By Winton Boyd
One of the unexpected joys of working in this building for the last 11 ½ years has been sharing space with Madison Mennonite Church. In particular, I’ve been touched and blessed by my friendship and working relationship with their pastor of the last 11 years, the Rev. Tonya Ramer Wenger. Tonya is moving this week to take a new position with First Mennonite Church of Hutchinson, Kansas. She and her husband and three children are excited and eager for this big transition.
I’ve been a colleague with Tonya longer than any other colleague I’ve had here. We’ve shared worship services, retreats, potluck dinners and a meaningful and relaxed friendship. I’ve marveled at her blend of activism and contemplative spirituality. I’ve been inspired by how much she lives out her values. I’ve confided in her and she in me as we’ve faced various issues, challenges, quandaries and joys serving two partner congregations. I’m looking forward to meeting their interim pastor, but will live with a linger sadness at the loss of an ‘on location’ friend.
I’ve come to value our partnership with the Mennonites more and more. For those who don’t know, they meet in our building on Sunday evenings (they are AMAZING singers). In fact, they have been meeting her for 18 years, and consider this their church home too. We’re grateful that they also made a significant pledge to our Seeds for the Next Generation campaign.
We’ve shared Ash Wednesday and Good Friday services together, seasonal retreats and other programs. We held a joint trip to the Dominican Republic 3 years ago, working with Habitat for Humanity. I find the people in their congregation friendly, faithful, activist, and full of goodness and humor (what’s not to like about a congregation that has a softball team named “Pacifists with Sticks”!) I’ve often joked that if I weren’t UCC, I would probably be a Mennonite.
I encourage you to come over to the church on a Sunday evening around 6 p.m. You’ll encounter a lively, inter-generational congregation spilling into the yard and Friendship Hall. Join in their worship, sing four part harmony with them and give thanks for the breadth of God’s people.
