Leadership: A world from Mennonite Church USA leaders

Carol Glick—a former leader of the Puerto Rico Mennonite Church, was my teacher, spiritual mentor and friend. As a young person growing up in the Mennonite Church in Puerto Rico, I knew who Carol Glick was before I knew her as a friend.

Actually, most people in the Mennonite Church in Puerto Rico knew of her. She faithfully attended conference events, always reminding people of the importance of Mennonite education.

Carol had the heart of a teacher, the spirit of a disciple and the mind of a wise one.

Every opportunity was a teachable moment for her. Her loving heart always put others before herself. Many times she made personal sacrifices in order to assist others. Her faith was rooted in the Anabaptist understanding of Scripture and seeing the world. Her faith was one of intellect, heart and practice.

Carol’s wisdom, faith and commitment did not emerge in a vacuum but was nourished by the community and shaped by her experiences in Mennonite education. The last time I wrote this column, I said our world desperately needs more leaders who see Jesus as their model for leading. Carol’s experience and connection to Mennonite education made her this type of leader.

In the worldwide context, Mennonite Church USA is not very large, and our institutions are small. Some might translate this to mean insignificance and an inability to make a difference. I disagree. Mennonite education has made, makes and will continue to make a difference in the world.

I’m not the only person Carol impacted. She had an impact on many others, some directly and others indirectly, through her long-term role as a Mennonite school administrator. Ultimately, it is not what she did but the people she touched that provide the real story as to why Carol was such an influential person. And she never expected anything in return.

There are many Carols among us. Mennonites and others whose lives were altered by their education experiences, which invited them to put faith into practice and engage the world, are making a difference today.

Mennonite education alumni are serving throughout the world.

Their impact is far reaching as they work in countless areas from peace and social justice in our inner cities to war-torn countries such as Sudan and Liberia; from early relief and development work providing emergency assistance to food sustainability; from medical reform in mental health to general medicine; from teaching in small villages around the world to Mennonite schools in North America to large universities; from small entrepreneur initiatives to large businesses guided by people shaped by the understanding of their vocation in business as a calling.

In all these areas, Mennonite education is making a difference in the world.

I hear many stories with a common thread: “My experience with my teachers made such a difference. The faculty helped me grow as a person; they really cared for me as an individual.”

I have heard endless expressions of gratitude for our institutions providing a context in which difficult and challenging faith questions can be asked, questions that guide individuals as they journey toward an understanding and owning of their faith.

Cultural and technological changes are making it difficult to comprehend the long-term impact these changes will have on our faith and how we should respond. As a parent I have always said I would much rather my children struggle with their faith in the context of my Christian community than out in the world on their own.

Mennonite education is making a difference, not because of our own sense of greatness but because our institutions respond to our desire to be faithful to God’s call and our understanding of our responsibility to make the world a better place.

Part of the leadership development taking place in our institutions is the understanding that vocation is much greater than simply the acquisition of knowledge. It is putting into practice what we have learned in the context of a loving God connecting the dots between faith and practice.

We could talk about the 13,932 students being served in Mennonite educational institutions and programs this year, but that is only a small part of the story. The work of Mennonite education has touched many people. The seeds planted through the years are bearing much fruit.

Carol passed away in 2008, but her work and ministry continue in the lives of those she has touched through Mennonite education. When I went to her for guidance in my own life, she reminded me that Christians should not be surprised by what God might call them to do. “When God calls, you simply follow.”

Carlos Romero is executive director of Mennonite Education Agency.