Dorothy Nickel Friesen is a member of Bethel College Mennonite Church in North Newton, Kansas, and a former conference minister and pastor. This article originally appeared in the May issue of  The Mennonite magazine. 

I moved nearly 875 miles west to answer a call from the church about 15 years ago. From a pastorate in Ohio to Western District Conference leadership based in Kansas, I was on the journey of denominational leadership. As I reflect on that decision, I ponder what I have experienced in the church over these past 15 years.

The denomination was an infant. The official merger of the General Conference Mennonite Church and Mennonite Church in February 2002 meant that 95,000 members in 875 congregations located in 21 area conferences were now a new church. It was building on the firm foundations of two parent denominations that shared significant values, theology and witness. However, the marriage meant learning to know each other’s families. The infant was going to grow up with differing histories, migration patterns, finances and priorities. As a conference minister, I attended the Constituency Leaders Council, where I was confronted in my very first meeting about being a woman in a primary leadership position.

Who belongs? The question of membership loomed large in the early days. Who was in? Who would wait to decide? What criteria would there be for participation in a congregation, in an area conference and in the denomination? Would we use quotas? I suspect more hours, more anxiety and more tears have swirled around the question of belonging than any other topic in the first 15 years of this denomination.

From my new area conference leadership position, I felt the axis of power shifted in the new denomination from the old GCMC bases in Newton, Kan., and Winnipeg, Manitoba, to the new MC USA centered in Newton, Elkhart, Ind., and Harrisonburg, Va. Those west of the Mississippi had long since decided in favor of area conference mergers and realignments, creating new structures and administrative policies. But the relationships east to west were new and unfamiliar. The reality of “losing” the affiliation with Mennonite Church Canada left some southof- the-border Mennonites bereft of 100-plus years of meeting, planning, serving and relating. I don’t think we have yet recovered from this loss—and we never made good on our promises to meet regularly with our Canadian counterparts.

Fortunately, many ongoing strengths of the Mennonite institutions gathered momentum and capitalized on already integrated efforts. Our colleges and seminaries forged new working relationships and new ways to gain academic degrees. There were collaborative efforts and genuinely productive meetings of peers (academic deans and presidents, for example). The voluntary service units continued their joint efforts and expanded witness through international short-term options, community-centered assignments and continued sponsorship by local Mennonite congregations. Hundreds of young adults have been volunteers and are transformed leaders in a variety of vocations and locations. As I ponder the future, or the next 15 years, I imagine the people of Mennonite Church USA traveling together in some new ways.

This infant church was not spared cultural impacts. Even the early Christian church battled issues such as idol worship, activity on the Sabbath and proper food for believers. Throughout history, the Anabaptist/Mennonite people were affected by their contexts with debates about infant baptism, pacifism and role of the state. In our time, difficult conversations about human sexuality boil over. Denominational loyalty is skidding lower and lower—a trend for the last 50 years. Rural congregations are shrinking in size yet contain Anabaptist leaders who have traveled the world serving in the name of Christ.

Now, at age 15, MC USA has fewer members, fewer congregations and fewer area conferences. Is this simply a refining time or are there new emerging alliances and affiliations? There have been new congregations birthed and energized to be disciples of Jesus Christ. New immigrants to the United States and MC USA have brought vibrant faith and passionate worship and are planting rapidly growing faith communities. More languages are spoken in MC USA than ever before. How does this “adolescent” church, at age 15, define its core values? Who will be its leaders? How will it prepare for new leaders? What path (or paths) will it choose?

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