Mennonite Weekly Review

HARLEYSVILLE, Pa. — While raising money to remodel and expand its facilities, Salford Mennonite Church is contributing to congregations with fewer resources.

Pastor Miriam Book of Salford Mennonite Church accepts a plate as an expression of gratitude from Larry Miller, MWC general secretary, center, and Pakisa Tshimika, associate secretary. The symbol of three interlocking fish represents Christian communion. — Photo provided

The congregation still holds a mortgage from the recently completed project, but members decided it was time to follow through on their commitment to give away a portion of the campaign goal of $3.3 million.  

In January, the congregation sent $9,000 to its sister church in Mexico City, Dios Con Nosotros (God With Us), to assist that church in developing classrooms for children’s education.

At the same time, they sent $24,000 to Mennonite World Conference for its Global Church Sharing Fund Jubilee Account, designated for churches around the globe that need assistance with worship facilities.

“It has been exciting to see these funds now made available for churches in developing countries,” said Ken Byler, chair of Salford’s campaign committee.

The Salford church experienced this excitement firsthand on April 13 when Larry Miller, Pakisa Tshimika and Tom Frank visited the congregation and formally received the Jubilee gift. Miller is MWC general secretary, Tshimika is associate general secretary, and Frank is a colleague in communication and marketing.

Their warm thanks encouraged the congregation and strengthened its connections with the global Anabaptist family, members said.

Miriam Book, lead pastor of the congregation, said she had a “wish that other congregations in North America who contemplate building will join us in sharing their abundant resources with our sisters and brothers around the world.”

Frank told how Salford Mennonite inspired him and his wife, Anneliese, to donate 10 percent of their spending on a project to improve their residence in Connecticut to the MWC Jubilee Account.

“Just as congregations across North America are designating a portion of their building funds to support church projects elsewhere in the world, perhaps individuals doing home-improvement projects might be inspired to follow that example and earmark 10 percent of their building budget for church improvements in the global South,” Frank said.