Church Planting Commission Duties:
Seek out and encourage Anabaptist/Mennonite emerging groups such as church plants, fellowships, and churches seeking affiliation with the Mennonite Church.
Encourage existing Western District Conference congregations to be alert to God’s activity in their locations that may signal an emerging group. Invite congregations to understand that creating new congregations is an essential and natural activity of every healthy church.
- Offer practical resources to emerging groups.
- Discover and assess potential church planting leaders.
- Provide ongoing support, training, coaching and accountability for church planters.
- Develop effective patterns and appropriate policies for the fruitful development of new churches.
- Generate and allocate funding for church planting activities.
- Establish networks of support among emerging groups and connect them with established congregations.
- Network with Western District church planting staff and resources of Mennonite Church USA.
Church Planting Commission Members:
- (2024) Adela Gutierrez, Iglesia Luz del Evangelio, Dallas, TX
- (2024) Steve Nikkel, Alexanderwohl Mennonite Church, Goessel, KS
- (2025) Alberto Parchmont, Iglesia Menonita Casa del Alfarero, Pasadena, TX
- (2025) Katherine Graber, Peace Mennonite Church, Dallas, TX, Chairperson
- (2026) Jim Unruh, First Mennonite Church, Hutchinson, KS
- (2026) Marlene McKitrick, San Antonio Mennonite Church, San Antonio, TX