New Voices: By and about young adults

In a column last year I shared my perspective of living on the margins of the U.S. Mennonite experience and was grateful to have met many of you at the biennial convention in Phoenix.

While there, I realized the metanarrative of marginalization is one that many Mennonites share in one way or another, and I believe it’s a gateway for bridging the Mennonite church and other marginalized people in our church and society.

I experience stress with the Mennonite church because I haven’t released the belief that being in an Anabaptist community is crucial for my personal growth, beneficial for the faith community and necessary for engaging and serving a Mennonite audience. I’m not currently connected to an Anabaptist congregation.

In an effort to expand my understanding and current place outside the church, I’ve decided to dedicate my consecutive columns to spotlighting employed people of color who limit their interactions with Mennonites to the 40-hour work week from Mennonite Church USA-affiliated agencies and institutions. I also hope these columns can benefit Mennonites as a window into their church from an outsider’s perspective.

Before I ask them questions about their parachurch experience, I’ve decided to lead the way and answer them myself.

What is your service description?
My interactions with the Mennonite church in the last two years have been informal and spontaneous except for my quarterly article of four years for The Mennonite. My participation as a blogger/writer at the convention and in the winter issue article of Timbrel are my latest contributions.

How do you view your work?
It’s a calling. Even through the struggles of working with this church, I still love the best of what it has to offer, and I have hope for its areas of tension and struggle.

How would you define Mennonites or Mennonite culture?
I make a clear distinction between Mennonites and Anabaptists, and I would more clearly align myself as Anabaptist theologically. Mennonites have a Germanic, historical birthplace that connects itself genealogically with a modern group of people that continue to embody the values of hard work, service, simplicity, Jesus’ following, peace-seeking, kingdom politics, community-building and an Anabaptist faith walk. As their faith calls, they seek to reach out as Christ would to all those in need and have historically created agricultural miracles out of wildernesses. These are remarkable people willing to sacrifice homeland for the freedom to be who they are and live according to their convictions. In the last century, they’ve opened their doors to outside cultures and are known recently in broader Christian circles for their unique perspective on radical, holistic Christian discipleship.

What has surprised you about your work with Mennonites?
From the moment I was invited to ser­ve in the church, I was surprised by the love and opportunities for someone like me—young, person of color and female—to serve in respected and empowering ways. It’s because of this I haven’t walked away. My Christian experience began in Evangelical churches, and few offered a place for women to serve, and fewer consider poverty, race and economic issues faith imperatives.

What challenges have you met with working with Mennonites?
Mennonites have gained a great reputation worldwide on peace/reconciliation issues, and it’s false to expect the same degree of expertise in interpersonal and church relationships. I had a steep learning curve, having never been in such a tightknit community and one that I wasn’t able to overcome. It’s easier to help others in building peace, but within, it’s hard work among your own people, especially with the growing pains of increased diversity of culture and race. I admire the willingness and effort to continue to push forward as well as the acknowledgement of when it’s best to release for the time being.

Have you considered joining a Mennonite community outside your service?
I lament that I don’t have a relationship with my local Mennonite congregation. I do wonder what the future may hold and if peace and reconciliation is possible.

Anything else you’d like to add to give us a peek into your Mennonite experience?
I am a radically different and better person because of my experiences with Mennonites. I hope every person I interview for this column can say the same.

Janet Trevino-Elizarraraz lives in San Antonio, Texas. She can be reached at
alpasofirme@gmail.com.