Archive of older Special Reports

April 22, 2007

Dear Frazer Mennonite Family,

After many months of prayerful discernment, the Pastoral Search Committee has identified the person we believe God is calling to serve as our new long-term pastor.  The Elder Board has unanimously affirmed the candidate we are recommending.

The search committee and the elder team are very pleased to present the name of Brenda Martin Hurst for your affirmation.

Brenda and her family live in Harrisonburg, VA where she serves as an Assistant Professor of Practical Theology at Eastern Mennonite Seminary.  She has been a member of the seminary faculty since 2001.  Brenda teaches courses in practical areas, such as the “Theology for Ministry” and the “Practice of Christian Worship,” which are focused on congregational life.  She describes herself as “a pastor who cares about theological things.”

Brenda was ordained in April 1988 in Newton, KS.  She and her husband Ray served as co-pastors for 11 years at the Tabor Mennonite Church—a congregation of 250 active members.  While at Tabor, Brenda had the lead for preaching and teaching. Ray, who is a trained pastoral counselor, had the primary responsibility for pastoral care.  They shared the pastoral leadership and administrative functions.

Brenda has been actively involved in the broader Mennonite Church over the past 20 years.  She has written for the church and has conducted workshops and seminars around the country.  She has also served on a number of denomination-wide groups, including several merger committees which helped shape Mennonite Church USA.

Brenda is a graduate of Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary in Elkhart and she has her PhD in “History, Theology and Ethics” from Union Theological Seminary.

Brenda’s Background and Family
Brenda grew up in Lancaster County and was one of nine children.   She attended Martindale Mennonite Church in the Lancaster Conference, and that is where she first heard God’s call to pastoral ministry.  She graduated from Lancaster Mennonite High School.

Brenda and Ray have two children—Zach who is a freshman at Hesston College in Kansas and Matt who is in the 7th grade.  For the past 10 years, Ray has been serving as a co-pastor at Community Mennonite Church in Harrisonburg.  If Brenda were to accept a call to Frazer, Ray would be an active member of our congregation.  He will be exploring a number of opportunities for Christian service in a church or faith-based setting.  However, he is not interested in pursuing pastoral ministry.

Brenda’s Pastoral Gifts
According to those with whom we have spoken, Brenda is a gifted preacher and teacher.  She is also strongly affirmed for her gifts of pastoral leadership, administration, worship planning and pastoral care.  She also has strengths in community outreach and in leading peace and social justice ministries.  One of her references told us that she has a “heart for ministry” and has “real gifts as a servant leader.”  She is a deeply spiritual person who is solidly Anabaptist.  She will speak prophetically on issues related to the church’s witness to the world.

Affirmation Process
We have invited Brenda and her family to visit Frazer on May 12 and 13.  She will preach on Sunday morning, May 13, and then she and her family will meet with the adults and youth for a time of sharing and interaction during the Sunday school hour.
There will also be an opportunity that weekend for you to meet Brenda informally.  We will have a carry-in meal after church on Sunday.  There will also be a get-together for the Elders and Cabinet (and their spouses) on Saturday evening.

We have scheduled the “Vote of Affirmation” for the following Sunday—May 20.  We will include all of these dates in the bulletin starting next Sunday, so that you can add them your calendars.  If Brenda is affirmed and accepts our call to pastoral leadership, she would be available to begin her ministry at Frazer at the beginning of September.

Over the next month, we encourage you to raise any questions or concerns that you might have with a member of our committee.  If you have a question about our recommendation or about the affirmation process, please bring it to us now rather than waiting until May 20.  We are eager to hear from you.

If you were not at church on April 22 and would like to hear the search committee’s presentation regarding Brenda and the discernment process we followed, there are audio tapes available.
 
Please continue to pray that God will lead and guide us thru these next important steps in the search process.

       Grace and Peace,

       Pastoral Search Committee (Lois Huston, Phyllis Krabill, Larry Massanari,
                                                          Rachel Thomas, Dale Umble and Lloyd Wert)