2021 Report Book
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2021 REPORT BOOK of the Central District Conference of Mennonite Church USA Spirit, bless our souls with yearning! June 26,2021 CENTRAL DISTRICT CONFERENCE Schedule June 26, 2021 Spirit, bless our souls with yearning! 9:00 am WORSHIP I [Pre-recorded video] Gathering songs Welcome Music: Holy Spirit, bless us with a yearning Introduction of Credence Scripture Song Speaker: Betty Pries Song of Response Closing/Announcements 10:00 am Communion 10:10 am Delegate Session I Welcome/State of the Conference Address Consent Agenda 2020 Annual Meeting Minutes 2021-2022 Spending Plan 2021-2022 Slate Commissioning Prayer for incoming and continuing committee members Voting to receive Grand Rapids Mennonite Fellowship (GRMF) Introduction of Keller Park Church Reports Missional Church Committee Report Ministerial Committee Report Camp Friedenswald Highlights Announcements 11:05 am Break (art videos) 11:15 am Delegate Session II Welcome Seminars (breakout sessions) *Climate Justice is Pacifism - AJ Delgadillo and Nicole Litwiller from Center for Sustainable Climate Solutions *New and Developing Communities of Faith: Engage the Possibilities! - Missional Church Committee *Faith Formation - Shanna Peachy Boshart *Remembering our Congregational History - Lisa Weaver and J.Denny Weaver *Congregations and Reparations: Conversation and Action - Joel Miller and Trevor Bechtel 12:10 pm Closing 12:15 pm Lunch tables (You have the option of eating while sharing in breakout rooms) 1:15 pm Delegate Session III Congregational Slide show 1:30 pm Credence & Company 4:15 pm Announcements/Closing 4:45 pm Mennonite Women Melissa Florer-Bixler, speaker TABLE OF CONTENTS Annual Meeting Schedule. 3 Discussion Guidelines for Delegates. 7 Welcome from Board of Directors . 8 Listing of Conference Congregations. 9 Listing of CDC Leadership. 13 CDC Staff.. 14 Part I - Action/Discussion 2020 Annual Meeting Minutes. 17 2021-2022 Proposed Spending Plan. 25 2021-2022 Slate of Nominees. 27 Grand Rapids Mennonite Fellowship Application for Membership. 28 Keller Park Church Application for Membership. 34 Part II - Conference Financial and Staff Reports Financial Reports. 47 Congregational Giving Report.. 51 Conference Minister’s Report. 52 Ministerial Credential Report. 54 Location of Previous Annual Meeting Sessions. 56 Listing of Conference Presidents since 1957.. 57 Part III - Conference Committee Reports Camp Friedenswald Board.. 61 Journey.. 62 Ministerial Committee. 63 Missional Church Committee. 64 Central District Conference Mennonite Women. 65 Part IV - Reports by Related Institutions Mennonite Church USA Mennonite Church USA. 69 Everence.. 71 Mennonite Education Agency. 73 Mennonite Mission Network. 76 MHS.. 78 Mennonite Schools and Agencies Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary (AMBS). 79 Bluffton University. 80 Eastern Mennonite Seminary. 81 Eastern Mennonite University. 82 Goshen College. 83 Mennonite Related Agencies Anabaptist Disabilities Network. 85 Mennonite Central Committee Great Lakes. 86 Mennonite Men. 87 Part V - Reference Central District CDC Constitution/Bylaws. 93 CDC Polity.. 103 Central District Conference Membership Criteria.. 107 Central District Conference Identity Document.. 108 Delegate Expectations. 109 Developing Resolutions for Central District Conference. 111 Healthy Boundaries Training Policy. 113 Code of Ethics for Ministers. 115 Three Provocations. 116 Resource List. 121 Mid-States (CDC, Illinois, Indiana-Michigan, and Ohio Conferences) Mid-States Preferred Resource Provider Common Assumptions. 123 2007 Mid-States Statement on Dual Conference Congregation Affiliation. 124 Mennonite Church USA Churchwide Statement on Immigration. 125 Agreeing and Disagreeing in Love.. 132 Guidelines for Biblical/Communal Discernment.. 134 Confession of Faith in a Mennonite Perspective (Summary). 142 MC USA Journey Forward Renewed Commitments for MC USA.. 144 MC USA Transitional Pastor Policy. 145 MC USA Guideline for Congregations Changing Conferences. 152 MC USA Executive Board Criteria re Membership Guidelines. 156 MC USA Membership Guidelines.. 157 Mennonite World Conference Mennonite World Conference Shared Convictions. 160 Part VI- CDC Resolutions Central District Conference Resolutions 1998-2008.. 163 A Congregation Peace Pledge. 169 A Resolution on Unity in a Time of Disagreement. 170 A Call to Greater Inter-racial and Cross-cultural Engagement. 171 A Call to Greater Faithfulness in our Witness for Peace. 172 Discussion Guidelines for Delegates The delegate assembly is designed to tend the church’s business in a timely manner that allows for due consideration. When we need to process decisions, we invite our delegates into a corporate discernment process. One goal of the discernment process is to avoid tyranny of the majority and to avoid tyranny of the minority. In order to accomplish the goal of tending to the decision-making process in a timely manner, we will use the following guidelines: Basic Guidelines for Conversation So that all who seek to be heard may be heard: • Do not speak more than twice in a day on any one topic. • Before you speak a second time on one topic, make sure that no one else who has not yet spoken on that topic wishes to do so. • When you go to the microphone to address the assembly, wait to be recognized by the moderator. Once recognized, state your name and (if appropriate) the group you represent before making your remarks. • In order to keep the discussion from becoming personal, always address the moderator rather than a previous speaker or someone else in the meeting. • Always speak respectfully. If you disagree with another person who has spoken, please describe that point of view with respect. • So that the group can put your remarks in context, always indicate whether you are speaking in favor or against the proposal that is being discussed. • Only delegates may make motions or vote on them. Welcome to the delegates from the CDC Board President Welcome to our second virtual Central District Conference gathering and 65th annual meeting. It is a joy to gather with you. This year we want to extend a particular welcome to Betty Pries from Credence & Co. It is a gift to be able to have her with us for worship this morning and for resourcing this afternoon around resilient and healthy congregations. We are grateful for her willingness to join us. We also have several great seminar opportunities. CDC hosted two mid-year gatherings this year instead of regional gatherings, and they were a wonderful way to connect across the conference, to worship together and to share ideas and stories. Both of those gatherings included recordings of congregations singing from the new Voices Together hymnal. We will include more of those in our worship at this gathering. What a delight to be able to see and hear our congregations singing, even though we can’t sing all together just yet. Throughout this year we have continued to live into our commitments to keep taking the “next steps” to become more anti-racist. The Board worked through the WiderStand training, and the Leadership Council met with Darin Short who guided our discussion about the group results of the Intercultural Development Inventory that members took. I continue to be encouraged by the good and hard work that is happening in many of your congregations around reparations, truth telling, Doctrine of Discovery, police reform and more. As a conference we continue to grow and welcome new folks. At this meeting we are delighted to introduce Keller Park Missionary Church, a close-knit, intergenerational church in a diverse neighborhood in South Bend, Indiana. We will hear more about them and their desire to join Central District Conference. We are also pleased to welcome Grand Rapids Mennonite Fellowship. They were introduced at last year’s annual meeting and we will vote to receive them into membership this year. It has been a joy to serve as president of the board for these two years. While I never got a chance to bang the gavel in person, I am hopeful that my successor James Rissler will have the opportunity to do so. May you feel a sense of God’s spirit moving us forward toward God’s dreams for Central District Conference and Mennonite Church USA. Blessings, Anna Yoder Schlabach CENTRAL DISTRICT CONFERENCE CONGREGATIONS Church listing codes: * Congregation is a member of both Central District and Indiana-Michigan Mennonite conferences ** Congregation is a member of both Central District and Illinois Mennonite conference *** Congregation is a member of both Central District and Ohio Mennonite conferences **** Congregation is a member of Central District Conference and the Church of the Brethren Where there are two addresses listed, the bold type refers to the mailing address Membership/Covenanted attendee numbers are in parentheses (as reported on the 2021 delegate report) ***Agora Ministries 614.280.1212 Americus Mennonite Fellowship (30) 229.815.1034 Richard/Rebecca Bartholomew, Pastors Brian Kilheffer, Contact Person [email protected] 400 W Broad St, Columbus, OH 43215 409 E Hill St, Americus, GA 31709 [email protected] https://www.facebook.com/AmericusMennoniteFellowship Ames Mennonite Church (6) 515.231.1557 *Ann Arbor Mennonite Church (10) 734.996.9198 Keith Schrag, Contact Person [email protected] Chibuzor Ozor, Pastor [email protected] meets at Ames Friends Church, 121 S Maple meets in homes Mail to: 1211 N 3rd St, Ames, IA 50010 Mail to: 1455 Kelly Green Dr, Ann Arbor, MI 48103 Assembly Mennonite Church (223) 574.534.4190.