News
Assembly will explore Making Disciples As We Go!
What will you enjoy most when attending VMC’s annual Assembly this July in Charlottesville? The robust singing in the evening worship service? Animated discussions around your delegate table? A new idea for your congregation garnered from a workshop? Sitting around the supper table with friends you rarely get to see? Or, perhaps, just basking in…
Pastoral leaders invited to second Consultation event
The second in a series of Pastoral Leadership Consultations is being planned by the Leadership Enrichment Committee of VMC’s Faith and Life Commission. The topic of discussion at this consultation will be on the meaning of baptism and membership in the church. Lead pastors, overseers, and credentialed leaders who are currently serving in pastoral roles…
Conference welcomes McCracken as new Administrative Services Manager
Virginia Mennonite Conference hired Anieta McCracken as Administrative Services Manager, a newly-created role that assists the Executive Conference Minister in variety of projects, serves as event coordinator, and manages the documents and files of the Conference. She began April 21. McCracken, a certified paralegal, has worked as an office assistant in the Juvenile Justice system…
Historians preserve and promote Valley Mennonite stories
The Shenandoah Valley Mennonite Historians (SVMH) is a group of persons interested in preserving and promoting the stories of the Mennonites of the Shenandoah Valley. This is our twenty-second year and we are looking forward to some great projects in the next years. We are working with the Historical Committee of Virginia Mennonite Conference to…
Northern Virginia Mennonite Church installs new pastor
Northern Virginia Mennonite Church in Fairfax, Va., pulled out all the stops as it installed Earl Zimmerman as pastor on November 10, 2013. Bishop Luke Schrock-Hurst, of the Potomac District, officiated in the installation. The three other congregations that worship in their church building participated in the service. The Iglesia Menonite Hispana Vida Nueva congregation…
Mission impulses and unity
The Jerusalem Council described in Acts 15 is the second key leadership text for my work as Executive Conference Minister. This story highlights the activity of the leaders of the faith community discerning appropriate responses to the tension between “circumstances and conviction.” (1) The circumstance in the text is the awareness that Gentiles are coming…
Winter Delegate Session: listening, reflecting, praying
On a warm, sunny February day, 150 persons gathered at Lindale Mennonite Church for what was billed as the Virginia Mennonite Conference Winter Delegate Session but emerged as worshipful work. The strong turn-out (134 delegates, 17 non-delegates) on a beautiful Saturday was indicative of interest in the agenda topics as well as hearing from Ervin…
Make disciples of all nations!
Jesus’ final words to his disciples, recorded in Matthew 28:18-20, was granting them authority to make disciples of all nations, to baptize them, and teach them the ways of God. Traditionally, this text is understood as the Great Commission. It stands as a witness to the resurrected Christ. The purposes of God begun in Jesus’…
Signs of Life creates space for worship in Deaf culture
MaryBeth and Chris Moore expected God would call them to use their training as nurses to go to impoverished places. So they were surprised in 2000 when they felt convicted to adopt Mynor, an 8-year-old from Guatemala who is deaf. “It was one of those things where if we hadn’t adopted him, it would have…
Powhatan Mennonite celebrates 50 years
November 2-3 was an exciting milestone for Powhatan Mennonite Church, as we celebrated 50 years as a congregation and also dedicated our new addition, the Community Life Center. Our theme was “Remembering God’s Faithfulness: Reflecting on the Past and Looking Forward to the Future.” The weekend was filled with friends who came from far and…
VMC Women’s Retreat focuses on ‘Familiar Blessings, Blowing Spirit’
Some 85 sisters considered the spirituality of our parents and grandparents and how we focus on Jesus today during the annual Virginia Mennonite Conference Women’s Retreat, Sept. 27-29 in Lynchburg, Va. Attendees came from some 20 VMC congregations. The retreat was held at the beautiful wooded Eagle Eyrie Baptist Conference Center. Dawn Ruth Nelson, Mennonite…
Durham Mennonites stand with immigrant neighbors
On a Saturday in June this year, members of Durham (N.C.) Mennonite Church were working together to paint, clean, and mow around the church property, when several police cruisers parked around the intersection in front of the church. Focused on our work at hand, we paid little attention to them until an SUV turned aside…