Photos from the 2010 Mennonite Church USA Interchurch Relations Gathering

Last week I was in Newton, Kan., for the bi-annual gathering of Mennonite Church USA Interchurch Relations gathering. This is a gathering of people inside and outside Mennonite Church USA involved in building relationships between Mennonite Church USA and other churches and movements. The meeting included members of different reference groups looking at different aspects of ecumenical work such as peace, theology, local congregations or discipling communities (the group I was a part of ).

It was energizing for me to connect with others who are recognizing that the Mennonite Church doesn't have a monopoly on the Anabaptist movement. It was also a great opportunity for me to meet new people inside the Mennonite church. Rather then write more about it, I'll share some photos I took. This is my second time doing freelance photography at a Mennonite event. It's good fun.

Note: I started writing captions with more then just names, but they all just said, "This person talks while these other people listen" so I've just included names in the cases where people are simply in conversation with one another.

(l-r) Tom Finger and Elaine Enns.

(l-r) James Kraybill, Calenthia Dowdy and Tom Finger.

 (l-r) Tim Seidel, Joanna Shenk and Titus Peachy.

Marco Güete sings during worship

Don Compier, dean of the Community of Christ Seminary shared with us the story of how the Community of Christ became a peace church in 1984. You can read more about his church's story on the blog of Mennonite Weekly Review. Andre Gingerich Stoner listens.

Calenthia Dowdy speaks during a panel on the The Great Emergence by Phyllis Tickle. (l-r) Panel member Lois Barrett and moderator Joanna Shenk listen.

(l-r)Mark Van Steenwyk and Al Meyer

(l-r) Lois Barrett and Juanita Nunez.

(l-r) Patty Shelly, Elaine Enns, Rachelle Lyndaker Schlabach, Renee Kanagy

Ervin Stutzman gives the opening message while James Kraybill listens.

(l-r) Lois Barett, Lois Harder, Mark Van Steenwyk

(l-r) Elaine Enns, Joanna Shenk, James Kraybill and Ervin Stutzman.

(l-r) John Stoner and Juanita Nunez

(l-r) Andre Gingerich Stoner, Heidi Unruh and Bill Zuercher

(l-r) Mark Van Steenwyk, Titus Peachy, Virgil Vogt, Sally Schreiner Youngquist and Calenthia Dowdy

(l-r) Joanna Shenk and Andre Gingerich Stoner

(l-r) Calenthia Dowdy and Peter Dula

(l-r) Calenthia Dowdy and Ervin Stutzman

Don Compier speaks about the the journey of Community of Christ (see above)

Sally Schreiner Youngquist asks a question after the address by Don Compier

Susan Mark Landis asks a question. Peter Dula listens.

Joetta Handrich Schlabach leads singing during morning worship while Heidi Unruh plays the recorder.

Tim Nafziger is a activist, writer, organizer and web developer. He lives in the Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago with his wife Charletta where he attends Living Water Community Church. He is the administrator for the Young Anabaptist Radicals blog and serves as Outreach Coordinator for Christian Peacemaker Teams. For more about his life, read his first blog post.

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