2010-03-09 issue:
MMA to change name
by Everett J. ThomasPrint Article Email to a Friend
Mennonite Mutual Aid, which prefers to be called MMA, told the Mennonite Church USA Executive Board on Feb. 18 that it has hired a consultant to develop a new corporate identity and name "that brings together all parts of MMA into a unified brand." Among the reasons:
MMA members are confused by the variety of names currently being used; Mennonites no longer seek out other Mennonites to do business with as they did two generations ago; as an organization that works with multiple denominations, the word "Mennonite" is both a positive and a negative; in Internet search engines, the acronym "MMA" has been taken over by Mixed Martial Arts.
MMA plans to release the name to the public on March 31.
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Was this not done about 10 years ago? The MMA toolkit is one of the most widely read MC USA publications. It is surprising to me that MMA feels there is brand confusion out there. I wonder if there are other issues at play that someone is confusing with a need for a major identity change.
Hello Jonub, Mennonite Mutual Aid did start using MMA as its public name about 10 years ago. But we didn't consider that a name change -- not like this one coming up. Yes, a new name is a significant change, and there are a number of reasons why we're making it. We'll explain more in our announcement on March 31 at MMA-online.org. - Judy Martin Godshalk, MMA
How will the name change be affected by the current health care policy passed by Congress? It might seem that the new healthcare policy has little bearing to an internal organizational change, but I would differ in this respect. External realities need to be taken into account during the rebranding effort. My other question is if Mennonite is a negative term and MMA does not use the word Mennonite, what unique ministry is MMA actually offering in a plethora of insurance companies?
Hello Mat, Yes, health care reform is an important issue to MMA, and we expect to be releasing a statement soon on the legislation that just passed. However, our new name was chosen based on our relationship with members and future members, and all their stewardship needs. Health insurance and related education/services is just one part of the total financial services that we provide today. The word Mennonite is not applicable to many of the people we serve who belong to denominations other than Mennonite Church USA. But not using Mennonite doesn't mean we intend to move away from Mennonite/Anabaptist values of stewardship and mutual aid. If you watch for our public announcement on March 31 at MMA-online.org, we will explain more about why we're choosing this direction. Judy Martin Godshalk, MMA
It seems as though some persons at MMA "feel" that there is confusion and so they will cave to their feelings instead of asserting that MMA really also stands for Mennonite Mutual Aid. Please remember that some people may feel that there is confusion as to what MCC stands for - ie. e.g. Metropolitan Community Church - feelings need to be thought about.