News & Stories
How is your congregation impacting the community?
The new strategic plan that was adopted at Annual Conference Assembly in March, states that congregational stories of “evangelism and community participation” will be included in Ohio Conference’s communications throughout the year. How is your congregation working in the community? Are you beginning something or have you been involved in something for some time now? Would you be willing to…
Staffing positions available
Ohio Conference is hiring two positions as it pursues its mission to “Gather, Equip and Send our congregations by the power of the Holy Spirit to live out God’s Greatest Commandments and Jesus’ Great Commission.” 1) The Administrative Coordinator and Bookkeeper will contribute to the Conference’s ability to successfully achieve its mission by: Being the first connection for those contacting the…
Food justice in Ohio
Why do so many Ohioans have difficulty getting food that is affordable, nutritious, culturally acceptable, and accessible? The newest Ohio Conference Cast podcast explores this topic with Dr. Brandy Phipps, associate professor at Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio. Dr. Phipps works with others throughout Ohio and the Midwest to create new options for people to grow and access food…
Journey
Journey is a missional leadership development program from Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary (AMBS) that develops leaders centered in Jesus for ministry. Are you on a journey to ministry? Do you know someone who is on a journey to ministry? Why not tap them to join Journey? To find out more information, check out this link.
Bluffton University announces merger with University of Findlay
At a press conference on March 20, the presidents of Bluffton University and the University of Findlay announced that they had signed a Memorandum of Understanding declaring the intention to pursue a merger of the two universities. This would create one institution with two campuses. Each university would remain affiliated with its denomination—Bluffton with MC USA and Findlay with the…
Former Ohio Conference pastor passes at age 82
Bob Schloneger, age 82, passed away on March 25, 2024, in Goshen, Indiana. A retired Mennonite pastor, Bob was married to Enid (Miller) and served in various roles around Ohio Conference. He was co-pastor at Millersburg with Enid and served for four years as regional pastor, as well as various other conference roles and pastoral assignments. His memorial service was…
Training opportunities in mediation and conflict transformation in ministry
Lombard Mennonite Peace Center (LMPC) is hosting Mediation Skills Training Institute for Church Leaders in Huron, Ohio, May 27-31 at Christ Episcopal Church. This 32-hour training is for clergy looking to increase or improve their mediation skills. If these dates are not convenient, there will be other trainings in Pennsylvania and Illinois this summer. LMPC is also offering Leadership Development…
Giving drops sharply in February
Giving to Ohio Conference dropped sharply in February, according to figures provided by Financial Coordinator Stan Helmuth. Receipts for the month totaled just $7,745, including $5,521 in giving from congregations. In contrast, receipts for January were $60,875, by far the highest monthly total in fiscal year 2023-24. Expenses for February totaled $25,159, resulting in a deficit of $17,414 for the…
AMBS receives grant for new initiative
Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary (AMBS) in Elkhart, Indiana, has received a $1,249,830 grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to establish a program, “Anabaptist Thriving Congregations,” to help congregations deepen their study of the Bible with the goal of connecting more authentically with their communities. The project is being funded through Lilly Endowment’s Thriving Congregations Initiative. The aim of the initiative is…
MC USA webinars focus on women in leadership
A recording of the webinar “The Hope-Filled Persistence of Women in Ministry” is now available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyPPI_ubb6A&t=3s. Mennonite Church USA’s next Women in Leadership webinar will be on April 23 at 7 p.m. ET. Register at https://MCUSA.zoom.us/…/register/WN_bWnkm9zcRqmiPfnX_zg1PQ.
Salem Mennonite to co-host service at Lima Mennonite
Palm Sunday special service at Lima Mennonite, Sunday, March 24, at 6:30 p.m. Lima Mennonite (1318 Main St., Lima, Ohio), together with Salem Mennonite in Elida, will host Sarah Augustine, co-founder and co-chair of the Dismantling the Doctrine of Discovery Coalition. Her presentation will focus on understanding the Doctrine of Discovery, a set of laws rooted in the 15th century that…
Healthy Boundaries refresher training planned
April 22 is the deadline to register for the Healthy Boundaries 201 training sponsored by the Ohio Conference. This training will be held on Tuesday, April 30, at Wooster Mennonite Church from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The training also will be available online through Zoom. Lunch will be provided for in-person participants. To register, go to https://buytickets.at/ohioconferenceofmennonitechurchusa/1157814.
April is Abuse Prevention Month
April is Abuse Prevention month. Congregations and pastors are welcome to contact Nancy Kauffmann, interim denominational minister of Church Safety for Mennonite Church USA’s Church Vitality office, if they wish to have a speaker, training or other resource to use during the month. You may contact her at nancyk@mennoniteusa.org.
Nominees sought for Bring the Peace awards
Mennonite Church USA is seeking award nominations for its 2024 Bring the Peace initiative. The denomination gives the award to a Legacy Peacemaker and a Young Peacemaker each year. A Legacy Peacemaker is someone who has devoted their life to peace and justice work, whereas a Young Peacemaker is a young adult or teenager who has just begun their peacemaking journey and is…
Safe Church policies will be webinar focus
Mennonite Church USA (MC USA) is hosting a webinar, “Making a Safe Church Protection Policy,” on Monday, March 25, at 7 p.m. ET. Facilitators will be Marlene Bogard and Nancy Kauffmann, MC USA’s interim denominational minister for Church Safety. Webinar participants will learn how to write a protection policy, how to use the policy, when to update their congregation’s policy…
Delegates approve name change, strategic plan
Note: Photos and a video summary of Annual Conference Assembly are available at https://bit.ly/ACAPhotos. Delegates to the 2024 Annual Conference Assembly (ACA) approved a name change for the Conference, a three-year strategic plan, and an updated Ohio Conference Constitution. ACA took place March 1-2 at Sharon Mennonite Church in Plain City. In addition to business, ACA included several plenary sessions…
Ohio Mennonite Conference is…
By Jeanne Zimmerly Jantzi Process Consultant Metaphors engage us in new ways with imagery for exploration. In the last session of the 2024 Ohio Mennonite Conference meetings, I invited delegates and other attendees to unleash their creativity to brainstorm metaphors to describe Ohio Mennonite Conference (OMC) as they currently see it. This article contains a sampling of the many imaginative…
Working and worshipping together
By Dan Miller Interim Conference Minister Heading into Annual Conference Assembly, I was both excited and nervous. Excited, because I find such gatherings to be fun. At the end of the day, I can be so energized that it’s hard to go to sleep! Nervous, because I am still learning about Ohio Conference. This might be hard to believe, but…
Check out these Lenten resources
By Ann Leaman Ohio Conference Resource Advocate This month I would like to highlight some Lenten worship and devotional resources. The Soil and The Seed Project has released a new collection of free resources for Lent, Easter and Pentecost. Included are a new album of music, “Little Liturgies,” art, and lyrics/chord/lead sheets. To download these resources, go to https://www.thesoilandtheseedproject.org/vol-9. CommonWord, a…
Northwest Ohio churches work together, supporting refugees from Ukraine
By Bill Holdsworth The Resettlement Support Team (RST) is a joint group of Central and Zion Mennonite churches in northwest Ohio. Our team formed in mid-2022 in response to seeing hundreds of thousands of people displaced all over the world by war and violence and a desire to offer our time and community resources to help immigrants settle in a…
Volunteers accept Conference positions
Members of Ohio Conference congregations who volunteer their time play a vital role in Conference life. Without the help of numerous volunteers, many of the programs and functions of the Ohio Conference could not take place. Much of the work of Ohio Conference is done by the Leadership Council, the Credentialing Committee, the Stewardship Committee, the Gifts Discernment Committee, and…
Podcast series focuses on shalom
Grace & Groundings, Ohio Conference’s resource team focused on racial awareness and reconciliation, is sponsoring a series of monthly podcasts about social righteousness and shalom. The series began in January, with plans to publish one episode each month through May. Each episode focuses on a different topic designed to draw listeners into deeper conversations about issues of social righteousness and…
Jesus Collective to hold Unite Conference
If you are interested in exploring further the ideas about a Jesus-centered faith that featured speaker Meghan Larissa Good presented at ACA, consider attending Unite, a conference hosted by the Jesus Collective. This event will take place April 24-26 in St. Paul, Minnesota. For more information, see https://jesuscollective.com/unite.
Webinar to focus on women in ministry
In honor of Women’s History Month, Mennonite Church USA (MC USA) is sponsoring a webinar, “The Hope-Filled Persistence of Women in Ministry,” on Monday, March 11, at 7 p.m. This webinar will look at the lives of MC USA women in ministry across the generations and today. Rev. Amy Zimbelman, conference minister of Mountain States Mennonite Conference, and Elizabeth Johnson,…
Bluffton to offer new environmental science major
BLUFFTON, Ohio — Starting in fall 2024, Bluffton University students will have the opportunity to major in environmental science. Housed in the department of health sciences, natural sciences and mathematics, the program will provide students a broader understanding of the natural and built worlds around them through classes in biology, chemistry, geology, and soil, water and climate sciences. See the…
Missio Dei issue features Latin American women
The 32nd issue of Missio Dei, a publication of Mennonite Mission Network, describes 20 years of Movimiento de Mujeres Anabautistas Haciendo Teología desde América Latina (Movement of Anabaptist Women Doing Theology from Latin America — MTAL). Spanish and English versions of the booklet, Women, 20 years of paving the way between dreams and hopes, a collaboration between Mission Network and…
Delegate News – Looking Forward to ACA
Looking forward to seeing you at ACA Annual Conference Assembly (ACA) is almost here! We are looking forward to seeing many of you at Sharon Mennonite Church on March 1-2. This issue of Delegate News includes many last-minute reminders to help you prepare for our annual gathering. Registration is still open If you are planning on attending ACA, please make…
Deficit shrinks during January
Strong congregational giving to Ohio Conference during January resulted in the Conference’s highest monthly receipts by far for the 2023-24 fiscal year. Receipts for January totaled $60,875, including $50,397 in giving from congregations. In comparison, congregational giving in December totaled just $21,569. Expenses for January totaled $36,417, resulting in a surplus of $24,458 for the month. As of the end…
Camp Luz seeks program director
Camp Luz is seeking a leader who is passionate about seeing people growing in their faith in Jesus Christ to serve as program director. Use your skills and experience to make a difference in the lives of hundreds of children, young adults, and families. This position is available immediately. See the Camp Luz news release for more information. A full…
Healthy Boundaries refresher training planned
Ohio Conference will hold a Healthy Boundaries 201 training on Tuesday, April 30, at Wooster Mennonite Church from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The training also will be available online through Zoom. For those meeting in person, lunch will be provided. Healthy Boundaries 201 is designed for credentialed pastors who have previously completed Healthy Boundaries 101. Please note: All persons…