Three churches to leave their conferences

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GOSHEN, Ind.—On June 19, Indiana-Michigan Mennonite Conference delegates accepted the withdrawal of Providence Mennonite Church, Montgomery, Ind., which has now joined the Conservative Mennonite Conference.

“This is the third congregation in Davies County (Ind.) to leave the conference in the last 10 years,” said Tim Lichti, regional conference minister, noting that nearby Berea Mennonite Church also joined the Conservative conference several years ago. “Bethel [Mennonite Church] also considered the Conservative conference but it wasn’t conservative enough for them. The last I heard, the Bethel church was relating to the Walter Beachy Amish group.”

Providence sent a letter in February indicating its intent to withdraw from Indiana-Michigan Mennonite Conference. The congregation has about 270 members.

“It was the liberal nature of [Indiana-Michigan] conference going back to the 1980s,” Lichti said of Providence’s reasons for withdrawal, “including women in ministry and lack of aggressive action taken on the homosexual issue.”

On June 18, members of the First Mennonite Church of Berne (Ind.) decided to begin the process of changing the area conference in which they hold membership.

“The vote was to begin the process of leaving Central District Conference,” said Rod Lehman, moderator of the 1,100-member congregation, “and looking at another conference but not leaving Mennonite Church USA.”

Lehman said congregational leaders have had preliminary conversations with another Mennonite Church USA conference, but those conversations were unofficial and with a few conference leaders.

Blossom Hill Mennonite Church, Lancaster, Pa., voted in May to leave Lancaster Mennonite Conference. The church has not yet decided to which conference they will transfer.—Everett J. Thomas

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