MCC East Coast Speakers Bureau

 

 

 

Andrew Bodden, EC Diverse Constituency Relations Coordinator and Southeast Program Coordinator, relates to the Anabaptist churches in South and Central Florida, as well as with diverse constituency churches in the EC. He also lead the MCC East Coast program in Miami, the Immigration program and supervises work in Puerto Rico. For many years, Andrew worked with pastors in Central America with the Central America Center  for Pastoral Studies (CEDEPCA). Has worked for MCC EC for nine years in Florida, and is fluent in both English and Spanish. Andrew is available to speak in any setting and is able to share about the general work of MCC and immigration issues. He is also prepared to share in sermons, Sunday School classes, small groups and youth groups. Andrew and his family live in Plantation, FL.

 

 

Curtis Book, Peace and Justice Coordinator for MCC East Coast, has served internationally for many years with Brethren in Christ World Missions in England, Zimbabwe, Nicaragua and Colombia working primarily in pastoral leadership development. Curtis is prepared to discuss biblical/Anabaptist basis of peace, justice and immigration issues with youth and adults in either English or Spanish. Curtis is prepared to share in sermons, Sunday school sessions, small groups and youth groups. Curtis and his wife live in Philadelphia, Pa.

 

  

Bruce Campbell-Janz, Executive Director for MCC East Coast. Bruce has served many years with MCC, but began his role with East Coast in January 2012.  Previously, Bruce was the director of MCC's Africa Program since June 2006. Before moving to Lancaster County, he and his family lived in Ontario, Canada where Bruce worked for Christian Reformed World Relief Committee (CRWRC). From 1996-2001, he and his wife Ann served with MCC as Representatives in DR Congo. He and Ann have two children and attend East Chestnut Street Mennonite Church in Lancaster City.

  

  

Kim Dyer, Young Adult Program Coordinator for MCC East Coast, relates to young adults in a variety of ways. Kim coordinates the MCC East Coast International Volunteer Exchange Program, a program for international young adults between the ages of 18-30 who come to the United States and Canada to serve for one year. She also encourages and recruits young adults to consider the Serving and Learning Together program of MCC. SALT is a one year assignment for young adults, 18-27, from the United States and Canada who serve in different countries around the world. As a previous SALTer in Mexico, Kim is able to share firsthand her experience as a young adult in service with MCC. She also coordinates the Summer Service Program, a program for young adults of color who wish to engage in their home churches and communities through service learning during the summer months.  

 

 

Rolando Flores, is the MCC East Coast Program Coordinator in Puerto Rico. Eight years ago, Rolando began to serve MCC as a Church Community Worker, acting as Peace and Justice Coordinator for the Puerto Rico Mennonite Conference. Now, as Program Coordinator, he maintains relationships with the two Mennonite conferences in Puerto Rico and the Material Resource Center in Aibonito, PR. He also assists in coordinating the Summer Service Worker program and handling administrative matters for MCC in Puerto Rico. Rolando presents workshops and sermons to churches and organizations, and serves as both Youth Secretary and Minister of Peace for his conference. He lives in Santa Isabel P.R. with his wife and daughters.

 

 

(en Español) Rolando Flores, es Coordinador de Programas del CCM, Costa Este, en Puerto Rico. Hace 8 años comenzó a servir para el CCM como un Church Community Worker, fungiendo como Coordinador de paz y justicia para la Conferencia Menonita de Puerto Rico. Ahora, como Coordinador de Programas, mantiene relaciones con las dos conferencias Menonitas existentes en Puerto Rico y con el Centro de Recursos de Materiales en Aibonito, PR. Tambien, ayuda en la coordinación del Servicio de Trabajo de Verano y en asuntos administrativos del CCM en Puerto Rico. Presenta talleres y sermones para las iglesias y organizaciones, y es Secretario de la Juventud y Ministro de Paz de su conferencia. Vive en Santa Isabel P.R. con su esposa e hijas.

 

 

Evanna Hess is the Resources Center Manager at the Ephrata MRC. Evanna and her husband Dan served with MCC in Russia, Serbia and Albania working primarily with the effects of inter-ethnic and

inter-religious conflicts. She is prepared to speak about MCC's use of material resources and general MCC ministries. She is willing to share in SS classes, children's times, sermons, small groups and women's groups.

 

 

Fred Kauffman, MCC Philadelphia Program Coordinator, and his wife Minh worked with MCC for fifteen years in Guatemala, India, Cambodia and Vietnam. In 1994, they and their two sons moved to Philadelphia where Fred served as pastor of West Philadelphia Mennonite Fellowship until 2005. Since that time he has been the Program Coordinator for MCC Philly. He speaks Spanish fluently and some French as well. Fred is willing to share in sermons, Sunday School classes, small groups and youth events. He is involved with issues of urban life, gun violence prevention, racism, and reflections on the role of the empire in Scripture.

 

 

Millie Fe Penner is the East Coast Communications Associate. A child of both Lancaster County Mennonite culture and Honduran influences, she spent five years teaching music at Ephrata Mennonite School and has travelled to Egypt with MCC. She can share about the MCC program in Egypt and general MCC ministries. She can do this in both Spanish and English. She also is available to lead singing, both hymns and choruses. She is willing to share with both adult and children's groups. Millie is married to Wesley Penner and they are serving a term as MCC Service Workers in Akron, PA.

 

Luke Schrock-Hurst, MCC East Coast Representative at Eastern Mennonite University and Harrisonburg, Va., served with MCC in Central America and the Philippines. Luke is prepared to discuss MCC ministries, biblical mandates for service, and the role of the church in MCC ministries. Luke is prepared to share in sermons, Sunday school settings, small groups and youth groups. Luke lives with his wife and family in Harrisonburg, Va.

 

 

Kenneth Sensenig, MCC East Coast Assistant Director, brings extended service in Swaziland and Sudan. Ken also brings short term experience in Central and South America and Europe. Ken is prepared to discuss general MCC ministries, MCC history, biblical mandates for service and interaction with Islam. Ken has a special interest in the role of the church in MCC ministries. This includes a focused interest in the Amish and other culturally conservative supporters of MCC. Ken is prepared to share in sermons, Sunday school sessions, small groups, children's time or youth groups. Ken and his wife live in Ephrata, Pa.

 

 

Brian Snader is both Material Resource Center Assistant and Resource Generation/Communications Associate at the MCC East Coast Ephrata Office. Brian and his wife Krista have served with MCC in Bolivia for 3 years. The main emphasis of their work in Bolivia was small scale community water projects in the rural mountain side. Brian enjoys speaking to children, small groups and making other presentations as well.

 

 

 

   

     

Lorraine Stutzman Amstutz, works as Co-Director of the Office on Justice and Peacebuilding for MCC U.S. Peace and Justice Ministries. She has been involved in the field of restorative justice for many years and co-chaired the international Victim Offender Mediation Association (VOMA) for seven years. She is the co-author of Restorative Discipline in Schools and the author of Victim Offender Conferencing, both part of the "Little Books of Justice & Peacebuilding" series published by Good Books.  Lorraine speaks and conducts trainings on the issues of crime and justice, restorative justice and conflict transformation. She lives with her family in Akron, PA.

  

 

Saulo Padilla, works as Director of the Office on Immigration Education for MCC U.S. Peace and Justice Ministries. The Immigration Education Office's role is to educate and inform MCC's constituency on immigration issues, to provide biblical and theological resources for reflection on immigration, and materials that help understand the root causes of immigration. He also works in conjunction with the MCC U.S. Washington Office and regional offices to inform MCC's constituency on immigration legislation issues. Saulo was born and lived in Guatemala for the first 15 years of his life. In 1986 he immigrated with his mother and siblings to Calgary, Alberta, Canada. In 2001 he moved to Goshen, IN, to study.  Saulo is a 2005 graduate of Goshen College and the Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary in 2008, and he is an active member of Iglesia Menonita Del Buen Pastor, in Goshen IN.

 

 

Titus Peachey is Director of Peace Education for MCC U.S. Peace and Justice Ministries. The Peace Education program nurtures a commitment to peace and conscientious objection to war in the lives of youth and adults. It provides information on military discharges to soldiers and their families who call the GI Rights Hotline, and provides resources to advocate for an end to the use of cluster munitions. Titus registered as a conscientious objector and performed alternative service in Vietnam from 1970-1973. He and his wife Linda worked wth MCC in Laos from 1980-1985. Titus later returned to Laos to help coordinate the Cluster Bomb Removal Project. Titus is prepared to share workshops, sermons or Sunday School classes on topics related to peace and conscientious objection to war, Jesus' way of peace, advocacy related to landmines and cluster munitions and war tax resistance. Titus and Linda live in Lancaster, PA.

  

 

 

Joseph A. Manickam director for Asia Programs since 2005. For the previous nine years, Joseph worked for the Center for Anabaptist Leadership (CAL) in Pasadena, CA, within the cosmopolitan, pan-Asian, transient, immigrant city of greater Los Angeles. During that time he received his Masters at Fuller Theological Seminary, and his PhD in Intercultural Studies in 2007. Joseph received his A.A. at Hesston College, KS and his B.A. in Communications at Goshen College, IN. He then returned to Hesston College to serve as Associate Director of Admissions for five years. Joseph also spent a year in Germany with MCC's exchange program. Joseph grew up in Thailand, the son of missionaries from South India. Today, he lives in Lancaster with his wife Wanda, daughter Faith and son Matthew.

  

 

Valentina Satvedi, Director of the Anti Racism Program for MCC U.S. Peace and Justice Ministries, working to provide antiracism education and organizing resources from an Anabaptist perspective. Valentina can share about oppression/racism within church and church related institutions, and provide tools and resources that assist in the process of dismantling oppression/racism. She is an ordained Church of the Brethren minister and strives to ground herself in the Word and read it through a postcolonial lens. Valentina is prepared to share in sermons, Sunday school sessions and small groups. She lives in Lancaster, PA.

 

 

Timothy Seidel, Director for MCC U.S. Peace and Justice Ministries, which includes programs dealing with anti-racism training, immigration education, women's advocacy, peace education, restorative justice, and conflict transformation. He worked as a Peace Development Worker with MCC in the Occupied Palestinian Territories from 2004-2007. Seidel has delivered sermons, lectures and workshops in numerous university and church contexts and has authored articles appearing in various periodicals, including Mennonite and Brethren in Christ periodicals such as The Mennonite, Canadian Mennonite, and Shalom!: A Journal for the Practice of Reconciliation. He was a contributing author to Under Vine and Fig Tree: Biblical Theologies of Land and the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict (Cascadia Publishing, 2007). He also serves as a member of the board of the Lancaster Interchurch Peace Witness. He lives with his family in Lancaster, PA.

 

 

Alain Epp Weaver, Director for Strategic Planning and Learning in the Planning, Learning and Disaster Response  Department.  Alain gives leadership to resourcing MCC's program in the United States, Canada, and around the world in program planning, monitoring, and evaluation and in sector-specific expertise (e.g. related to water, agriculture, HIV/AIDS, education, and peace programming). He worked for 11 years in the Middle East with MCC, most recently as co-Representative for Palestine, Jordan and Iraq. Alain is interested in MCC as an arm of the church, MCC's missiology, interfaith engagement as a form of Christian witness and theological issues related to Palestine-Israel. He is open to Sunday School and other presentations and sermons. Alain is married to Sonia Weaver; they have two children, ages 17 and 16.

 James Wheeler Jr. works with Donor Relations in MCC's Global Family Education Sponsorship program. He served for a total of 15 years with MCC in the Middle East in Egypt, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip primarily teaching English in a variety of settings. Most recently, he worked as MCC co-Representative in Egypt from 2003-09. James enjoys communicating the stories of students who participate in the 103 education programs in over 40 countries around the world. He is willing to share in schools, Sunday School classes, sermons, and small groups. 

 

 

 

 

 

Rachelle Lyndaker Schlabach, Director, MCC Washington Office, monitors U.S. policy related to the Middle East (Iran, Israel-Palestine, Iraq) and international debt relief. She has visited MCC programs in Asia, Latin America and the Middle East. She is prepared to speak about faith and politics, the general work of the MCC Washington Office, or a variety of domestic and foreign policy issues the office works on. Rachelle is prepared to share in sermons, Sunday school settings, small groups, forums, and youth groups. She lives with her family near Washington, DC.

 Edgar Stoesz,served 34 years as the Akron based director of MCC programs in the United States, Canada, and Latin America.  He was Associate Executive Secretary in charge of the MCC overseas program; also directed MCC programs in Europe from a base in Germany.  Edgar has traveled to more than 60 countries and written several books including two on Mennonites in Paraguay.  He is available to share either in worship or Sunday School or other small meetings.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Brian Snader - Constituency Relations Associate