Empowering Mennonite Education: A 2019 Call to Prayer and Action

Education has been part of the mission of the Mennonite Church since the founding of Bethel College over 130 years ago. In 2019 our schools are facing many opportunities and also strong challenges. The Mennonite Education Agency is calling the church to rally around and to support our schools in these difficult times.

Currently, the church relates to six schools of higher learning and 24 schools from early childhood education through grade 12. This fall over 10,000 students are enrolled in Mennonite schools. Many of the students are from other than Mennonite congregations and some do not bring a faith background. Our schools provide a setting and a faith formation program for this diverse group of students. Also, Mennonite education has become a cutting edge of mission for our church in our society, and a distinctively Anabaptist point of view is something our nation and world needs at this moment and time.

You may have read stories in the Mennonite press about the struggles of some of our schools at all levels and the ways they are adjusting to provide an education that puts faith into the future.

In this Kairos moment the Mennonite Education Agency is calling the church to a renewed commitment to all of our schools. We are asking individuals and congregations to:

Encourage and provide financial support so that students from all congregations can attend a Mennonite school. (Many of our schools will match congregational grants to students.)
Pray (individually and as congregations) for our schools and for all students in your congregation regardless of where they attend school.
Visit our schools and their websites to learn more about them.
Increase congregational and individual giving to our schools and educational programs.
Encourage and/or recommend students to attend a Mennonite school.

This is an inflection point in Mennonite education. Now, it is our time to build on the hard work and investments of past generations in our schools so they are empowered to move into the future. While we know our schools need the support of the church, we also believe that our church needs strong schools to help build a strong future.

We ask each congregation of Mennonite Church USA to engage in this call to prayer and action, joining together so that Mennonite schools and churches have a bright future and continue to educate persons who change our world toward the intention of God.

Mennonite Education Agency

August, 2019

Mennonite Schools Council Schools (Early Childhood – grade 12) and Hispanic Ministries Educational Programs

Academia Mennonita Betania, Puerto Rico

Bethany Christian School, Goshen, Indiana

Central Christian School, Kidron, Ohio

Dock Mennonite Academy, Lansdale, Pennsylvania

Diamond Early Learning Center, Akron, Pennsylvania

Eastern Mennonite School, Harrisonburg, Virginia

Freeman Academy, Freeman, South Dakota

Hinkletown Mennonite School, Hinkletown, Pennsylvania

Instituto Biblico Anabautista (IBA) in 42 centers in 10 states and Mexico