburg, in Virginia Mennonite Conference, I was deeply moved and grateful to watch this video, and see Mosaic Mennonite Conference welcome these beautiful and diverse congregations, and to commit to walk in partnership with them in God’s mission, through Mennonite Church USA. I’m so glad that I can continue to share denominational fellowship with these dear sisters and brothers of mine. See you in Cincinnati!