Everence participants at Hope for the Future 2023 included (left to right): Nicole Francisco Bailey, Everence Association board member; Colleen Whigham, Everence Federal Credit Union board member; Leonard Dow, Vice President of Church and Community Development; Madalyn Metzger, Vice President of Marketing; and Mike Nicholas, Vice President of Human Resources. (Photo by X. Marisa Smucker, Mennonite Mission Network.)
GOSHEN, Indiana – Everence® staff and board members recently attended the Hope for the Future 2023 gathering, along with representatives from other Mennonite Church USA conferences, agencies, congregations, constituency groups, affiliated schools and ministry partners.
Held Feb. 3-5, 2023, in Atlanta, Georgia, the annual event brought together Black, Indigenous, Latino/a, Asian, and other people of color leaders from across the country. This year’s theme – Such a Time as This: Collective Trauma and Hope – centered on the Book of Esther and courageous leadership in times of crisis, paying special attention to cultivating intergenerational leadership by sharing wisdom from longtime faith leaders of color with the experiences and ideas from younger leaders in the church.
Participants explored the theme through interactive Bible studies, brief worship services, and learning labs on topics covering the theology and practice of radical hospitality; diversity, equity and inclusion best practices; and intergenerational leadership. A highlight of the event included a gala to honor and recognize the group’s elders, for which participants were encouraged to dress up in ways that best expressed their personality and/or culture.
Everence co-sponsored the conference, along with Mennonite Church USA, Mennonite Education Agency, Mennonite Mission Network, and the Showalter Foundation. This year, Everence provided additional funds to help sponsor student attendance from the various Mennonite-affiliated colleges and universities.
Celebrating its 10th year in 2023, the Hope for the Future event provides a safe setting to assess the present reality and experiences of Black, Indigenous, Latino/a, Asian and other people of color leaders within Mennonite Church USA and to provide spiritual renewal, resourcing and mutual support across cultural racial and intergenerational lines for systemic transformation.
About Everence
Everence helps individuals, organizations and congregations integrate finances with faith through a national team of professionals. Everence offers banking, insurance and financial services with community benefits and stewardship education. To learn more, visit everence.com or call 800-348-7468.