The job description will be

published, and applications

must be submitted by Aug. 1.

Leadership Team will meet

on Aug. 7 to review applica-

tions. The Leadership Team

requests prayer during this

time: “Please be in prayer for

all of this. Pray for Wanda

and Tom as they transition to

new assignments and for Re-

gional Pastor Ralph Reinford

as his workload will inevitably

increase. Pray for the Leader-

ship Team, the Conference

and the denomination. Thank

you for your ongoing support

and prayers!”

The Ohio Conference Lead-

ership Team is making plans

for a transition in Conference

staffing.

On June 21 Regional Pastor

Wanda Stopher informed the

Leadership Team that she is a

candidate for the role of lead

pastor of First Mennonite

Church in Bluffton. She antici-

pates ending her work with

Ohio Conference effective

Aug. 31, 2015.

In recognition of Wanda’s

resignation and Conference

Minister Tom Kauffman’s

earlier resignation announce-

ment, the Leadership Team is

planning to have a transitional

conference leader in place by

Sept. 1, 2015. This will be a

full-time position that will last

for 6-12 months. During

these 6-12 months the Lead-

ership Team will continue the

process of listening to all of

Ohio Conference to discern

the needs and direction for

our future.

The Leadership Team and

staff are working on creating

a job description for the tran-

sitional conference leader.

Leadership Team plans for transition

Five of the new pastors serv-

ing Ohio Conference congre-

gations, along with their

spouses, took part in the

New Pastor Orientation June

7-8. Sixteen new pastors and

their spouses were invited,

but only five couples were

able to participate.

The two-day orientation be-

gan with an overnight stay at

the Comfort Inn in Berlin.

Following breakfast the next

morning, Regional Pastor

New pastors learn about Conference

JUL/AUG 2015

2 Editorial

Five-Year Plan

review begins

3 Leadership Team

minutes

4 Conference

minister musings

5 On being

charitable

6 OMW Retreat

7 Reconciliation

through football

Ohio Mennonite

Relief Sale

8 Latino Retreat

9 About people

10 Hesston graduates

11 Bluffton graduates

EMU graduates

12 Back page

briefings

INSIDE

THIS

ISSUE:

The New Pastor Orientation held June 7-8 included time at the Ohio Conference office in Kidron.

Continued on page 5

Transitional conference leader sought to serve for 6-12 months

VOL. LXIX, NO. 4

JUL/AUG 2015

Editor: Ann H. Leaman

Ohio Mennonite Evangel

(USPS 404-500) is published

six times per year by the

Ohio Conference of Mennon-

ite Church USA, Box 210,

Kidron OH 44636,

telephone (330) 857-5421.

All material for publication

should be submitted to the

editor at 5854 Sunland St.

NE, Louisville OH 44641, or

via telephone:

(330) 453-0150, or e-mail:

ohioevangel@earthlink.net,

one month prior to desired

publication date.

Ohio Mennonite Evangel is

distributed to all households

of Ohio Conference congre-

gations, other interested

individuals and church agen-

cies.

Ohio Mennonite Evangel is

printed at Carlisle Printing,

2673 TR 421 Sugarcreek OH

44681.

Send subscription information

and address changes to the

editor at 5854 Sunland St.

NE, Louisville OH 44641.

Periodical postage paid at

Millersburg OH 44654.

Review of Five-Year Plan begins

Thanks for traveling alongside us In the 16+ years that I have

served the Ohio Confer-

ence, I have always found

that working with other

Ohio Conference staff

members is one of the best

parts of my job. While we

often have faced financial

pressures and sometimes

faced times of conflict, I

have always found our

Conference staff to be sup-

portive. It is truly a joy to

work with people who are

focused on building others

up, and I credit our Confer-

ence Minister Tom Kauff-

man with setting that tone

for our staff relations.

There is no question that I

will miss his presence and

leadership as he moves on

to a new assignment.

I have worked with quite a

few regional pastors

throughout the years, and

one common characteristic

I have noted is the ability to

find joy in living, even when

the congregations they are

walking alongside are in the

midst of difficult or painful

situations. Regional Pastor

Wanda Stopher has been a

great example of this joy-

filled living, and I will miss

her infectious laugh at our

staff meetings.

Tom and Wanda, thanks

for all you have done as

you have served the Ohio

Conference. I pray God’s

blessings on you as you

begin the next chapter of

your ministry!

— ahl

Personnel of the Ohio Conference of Mennonite Church USA

Moderator: Dean Beck — deanjean5656@gmail.com

Assistant Moderator: Thomas Dunn — thomas@crownhillmennonite.com Conference Minister: Tom Kauffman — ohconfmin@gmail.com Credentialing Ministry Chair: Naomi Engle — englenaomi@gmail.com Gifts Discernment Ministry Chair: Mel Hathaway — smcpastor@embarqmail.com

Stewardship Minstry Chair: Keith Hostetler — keithh@hostetlermgt.com Regional Pastor: Ralph Reinford — ralphreinford@gmail.com

Regional Pastor: Wanda Stopher — wstopher@gmail.com Administrative Secretary: Judy King — ohmc@zoominternet.net Finance Coordinator: Stan Helmuth — cboh1@zoominternet.net

Conference Editor: Ann Leaman — ohioevangel@earthlink.net Coordinator of Volunteers: Alysa Short — alysashort@gmail.com

of Berlin Mennonite

Church. The team’s first

meeting was held June 17.

A review of the Five-Year

Plan is one of the action

steps in the resolution re-

garding the Confession of

Faith which delegates

adopted at the 2015 Annual

Conference Assembly in

March. A copy of the full

resolution is on the Ohio

Conference website:

www.ohiomennoniteconfer

ence.org. To view the reso-

lution, go to the

“Delegates/ACA” section

and click on “ACA Docu-

ments.”

*Historical note: In 2011

Ohio Conference delegates

approved the Five-Year

Plan, which was a proposal

from the Leadership Team.

The plan called for increas-

ing the regional pastor staff

from 1.5 full-time equiva-

lent (FTE) positions to 2.0

FTE. Originally, when the

regional pastor system was

adopted, the regional pas-

tor staff had 3.0 FTE, but

later staffing was reduced.

The Ohio Conference

Leadership Team has ap-

pointed a four-person team

to review the Five-Year

Plan*. This team is com-

prised of Doug Zehr, lead

pastor of Oak Grove Men-

nonite Church in Smithville;

Paula Snyder Belousek, pas-

tor of Salem Mennonite

Church in Elida; Wes

Graber, a member of the

Ohio Conference Ministry

Development Team and

member of West Clinton

Mennonite Church; and

Myron Weaver, lead pastor

Jul/Aug 2015 | Page 2

E D I T O R I A L

March 11-12 at Central

Mennonite Church in Arch-

bold.)

Report from Conference

Minister Tom Kauffman

about his and Marion Beye-

ler’s stewardship meetings

with congregations

Approved a maternity leave

for Coordinator of Volun-

teers Alysa Short for this

summer.

Tom and Dean Beck report-

ed on the Constituency

Ohio Conference Leadership

Team Minutes

April 13, 2015

Present: All members

The following points were dis-

cussed:

Annual Conference Assem-

bly (ACA) — Reviewed

feedback, what was positive

and what could be improved

upon; discussed the location

of the next ACA. (Note:

The 2016 ACA will be

Leaders Council (CLC)

meeting at Bethel College in

North Newton, Kan. Three

resolutions were presented

to CLC for discussion with

only one to be sent to the

Executive Committee. Ohio

Conference Leadership

Team will write a letter to

the MC USA Resolutions

Committee stating that

Ohio Conference delegates

are more aligned with the

beliefs expressed in a differ-

Leadership Team reviews ACA, looks ahead at April meeting

Jul/Aug 2015 | Page 3

“This is an

unsettled time

for our

conference and

our

denomination,

and our desire

is to lead with

Godly wisdom.”

ed to provide oversight to the

leadership transition currently

happening with Tom Kauffman’s

resignation. This group is made

up of Mel Hathaway, Dean

Beck, Judy King and Matt

Hochstetler.

Leadership Team also spent

time talking with Matt Hamsher,

pastor of Longenecker Mennon-

ite Church, who brought up the

question of whether it would

be possible for a congregation

to remain a part of Ohio Con-

ference yet not be a part of

Mennonite Church USA. Lead-

ership Team and Matt have

more questions than answers

on this topic at this time, but

realize it may be an important

topic for many of our congrega-

tions. Leadership Team will

continue to look into this topic.

Please continue to be in prayer

and conversation with the Lead-

ership Team. This is an unset-

tled time for our conference

and our denomination, and our

desire is to lead with Godly

wisdom. We want your input,

your prayers, your dreams, and

your concerns. Don’t hesitate

to contact any member of the

Leadership Team!

Dean Beck

deanjean5656@gmail.com

(419) 445-0357

Thomas Dunn

Thomas@

crownhillmennonite.com

(330) 317-5587

Naomi Engle

englenaomi@gmail.com

(419) 340-0390

Mel Hathaway

smcpastor@embarqmail.com

(330) 985-0023

Keith Hostetler

keithh@hostetlermgt.com

(330) 466-0724

The Ohio Conference Leader-

ship Team met on June 2 in

Tiffin, Ohio, which is a midway

point for most people on Lead-

ership Team. The main agenda

for the morning revolved

around meeting with two rep-

resentatives from Mennonite

Health Services (MHS) who are

providing consulting to Ohio

Conference for both structure

review and leadership transi-

tion.

Based on the resolution passed

in March and affirmation from

MHS, Leadership Team has cre-

ated a task force in charge of

listening to Ohio Conference.

This group is made up of

Naomi Engle, Ralph Reinford

and Thomas Dunn and will be

facilitating the fall cluster meet-

ings, a fall all-pastors meeting

and possibly an online survey.

A second task force was creat-

Leadership Team creates task forces

Continued on page 11

different church tradition than

the one with which I am famil-

iar. It offers me new insights

and perspectives. I don’t em-

brace or agree with all of them.

It provides a more liturgical

perspective than what I general-

ly read or live within. And it

often has Eastern Orthodox

ideas, such as the one repre-

sented here.

I can imagine Elder Paisios re-

calling 1 John 1:8-2:2 about how

we deceive ourselves if we say

we have no sin as he writes

these words, or Jesus’ words in

Luke 6:39ff about logs and

specks in people’s eyes. I sense

in these words a deep longing

and appreciation for both a

level of piety in our daily lives

that many of us find hard to

achieve, while at the same time

a deep recognition of the real

and potential sin in our lives

that keep us from living out that

piety with integrity and authen-

ticity.

I continue to believe, more fer-

vently than ever, that the most

faithful contribution we can

make to the Reign of God is to

focus on ourselves and what it

means to become more faithful.

While we may see the sins of

others clearly (or at least think

we do), it is really our own life

and actions over which we have

the greatest control. That’s

where we have the greatest

ability to make changes. If we

truly want to “straighten out a

particle of the Church,” then

we need to focus on ourselves.

Granted, it may be harder work

than drawing attention to our

neighbor, but it just may be the

work that God is calling each of

us to do — live faithfully in our

own lives.

Several weeks ago the daily

devotional guide I follow had

this closing prayer for the

week: “All that we have and all

that we are is from your hand,

O Lord. Receive what is yours

and do with us what best serves

the full arrival of your reign on

earth. In the name of Jesus and

the power of the Holy Spirit,

Amen.” I have tried to faithfully

pray that prayer for my own

life. To both strive toward faith-

fulness and to yield my own

desires to God is my goal. I

offer this discipline to you as

well!

“I continue to

believe, more

fervently than

ever, that the

most faithful

contribution

we can make

to the Reign

of God is to

focus on

ourselves and

what it means

to become

more faithful.”

Jul/Aug 2015 | Page 4

‘Mending one’s own ways requires effort’: How can we become more faithful?

C O N F E R E N C E M I N I S T E R M U S I N G S

By Tom Kauffman Conference Minister

One of the websites that I

read regularly is “Dover

Beach” found at https://

lifeondoverbeach.wordpres

s.com. This reading for June

5, 2015, was from Elder

Paisios of Mount Athos:

"Evil lies within us. There is no love

in us, so we don’t feel all people to

be brothers and are tempted by

[the knowledge of] their sinful

ways. But it’s not right when moral

failings become known to all. The

injunction of the Gospels to “tell it

unto the Church” (Matthew

18:17) doesn’t mean that every-

thing has to become known to

everyone. By exposing the moral

failings of our brother we arm the

enemies of the Church, give them

another pretext to escalate the

war against Her. And the faith of

the weak is shaken in this way

too. If you want to help the

Church, then try to mend your

own ways, rather than others’. In

straightening yourself out you

straighten out a particle of the

Church. If everyone were to do

that then the Church would be in

perfect order. But today’s people

attend to everything under the

sun, only not to themselves, be-

cause it’s easy to teach others,

while mending one’s own ways

requires effort.

One of the reasons I read this

blog is because it represents a

Jul/Aug 2015 | Page 5

Scriptures speak with clarity about generosity By David A Miller

My congregation,

Millersburg Mennonite

Church, designated 2015 as

the “Year of the Bible” and

gave each adult a copy of

The One Year Bible, pub-

lished by Tyndale. It is giv-

ing me a renewed apprecia-

tion for the power of scrip-

ture to point me to life is-

sues and opportunities with

clarity and certainty.

New Testament verses that

address the importance and

rewards of generosity obviously

get my attention. Rather than

try to write original comments

about being charitable, I am

sharing a few scriptures that tell

it so much better.

“You must each decide in your

heart how much to give. And

don’t give reluctantly or in re-

sponse to pressures. ‘For God

loves a person who gives cheer-

fully.’ ” — 2 Corinthians 9:7

NLT

“No one can serve two mas-

ters. Either you will hate the

one and love the other, or you

will be devoted to the one and

despise the other. You cannot

serve both God and money.” —

Matthew 6:24 NIV

“Tell them to use their money

to do good. They should be

rich in good works and should

give happily to those in need,

always being ready to share

with others whatever God has

given them. By doing this they

will be storing up real treasure

for themselves in heaven — it is

the only safe investment for

eternity! And they will be living

a fruitful Christian life down

here as well.” — 1 Timothy

6:18-19 TLB

“God is able to make it up to

you by giving you everything

you need and more so that

there will not only be enough

for your own needs but plenty

left over to give joyfully to oth-

ers.” — 2 Corinthians 9:8 TLB

Let’s read these scriptures again

“for the first time.” Besides

reflecting on the scriptural im-

plications for our own lives,

discussing them and the topic of

generosity with significant per-

sons can be helpful.

Rick Warren so wisely stated,

“If you learn to be generous,

God will bless you more than

you can imagine.”

David A Miller is an Everence

Charitable Services Representative.

Contact him at 330) 763-3191 or

david.miller@everence.com.

O N B E I N G C H A R I T A B L E

New Pastor Orientation Ralph Reinford led the group to

Heini's Cheese Chalet, which

was a cultural experience with

an Amish tour guide. While in

Berlin they also viewed Behalt,

the 265-foot circular mural de-

scribing church history which is

located at the Amish & Men-

nonite Heritage Center. The

group then enjoyed the buffet

at Mrs. Yoder's in Mount Hope.

After lunch they traveled on to

the Ohio Conference office in

Kidron to meet Conference

Administrative Assistant Judy

King and Conference Minister

Tom Kauffman, who shared

about the activities and re-

sources of Conference. They

visited Everence and MCC

Connections and learned about

their ministries. They ended the

day at Camp Luz. “It was a

great day of fellowship and

learning,” said Regional Pastor

Ralph Reinford.

Continued from page 1

The New Pastors Orientation includ-ed stops at various locations in Holmes County, including Heini’s Cheese Cha-let in in Berlin.

“Where’s the Pause Button?

Making Space for God in Every-

day Life” will be the theme of

the Ohio Mennonite Women’s

Retreat Sept. 18-20 at Camp

Luz in Kidron.

In our busy lives, sometimes

finding time to connect with

God can feel like just one more

thing on a long “to do” list. And

when we do carve out some

time, what then? Sisters Ginny

Hostetler, Willie Stoltzfus and

Michele Rae Rizoli will share

their own struggles to inten-

tionally slow down and nurture

the spirit in the midst of busy-

ness. Together we will explore

biblical stories, worship in song,

and experience spiritual practic-

es that can help us “press the

pause button” in our everyday

lives.”

In addition to presentations by

Ginny, Willie and Michele, the

retreat will include a mothering

workshop led by Rebecca Lach-

man of Athens, Ohio, and vari-

ous opportunities for a prayer

and nature walk, massages, a

service project at MCC Con-

nections or meeting with a spir-

itual director.

The cost for the retreat is $80

for those staying the entire

weekend, $20 for Friday only,

$50 for Saturday only and $20

for Sunday only.

Ohio Mennonite Women will

send retreat brochures with a

registration form to all Ohio

Conference congregations in

July. Check your church mail-

box for details. Below is an ab-

breviated registration form for

this event.

All registrations are due Sept. 4.

For more information, contact

Marilyn Rossiter at (330) 749-

5654 or mrossite@ashland.edu.

Jul/Aug 2015 | Page 6

Sisters to share at OMW Retreat

Ohio Mennonite Women Retreat Registration Form

Name

Address

City/State/Zip

Phone

Email

I want lodging at Camp Luz.

I will be at Camp Luz for all meals.

My special needs are

Registration Fee: $80 Full registration (Friday-Sunday)

$20 Friday only

$50 Saturday only

$20 Sunday only

Mail registration form and a check for $25 (payable to OMW) by Sept. 4 to: Treasurer: Edna Troyer 230 Montrose Way Wellington OH 44090 You may contact Edna Troyer at (440) 647-2320 or lyletroyer@juno.com.

Sisters Willie Stoltzfus, Michele Rae Rizoli and Ginny Hostetler (pictured left to right) will be the featured speak-ers at the 46th annual Ohio Mennonite Women’s Re-treat this fall. Photo courtesy of Andrew Hostetler.

Reconciliation through football By Erin Dye Adriel Chaplain

Leaving the past behind and

moving forward with a posi-

tive outlook, this May we’ve

witnessed a happy joining of

two worlds: Adriel and the

West Liberty Police De-

partment. Until recently,

the local police worked

with only a small percent-

age of our youth while in

crisis. The police become

involved when situations

with the youth’s behaviors

go beyond how our staff

can best help them. This is

a necessary step in keeping

our youth and staff safe, but

these encounters provided

law enforcement with only

a limited view into the lives

of our youth.

In the same way, our youth

have had minimal positive expo-

sure to police due to previous

trouble with family, friends, or

themselves. With initial interest

from the police department, the

police chief and another officer

joined us for an evening of our

already established weekly cam-

pus-wide game of the month,

flag football.

As the chaplain and oftentimes

main activity coordinator, I have

the privilege of seeing our

youth at their best every day.

Between sharing an encouraging

word with each other in our

weekly worship service to

laughing and experiencing the

Lord’s joy in a game of Ultimate

Frisbee, our youth are incredi-

ble and have so much to offer

to God’s Kingdom. With both

parties willing to look at each

other in the best light, police

and youth shared a memorable

evening of learning new skills,

running drills, and lining up

shoulder to shoulder with new

friends.

Since then, the police chief has

shared his free time in May

helping our youth hone their

football skills. In a letter of ap-

preciation, the chief shared,

“Now that the youth are no

longer only names on a report,

I can focus on the good they

have, and can continue to work

with them to be viable mem-

bers of society.” What a beauti-

ful example for everyone that

God is indeed reconciling all

things, big and small.

wood and tool auction, and a

quilt auction. A 24-Hour Bike

Ride and 5K run also are part

of the annual fundraiser.

The Relief Sale opens on Friday

afternoon with the 24-hour

bike ride beginning at 3 p.m. All

other Relief Sale food and ven-

dor booths open at 4 p.m. The

50th Anniversary Variety Show

Dalton, Ohio —The 50th An-

nual Ohio Mennonite Relief Sale

will be at Buckeye Event Center

in Dalton, Ohio, July 31-Aug. 1.

The 2015 Ohio Mennonite Re-

lief Sale includes live music,

breakfast, food and vendor

booths and children’s activities,

as well as volleyball tourna-

ments. Multiple auctions will be

held, including a silent auction, a

program will begin at 6:30 p.m.

Performers include John

Schmid, Tim Shue and Les

Gustafson-Zook. Friday’s guests

will be able to preview Satur-

day’s auction items and partici-

pate in a silent auction of theme

baskets and other donated

handmade items. The annual

Buckeye Event Center to host Ohio Mennonite Relief Sale

Jul/Aug 2015 | Page 7

Continued on page 8

A game of flag football provided an opportunity for positive interaction between youth from Adriel and members of the local police depart-ment.

volleyball tournament will take

place Friday as well.

On Saturday breakfast starts at

7 a.m. The Run for Relief 5K

will be held at 8 a.m. At 9 a.m.,

the wood and tool auction will

begin, followed by the quilt auc-

tion at 9:30 a.m. Gerber’s

chicken barbecue, Laotian egg

rolls, homemade ice cream, and

much more will be available for

lunch.

The My Coins Count program

is designated for water projects

around the world. This project

provides clean drinking water

and new wells for communities

worldwide. Change is being

collected at area Mennonite

churches until the sale. Collec-

tion sites and a coin counter

will be available at the Relief

Sale. Donations can be sent to

the Ohio MCC Relief Sale, Box

62, Kidron OH 44636.

Children’s activities are availa-

ble throughout Friday and Sat-

urday. These include festival

games, a children’s train, and an

auction for children 13 and un-

der where they can bid on

many different items.

To preview auction items

online, see

www.OhioMccReliefSale.org.

Brochures, registration infor-

mation and forms for the 24-

hour bike ride, Run for Relief

5K, and volleyball tournaments

are available online, as well as

information about entry fees for

specific events.

Proceeds from the sale go to

Mennonite Central Committee

(MCC). MCC is the relief, ser-

vice and development agency of

North American Mennonite and

Brethren in Christ Churches.

MCC seeks to demonstrate

God's love through committed

women and men who work

among suffering people.

Admission and parking are free.

Handicap parking and wheel-

chairs are available.

Jul/Aug 2015 | Page 8

By Raul Tadeo

The annual Latino Family Re-

treat was held on the weekend

of May15-17 at Camp Luz in

Kidron. The topic of the retreat

was “Living in the Spirit,” based

on Acts 1:8. Present were 72

adults, 23 youth and 44 children

for a total of 139 participants.

Several leaders preached on the

retreat topic, and small groups

were formed to do sharing on

the subject.

Ohio Hispanic groups partici-

pating in the retreat came from

Lima, Columbus and Wayne

County. One sister said, “It was

a marvelous experience. “ One

brother said, “I did not want

the retreat to end. I did not

want to leave.” One young girl

said, “I learned very much.”

Another person said, “The Spir-

it of God was definitely pre-

sent.” In the Saturday evening

service Haroldo Nunes, retreat

coordinator, gave an invitation

for those who wanted to make

decisions for the Lord or make

recommitments to the Lord. A

number of persons accepted

the invitation.

Retreat focuses on ‘Living in the Spirit’

Ohio Mennonite Relief Sale Continued from page 7

One hundred thirty-nine peo-ple attended the Latino Family Retreat at Camp Luz.

Jul/Aug 2015 | Page 9

On the afternoon of April 26,

2015, Gary Stuckey and Sandy

Stuckey were ordained for

Christian ministry at Pine Grove

Mennonite Church in Stryker,

where they serve as co-pastors.

The message, “Faithful to the

Call,” based on II Timothy 1:3-7,

was offered by David and

Corina Tijerina, who have

served as mentors for Gary and

Sandy. The ordinations were

celebrated with a meal shared

by family, friends, the Pine

Grove church family and many

colleagues.

Pastoral notes

A B O U T P E O P L E

Ora Shelter was commissioned

as youth pastor at Sonnenberg

Mennonite Church in Kidron

on May 3, 2015. Pastor Mel

Hathway shared the message

from John 15. Regional Pastor

Ralph Reinford led the commis-

sioning, and Margaret Wenger,

from the church’s pastoral

team, led in a prayer of blessing

and dedication.

lies in Nanchong and had Chi-

nese university students as their

guides in many of the locations

in the country. Aside from visit-

ing popular attractions such as

the Great Wall of China and

the Forbidden City, students

also interacted with Chinese

students — middle school

through college — and learned

about the nation’s history.

Bruner, the daughter of Mark

and Jane Bruner, is a senior

BLUFFTON, Ohio — Two

Bluffton University students

from Ohio Conference congre-

gations participated in cross-

cultural experiences during

May.

Adriane Bruner of Wauseon

participated in a cross-cultural

experience in China May 5-25.

She and other Bluffton students

visited four major Chinese cit-

ies as well as the countryside.

Students stayed with host fami-

majoring in mathematics educa-

tion with an adolescent/young

adult licensure. She is a 2012

graduate of Pettisville High

School.

Neil Mast of Millersburg partici-

pated in a cross-cultural experi-

ence in Chicago May 6-27.

He and other Bluffton Universi-

ty students explored the diver-

sity of the “city of neighbor-

Continued on page 10

Bluffton University

Ora Shetler (pictured at cen-ter) was commis-sioned as youth pastor at Sonne-berg Mennonite Church in Kidron. Also pictured are Regional Pastor Ralph Reinford (at left) and Pastor Mel Hathaway.

Gary and Sandy Stuckey were or-dained for ministry April 26. Also pic-tured is Regional Pastor Wanda Stopher (at right). The Stuckeys are co-pastors of Pine Grove Mennonite Church in Stryker.

Jul/Aug 2015 | Page 10

hoods” by living in apartments,

sharing cooking and cleaning

responsibilities and learning to

use public transportation. Each

student volunteered part time

at an organization pertaining to

his or her major. In addition to

attending lectures about issues

such as public housing, affirma-

tive action and education, stu-

dents surveyed Chicago’s cul-

ture through live performances.

Mast, son of Dave and Ann

Mast, is a junior double major-

ing in physics and chemistry. He

is a 2012 graduate of Hiland

High School.

mencement address, “Abide in

Me.”

Isaac Dahl earned an associate

of arts degree. He attends

Lockport Mennonite Church

and is the son of Vern Dahl.

Aimee Stein earned an associate

of general studies degree. She

attends Oak Grove Mennonite

Church in Smithville.

Nathan Yoder earned an associ-

ate of arts degree. He attends

Zion Mennonite Church in

Archbold and is the son of

Scott and Barb Yoder.

Three students from Ohio

Conference congregations were

among the 148 individuals earn-

ing degrees from Hesston Col-

lege at the college’s May 10

commencement. Kevin King,

director of Mennonite Disaster

Service, presented the com-

Three OC students earn degrees from Hesston College

Continued from page 9 A B O U T P E O P L E

Goshen College of Mennonite, Anabaptist and

ecumenical denominations. MIP

participants attend congrega-

tional meetings, work alongside

pastors and other church lead-

ers, and join various community

events.

MIP was Goshen College’s first

inquiry program and is now in

its 26th year. Students find op-

portunities to challenge them-

selves and their gifts for minis-

try by serving as pastoral in-

terns. At the end of the sum-

mer, participants receive a

Eliana Neufeld Basinger is one

of five Goshen College students

participating in the Ministry

Inquiry Program this summer. A

sophomore molecular biology/

biochemistry major from

Findlay, Basinger is serving at

Lorraine Avenue Mennonite

Church in Wichita, Kan. She is

the daughter of Iris Neufeld and

Eric Basinger, and attends Lima

Mennonite Church.

Students serving with the Minis-

try Inquiry Program (MIP) are

placed in diverse congregations

$2,000 schol-

arship along

with a $500

stipend from

the host con-

gregation. MIP

provides stu-

dents with

opportunities to participate in

activities and perform duties

such as worship planning and

leading, teaching Bible and Sun-

day school, pastoral visiting,

community service and preach-

ing.

Ohio. She is the daughter of

Karen and Joe Graber and at-

tends Lockport Mennonite

Church.

Goshen College’s Service In-

quiry Program gives students

the opportunity to spend three

months in a service agency with

the goal of exploring the inter-

section of faith and vocation,

while also developing skills for

Natalie Graber, a Goshen Col-

lege senior elementary educa-

tion major from Stryker, is par-

ticipating in the college’s Ser-

vice Inquiry Program this sum-

mer. She is serving at Christian

Children’s Home of Ohio, an

organization that provides

counseling, foster care, adop-

tion, residential and home-

based services for children and

families in need in northeast

leadership.

These goals

are achieved

through active

participation,

observation of

others, inten-

tional reflec-

tion and the tutelage of an on-

site supervising mentor.

Leadership Team minutes

Jul/Aug 2015 | Page 11

Berne, Ind., English, First Men-

nonite (Berne); Tobin Eicher,

Berne, Ind., biology, First Men-

nonite (Berne);

Alexia Fox, Berne, Ind., business

administration and marketing,

First Mennonite (Berne); Sarah

Geiser of Kidron, social work,

Kidron Mennonite; Hannah

Holsopple of Archbold, social

work, Central Mennonite;

BLUFFTON, Ohio —Ten un-

dergraduate students from

Ohio Conference congregations

earned bachelor’s degrees from

Bluffton University this spring.

Those students, their

hometowns, degree fields and

churches are listed below:

Katie Conrad, New Carlisle,

food and nutrition, Southside

Mennonite; Mallory Eicher,

Matthew McCoy of Archbold,

accounting, Zion Mennonite;

Gregory Seymour of Orrville,

graphic design, Orrville Men-

nonite; Laura Short of Arch-

bold, intervention specialist and

early childhood education,

West Clinton Mennonite; and

Lauren Stuckey of Archbold,

food and nutrition, Central

Mennonite.

Twelve OC students graduate from EMU Stryker, biology, Lockport Men-

nonite; Stewart Nafziger of

Harrisonburg, Va., counseling,

Zion Mennonite;

Chloe Raber of Dalton, music

and mathematics, Sonnenberg

Mennonite; Elise Sauder of

Newport News, Va., nursing,

Central Mennonite; Nathan

Schlabach of Millersburg, con-

flict transformation, Longeneck-

er Mennonite; Jacob Shank of

Twelve students from Ohio

Conference congregations were

part of the 2015 graduating

class of Eastern Mennonite Uni-

versity in Harrisonburg, Va., on

Sunday, April 26. Their names,

hometowns, majors and home

congregations are listed below:

Emma King of Stryker, digital

media and communications,

Lockport Mennonite; Isaac King

of Stryker, biochemistry, Lock-

port Mennonite; Rachel King of

West Liberty, biology, Bethel

Mennonite;

Jia Steiner of Orrville, art and

psychology, Dayspring Christian

Fellowship; Kaitlyn Troyer of

Walnut Creek, history, Lock-

port Mennonite; Taylor

Waidelich of Stryker, liberal

arts with an elementary educa-

tion licensure, Lockport Men-

nonite; and Alexander Witmer

of Salem, liberal arts, Midway

Mennonite.

Bluffton grads include 10 from Ohio Conference

by the Leadership Team.

Two of the first steps were

to conduct a review of the

Five-Year Plan and the cur-

rent Conference Leadership

and Leadership Structure.

Names were suggested for

the Five-Year Plan Review,

and Leadership Team mem-

bers will be contacting

them. Regarding the Lead-

ent resolution than the one

recommended to the Exec-

utive Board.

Heard reports from the

coordinator of volunteers,

Credentialing Ministry and

Stewardship Ministry.

Discussed the resolution

that passed at the ACA and

the action steps to be taken

ership and Leadership Struc-

ture evaluation, it was de-

termined that a third-party

evaluation would be best.

Contacts with third parties

will be made.

Approved Central Chris-

tian corporation member-

ship.

Continued from page 3

Back page briefings...

For more Ohio Conference

news, visit the Ohio

Conference website:

ohiomennoniteconference.org

for grants. Please note that

these are one-time grants,

and grant monies are not

intended to be used for

staffing. Priority will be

given to projects involving

multiple congregations.

Applications must be sub-

mitted to the Conference

office by Aug. 17, 2015.

You may either submit an

online application or mail a

printed application form to

Ohio Conference, Box 210,

Kidron OH 44636. To ap-

ply online or to learn more

about the grant process,

please go to

www.ohiomennoniteconfer

ence.org and click on

“Grants.”

Have you had necessary

conversations with your

aging parents? Fairlawn

Retirement Community in

Archbold and Everence

invite families, including

adult children and their

aging parents, to join them

for a free presentation on

this topic either on Sunday,

Sept. 13, at 5 p.m. or Mon-

day, Sept. 14, at 10 a.m. in

the Fairlawn Chapel.

Presenters will be authors

Gerald W. Kaufman and L.

Marlene Kaufman, who

have co-authored the book

Necessary Conversations:

Between Adult Children and

their Aging Parents, drawing

from their nearly 40 years

as counselors working with

families.

The same information will

be presented both days.

The Sunday presentation

will also include a time for

special music and refresh-

ments.

The Ohio Conference

Ministry Development

Team (MDT) is accept-

ing grant proposals from

Conference congregations

and related organizations

for projects and mission

initiatives. This year the

MDT has $40,076 available

Conference Calendar J U L

21-26 Pennsylvania 2015, Mennonite World Conference Gathering, Harrisburg, Pa.

A U G

7-9 Girls’ Jamboree, Camp Luz, Kidron

14-15 LEAD3D (Youth Leadership Project) Retreat, Camp Luz, Kidron

S E P T

18-20 Ohio Mennonite Women’s Retreat, Camp Luz, Kidron

O C T

1 Prepare-Enrich Training Workshop, Shalom Counseling and Mediation Center,

Archbold

N O V

13-15 Ohio Conference Pastor-Spouse Retreat, Mohican State Park Lodge

F E B

5-6 Pastor-Elder Retreat, Widewater Retreat Center, Liberty Center, Ohio

12-13 LEAD3D (Youth Leadership Project) Retreat, Camp Luz, Kidron

19-20 Pastor-Elder Retreat, Comfort Inn, Millersburg

M A R

11-12 Annual Conference Assembly, Central Mennonite, Archbold