Atlanta Mennonite Fellowship

Statement of Mission and Philosophy

 1.      PURPOSE

 Atlanta Mennonite Fellowship seeks to strengthen the Anabaptist-Mennonite mission in Atlanta, making it relevant to life in an urban setting.

1. Christ-centeredness

We want to be a congregation that acknowledges and celebrates the lordship of Christ.  We want to explore how his example as a servant and a peacemaker may affect our lives.

2. Development of a strong Christian community

Recognizing that we are “poor in spirit,” we desire to be part of a caring community that meets our emotional and spiritual needs, and that shares the theological and ethical emphases of Anabaptism.

3. Emphasis on active peacemaking

Even though Atlanta has a rich heritage of nonviolent social change, exemplified by the civil rights movement, today our city lacks a vision of peacemaking to promote social and spiritual development.  We would like to help restore and promote a vision of nonviolent living rooted both in Christian obedience and a desire for social justice.

4. Participation in the life of our neighborhood

We believe that churches should play a major role in strengthening the communities in which we live.  Therefore, we would like to focus our ministries on – and work cooperatively with other neighborhood churches in – the Grant Park neighborhood.

2.      THE IDENTITY OF OUR CHURCH

1. A church with a strong community life

§         We want to practice shared leadership and work toward consensus.

§         We would like to develop small groups and peer counseling to provide pastoral support and discernment and to focus on particular needs or interests of group members.  Small groups could include Bible studies, issue discussions, and support groups.

§         We want to be part of a community that encourages and supports those who are discouraged and disenfranchised.

§         We want to become large enough to effectively support and participate in ministry programs, to share tasks widely, and to financially support a congregation, yet small enough to make decisions together and to genuinely share each other’s happiness and pain.  We are unsure what this number is, but we want to be open to the need to restructure or divide when the congregation becomes too large to function as this kind of community.

2. A church with rich worship experiences

§         We want our church to be a welcoming and comfortable place to worship that shares creative, varied, aesthetically engaging, and dynamic worship experiences.

§         We want to encourage participation of many persons in worship services, reflecting the abilities of each of us as ministers.

§         We want our worship services to be innovative and yet incorporate valued traditions such as Scripture reading, hymn-singing, communion and footwashing, and corporate prayer.

3. A church that delights in diversity

§         In our worship and Christian education, we want to provide for the needs of individuals of all ages represented in our community, including children.

§         We want to be sensitive to and inclusive of various persons who have been marginalized by some churches, including women, single persons and divorced persons.

4. A cooperating church

§         We want to unite with other religious groups in Atlanta (Mennonites and others) in joint ministries and ecumenical activities.

§         We want to be a part of and actively participate in the wider connectional Mennonite Church USA.

3.      LOCATION OF THIS CHURCH

Our congregation meets in Grant Park, a residential neighborhood near downtown Atlanta.  Among the reasons for choosing this location are:

1. Accessibility

Grant Park is centrally located and easily accessible from all parts of the city because it is bordered by three interstate highways. 

2. Diversity

This in-town neighborhood reflects the economic, ethnic, and social diversity which we hope to attract.  (The 1990 census showed, for example, that 2094 whites and 7690 African-Americans lived in the area.  Although Latin-Americans were not separately counted in that census, they also represent a significant portion of the population of the neighborhood.  Of the 3,488 households in the area, only 573 were composed of married couples living together.)

3. Existing connections to this neighborhood

§         Some members of our congregation live in Grant Park, others live in nearby neighborhoods

§         Mennonites have had a long-term presence here: the MCC Unit operated in Grant Park for many years, and many former MCC volunteers have chosen to remain in the neighborhood long after completing their assignments.

§         The space in which we currently worship is in a rented upper room of a Grant Park (United Methodist) church.

4.      WHAT KIND OF PERSONS DOES THIS CHURCH HOPE TO ATTRACT?

We expect that it is easiest to attract persons like ourselves.  The individuals who are active in AMF represent a variety of ages and lifestyles (including married couples with young children, singles, and retired persons), but we have many things in common.  Many of us have had previous experiences in Mennonite congregations and/or educational institutions.  Most of us are white.  Most of us are well educated and have (or are beginning) professional careers.  Most of us moved to Atlanta from other parts of the country.

Yet we will not be satisfied to have a congregation solely consisting of individuals like ourselves.  We want to make it a priority to welcome people of various backgrounds and to work on bridging ethnic, social and economic barriers.

While we expect to attract persons who have been part of Mennonite churches and institutions in other areas and have moved to Atlanta, we see that only as a first step in developing our congregation.  We also hope to reach out and welcome those who may have no past experience with Mennonite churches but who share (or who wish to explore) a vision of a community rooted in Anabaptist theological and ethical understandings.

This statement was first adopted by the AMF Coordinating Council on January 23, 1993.  This updated version approved by Business Meeting June 14, 2000.

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