Mennonite Church Usa Bylaws
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Clarification on Mennonite Church USA Polity and the Role of The
1 2 Clarification on Mennonite Church USA Polity and the 3 Role of the Membership Guidelines of Mennonite Church USA 4 5 For consideration by the Delegate Assembly, May 2022, Kansas City, Missouri 6 7 Background 8 1. The Membership Guidelines for the formation of Mennonite Church USA were created to define the 9 expectations for member conferences as they joined MC USA. Denominations had differing polity 10 around the roles of area conferences that led to how each denomination handled pastors’ officiating 11 same-sex marriages. 12 2. In 1999, the Membership Guidelines failed to pass due to a lack of clarity around the status of dual 13 conference congregations disciplined by one denomination but not the other for allowing openly gay 14 members. 15 3. For integration to move forward, section III was added to the Membership Guidelines to clarify MC 16 USA’s expectations for area conferences on these matters. Both delegate bodies approved these 17 guidelines in 2001. 18 4. The Membership Guidelines for the formation of MC USA were created to facilitate the integration of 19 Mennonite Church and General Conference into a new denomination. The guidelines were to be 20 reviewed for their ongoing usefulness in six years (2007). 21 5. In 2007, the Constituency Leaders Council (CLC) began a review of the Membership Guidelines. Still, 22 conflict over gay persons in the church made the review process difficult, and it didn’t move forward. 23 6. In 2013, the Executive Board (EB) submitted a revised version of the guidelines to the delegate body 24 as an administrative update. -
Secondary Data 23
# of Congregations 2000 Population # of Congregations per 100,000 VA 7,736 7104587 108.89 Pittsylvania 125 61785 202.31 Danville City 64 48240 132.67 Caswell 47 23,550 199.58 # of Congregations per 100,000 250.00 202.31 199.58 200.00 132.67 150.00 108.89 100.00 # of Congregations per 100,000 50.00 0.00 VA Pittsylvania Danville City Caswell *The “Unadjusted Totals” come from the 1990 and 2000 data collected by representatives of the Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies (ASARB). While quite comprehensive, this data excludes most of the historically African‐ http://www.thearda.com/mapsReports/reports/sta American denominations and some other major groups. As a result, these numbers will be an underestimate of the total adherence rate, particularly in areas with a large African‐American population. The 2000 data included 149 religious group and the final results are published in Religious Congregations and Membership in the United States 2000. Copyright © 2002, All rights reserved. The 1990 data included 132 groups and the final results are published in Churches and Church Membership in the United States 1990 Copyright © 1990, All rights reserved. Published by Glenmary Research Center, 1312 Fifth Ave., North, Nashville, TN 37208. www.glenmary.org/grc [More information on the data collection] **The “Adjusted Totals” include all adherents in the denominations counted by the Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies (ASARB) and estimates adherent totals for the historically African‐American denominations -
Advent at Home 2020 We Wait for Jesus
We Wait for Jeus Advent 2020 to Epiphany 2021 At Home Worship Guide Advent to Epiphany At Home 2020 November 29, 2020 through January 6, 2021 Written by Talashia Keim Yoder Edited by Shana Peachey Boshart and Wil LaVeist Designed by Caleb Gingerich This material may be reproduced and adapted by Mennonite Church Canada and Mennonite Church USA congregations free of charge. If making changes, please add an explanatory note to acknowledge adaptations and credit those who made the changes. We would love to hear how you are using this material, and we are interested in your suggestions for making it more useful and accessible. Contact: Shana Peachey Boshart, Denominational Minister for Faith Formation, Mennonite Church USA 574-523-3070 [email protected] MennoniteUSA.org/FF © Talashia Keim Yoder and Mennonite Church USA Page 2 CONTENTS 4 Introduction 6 The Advent Wreath 8 Advent Week 1, November 29: Hope 10 Advent Week 2, December 6: Peace 13 Advent Week 3, December 13: Joy 15 Advent Week 4, December 20: Love 17 Christmas Day, December 25: Jesus 19 Christmas Week 2, January 3, 2021 21 Epiphany Day, January 6, 2021 Page 3 ADVENT AT HOME 2020 WE WAIT FOR JESUS Introducing Advent What is Advent? • The word “Advent” comes from the Latin word adventus, which means “coming” or “visit.” In the season with this name, we keep in mind both “advents” of Christ: the first in Bethlehem and the second yet to come. • A time to remember we need a Savior. Without divine help, we are unable to live in peace with God, ourselves or each other. -
Mennonite Church USA and Mennonite Church Canada CONGREGATIONAL and PASTORAL PRIORITIES
Mennonite Church USA and Mennonite Church Canada CONGREGATIONAL and PASTORAL PRIORITIES NOTE: This worksheet is for use in combination with the 2020 Ministerial Leadership Information (MLI) form. If a pastoral candidate completed an MLI before January 2020, congregations should use the earlier Twenty Pastoral Area/Tasks form, also on the website at mennoniteusa.org/resource/ministerial-transitions-committee-packet/. This worksheet is filled out by both pastors and congregations to be used in the search process. It is designed to identify the perceived needs/priorities of the congregation and the priorities and vision of pastoral candidates. It is an initial screen that helps identify general agreement between what the church is seeking and the priorities a pastor has for their ministry. It can also serve as a useful discussion guide between a pastoral candidate and a search committee/congregation. The questions are categorized using the six core competencies of Mennonite Church USA and Mennonite Church Canada. • Pastoral Candidates: Focus on how you would prioritize your time and energy in pastoral ministry. • Congregations: Focus on what your perceived needs and expectations are for the pastor you are seeking to hire and how they may use their time and energy. • Search Committees: Page 4 includes more information for interpreting the results. Instructions for both a congregation and a pastor Click (electronic) or check (hard copy) the box to indicate your answer for each priority. Make sure you select only one box for each priority. 1☐ 2☐ 3☒ 4☐ 5☐ 6☐ 7☐ Mark only six (6) in the high range Mark only twelve (12) in the medium range Mark only six (6) in the low range Congregational and Pastoral Priorities Low Medium High 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Biblical Story 1 Pastor prepares and delivers Bible-based sermons. -
MAGAZINE SUMMER 2020 Todaytodaymagazine
HESSTON COLLEGE ALUMNI MAGAZINE SUMMER 2020 todaytodaymagazine A COMMITMENT TO COMMUNITY ESSENTIALLY ESSENTIAL CARE DURING COVID-19 page 12 page 10 HESSTON COLLEGE TODAY | SPRING / SUMMER 2020 | 1 OUR NEW NORMAL Sisters and Brothers, Since the last time I wrote this piece of IN THIS ISSUE welcome for you, the world as we knew it today shifted dramatically. Perhaps “shift” doesn’t magazine adequately describe the change. Life as we know it – for us on campus and for you, wherever you are – has been flipped on its Hesston College Today is the official publication for alumni and friends of Hesston College, published twice yearly at Hesston, Kan. head. Since March, we have each been trying Address correspondence to Hesston College Today, Box 3000, to adjust our routines, understanding and Hesston, KS 67062. expectations. We focus on finding a new normal only to find that the only guarantee of normal is a constant shift and resetting of what we knew EDITOR Rachel (Schlegel) ’05 McMaster GRAPHIC DESIGN Madison Hoffman-Schrag before. PHOTOGRAPHY Larry Bartel Coronavirus and the renewed energy given to issues of racial inequities PRINTING Mennonite Press V.P. OF ADVANCEMENT Rachel Swartzendruber ’00 Miller in our society have brought a new reality to Hesston College and to the DIR. OF MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS Rachel McMaster world. Yet we’re all learning to live in this reality together – not just as the ALUMNI DIRECTOR Dallas Stutzman ’76 Hesston College campus community, but as a global community. It’s rarely easy, and it’s rarely comfortable, but this kind of hard, uncomfortable work HESSTON COLLEGE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Ken G Kabira ’81, Chicago, Ill., Chair is what has the power to change us and help us grow. -
A Short History of Mennonite Church USA and Its Current Realignment Mennonite Church USA Was Formed on February 1, 2002, By
A Short History of Mennonite Church USA and Its Current Realignment Mennonite Church USA was formed on February 1, 2002, by the joining of two Mennonite denominations: Mennonite Church (organized as Mennonite General Conference in 1898) and the General Conference Mennonite Church (founded in 1860). The intersection of Mennonites in alternative service during World War II led to increasing cooperation of the two Mennonite bodies, most notably in the partnership of Mennonite Biblical Seminary and Goshen Biblical Seminary as Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminaries in 1958. Subsequently, many new urban churches affiliated with both denominations and carried dual memberships. The two denominations held their first joint session in Bethlehem, PA in 1983 and resolved to form an Integration Exploration Committee. To prepare the way, Confession of Faith in a Mennonite Perspective was adopted in 1995 in Wichita, KS along with a new vision statement: God calls us to be followers of Jesus Christ and, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to grow as communities of grace, joy and peace, so that God's healing and hope flow through us to the world. The focus of the new denomination was on being missional – seeing where God is at work and joining God in that redemptive work in your community. “God invites us; Jesus sends us; and the Holy Spirit empowers us to share the message and ministry of reconciliation through Christ’s death and resurrection.” New agencies were created to provide resources for pastors and churches and to extend God’s kingdom across the street and around the world. ● Mennonite Mission Network provides service opportunities for young and old through Mennonite Voluntary Service, Service Adventure, SOOP, Youth Venture and International Ministries. -
Now Boarding: Vision 2025
HESSTON COLLEGE ALUMNI MAGAZINE SUMMER 2019 todaytodaymagazine VOCATION IN FLIGHT Now boarding: HOMECOMING 2019 page 10 Vision 2025 page 29 VISION FOR THE FUTURE Even through this year’s “summer lull,” activity at Hesston College hasn’t slowed. We’ve been working full-steam on preparing for the August launch of the new bachelor’s todaymagazine degree in aviation, starting research and development for other four-year degree programs, watching daily construction Hesston College Today is the official publication for alumni and progress on the nursing and athletics friends of Hesston College, published twice yearly at Hesston, Kan. projects, and taking groups around the world Address correspondence to Hesston College Today, Box 3000, Hesston, KS 67062, or email [email protected]. on trips meant to expand global awareness, engagement and growth. EDITOR Rachel (Schlegel) ’05 McMaster GRAPHIC DESIGN Marissa (Hochstetler) ’14 Unruh These trips are especially significant as they are transformative for PHOTOGRAPHY Larry Bartel participants whose eyes are opened to the realities of the broader world PRINTING Mennonite Press and different cultures and contexts. Following the 2018-19 academic year V.P. OF ADVANCEMENT Rachel Swartzendruber ’00 Miller in mid-May, groups from the campus community traveled to the U.S. DIR. OF MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS Rachel McMaster Pacific Northwest, Japan and Thailand. ALUMNI DIRECTOR Dallas Stutzman ’76 I was fortunate to co-lead the trip to Thailand and share the country HESSTON COLLEGE BOARD OF DIRECTORS Ken G Kabira ’81, Chicago, Ill., Chair of my birth and my home for many years with Hesston College students, Luke Roth-Mullet ’99, Harrisonburg, Va., Vice chair faculty, staff and constituents. -
Organizational Strategy Culture and Structure
Organizational Strategy Culture and Structure for Mennonite Church USA 2001 - 2011 January 30, 2001 Prepared by the Transformation Team Tim Burkholder, Ron Byler, Donella Clemens, Jim Harder, Miriam Martin, Dwight McFadden, Jim Schrag, Karl Sommers, George Stoltzfus, Ted Stuckey CONTENTS Page(s) Preface ...................................................................................................................1 Part I: Organizational strategy of Mennonite Church USA........................2-11 Biblical and theological understandings.......................................................2-3 Vision .............................................................................................................. 4 Mission and role.............................................................................................. 5 Societal and cultural context (2001) • Challenges to the church............................................................................ 6 • Internal strengths and limitations of the church......................................... 7 Core strategies..............................................................................................8-9 Goals................................................................................................................ 9 Imagining the future: 2001 to 2011..........................................................10-11 Part II: Culture and structure of Mennonite Church USA .......................12-16 Primary relationships.................................................................................... -
Congregational Information Form to Be Completed by Congregations Seeking New Pastoral Leadership
Congregational Information Form To be completed by congregations seeking new pastoral leadership. Purpose of this form This form is to assist a congregation to present information concerning itself to prospective candidates for a pastoral leadership position. Completing the form will also assist the pastoral search committee in self-understanding as they assess the strengths and weaknesses which may exist at the time of pastoral transition. I. Information A. BASIC INFORMATION AND CONTACTS 1. Name of church Address Church telephone Email Website 2. Chairperson of search committee Address Telephone Email 3. Area church/conference Name of area church/conference minister assisting your church's search committee Address Telephone E-mail 4. Year in which the congregation first began meeting or was organized B. MEMBERSHIP 1. Average Sunday worship attendance during the last 12 months: Highest attendance during that time Lowest attendance during that time 2. Total current members Non-resident members Resident members Children (not members) 3. Age of members and children. Give totals and percentage. 0-12 % 31-45 % 13-18 % 46-64 % 19-30 % 65+ % 4. Occupational profile: (ages 19 to 70). Give totals. Business/manager/proprietor Homemaker Education/administration/teacher Clerical/sales Craftsman/laborer/operative Student/VS Medical: doctor/nurse/administration Farmer/rancher Church institution/administration/minister Other professional 5. Educational level of adults: Up to and including high school % Some college or college graduate % Graduate school % 6. Describe the racial or ethnic composition of the congregation. C. LEADERSHIP 1. Identify the present staff position for which you are seeking a candidate. 2. Two previous persons in the above position: Name Dates of service Name Dates of service Comment on the transitions experienced by the above staff persons. -
Mennonite Church USA Written Communication Standards
Mennonite Church USA Written Communication Standards The Mennonite Church USA Written Communication Standards were created to provide a comprehensive reference for terms related to Mennonite Church USA and church language. This abbreviated guide addresses the most common questions about style that relate specifically to Mennonite Church USA. Additional questions not covered in this piece may be resolved by consulting The Associated Press Stylebook or a dictionary. Preferred church and denominational terms Anabaptist. Used to refer to someone who believes an adult confession of faith is required for baptism. area conference. Use area conference, not conference. See complete list of Mennonite Church USA’s area conferences at the end of this document. believers baptism, believers church. No apostrophe needed. Bible, biblical. Bible is capitalized; biblical is not. biennial, biannual. When possible use “every two years” for biennial and “twice a year” for biannual to avoid confusion between these similar words. Church, the. Use when referring to the broad Christian church. When referring to Mennonite Church USA, use “the denomination” rather than “the church.” churchwide. Not church-wide. Refers to a program or ministry of Mennonite Church USA that serves all parts of the denomination, as in “the churchwide agencies of Mennonite Church USA.” churchwide agency. Refers to each of the four program units of Mennonite Church USA – Mennonite Mission Network, Mennonite Education Agency, MennoMedia and Everence. When listing Executive Board as well as the churchwide agencies, use churchwide ministries. communion, Communion. Capitalize when referring to a Communion service. Avoid using this term to refer to Mennonite Church USA. Instead, use “denomination.” Delegate Assembly. -
The Mission of the Mennonite, Inc., Is to Help Readers Glorify God, Grow in Faith and Become Agents of Healing and Hope in Our World
The mission of The Mennonite, Inc., is to help readers glorify God, grow in faith and become agents of healing and hope in our world. Financial Health The Mennonite, Inc., is an entity of Mennonite Church USA but financially independent. We do not receive a subsidy from the denomination. Our three main revenue streams include subscriptions, advertising (in print and online) and donations. Although our subscriptions and print advertising is declining, our donors continue to support our work loyally and generously. For the past five years we have raised around $80,000 annually, with only a modest decrease from 2010. As a content provider and publication of Mennonite Church USA, our readership and subscribers are related to the overall size and health of the denomination. As members and conferences leave Mennonite Church USA, subscribers decrease. However, we have managed to restructure our staff to be as efficient as possible. With less than 3.5 FTE, we are able to provide daily Mennonite/Anabaptist content online, a well as a high-quality 56-page monthly magazine. Our 2013-14 Fiscal Year showed a net gain of $7,313. This past Fiscal Year (2014- 15), we had a loss of $2,000. However, we are working to find new revenue streams and areas for growth, as the current model of paid subscriptions is not sustainable. Challenges and Opportunities Challenges: The Mennonite, Inc., is impacted by societal shifts in the world of religion and publishing. Traditional ways for individuals to relate to a denomination are changing rapidly. Furthermore, many of our print subscribers are older, and younger subscribers are not filling their shoes as paying customers. -
Cowley College Master Calendar 2021-2022 Updated: September 28, 2021
Cowley College Master Calendar 2021-2022 Updated: September 28, 2021 July 7, 2021 ........................................... Cowley College will sponsor the Kansas Wheat Festival Picnic in the Park July 9, 2021 .......................................... Cowley College will sponsor the Kansas Wheat Festival Perplexing Puzzle July 10, 2021 ................................... Board of Trustees Work Session, President’s Dining Room, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. July 14, 2021 ......................................... High School Softball Camp, Ed Hargrove Field, 9-11:30 a.m. and 1-4 p.m. July 15, 2021 ..................................... Middle School Softball Camp, Ed Hargrove Field, 9-11:30 a.m. and 1-4 p.m. July 19, 2021 ................................................................ Board of Trustees Meeting, McAtee Dining Center, 6 p.m. July 28-29, 2021 ................... High School Volleyball Camp, W.S. Scott Auditorium, 10 a.m. to noon and 1-4 p.m. July 30, 2021 ........................ Setter/Hitter Volleyball Clinic, W.S. Scott Auditorium, 10 a.m. to noon and 1-4 p.m. July 31, 2021 ........... High School Elite Volleyball Camp, W.S. Scott Auditorium, 9 a.m. to noon and 1:30-4:30 pm August 4, 2021 ................................................. Board of Trustees Special Meeting, McAtee Dining Center, 4 p.m. August 9, 2021 ................................................................................................................... New Faculty Orientation August 9-11, 2021 .................................. Tiger/Bulldog Youth Basketball