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2009-05-05 issue:

Kanagy encourages missional journey

More than 100 participate in Road Signs for the Church Journey conference.

by Judy King

Print Article

The mission of God must be our first priority, or we will never get around to do it, said Conrad Kanagy, keynote speaker at the “From Reality to Hope: Road Signs for the Church Journey” conference March 20-21 at a campus of the South Hutchinson (Kan.) Mennonite Church.  

“All the other things we get caught up in are about taking care of us, and our needs are endless,” said Kanagy (pictured). “If we’re not clear about our congregation’s calling as the people of God to the community where we’re located, we’re going to get distracted by other people along the road.”

More than 100 people participated in the conference, sponsored jointly by Hesston (Kan.) College, South Central Mennonite Conference and the South Hutchinson Mennonite Church.

Kanagy is the author of the book Road Signs for the Journey: A Profile of Mennonite Church USA. Written in 2006, the book includes a survey of Mennonite Church USA members that Kanagy used to provide spiritual and sociological markers of Mennonite Church USA today.

He notes changes since surveys of Mennonites in 1972 and 1989, and compares the denomination with other U.S. faith traditions. Kanagy’s pastoral and missional perspective points to signs of hope and renewal. Kanagy teaches at Elizabethtown (Pa.) College.

Kanagy spoke on four themes: “The Reality of God’s People Today,” “A Theological Perspective,” “A Missional Response” and “Moving Forward in Hope to Shape New Realities.”

“The church’s journey must be a missional journey,” said Kanagy. “A common question today is, How do we get people into the church? A better question may be, How do we get the church into the community?

“Power, acceptance and prestige are the ways of the church today,” he said. “That’s why we’re so busy doing church; we’re not really involved in ministry. How can the church be rebuilt and restored so it becomes what God intended it to be?”

Kanagy told a personal story of his wife being diagnosed with cancer a year ago. Previous to that, they walked a fast, three-mile track for their daily exercise and didn’t have time to talk to the people they met along the way. Last summer, that fast pace was reduced to a painful walk around the block, and suddenly they found themselves interacting with their neighbors as folks are coming out of their houses to connect with them. 

“In our weakness, we can do so much more for God than in our strength,” Conrad said.
Using Jeremiah 31:21a as the theme verse, Kanagy urged attendees to “Set up road signs; put up guideposts. Take note of the highway, the road that you take. We are not immune to the trends that are taking place in North America, and most of the landscape we live in is changing. We should not fight it. We must trust that it will end in the fulfillment of God’s kingdom.” 

“Is the Spirit of God dismantling the church as we know it?” he asked. “How can we work with the Spirit of God instead of against it? We have an incredible opportunity to get on with the mission of God in the midst of the dismantling of the church. When we focus on the mission of God, we will move forward in unity, and our differences will become secondary.

When we focus on our differences, the church becomes fragmented. What would happen if every committee and ministry team would ask the question, How is the work we are doing connected to the mission of God?”

Conrad concluded with this statement: “If missional work doesn’t change us, it’s not missional work, because God’s mission is not about us. The fatigue we’re feeling in the church today is from serving ourselves. Folks that get on with the mission of God have found life. What evidence to God’s love do our congregations demonstrate?”

At the end of the conference, Ted & Company performed their new stage production, “WWLD?” (What Would Lloyd Do?), starring Ted Swartz and Trent Wagler with Jay Lapp. 
The show portrays a struggling inner-city church that recruits a new pastor and music director. Coming from different generations the two discover conflict and commonality. As their relationship grows, they wrestle with issues of doubt, disappointment and hope. The show is a blend of original music, humor and a thought-provoking message. For more information about the show, go to www.tedandlee.com.  

“This is an important topic for all churches in Mennonite Church USA,” said Hutchinson pastor Howard Wagler, “to have conversations about our present reality and hope for the future. We highly recommend the content presented by Conrad Kanagy and Ted & Company to help us see where we are as a church, presenting a message of hope and helping us find the way by providing road signs pointing us to a brighter future.”

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