Isaac was interviewed in The Christian Century magazine. Here’s an excerpt:
What does your denominational affiliation mean to your parishioners?
It means a lot. Many of us have joined the Mennonite Church because we wanted to be part of a community of faith that rejects violence outright, a congregation that supports us as we try to disentangle our lives from the powers and principles of the war machine. To be part of a historic peace church has renewed—even saved—the faith of many of the people who have joined our church. Becoming Mennonite has been a way for many of us to continue to be Christians in the context of U.S. world power.
Are there not many “cradle” Mennonites in the congregation?
I’d guess that only about a third of our congregation grew up in Mennonite families. But I’d add that those of us who are cradle or ethnic Mennonites are also “convinced” Mennonites, as the Quakers would put it. Our denominational identity as a peace church is just as important to the ethnic Mennonites among us as it is to others in the congregation.
(For the rest of it, follow this link: “Organizing for communion“)
Here’s part of the interview that the editors did not include in the magazine:
What developments would you like to see in your congregation’s mission?
The people at our church are wonderful. I am so grateful for them, and for the opportunity to walk alongside them as they show with their lives what God’s love looks and feels like. Not only have they created a culture of peace and hospitality as a church body, but they also live out the gospel in quiet and ordinary ways. I wouldn’t change a thing; I love them just the way they are, and feel privileged to be included in their lives as they bear witness to God’s life in the world. As their lives have grown into mine, this congregation has become the conditions of possibility that makes thought happen in me; without them, I’m not sure what it would mean to pray and think.