Centennial
A Dream, a Need, a Gift: the Launch of tranSend
As told by Ken Horst and Sarah E. Slabaugh Over 100 persons have explored their sense of call to mission through tranSend since the program began in 2005. What were the dreams and needs behind this one-year mission internship program, and how did it become a reality? With his beard and bib overalls, Bob Histand…
Read MoreExtending the Reach to Every Nation, Tribe and Tongue
By Carol Tobin How does VMMissions direct the missional energy of the church towards those who have not yet heard? With a fan whirring lazily from the ceiling, Michael and Ruthy gathered to pray with their teammates around the map of the South Asian city that was spread out on the table in front…
Read MoreThe Walls Came Tumbling Down: Our Entrance Into Albania
As told by Willard and Eva Eberly “We were swept along, praising God for opportunities!” Willard exclaimed as he reminisced about the beginnings of the work in Albania. “We didn’t program it! We connected with him and we could hardly keep up with it!” The story of Mennonite mission in Albania begins with Gesina Blaauw,…
Read MoreWill You Go? Our Expansion into the Caribbean
By Carol Tobin Twila Y. Brunk’s book, Together in the Lord, is an engaging account of the first twenty-five years of the Jamaican Mennonite Church. The following recounts those beginnings, as well as the expansion of VMMissions’ work into Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago. An elderly pastor and his wife from Manitoba traveled to Florida…
Read MoreFrom Virginia into the Heart of Christendom
By Aaron Kauffman “I do not believe that it is above what we could expect, if the Lord tarries, that we would have a native Mennonite Church in Sicily.” These were the words of Truman Brunk in his report to the executive committee of the mission board upon his return from a visit to Sicily…
Read MoreTidewater Virginia: Our Antioch
Robert Mast, having served a lifetime with Virginia Conference and VMMissions, says of eastern Virginia, “We know that in the time of the early church, ministry began in Jerusalem. Later, Antioch became an important mission center. The Shenandoah Valley is the Jerusalem of Virginia Mennonite Conference. But, realize, Tidewater Virginia is our Antioch!” What made…
Read MoreBeginnings: Called to the Mountains
By Aaron Kauffman In the early days, mission vision emerged at the district level of Virginia Mennonite Conference. Middle District was exemplary in mobilizing witness over the mountains into West Virginia. Though many declined the invitation to serve, a steady stream of workers labored over the years, eventually giving birth to over a dozen…
Read MoreOne Hundred Years of Sharing Jesus with Neighbors Near and Far
By Aaron Kauffman President This year marks 100 years of Virginia Mennonite Missions helping the church share Jesus with neighbors near and far. How did it all get started? What has God done through our work? Where might God be leading in the future? In the late 1800s, Mennonites in the Shenandoah Valley awakened to…
Read MoreThe River and the Sea: Making Sense of the Story
By Carol Tobin Transforming Editor For one hundred years, VMMissions has existed to help the church know itself as sent. We now have the opportunity to take a look over our shoulders. It is when we look back that we are best able to see an unfolding storyline that can then help us to orient…
Read MoreVMMissions Centennial Celebration short video
As Virginia Mennonite Missions celebrates 100 years of making disciples in the way of Jesus, this video provides a brief look at the past and present of VMMissions, featuring interviews with current and former workers, and VMMissions President Aaron M. Kauffman.
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