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2008-11-18 issue:

A young pastor’s perspective

Seven young adults say why they are committed to their congregations and how important it is that they be Mennonite.

by Rachel Ringenberg Miller

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Zion Mennonite Church in Archbold, Ohio, was an integral part of my family’s life. While much of this church experience was focused on biblical teachings and worship, I also gained a strong sense of community. Zion was a safe place to ask questions, to try out various leadership skills and to learn what it means to be a part of church community. This congregation gave me the chance to test my skills as a pastor, first through the Ministry Inquiry Program in college and later as the interim youth pastor and Christian education director upon graduation. I felt support from Zion when I entered seminary and continue to feel it.

Zion provided a positive model that ever since has compelled me to search for other Mennonite congregations that remind of me of Zion Mennonite. I have found this as well in my current congregation, Portland (Ore.) Mennonite Church.

What I look for is a place that feels like home, where all ages are represented in the congregation and in leadership. Everyone works alongside each other to build up the church. Upon finding a congregation that feels like home, I find my family, even though my relatives may be many miles away.

As I have left my home congregation, searching for that congregation to call home has not always been quick or easy. Focusing on churches that are Mennonite has helped. My Mennonite heritage gives me a sense of where I fit in the world. Growing up, I heard stories ranging from Martyrs’ Mirror to my father’s time in voluntary service during the Vietnam War. These stories shaped my identity. Attending a Mennonite church makes sense for me, since being Mennonite is a part of my identity, just as being a white, North American, young adult female is. The threads of Mennonite commonality transcend city or locale and give Mennonite congregations an advantage.

However, this is not the only reason I look for Mennonite congregations. I am strongly committed to the Mennonite faith and believe the Mennonite church has something to offer the rest of the world. Visitors to our congregation are often struck by the concept of the “priesthood of all believers.” For those coming from a hierarchal church background, the idea that we are called to be priests sounds strange. The way Mennonites “do church” can be freeing to those used to a high-church tradition.

I am a part of a Mennonite congregation because it has become an essential part of my life. This is from more than my heritage; it wells up from my sense that in following Jesus’ example we can help bring heaven to earth. As Mennonites we offer the world a reworking of violence and conflict, simplicity in a needy society, a kinder, gentler sense of community, creation care and justice, to name a few. Mennonite Church USA is my family and my congregation an extension of me.

Rachel Ringenberg Miller, associate pastor at Portland (Ore.) Mennonite Church