Ohio Conference Identity                                                                

Updated May 18, 2026

Ohio Conference Mission

We are committed to living into our mission statement of Gathering, Equipping and Sending our congregations by the power of the Holy Spirit to live out God’s Greatest Commandments (loving God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength and loving others as ourselves) and Jesus’ Great Commission (going out and making disciples of Jesus Christ).

We are committed to doing life together as sisters and brothers in Jesus Christ for the glory and honor of his name.

We fully support the 1995 Confession of Faith in a Mennonite Perspective (OMC Constitution and 2015 Resolution).

We are committed to living into our three-year strategic plan that focuses on support for congregations, support for pastors and support for congregations’ action witness in their communities as well as implementing structure and staff changes.

Affiliation and Autonomy

We are committed to continuing to claim the autonomy of Ohio Mennonite Conference (OMC).

While OMC is a member conference of Mennonite Church USA (MC USA), OMC determines its own policies, credentialing guidelines, budget, structure, staff, and congregational membership.

OMC exercises its authority and autonomy within MC USA according to the MC USA Bylaws (2025):

• “Each area conference shall establish provisions and procedures for the credentialing of ministers.” (lines 236-37) OMC uses OMC credentialing guidelines.

• “Each congregation shall, insofar as it is possible, call ministers that are certified or registered by a member area conference of MC USA under the provisions and procedures defined by its own area conference as a credentialing body of MC USA.” (lines 140-43) OMC holds the credentials for all ministers in OMC.

• While we recognize that OMC’s credentialed ministers, delegates, and congregational members are in different places on the interpretation of Scripture regarding sexual ethics and how to include LGBTQIA+ persons in the life of their congregations, we continue to hold our credentialed ministers accountable to the resolution passed by our

delegate body in 2015 that our credentialed ministers will not perform a same-gender ceremony/marriage or be in a same-sex relationship themselves.

OMC continues to follow its 2017 Constitution revision allowing individual congregations to opt out of direct membership with MC USA. OMC congregations that opt out of MC USA do not participate in MC USA decision-making or include individuals who represent MC USA on boards. The general giving to OMC from non-MC USA congregations is not considered by OMC in the percentage that is given to MC USA. The ministers of congregations that opt out of MC USA continue to remain credentialed with OMC. Congregations that want to remain a part of OMC but not directly affiliate with MC USA may remain just a member congregation of OMC or also explore other networking options if they desire.

Access to Other Mennonite Agencies and Resources

OMC and its congregations are members of Mennonite World Conference through MC USA.

Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) and Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) are non-MC USA agencies, and any Mennonite and/or Anabaptist entity can relate with them.

OMC congregations continue to have access to the Corinthian Plan health insurance for its members and employees through Everence. Everence is a partner agency of MC USA, similar to MCC and MDS. Any congregation or individual can directly support Mennonite Mission Network (MMN), the mission agency of MC USA.

To download a PDF of this Conference identity statement, click here: Ohio Conference Identity – Updated 05-18-2026 Ohio Mennonite Conference Identity Statement