Delegates approve “Churchwide Statement on the Abuse of Child Migrants”

Jul 8, 2019 by , , and

Delegate Abraham Arenas of McAllen, Texas, speaks during the final session of the Mennonite Church USA delegate assembly July 6. — Vada Snider/MWR

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Mennonite Church USA delegates on July 6 passed a “Churchwide Statement on the Abuse of Child Migrants.” A group of delegates initiated the statement during the convention, collecting...

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Delegates expand youth involvement, receive resolution on “abuse of child migrants”

Jul 5, 2019 by and

Youth delegates are prayed for after being introduced at the Mennonite Church USA in Kansas City, Mo. — Vada Snider/MWR

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Youth gained a larger voice in Mennonite Church USA decisions July 5 as delegates approved a bylaw change allowing more 16- to 21-year-olds as voting delegates. Congregations may now...

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Delegates study ‘unity of the Spirit,’ offer ideas for peacemaking

Jul 4, 2019 by and

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Mennonite Church USA delegates on July 4 studied the biblical vision for “unity of the Spirit,” heard the announcement of a mission leader’s retirement and offered ideas for the...

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Bible study: ‘The church is a mess. Thanks be to God!’

Jul 3, 2019 by and

Tom Yoder Neufeld leads the first of three daily Bible studies July 3 at the Mennonite Church USA convention in Kansas City, Mo. — Vada Snider/MWR

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — On the first day of the Mennonite Church USA delegate assembly July 3, delegates started a Bible study on themes of unity in Ephesians and heard a state-of-the-church message from...

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Opinion: Surge of momentum halted

Aug 17, 2015 by and

Palestinian children watch as a Caterpillar digging machine demolishes a Palestinian property to make way for new Jewish settlements in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah, Jan. 9, 2011. Divestment activists have targeted Caterpillar for its use by Israeli occupation forces. — Ryan Rodrick Beiler

Last month, Mennonite Church USA convention delegates delayed voting for two years on a resolution proposed by the Mennonite Palestine Israel Network calling for “withdrawing investments from corporations...

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North Central Conference to withdraw from MC USA

Jul 30, 2015 by and

North Central Conference of Mennonite Church USA will begin a yearlong process of withdrawing its membership from the denomination. A motion was passed by the NCC’s 10 congregations with strong consensus at...

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Sharing pain, seeing Jesus

Jul 7, 2015 by and

Prayer team member John C. Murray of Hesston, Kan., prays during a Pink Menno hymn sing outside the delegate hall July 4. — Paul Schrag/MWR

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Pick a category of people at the Mennonite Church USA convention, and you could identify their pain. It might have been the pain of exclusion due to sexual orientation. Or of feeling the...

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Palestine, racial justice statements pass; relatives of LGBT people lament exclusion

Jul 6, 2015 by and

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Words of lament by relatives of LGBT people and resolutions supporting Middle East peacemakers and condemning the fatal shooting of nine people at a South Carolina church highlighted the...

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On sexual abuse, a vow to tell the truth

Jul 4, 2015 by and

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Mennonite Church USA delegates on July 3 approved a statement confessing the church’s failure to offer healing for survivors of sexual abuse and vowing to “change our ways.” The...

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Sexuality resolutions: freedom, accountability

Jul 3, 2015 by and

Mennonite Church USA delegates confer around tables July 2, when they passed resolutions on forbearance and the Membership Guidelines. — Lowell Brown for MWR

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — In two highly anticipated decisions on policies regarding same-sex relationships, Mennonite Church USA delegates on July 2 approved resolutions that affirm both freedom and...

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Board’s resolution ‘tests’ Membership Guidelines

May 4, 2015 by and

PRAYER FOR DENOMINATION — Participants pray for Mennonite Church USA during a prayer retreat May 3 at Dyck Arboretum of the Plains in Hesston, Kan. About 25 people attended the two-hour event, the first of its kind preceding the denomination’s June 30-July 5 convention in Kansas City. Organizers expect similar retreats will take place in other parts of the country. Hosts for the Kansas retreat were Katherine Goerzen, coordinator of the Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary Kansas Center, and John Murray, pastor of Hess­ton Mennonite Church. Resources for hosting a prayer retreat are online at ambs.edu/news-events/prayer-gathering.cfm. — Paul Schrag/MWR

Announcing a new resolution for delegates May 4, the Mennonite Church USA Executive Board says it is “testing the status” of the denomination’s Membership Guidelines. The resolution asks delegates at the...

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