June 2024
Dear Friends,
It is the fiscal year-end at MEA, and we have much to be thankful for! We are continuing to live into our strategic plans and discerning how to fulfill the educational mission of Mennonite Church USA: to strengthen the church through education.
We are thrilled with the growth of the MEA Scholarship for BIPOC Students. Thanks to the generosity of our constituents, we more than doubled the scholarship awards from last year! These recipients come from a wide variety of backgrounds, ethnicities, and languages. Yet, they share one common denominator: they are all outstanding leaders on campus and in their churches.
We believe they are the future of Mennonite Church USA – and the future is NOW! To read more about each scholarship recipient, read the article here.
Our Hispanic Ministries programs are also growing and thriving. The first cohort of the MEA Hispanic Ministries-AMBS Certificado de Posgrado en Estudios Teológicos (Graduate Certificate in Theological Studies) is completing their second semester of study. This historic program is the first graduate certificate program taught in Spanish at an Anabaptist seminary in the United States. We are proud of the vision of our staff to bring this dream into fruition, in partnership with AMBS!
Four students of the Seminario Bíblico Anabautista Hispano (SeBAH – Hispanic Anabaptist Biblical Seminary) will be graduating this summer in Brownsville, Texas. We uplift these determined students as the next leaders of the Hispanic Mennonite Church!
For more information about MEA’s Hispanic Ministries programs, visit www.MennoniteEducation.org and click on Ministerios Hispanos.
Faith Formation continues to be a key part of our work. Earlier this year we published Lent at Home, a companion to Advent at Home. The At Home series continues to be the most downloaded resource of all MC USA materials. Our writer and designer, both alumni of Mennonite schools partnered with MEA, do a marvelous job creating the curriculum and rendering it into vibrant artwork. The series is intergenerational and can be used by individuals, families, and congregations. With daily Scriptures, worship rituals, prayers, activities, and background information, these resources enhance the experience of these holy times. They are available in English and Spanish on the MEA website under Resources.
We also support the good work of Building Faith, the online ministry for families by the Mennonite Early Childhood Network. Visit www.BuildingFaithFamily.com.
None of these programs and resources happen in a vacuum. They require staff support, administrative assistance, and ultimately, financial backing. If you value programming like these and want to see them continue, please consider a gift to MEA today. Thank you for supporting Mennonite education!
Grace and Peace,
Michael Danner
Executive Director
How to give:
Online gifts can be made at Paypal.me/MennoniteEd or www.MennoniteEducation.org/donate.
Checks can be payable to Mennonite Education Agency and sent to 3145 Benham Ave. Suite 2, Elkhart, IN 46517
