Faith & Life
Commission
Duties:
·
Provide leadership for Conference in spiritual,
doctrinal, and faith and life issues
·
Be a forum for interchanging concerns relating
to congregational life and leadership
·
Attend to leadership needs of congregations
·
Promote unity of faith and practice
·
Issue ministry credentials
· Provide professional development, fellowship and inspiration for pastors
Staff & Position & Contact
Owen Burkholder, Conference Minister, owen.burkholder@vmconf.org
Diane Bowman, Staff Assistant, diane.bowman@vmconf.org
Officers & Position
Joe Longacher, Chair, corjlong@yahoo.com
Clyde Kratz, Vice Chair, clyde@zmcva.org
Richard Bowman, Secretary, rebowmanmail@gmail.com
Members & District or Cluster
Leslie Francisco III, Calvary, lwfiii@aol.com
Richard Bowman, Central, rebowmanmail@gmail.com
Robert Wenger, Central, rolowenger@juno.com
Carl Smeltzer, Chaplains, cmsmeltz@gmail.com
Harold Bergey, Eastern District, hrbergey@cox.net
Duane Beck, Eastern Carolina, duaneebeck@gmail.com
Roy Hange, Harrisonburg, rmhange@juno.com
Anna Janzen, Member-at-Large, miltonanna@aol.com
Sheryl Shenk, Member-at-Large, shenksl@aol.com
Cindy Voth, Member-at-large, cindy.voth@emu.edu
Clyde Kratz, Northern, clyde@zmcva.org
Aldine Musser, Northern, jamusser@verizon.net
H. Michael Shenk III, Northern, mikeshenk@aol.com
Luke Schrock-Hurst, Potomac, lsh@mcc.org
Beryl Jantzi, Southern, beryl.jantzi@mmapartners.org
Wayne North, Special Assignment, wnorthd@juno.com
Art Smoker, TCK, ansmoker@verizon.net
Documents:
METER (Ministry Effectiveness Training & Enhancement Reflection)
Credentialing for Ministry Journey (Outline)
Credentialing for Ministry Journey (with attachments)
Growing in Ministry Journey (Outline)
Growing in Ministry Journey (with attachments)
Resources for the Journey
Forms for Reporting
Overseers'
Quarterly Report Form
Overseer Information
Sheet for Personnel Committee (Overseer coversheet)
Personnel Committee
Questionnaire Response Form
Credentialing forms
Ministerial
Leadership Information (MLI) Form (external link)
Criminal Background Check Waiver
Form (must complete in original ink)
Spouse Response Form (Typeable)
Spouse Response Form (Printable)
Pastoral
Training Questionnaire
Special Ministries Application
Code of Sexual Ethics for Ministers Form (pdf)
Other
Resources
Seven Vision Statements of VMC
MC USA Resource Catalog (external link)
Criminal Background Check Procedures
Credentialing Competencies Document
Credentialing Process Guide Sheet
Leadership Handbook
Leadership Handbook
Appendix A: VMC Constitution & Bylaws
Appendix B: Agreeing and Disagreeing in Love
Appendix C: Ministerial Training Trust Fund and Application [see Conference office for document, see link to application
Appendix D: Financial Resources for Pastoral Training [see Conference office]
Appendix E: Basic Courses for Pastoral Training [see
Pastoral
Training Questionnaire]
Appendix F: Basic Areas of Knowledge for Pastoring [see Pastoral
Training Questionnaire]
Appendix G: Organizational Chart
Policy #1: Headship and Leadership Roles of Women [see Conference office]
Policy #2: Guidelines for District and Congregational Leaders in Calling Women to Leadership Assignments [see Conference office]
Policy #3: Use of Divorced and/or Remarried Persons in Church Leadership
Policy #4: Church Membership and Military Personnel in Congregations of VMC
Policy #5: A Pastoral Approach to Persons with a Homosexual Orientation Policy #6: Special Ministries Policy
Policy #7: VMC Sexual Misconduct Policy and Procedure (pdf)
Current Issues in the Church
Virginia Mennonite Conference is participating in Mennonite Church USA discernment processes with multiple issues facing the church including human sexuality. Click here for a listing of the current issues.
Prior statements on human sexuality include:
Columbus (2009)
Mennonite Church USA Membership Guidelines (2001)
Confession of Faith in a Mennonite Perspective (1995), Article 19. Family, Singleness and Marriage
Purdue (1987)
Saskatoon (1986)
VMC Faith & Life Commission “A Pastoral Approach to Persons with a Homosexual Orientation” (1983/1999) Contact info@vmconf.org for an electronic copy
Human Sexuality in the Life of the Church (1985)
Contact Virginia Mennonite Conference:
Tel: (540) 434-9727 Fax: (540) 434-7627
901 Parkwood Dr., Harrisonburg , VA 22802
info@vmconf.org