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2007-07-24 issue:

Young adults comprise 10 percent of assembly

by Anna Groff

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YODAs (YOung adult Delegate to Assembly) and other young adult delegates came out in strong numbers at San José 2007.

Amy Nissley, associate pastor at Bethel Mennonite Church in Mountain Lake, Minn., and a YODA planner, told the YODAs that the age makeup of delegates has changed over the years, and the number of young adults has dramatically increased.

Nissley said she remembers when she was a delegate in 1999 and it felt to her there were only three other young adult delegates. She said this convention had about 45 YODAs. Including YODAS, there were approximately 75 delegates under the age of 30.

This year YODAs used a “small group system” for orientation. Six to eight YODAs were paired with a mentor and the groups met once or twice during the convention week.

Kristin Yoder, a YODA from Phoenix, Ariz., said it was “comforting to know that there was an adult with previous delegate experience who was excited about young adults participating in the sessions and open to all of our questions and comments.”

Yoder said her small group leader, Beryl Jantzi, helped her group understand the health care resolution by giving them an idea of the current status of health care in the Mennonite Church and how it would change if the motion passed.

On Wednesday afternoon the YODAs met with six Executive Board members to ask questions about their decision-making and their power.

Janeen Bertsche Johnson, board member from Goshen, Ind., addressed a question about the amount of power the Executive Board has. She said she now realizes the power she has is part of the “establishment.” She said she works to “give a voice to people without power” and speak back to the margins to remind them of the larger body.

Merrill Moyer, board member from Souderton, Pa., reminded the YODAs of the power they have as delegates. The board moves forward from the direction taken by delegates, he said.

Bertsche Johnson spoke to an issue one YODA raised concerning homosexuality and church membership. She told the YODAs there is no official policy that homosexual people cannot be members, but some conferences have said that congregations should not admit practicing homosexuals.

Bertsche Johnson said Constituency Leaders Council offers a critical place to discuss congregational discernment. She believes it is important to have a similar conversation around delegate tables, but at this point, she said, making a decision on this subject would be divisive.

One evening, more than 80 young adults discussed questions in small groups like, “How do we balance the tension between our investment in this goal of being involved/connected with the church and our personal yearnings for freedom and growth away from our home congregations?”

Laura Leischner, of Harrisonburg, Va., wondered how young adults should balance “waiting to be asked and wanting to be tapped” with “taking initiative.” Leischner, a Ministry Inquiry Program participant in Denver, Colo., said that through the program she was “tapped” to preach, and since then she has realized that she’s worthy to answer those calls.

Krista Ehst, of Bally, Pa., said when she shares at her table at the delegate assembly, all feedback she receives is positive and that feels patronizing. She desires an “equal exchange.”
To Keith Wilson, of Dyer, Ind., voice equals action. For young adults to have a say in the church, they need to be involved, he said.

Felicia Moore, of Bristol, Pa., said the church should work to connect people’s gifts to one another. Moore, an alternate delegate, feels that responsibility, as well as a “peace” because she knows her home congregation trusts her with decision-making.

Jason Shenk, of Goshen, Ind., summarized his table’s thoughts by mentioning that youth want to see people in their 20s and 30s at church—people to look up to.

He also brought up the tension between college and noncollege-educated young people in the church, and the lack of noncollege-young people present at convention.

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