Western District Conference

Structure 

Executive Board

The Executive Board is the overall visioning, direction-setting, prioritizing and policy-making board of the Western District Conference. The Executive Board acts on behalf of the delegates between Delegate Assemblies.

Executive Board
members

Jay Goering, Moderator, Eden Mennonite, Moundridge
Brenda Glanzer Lilliston, Moderator-elect, Hope Mennonite, Wichita, KS
Marlene Faul, Secretary, Bethel College Mennonite, N Newton, KS
Larry Thimm, First Mennonite, Beatrice, NE
Diana Schunn, Grace Hill Mennonite, Whitewater, KS
Jim Stucky, Bethel College Mennonite, N Newton, KS
Krista Graber, Tabor Mennonite, Goessel, KS
Verlin Koehn, Grace Mennonite, Enid, OK
Russ Wedel, First Mennonite, Hutchinson, KS
Esther Vazquez, House of Healing, Dallas, TX
Violeta Ajquejay, Tabor Mennonite, Newton, KS

 Leadership Commission

     The Leadership Commission helps congregations find and sustain pastorial leadership and serves the unique needs of pastors, youth ministers and church planters through encouragement, support, accountability and credentialing. The Leadership Commission resources congregational elders and deacons as part of the ministry team with pastors.

Leadership Commission Duties

• Credential by commissioning, licensing and ordaining candidates for ministry.
• Serve as a consultative body to the conference minister in ministerial placement.
• Support personal and spiritual growth for pastoral leadership through counsel, personal evaluation, continuing education, and professional assistance.
• Provide leadership and resources for church-planting initiatives.
• Support a code of ministerial ethics in keeping with A Mennonite Polity for Ministerial Leadership.
• Function in a consultative role for the resolution of tensions between pastors and congregations.
• Give attention to ministerial salary issues and assist congregations in developing adequate salary levels for their pastors using MC USA guidelines.
• Resource ministry teams that include pastors and deacons through workshops, retreats, and other appropriate events.
• Encourage and promote a congregational and WDC culture of calling persons to leadership in the church.
• Relate to the Mennonite Church USA Office of Congregational and Ministerial Leadership as needed.

Leadership Commission
members

Pauline Buller, First Mennonite Church, Hutchinson, KS
Willmar T. Harder, Hoffnungsau Mennonite Church, Inman, KS
Dewayn Isaac, Eden Mennonite Church, Inola, OK
Janet Kaufman, Lorraine Ave. Mennonite Church, Wichita, KS
Robert Kaufman, Rainbow Mennonite Church, KS City, KS
Garland Robertson, Austin Mennonite Church, Austin, TX

Resource Commission 

    The Resource Commission empowers Western District Conference congregations as they witness to Jesus Christ in the Anabaptist/Mennonite tradition, connect with God’s mission in the world and provide faith formation resources for all ages. The Resource Commission encourages use of the Conference Resource Library and supports and promotes training events for congregations and their leaders.  The Resource Commission has a broad agenda that requires careful allocation of resources and discernment according to WDC priorities.

Resource Commission Duties

• Give leadership to the vision, usage and policies of the Conference Resource Library.
• Resource congregations or special groups in a variety of ways.
• Encourage and resource faith formation in congregations
• Appoint and oversee a Youth Ministry Committee (number and term length to be determined by the Resource Commission) to envision and implement area conference youth ministries which engage congregations in reaching, resourcing, and reviving youth for an everlasting relationship with Christ.
• Provide resources in the areas of worship, music, evangelism, outreach, peace and justice, ethnic relationships, special needs and other issues affecting congregations and communities.
• Appoint an Historical Committee (number and term length to be determined by the Resource Commission) to develop policies about items of historical and cultural interest including the collection, preservation, and availability of official records and materials pertaining to the Western District Conference and its congregations via a relationship with Mennonite Library and Archives at Bethel College as the official depository of this material.

Resource Commission
members
(from left to right)

Sharon Nance, Peace Mennonite, Dallas, TX
Adam Robb, Bethel College Mennonite, N Newton, KS
Judy Scharg, First Mennonite, Newton, KS
Tom Claassen, Chair, Salina Mennonite, Salina, KS
Lois Harder,  Lorraine Ave. Mennonite, Wichita, KS
Jeff Wintermote, Turpin Mennonite, Turpin, OK

 

Stewardship Commission

   The Stewardship Commission gives oversight to the Western District Conference legal, financial, personnel and property matters and promotes and encourages participation in the ministries of the conference through communication, prayer, volunteerism and financial support with an emphasis on firstfruits giving.

Stewardship Commission Duties:

•  Encourage and receive donations, fees and bequests of real and personal property on behalf of the Western District Conference.  Insure an orderly process of accounting for and reporting of WDC income, expenditures, accounts and investments.
• Administer the Revolving Fund, make loans from the fund in accordance with such guidelines as the Stewardship Commission may provide.
• Lead the process of developing an annual WDC budget and present the budget to the Executive Board for its approval and submission to the Delegate Assembly.
• Develop and implement fund-raising initiatives and strategies.
• Appoint a three member Staff Relations Committee (three year staggered terms with a two term limit) to oversee personnel matters and policies in consultation with the conference minister.
• Oversee the management, maintenance and policies of 2500 Place, other WDC-owned property, and Camp Mennoscah.  The Stewardship Commission may delegate certain management, maintenance and policy functions to other WDC entities. 
• Promote participation in Western District Conference by communicating the ministries of WDC, developing and maintaining networks of prayer support, connecting with congregations through a network of representatives and area meetings as needed.
• As directed by the Executive Board, represent WDC in all legal matters as the administrative arm of WDC. Execute all necessary legal documents and insure the safekeeping of important documents, papers and electronic files.

Stewardship Commission
members
from left to right

Jeanette Stucky, Mennonite Church of the Servant, Wichita, KS
Rod Franz, Manhattan Mennonite, Manhattan, KS
Russ Hiebert, Eden Mennonite, Moundridge, KS
Robert Esau, First Mennonite, Beatrice, NE
Julie Gaeddert, Chair, Bethel Mennonite, Inman, KS
Jack Hardy, Eden Mennonite, Inola, OK (not pictured)

Retreat Commission

    The Retreat Commission serves Western District Conference congregations by providing camp, retreat, and recreational experiences at Camp Mennoscah and other settings where Christian relationships and faith in Jesus Christ can be shared and nurtured in a variety of ways.  A major focus of the Retreat Commission is oversight of Camp Mennoscah.  Western District Conference owns Camp Mennoscah and the property and its assets are finally the responsibility of WDC

Retreat Commission Duties:

• In consultation with conference staff, provide leadership in the management, maintenance, staffing, policies and procedures of Camp Mennoscah within the parameters of the legal, financial, property and personnel policies established by the staff relations committee, stewardship commission and executive board.
• In consultation with conference staff, develop vision, long-range planning, site development, budgeting and staffing for Camp Mennoscah.
• If a director of Camp Mennoscah is appointed, the director shall be a conference staff member (See Bylaw 4, Section B).
•  Help conference staff and camp staff promote camping and retreat experiences for all ages and abilities.
• Process requests for task forces to coordinate WDC retreat programs that meet needs or interests, including sports tournaments and ski trips.
• Relate to Mennonite Camping Association.

Retreat Commission
members

pictured here with Dorothy Nickel Friesen, Conference Minister (3rd from left) at the ground breaking for the new director's house at Camp Mennoscah

Left to Right
Galen Waltner, Eden Mennonite, Moundridge, KS
Kevin Wiens, Bethel Mennonite Church, Inman, KS
Bruce Janzen, Chair, Zion Mennonite, Elbing, KS
Arlin Buller, Alexanderwohl Mennonite Church, Goessel, KS
Ann Doerksen, Faith Mennonite Church, Newton, KS
Valerie Klaassen, Grace Hill Mennonite Church, Whitewater, KS