Stories of faith were woven through this year’s Annual Assembly weekend, both virtually and in-person.
Michele Hershberger gave a powerful plea for us to continue to “pass the baton” of faith in Christ from one generation to another. She told some powerful stories of Anabaptist saints who had run the race before us with courage, challenge, and hope Friday night.
Workshop presenter Talashia Keim Yoder told many stories of how she is a companion with kids, rather than an expert when it comes to forming faith in Jesus with them. Other workshop presenters shared powerful stories of justice, pain, joy, identity, hope, and courage, too.
During her “State of the Conference” address, Conference Minister Heidi Regier Kreider shared accounts of how she sees God at work in WDC congregations, as well as the painful realities affecting our churches (and the broader society) today.
Derryll Amstutz, Jay Goering, Tammy Duvanel Unruh, Paul Unruh, and Larry Temple all told true stories or stories that shared deeper truths of God’s love. Ted Swartz, of Ted and Company Theaterworks, shared some of his one-man, biblical stories on video. Saturday evening was a powerful time of inspiration, laughter, and even a few tears.
Graciela Tijerina closed out the 2021 WDC Annual Assembly with stories from her own life as our Sunday morning Assembly preacher. She didn’t shrink from talking about the tough times when God sustained her nor the joyful times when she was in awe of God’s goodness.
This hybrid Assembly wove together delegates and friends from farther across our conference than ever before, and drew in a nice age range with older delegates and friends favoring in-person and younger folks joining us via Zoom and YouTube. Videos of many parts of Annual Assembly are available for viewing and sharing with others on the Annual Assembly 2021 page of our Western District Conference website now.
Kathy Neufeld Dunn, Associate Conference Minister & Annual Assembly Coordinator
8/19/21