News

Clyde G. Kratz

Credentialed leaders meet for Confession consultation

One hundred and twelve credentialed leaders and invited guests of Virginia Mennonite Conference assembled at Waynesboro Mennonite Church on Friday, November 8, to discuss the role and function of the Confession of Faith in Mennonite Perspective. This event was planned by the Leadership Enrichment Committee of the Faith and Life Commission and included times of…

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Clyde G. Kratz

Mennonite Church USA Constituency Leaders Council meets

On October 13, representatives from the twenty-one conferences of Mennonite Church USA gathered at Amigo Centre, in Sturgis, Michigan. Additionally, representatives from the Executive Board of MC USA, MC USA staff, key staff leaders from Mennonite Mission Network, Everence, and Mennonite Education Agency, as well as representatives from Constituency Groups were present. This gathering of…

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The 1994 tournament-winning team with Matt Trost, center. Courtesy photo

Bible Quizzing season will focus on Exodus

What comes to mind when you hear the phrase, “Let my people go!” If you immediately thought of Charlton Heston, long hair and bearded, you are not alone. He played Moses in the Hollywood movie telling the story from the book of Exodus. Many powerful images come from this book of the Bible: the waters…

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Clyde G. Kratz

Grace Mennonite engaged in ‘missional service adventure’

For the last five years, Grace Mennonite Fellowship, Lacey Spring, Virginia, has been developing relationships with people in Jonesville, Virginia. Jonesville is located in the most southern portion of Virginia near the Kentucky and Tennessee state lines. It has a population of about 1,030 with a median household income of $24,439. As part of the…

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Elroy Miller photo by Lindsey Kolb, EMU

Nominee for Moderator of Virginia Mennonite Conference

Elroy Miller of Harrisonburg, Virginia, was enthusiastically approved as the nominee for moderator of Virginia Mennonite Conference by Conference Council on Friday, October 18. The Gifts Discernment Committee, which has the responsibility to select the nominee, will make the recommendation to delegates for their vote at the Winter Delegate Assembly held on February 1 at…

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Clyde G. Kratz

Conference embraces sustainable financial mission

Virginia Mennonite Conference engages in the mission of providing vision and leadership to a network of missional communities that are located in Virginia, Washington DC, West Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, and Kentucky. Our ministry is encouragement, evangelism, faith building, peace-building, and witness. Our call is to live in unity as disciples of Jesus as we…

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Dream big!

Virginia Conference middle school students poured into the Smith Mountain Lake retreat center once again this fall – bringing their energy and enthusiasm with them! After several hours on the road, groups spread out across the campus for free time activities including boating, mini-golf, and a climbing wall. Youth sponsors joined in, playing games of…

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Clyde G. Kratz

Consultation on Confession of Faith in a Mennonite Perspective

As a student at Eastern Mennonite Seminary (1986-1989), I was introduced to One Lord, One Church, One Hope and One God: Mennonite Confessions of Faith written by Howard John Loewen and published as a text-reader by the Institute of Mennonite Studies. It is compilation of numerous confessions produced by Anabaptist-Mennonite communities. Having participated in a…

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Clyde G. Kratz

Listening and learning

When Jesus was beginning his ministry, John was watching him with two disciples. After John said “Look, here is the Lamb of God,” the two disciples followed Jesus. When Jesus noticed them, he asked, “What are you looking for?” After a brief exchange of cordialities, Jesus says to them, “Come and see.” (John 1:35-39) As…

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Aaron M. Kauffman

Aaron Kauffman selected as VMM president

Virginia Mennonite Conference congratulates Aaron M. Kauffman, of Harrisonburg, Va., on his selection as the next president of Virginia Mennonite Missions. He was chosen by Virginia Mennonite Missions’ (VMM) 15-member Board of Directors as their next president at the October 18-19 meeting. Kauffman has extensive local and international mission experience serving most recently as VMM…

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Park View’s blitz packs more than 1,500 kits

Peyton Erb (left) works in the assembly line putting MCC school kits together. A lot of congregations put school kits together for distribution by Mennonite Central Committee (MCC). But how many produce more than 1,500? That was a recent experience on Sunday, August 18, when nearly a hundred assembly-line volunteers packed a total of 1,562…

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‘Answered prayers’ for Hickory Hmong Mennonites

Jonah and Memee Yang (pictured at right) moved to North Carolina in August to lead Hickory Hmong Mennonite Church, founded in 2004 by Chiaya Hadtasunsern. The Yangs left social work jobs in California with no promise of employment in Hickory. Jonah is the President of Hmong Mennonite Church Missions in the US and Memee is…

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