Bluffton University graduates from Illinois Mennonite Conference – Jena O’Brien

BLUFFTON, Ohio— The achievements of more than 230 undergraduate and graduate students were celebrated on Sunday, May 7, 2017, during the 117th Commencement ceremony at Bluffton University.

Undergraduates from Illinois conference include:

Chad Gundy from Flanagan, Ill., earned bachelor’s degrees in math and information technology with a minor in computer science. Chad received the Distinguished Scholar Award for information technology and for mathematics. He was a member of the 2016-17 Pi Delta Society. Chad is a member of Prairieview Mennonite Church.
Rachel Schoener of Flanagan, Ill., earned a bachelor’s degree in social work. Rachel received the Distinguished Scholar Award for social work. She is also a part of the honors program and a member of the 2016-17 Pi Delta Society. Rachel is a member of Prairieview Mennonite Church.

Bluffton University is a liberal arts, residential campus with more than 80 undergraduate majors, minors and programs; and adult degree-completion programs in accounting, organizational management and RN to BSN. Bluffton also has MBA programs and offers master’s degrees in organizational management and education.

Founded in 1899 and affiliated with Mennonite Church USA, the university is located in Northwest Ohio. It has an enrollment of around 1,000 students and 16 NCAA Division III athletic teams.
Bluffton’s 100-year legacy is expressed today in its enduring values of discovery, community, respect and service that are woven into the academic program and campus life. Bluffton students go into the world prepared for life as well as for their chosen vocations.

Olak Sunuwar Licensed Towards Ordination

Rogers Park, Chicago, IL – On April 5, Olak Sunuwar, a member of the pastoral team at Living Water Community Church in Rogers Park, met with five members of the Church Life Team (CLT) of Illinois Mennonite Conference (IMC). Olak graciously answers questions from the CLT concerning his theology, practice, life experiences, and calling to ministry. After a time of deliberation, Olak was granted a license towards ordination.

Olak was accompanied by his co-pastors Pastor Kristin Jackson, Pastor Stephen Lamp, Pastor Amos Shakya, and staff.  The CLT consisted of Charlotte Lehman, Doug Roth, Curt Fenton, Kim Litwiller and Michael Danner.

Licensing towards ordination initiates a two-year process whereby ordination candidates continue in cooperative ministry with the congregation. At the end of that period, the congregation will either confirm the candidate’s gifts or suggest an additional two-year period of testing. At the end of the licensing period, ordination candidates go through another interview process at the request of the congregation. At the end of that period, candidates are ordained.

Please welcome Olak to the team of credentialed pastors in IMC.  We’re grateful to have him as part of the wider church, even as the congregation of Living Water is blessed by his ministry in their midst.

2017 Women’s Retreat

“From the planning committee of this year’s Women’s Retreat at Menno Haven, May 5-7:

The 2017 Women’s Retreat, “Made in the Image of God”, is less than a month away.  Scheduled to speak is Asia Frye, an AMBS ministry candidate who will be coming to us from Hillsboro, KS. In addition, Kim Litwiller from East Peoria MC and Janice Yoder from First Mennonite in Morton will be our worship leaders. Participants can choose to attend either one, two, or all three days of this retreat. 

 
Last year’s retreat, with over 100 women in attendance, was a wonderful time of worship and reflection, and the planning committee is excited for the biblical insight and encouragement Asia is preparing for us.  The early registration deadline has been extended to April 21st, and they encourage all interested women to sign up as soon as possible.  Thank you!”

What Happened to the Four Affirmations?

On March 31-April 1, the delegate body of Illinois Mennonite Conference (IMC) met for our annual business meeting.  During the course of the weekend, I was asked, “Hey, whatever happened to the four affirmations?”

BACKGROUND

The four affirmations sought to provide a framework for unity within IMC during a season where some congregations were discerning more open and inclusive positions and practices concerning LGBTQ persons. Other congregations were distressed by those moves. The question became, on what basis can we be unified as a conference?

The answer to that question was the four affirmations.  They are:

  • Jesus is Lord
  • The Bible is authoritative
  • The Confession of Faith in a Mennonite Perspective is ours.
  • The Holy Spirit is at work.

IMC leadership asked members and congregations of IMC to affirm these four statements and accept the affirmation of others as sufficient for ongoing unity within the conference.

NOT MENTIONED

At this year’s annual assembly, the four affirmations were not mentioned.  Instead, I (current CEM, Michael Danner) spoke of three commitments. Those three commitments should be familiar to all IMC congregations. Why? Because they are the three commitments all congregations make when they become members of IMC. The three commitments are:

  • Congregations shall ascribe to the Confession of Faith in a Mennonite Perspective.
  • Congregations shall affirm the mission statement and core functions, values, and disciplines of the IMC.
  • Congregations shall commit themselves to support the IMC through regular participation, finances, and prayer.

THEY ARE WHAT WE HAVE

It is possible that we can do better than those three commitments? Yes, they could be more clear. Perhaps the four affirmations say something that the three commitments do not say. Are they the best? I am not sure.

What I am sure of is this: those three commitments are what we have right now. I say that because they are what all congregations committed to already. Therefore, they are the only basis for sustained relationships within IMC right now (unless or until the delegates of IMC change them through a constitutional amendment).

As congregations practice those three commitments, they enter into and maintain a relational covenant with one another.

GOING FORWARD

Going forward, we will work within the framework of the commitments we have already made. That, by no means, implies that I feel the four affirmations are bad or wrong or unhelpful. It only means that unless and until assent to the four affirmations – or some other framework – emerges as an official act of the delegate body as an amendment to our constitution, we will stick with what we’ve already agreed to do. It is the only starting point for sustained relationships within IMC.

Now, what does it mean to ascribe, affirm, and commit? What happens when congregations don’t ascribe, affirm, and/or commit? Those are good questions we will need to tackle together.