(Mennonite Church USA) — The Mennonite Church USA Executive Board has developed updated guidelines for proposed resolutions that serve as “Church Statements.” These statements, which “receive broad support across the church and give direction for Christian faithfulness” often speak to a current issue and provide a vehicle for witness, study, discussion and awareness. Changes to the guidelines include: • making the Executive Board’s Resolutions Committee a standing committee of the board, • providing greater online access to proposed resolutions and more opportunities for feedback, • limiting the number of resolutions that can be adopted at any given Delegate Assembly, •... read more →
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If you are not happy with the results below please do another search UPDATE: The Review process for the Seeking Peace in Israel and Palestine resolution has been completed. This final version of the resolution, which will be considered by the Delegate Assembly in Orlando this summer, can be found here. (Mennonite Church USA) – A resolution on Israel-Palestine was brought to delegates at the Mennonite Church USA assembly in Kansas City in 2015. Delegates tabled that resolution asking that it be revised. After six months of intense work, a draft of the revised resolution, titled “Seeking Peace in Israel and Palestine,” is being shared with members and leaders of Mennonite Church USA for review... read more →
By Doreen Martens ALTADENA, California (Mennonite Church USA) — With a ceremonial snip of the ribbon, Full Circle Thrift officially opened for business Oct. 29 in a beautiful historic building on a major street in the Los Angeles suburb of Altadena. The soaring shop is the fruit of many months of hard work for entrepreneurial Pacific Southwest Mennonite Conference (PSMC) mission minister David Gray, a tireless team of volunteers from area churches, and contributions of time, energy, expertise and many truckloads of goods for sale from Mennonites as far-flung as San Francisco and Tucson, Arizona. The thrift shop is designed... read more →
Blog Post
Ervin Stutzman is executive director of Mennonite Church USA For many of us, this has been a difficult week. We’ve spent well over 18 months witnessing a bruising presidential campaign that has at different points, pulled back the veil of who we aspire to be and revealed bitterness, selfishness and hate across the United States. On the morning of Nov. 9, we awoke to face a future filled with uncertainty. Many sisters and brothers within Mennonite Church USA are afraid of what the results of this election mean for them. After the dust has settled, what will come of the... read more →
By Janie Beck Kreider LEESBURG, Virginia (Mennonite Church USA) – For Chantelle Todman Moore, Mennonite Church USA’s second Women Doing Theology (WDT) conference was a rare experience in a denominational setting where she “didn’t feel tokenized” as an African-American woman. “But even in this space of progress where things are moving, I know it gets uncomfortable when Whiteness gets decentralized,” she shared during her keynote presentation on the last morning of the conference. Todman Moore, co-founder of Unlock Ngenuity and former Philadelphia program coordinator for Mennonite Central Committee, said that the first WDT conference All You Need is Love set... read more →
HESSTON, Kansas (Mennonite Mission Network/Mennonite Church USA) – At the recent Constituency Leaders Council meetings, Mennonite Church USA executive director Ervin Stutzman announced that over the past three years a group of generous donors has made gifts toward the loan balance of the new Elkhart, Indiana, offices. The bank loan taken out at the time the building was completed in January 2012 is now paid off – years ahead of schedule. A letter to the 600+... read more →
HESSTON, Kansas (Hesston College / Mennonite Education Agency) — The Hesston College (Kansas) Board of Directors, following a unanimous vote by those at its October meeting, announces Dr. Joseph Manickam as its candidate of choice to become the ninth president of Hesston College. “Dr. Manickam is creative, imaginative and is a visionary,” says Kelvin Friesen, chair of the Hesston College board. “He is a proven leader who is encouraging, team-oriented and empowering. We are in an era of adaptive change, and we believe the experience and qualities Dr. Manickam brings will serve well in... read more →
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Amy Marie Epp is a pastor and has worked in worship and with children, youth and their families for over 10 years. Amy is married and a parent to a nine and a one-year-old. She loves reading (especially mysteries) and sewing (especially quilts). She is devoted following in Jesus' wide way of just peace and to bringing others along. This is the third in a series of reflections from participants in Deep Faith: Anabaptist faith formation for all ages, held Oct. 6-8, 2016. For more on Deep Faith, visit mennoniteusa.org/deepfaith. Because of the subtitle of this conference, “Deep Faith: Faith Formation... read more →
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Jacob Liechty is a student at Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary (AMBS) in Elkhart, Indiana, where he is working toward a Master of Divinity in Pastoral Ministry. Earlier this month, Oct. 6 - 8, he attended the first Deep Faith Conference, a gathering of U.S. and Canadian Anabaptist faith formation practitioners. This is the second in a series of reflections from Deep Faith participants. For more on Deep Faith, visit mennoniteusa.org/deepfaith. We all know how badly the church in both the United States and Canada is struggling. We’ve seen the infographics, the trend lines, the surveys of young people who say... read more →
Ken Gingerich reflects on letting God use him — “despite some big cracks” — for more than 40 years ELKHART, Indiana (Mennonite Church USA) — Long-time Executive Board staff member Ken Gingerich of Albuquerque, New Mexico, retired at the end of June from his role as art director for Mennonite Church USA. Which roles and responsibilities have you held over the years? My first job out of college was to work for Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) in... read more →
By Annette Brill Bergstresser ELKHART, Indiana (Mennonite Church USA/Mennonite Mission Network) — On Aug. 16, Jonathan Brenneman of St. Marys, Ohio, is beginning a one-year assignment with Mennonite Voluntary Service (MVS) in Elkhart, Indiana, as Partners in Peacemaking coordinator for Mennonite Church USA’s Executive Board (EB) staff. EB staff members worked with Mennonite Mission Network to create the new position as one way of implementing A statement of support for our Palestinian and Israeli partners in peacemaking, which the denomination’s Delegate... read more →
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Erica Littlewolf is from the Northern Cheyenne tribe of southeastern Montana and currently lives in Kansas. She works for Mennonite Central Committee Central States with the Indigenous Visioning Circle where she is committed to the work of decolonization, authentic relationship and healing. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology and American Indian Studies and applies her schooling to social justice issues and how they affect Indigenous people. Erica is a member of the steering committee for the Women in Leadership Project of Mennonite Church USA. It is difficult being unmarried or single in the church. I first noticed... read more →
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Mariah Martin is currently a senior at Eastern Mennonite University where she studies nursing and plays field hockey. Though her home base is Greencastle, Pennsylvania, she recently traveled to Haiti with a professor and fellow nursing students to work alongside the organization Midwives for Haiti. She enjoys long talks, writing, rock climbing and anything outdoors. In the future, she hopes to pursue a career as a nurse midwife and eventually work overseas. “It’s hot,” she says. “It’s Haiti,” I answer. We trudge up the stairs, a few nursing students and a professor on the first day of work in our... read more →
ELKHART, Indiana (Mennonite Church USA / Mennonite Education Agency) — Mennonite Church USA leaders have outlined a process for proceeding with a voluntary independent outside investigation into responses by Eastern Mennonite University (EMU); Virginia Mennonite Conference (VMC); and Lindale Mennonite Church (LMC), Linville, Virginia, to abuse allegations against Luke Hartman, former vice president of enrollment at EMU in Harrisonburg, Virginia. In follow-up to the May 13, 2016, recommendation from the Panel on Sexual Abuse Prevention calling for an outside investigation into the matter, Ervin Stutzman, executive director of Mennonite Church USA; and Carlos Romero, executive director of Mennonite Education Agency (MEA); met... read more →