A story about a Mennonite church and an American flag

This is a story about a Mennonite church and an American flag. It’s a story with no elves or fairies but a tale of people helping those who wander the earth.

Since its founding in 1955, Zion Mennonite Church, a 250-plus, small-town congregation in Archbold, Ohio, has steeped itself in peace and justice work. The church resettled Polish and German people from World War II, brought Vietnamese, Laotian and Thai families to the area in the 1970s and took in Central American refugees heading to Canada in the 1980s. For many years the church has also related to area migrant camps of seasonal farm workers.

Project Hope and the Peace and Justice Project at Zion Mennonite Church in Archbold, Ohio, hosted a fiesta, complete with piñatas, to raise money for fuel costs to transport ESL students. ESL students, new citizens and other immigrants added to the meal of enchiladas by bringing their ethnic dishes to share with the congregation. Over 200 people from the church and community enjoyed the celebration. Photo by David Kanagy.

In 2005, Cathi Baer, a congregational member, was asked to be the church’s sole link with the broader church and its peace and justice efforts. Baer balked. No way could she do that by herself, she said. “The peace issue of the Mennonite Church is much broader than what one person can do alone,” she said.

But doing something seemed necessary, and she did feel an urge to gather for prayer with others who also “felt anguish” about the war in Iraq. Strongly encouraged by Ron Guengerich, one of Zion’s pastors at the time, Baer invited everyone in the church who was interested in peace and justice issues to an “envisioning” meeting.

The first action was to attend a conference of peace churches in Indianapolis, and 14 people went, including others from the area who had heard about the event from Zion members.

No longer waiting for permission from some imaginary godmother, the Peace and Justice Project lifted off the ground. It’s still soaring. Since October 2005, the group has met nearly every Tuesday noon. In one hour the group prays together and decides what issues they’ll work on.

“The Zion congregation has a passionate desire to practice Anabaptist theology,” youth pastor Jessica Schrock-Ringenberg says. “Doing peace and justice work is who we are, and it is integrally connected to our faith and walk with Christ.”

Currently the group includes nine adults and three youth from Zion plus two other Mennonite youth and friends from the community. Catholic sisters working with immigrants attend when they can. A broader group is kept informed by email.

“We’re almost too busy to meet because we’re so busy doing the work,” Baer says.

The volunteers advocate for all areas of peace and justice. They’ve planned prayer vigils and evening vespers. They’ve organized film nights and prayed for Christian Peacemaker Teams in Iraq. They’ve given children’s stories on nonviolent toys, added their names to the state’s death penalty moratorium and encouraged the church to write to government officials on various peace and justice issues.

But when a Catholic sister showed up at the door three years ago, almost unannounced, seeking office space for an area Latino Family Outreach program, the Zion folks realized their prayers and plans were taking a shape no one had expected.

“The immigration issue came to us,” Baer says.

Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) Great Lakes had advised Catholic Sister Karen Bernhardt to explore the idea of finding a Mennonite church in northwest Ohio that would be willing to house her work with immigrants. What she found was Zion’s Peace and Justice Project group.

And office space.

“We have this new addition. Why not use it for something like this?” Schrock-Ringenberg remembers saying. Zion’s newly remodeled building sat practically vacant five days a week. Here was an opportunity to share it.

In fall 2006, the Zion church council and elders approved use of church space for Project Hope (Proyecto Esperanza). One-fourth of the new construction intended for youth was designated for immigrant work.

Five days a week Sister Ellen Lamberjack from the Sisters of St. Francis order, Tiffin, Ohio, helps immigrants with legal needs from her office at Zion Mennonite Church. She counsels immigrants, helps them fill out forms, offers citizenship classes and tax clinics. Two mornings a week Lu Ann Kanagy teaches English as a Second Language classes while church members provide child care. Zion and other Archbold folks transport ESL students to and from the church, often driving an hour one way.

And the people gather together what they have to help in other ways, too. Some help teach citizenship classes. CPAs help with taxes. Willing shoppers buy food and clothing when it is needed.

“Immigration is probably the most exciting, the most hands-on of all the projects our group has worked with. We’re not just holding candles or writing letters. We’re relating to people,” Baer says.

When the first immigrants counseled by Sister Ellen became American citizens, Project Hope, with help from the church, planned a Welcoming the New Citizens celebration for Nov. 12, 2007.

Someone thought that it would be nice to have an American flag at the event so the new citizens could stand in front of it to tell their stories. The church had never owned a flag. The symbol of American citizenship would have to come from somewhere else.

Cork Nofziger, the church custodian, asked his friends at the local VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars) if Zion could borrow their flag. The vets thought it kind of cool—and a bit humorous—that the Mennonites, who usually backed away from patriotic activities, wanted their flag.

So that’s how the American flag came to Zion Mennonite Church for a day—and not just the flag. New American citizens, many of them Catholics, brought their families to join the
celebration and food from their native cultures to add to the reception.

But the story doesn’t end there. Relationships continue in this northwest Ohio church.
“Sister Ellen and Sister Karen have blessed our community with their presence. Our youth are proud to share the building with Sister Ellen, and in turn she is always willing to help lead devotions or lessons with the youth,” Schrock-Ringenberg says.

Last summer, Helen Weldy, a Peace and Justice Project member, taught the adult Sunday school classes, using the Adult Bible Study Guide on the theme “Images of Christ.”

“She focused on making the congregation aware of connections between us and the immigrants who come to our church for ESL classes and legal counseling,” Baer says.

Weldy invited Lamberjack to speak one Sunday. Some of the discussion centered on a topic that would need more discernment. What would it mean for Zion to be a designated sanctuary for immigrants—a safe place? Could Zion do it?

The prayer-filled peace and justice work at Zion continues as immigrants and others are served. Last summer Project Hope and the Peace and Justice Project at Zion hosted a fiesta, complete with piñatas, to raise money for fuel costs to transport ESL students. Two hundred people from the church and community showed up.

Last fall MCC awarded Karen Bernhardt a $5,000 grant to continue the Latino Family Services work.

Last November, the church had another party for more new citizens. And the people came. And the flag came. And among all the people there was great joy.