New membership plan for Mennonite Church USA

In a 180-degree switch from a previous plan, a new proposal would have congregations and area conferences in the General Conference (GC) and Mennonite Church (MC) apply for membership in the new Mennonite Church USA. This proposal received majority assent from the Constituency Leaders Council here in late May.

Earlier, executive committees from the GC, MC and Mennonite Church Canada had proposed that current members automatically become members of the new denomination. That provision, approved for MC Canada, has died in the U.S. since delegates in St. Louis last summer charged that it included congregations currently under MC discipline for their stance on homosexuality.

Under the new proposal, conferences and congregations that "share...vision and commmitments" may join MC USA. Those commitments include the Confession of Faith in a Mennonite Perspective and denominational statements, particularly the statements on sexuality.

Dual-conference congregations currently under MC discipline "must clarify their willingness to support" the new guidelines to join. Pastors "are expected to uphold the wider church's discernment as the teaching points of the church" or risk disciplinary action, state the guidelines.

The new proposal was discussed by nearly 100 representatives from all area conferences and associate groups at the May meeting. No votes or polls were taken to quantify support.

"It sounds like the majority would be more likely to affirm this set of membership guidelines," said Ervin Stutzman, Mennonite Church USA moderator-elect and chair of the Leaders Council. He cautioned, however, that dissenting views not be ignored.

Of the 23 U.S. area conferences, 4 are GC and 2 are dually-affiliated, making the Constituency Leaders Council predominantly MC. The council is a forum for conference representatives, not a decision-making body.

As in the original plan, congregations hold denominational membership through area conferences which, in turn, accept or reject congregations. But the proposal does not spell out who is responsible for accepting or rejecting conferences at the national level.

For example, Marv Zehr of the Western District Conference said that his conference could develop a satisfactory relationship with Rainbow Mennonite Church (which openly affirms homosexual members), but who would decide if that is good enough to be accepted by the denomination?

The new guidelines will be presented to delegates at next year's convention in Nashville, where passage will require a two-thirds vote by GCs and MCs.