Virginia Mennonite Conference

04/29/2026

Plan now for the Mennonite Women of Virginia fall retreat at Smith Mountain Lake, with Rev. Dr. Shannon Dycus as guest speaker. Friday Oct. 30 to Sunday Nov. 1. Find out more with this invitational video!

Virginia Mennonite Women Fall Retreat invitation video

01/28/2026

Check out the new, just released, Winter issue of VMC's magazine "Pathways." Read and share!

Virginia Mennonite Conference equips pastors, lay leaders, and congregants for worship and service, and to bring the Good News of Jesus Christ to neighbors near and far.

12/25/2025

We are now hiring a 1/4-time ministry staff person to fill out our Conference Ministry Team. The job title is Minister of Equipping, and all the details can be found on our home page (link below). Please pass this along to anyone you think may be gifted and called to such a role.
https://virginiaconference.org/

12/12/2025

Christmas Greetings, everyone!
https://virginiaconference.org/

10/22/2025

We had an inspiring commissioning service on Sunday evening for new Conference Minister Kevin Goertzen. A video recording of it is on our home page.

Virginia Mennonite Conference equips pastors, lay leaders, and congregants for worship and service, and to bring the Good News of Jesus Christ to neighbors near and far.

09/27/2025

Small international flags along the roadway ushered people to the parking area behind Ridgeway Mennonite Church in Harrisonburg for an international service of prayer, song, and celebration on Sunday, August 31. Typically, Ridgeway meets inside at 9:30 and Manantial de Vida (MDV) meets inside at 1 p.m. But that day, both churches enjoyed a combined service outdoors, open to the diverse neighborhood.

The playground pavilion became a stage where MDV musicians began with joyful songs of praise. Pastor Carlos Malvaez led most of the service and gave the morning message, translated for both English and Spanish speakers. A large white tent next to the pavilion provided shade and seating. Close to the church building, an inflatable waterslide kept children engaged. The playground adjacent and behind the pavilion also enticed the children all morning long.

Both congregations are already multi-ethnic. MDV includes not only Spanish speakers, but people from Russia, Ukraine, and Moldova. Swahili-speaking families, refugees from DR Congo, have found a home at Ridgeway, which already had members from India and Nigeria. The countries represented that morning included Canada, Mexico, USA, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Honduras, Puerto Rico, Peru, Moldova, Russia, Ukraine; Congo, Tanzania, Nigeria, India. Languages used in the service were Spanish, English, Russian, Ukrainian, and Swahili.

Small groups of people representing several countries at a time went forward to share and pray for their countries – especially countries torn by war and violence. Multilingual music wove together the segments of prayer and the morning message. Musicians from both congregations led singing.

A festival of ethnic foods followed the service. Under eleven food tents, people from various ethnicities and cultures spread out their favorite foods.

“Can we do this again?” people asked. People employed at the same workplaces were pleased to discover each other at the event. Some Congolese said they liked worshiping outdoors, with the spirited music, dancing, and prayers. It felt like home!

–Angela Rempel, Ridgeway Mennonite Church

09/05/2025

We are grateful to be able to announce that Kevin Goertzen will be our next Conference Minister. See the official news release here: https://virginiaconference.org/2025/09/kevin-goertzen-appointed-as-vmc-conference-minister/

07/31/2025

We are 3 weeks away from our annual Summer Conference Assembly. A lot of good stuff is in store. Mark your calendars -- especially the public worship service on Thursday, Aug. 21 at 7pm at Ridgeway Mennonite Church, and the Saturday, Aug. 23 Family Fun Festival at Brethren & Mennonite Heritage Center from 9-noon, featuring activities for all ages, food, games, and a concert from The Soil and The Seed Project. Please share, and invite your friends.

07/14/2025

Celebrating 150 Years of God’s Faithfulness at Mt. Clinton

Mount Clinton Mennonite Church turned 150 in 2024. We decided to celebrate by introducing ourselves to 150 of our Mount Clinton neighbors, and invite them to help with several “150 themed” outreach projects. Throughout the year we filled 150 MCC school kits and hygiene kits, supplied the West Rockingham Food Pantry with 150 items each of cereal, Hamburger Helper, stuffing mix, cans of soup, and cornbread/biscuit mixes. We also grew a church garden, and harvested 150 onions, and other produce to share with the congregation and the food pantry.

In other celebration, we collected old pictures of church life. The children of the congregation decided that there needed to be 150 pictures on display. A quilt commemorating the church fire in 1989 was taken from storage, cleaned, and is once again on display. Other memorabilia were also taken out of storage and displayed.

The congregation hosted several events throughout the year for community members, former attendees, and friends.

In June, we hosted Cantore, a men’s a ca****la group that includes our pastor, Jim Hershberger. In September, when we hosted the monthly Harmonia Sacra sing, we showed a video clip of a Harmonia Sacra sing at MCMC in 1981. On a Sunday later in September, Elwood Yoder gave an MCMC history lesson, we sang from multiple past and present hymnals, held a potluck lunch, and has historical sharing from longtime members Linda Carr, Ruth Dean, Wanda Good, and Gordon Shantz.

In October, MCMC hosted a pork roast dinner, with sides and desserts were brought by participants. After the meal, all gathered outside for reflections from pastor Jim Hershberger and a tree planting ceremony. All were invited to place dirt around the tree. Afterward, we all headed inside for sharing from former pastors, including Wilmer Lehman, Paul Kratz, and Lee Martin. Now we begin year 151. What does the future hold? We don’t know. But we do know that we go forward, in God’s faithfulness.

—excerpted from an article by Andrew Shantz, from VMC’s spring issue of “Pathways” (link to full issue in comments)

07/10/2025

We are standing with and praying for our sisters and brothers of Mennonite Church USA who are meeting together this week in Greensboro, NC (in VMC's own backyard), to work and worship together as a larger family of faith. May each attendee experience the Spirit's presence as they focus on what it means to "Follow Jesus in 2025." If you aren't there in person, follow along with their daily newsletter, "Grits and Bits." Today's issue focuses on the sermon in yesterday's worship service. Take a look at it here:

The Mennonite Church USA convention’s July 9 worship service in Greensboro, N.C., featured a 62-year-old sermon. Martin Luther King Jr. preached the sermon in 1963. It was based on the convention’s theme scripture, Luke 4, which begins with Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness. Guest speaker Le...