Mennonite Church USA

While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then after fasting and praying, they laid their hands on them and sent them off.—Acts 13:2-3

Just as the Holy Spirit spoke to a group of worshippers in Antioch many years ago, the Holy Spirit speaks today—calling and commissioning people to new ministries. This is happening in an exciting way through the planting of new “kingdom communities” in Mennonite Church USA.

These communities bear witness to God’s work in the world, serving as a foretaste of God’s kingdom of righteousness/justice, peace and joy. Over the past five years, we have seen the birth of 85 new fellowships in 17 area conferences across the United States.

Along with about 60 other church planting leaders from Mennonite Church USA, I attended an ecumenical gathering called Exponential 2013 in late April of this year. The meeting brought together more than 5,000 people (with another 20,000 people online) committed to planting new churches.

While not every presentation resonated with Anabaptist theology and practice, my heart for the church was strengthened by the strong emphasis on being and making disciples for Jesus Christ. This focus must undergird any sustainable movement for church planting. Planting new churches (and launching new groups in established churches) can be an effective way of reaching new people for the kingdom of God.

The Exponential conference was a God sighting for me, reminding me of what God has been saying to and through the Mennonite church for years. Too often, we have neglected this call, demonstrated in five “disciple shifts” from the pervading church culture.

1. A disciple shift enables us to move away from simply reaching new people toward a relational disciple making that invites new people to be apprentices, learning the ways of Jesus Christ.

2. A disciple shift occurs when church leaders move away from a focus on leading toward a focus on being Spirit-led, being alert to God sightings and showing the way forward.

3. A disciple shift takes place when church leaders move from simply being teachers to being examples of what Jesus did and taught.

4. A disciple shift helps churches move from assimilating new members into our church programs toward creating missional communities.

5. A disciple shift helps churches change the emphasis from drawing new groups of people toward sending equipped followers of Jesus to new groups of people.
These five disciple shifts work best when they are supported at all levels of church fellowship—small discipleship groups, congregations, districts or area conferences, and in national or world conferences.

As executive director of Mennonite Church USA, I am committed to do all within my power to keep us focused on the main thing—being and making disciples of Jesus Christ. Everything else that a church needs to do will grow out of this commitment.
As denominational staff, we are committed to the planting of peace churches that disciple new people all across this country. Led by the Spirit, we will work closely with area conferences and their congregations to assist them in calling, equipping, sending and networking church planters.

In recent years, Mauricio Chenlo and Kuaying Teng (shared staff with Mennonite Church USA Executive Board and Mennonite Mission Network) have worked alongside many area conferences, envisioning new church plants as well as helping to secure funding and training opportunities for leaders. Mauricio worked with area conferences to compile a list of the more than 85 church plants initiated in the past five years—now listed on the Mennonite Church USA website.

My heart leaps with joy when I look over this list of new churches. It is a sign that God is at work in Mennonite Church USA. Let us enthusiastically join God in that work.

Ervin Stutzman is executive director of Mennonite Church USA.