Editor’s note: This September 16 letter was a follow-up to a meeting with Mosaic Executive Minister Steve Kriss and correspondence with Mosaic Associate Executive Minister Marta Castillo. See Anabaptist World’s previous coverage of Mosaic Conference and Mennonite Church USA on September 9, 2022, November 15, 2022, August 23 and September 10.
Dear Mosaic Mennonite Conference Board & Staff:
First, I want to acknowledge and affirm the work of your leadership team. To quote Angela Moyer Walter, “They have been discerning tangible steps for us to live into our vision, to embody the reconciling love of Jesus in our broken and beautiful world.” As Jesus said to the disciples in Matthew 9:37, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.” We joyfully celebrate all who answer Christ’s call and actively seek to reconcile the broken world to Him. We are committed to being in fellowship with all who proclaim Christ as Savior and Lord.
Relationship. We value the relationship that we share and will continue to share with the people who comprise Mosaic Mennonite Conference (Mosaic), regardless of which organizational membership banner we rally under, because, ultimately, it is Christ that unites us, not our structures.
Authority. We recognize the utility of these human structures as we do our earthly work. MC USA has never been and is not currently hierarchical. We are a voluntary community of Anabaptist believers. Our bylaws define the authority and obligations of each arm of the denomination. The MC USA bylaws are the constraints that our board and staff adhere to. It is important to note, “Each area conference shall retain the privilege of withdrawing from the Mennonite Church USA, and in so doing shall withdraw all of its member congregations from Mennonite Church USA, provided that a withdrawing area conference shall discharge its financial commitments to Mennonite Church USA as part of such withdrawal” (MC USA Bylaws IV.2.c).
One analogy often used in various communications from Mosaic leadership is the child-parent relationship. The child-parent analogy does not accurately describe the relationship between the Executive Board and the area conferences and is not productive to a healthy partnership. The ultimate authority in our Anabaptist denomination is the MC USA Delegate Assembly, which is comprised of representatives appointed by area conferences and congregations. The Executive Board and staff are stewards of their collective work, not governing parents. Any discussion surrounding significant change in relationships must involve the members of MC USA, not just the Executive Board.
Partnership. We are grateful that Mosaic is already an established and vital partner in MC USA, part of the whole. Our bylaws state that the area conferences should “Appoint delegates to the Delegate Assembly and the Constituency Leaders Council to provide a link of communication for matters of mutual concern and for effective churchwide decision making” (MC USA Bylaws IV.1.g). There are several options for Mosaic to alter its current commitments:
- Begin a process with CLC to address areas of concern and opportunity.
- Submit a Delegate Assembly resolution to change our bylaws.
- Withdraw from MC USA.
Our denominational office staff can guide you through each of these options. The Executive Board is also forming an advisory group to address our structures and processes. As we have in the past with the Membership Guidelines Advisory Group, the Delegate Assembly Resolutions Committee and other significant processes, we welcome Mosaic to appoint representatives to help us shape the future of our denomination as long as the conference remains as a committed member.
It should also be noted that “Congregations may hold membership in only one area conference of Mennonite Church USA” (MC USA Bylaws III.3.a). Our bylaws do not prevent congregations from having affiliations outside of MC USA. Congregations seeking to remain members of MC USA should seek to join an area conference. We have established policies for this process, and our Church Vitality staff will happily assist congregations seeking this option.
Credentialing. Conferences are currently credentialing bodies of MC USA, meaning all persons credentialed by Mosaic are credentialed in MC USA. Credentialed leaders should be informed that at the time of Mosaic’s vote to withdraw from the denomination, all ministerial credentials held by Mosaic in MennoData will be listed as “withdrawn,” and Mosaic will become the sole credentialing body.
MC USA will hold pastoral credentials for those leading congregations that are seeking affiliation with another MC USA area conference for a period of one year (please consult with the Church Vitality Office regarding this process).
The MLI process is a tool designed by and for MC USA congregations and conferences. We are not amenable to opening our MLI process to non-members at this time. Other groups have made similar requests, which we have also refused. MC USA does not “transfer” credentials between other denominational bodies as stated in the “How Could This Work?” section of Mosaic’s delegate preparation handbook.
Convention and Delegate Assembly. The biennial convention and many other events hosted by MC USA are open to all. You do not need a formal agreement to attend the convention or the Delegate Assembly as a non-voting observer. Only congregations that are members of an MC USA area conference can seat delegates. Following a vote to disaffiliate, Mosaic congregations will not have the option to be affiliated with MC USA, unless they join another MC USA conference. This is not clear in the “How Could This Work?” section of Mosaic’s delegate preparation handbook.
Resources. We invite Mosaic to support any MC USA program its members engage in. Currently, we don’t have a unique request for Mosaic. As denominational leaders, we aim to empower our area conferences and congregations. We want our community to assume their share of the responsibility for promoting and supporting the MC USA resolutions and service programs. Our expectation is that our congregations and area conferences should provide adequate funding and support for the agencies they have founded and sponsored as part of their mission, including those jointly founded or sponsored with other church bodies.
Agencies & Programs. We welcome Mosaic’s engagement with the good work of our agencies and partners. We hope the conference will donate time and finances to strengthen these programs. If Mosaic withdraws from MC USA, it would not be able to seat board members as representatives of MC USA. For some programs, there might be a change in fees or subsidies. Conference leaders should check on a program-by-program basis for what, if any, benefits would change upon withdrawal.
While I am sending this written letter for clarity, I welcome additional conversations as you continue your Pathways process. I must also stress that the “How Could This Work?” overstates where we are currently in the possibility of changing how Mosaic relates to MC USA.
Before the information campaign began, no parts of MC USA had the chance to process this proposal adequately. A more accurate representation of where we are in discussions would be to say, “Mosaic is recommending withdrawal from MC USA and hopes that, as MC USA moves forward, there will be opportunities for partnership and, perhaps, direct membership in MC USA for the congregations that want it. Currently, direct congregational membership is inconsistent with the MC USA bylaws. The MC USA Delegate Assembly would need to discern and affirm this fundamental change in membership structure, which is not guaranteed. Like all others, Mosaic congregations and members would be welcome to participate in elements of MC USA that are open to all persons, irrespective of membership.”
We pray that your work is fruitful and that lives are transformed for the glory of God.
Your Partner in Christ, Glen Guyton Executive Director Mennonite Church USA This letter is available on Mennonite Church USA’s website.
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