MEA Bible Institute student Josué González elected as moderator-elect
for Hispanic Mennonite Church
(Mennonite Education Agency) – In a national assembly on January 29, 2022, Iglesia Menonita Hispana (Hispanic Mennonite Church) elected Josué González of Miami, Florida, as moderator-elect.
Iglesia Menonita Hispana (IMH) is a Racial/Ethnic constituency group of Mennonite Church USA (MC USA) and reaches multicultural Hispanic and Latino/a Mennonites across the country.
González’ four-year term begins immediately. He will serve two years as moderator-elect and two years as moderator. He will also serve on the Constituency Leaders Council (CLC) of MC USA.
Gonzalez is a founding member and elder of Iglesia Menonita Encuentro de Renovación (Encounter for Renewal Mennonite Church) in Miami, which is part of the Mosaic Mennonite Conference. He is a cargo flight dispatcher and is married to Noemi. González is also a student of the Instituto Bíblico Anabautista, (IBA – Hispanic Anabaptist Bible Institute) which is operated by Mennonite Education Agency (MEA). He is completing his final trimester and is set to graduate this Spring.
Marco Güete, the director of MEA’s Hispanic Ministries Education programs and Leadership Minister for Mosaic Mennonite Conference, affirmed González’ readiness for this role.
“Josué has shown maturity, Christian Spirituality, and intelligence serving on the local church board, and he will do well nationally with Iglesia Menonita Hispana,” Güete said.
María Teresa Pérez-Soto agrees. She is a leader of Encuentro de Renovación church and a tutor for IBA. “It is a blessing that Brother Josué González has been appointed moderator-elect of the Hispanic Mennonite Church board,” she said. “His dedication and commitment to the Lord’s work has been manifested in his Bible study with IBA and the help he has given to the local church as Treasurer. Through his passion for public speaking, Brother Josué will be a great asset for the board of IMH; additionally, he will ensure he moderates all meetings and assemblies fairly.”
González shared his thoughts about being called to a ministry position in the Hispanic Mennonite church. “When I started my studies at the Anabaptist Bible Institute, (IBA), my life changed and I started to think that God is training me not only to know more about him, but to serve him as a true disciple,” he said. “I understood that I should work with the Mennonite Church and be able to help in the ministry where the Lord will use me. I just said, ‘Here I am Lord. I am willing to work for you.’ And this was how the Lord opened the doors to work with the intercultural committee of Mosaic [Mennonite Conference], and now with the Hispanic Mennonite Church USA.”
Ulises Arenas, the executive director of Iglesia Menonita Hispana, welcomed Josué, saying, “We appreciate Josué González becoming IMH’s new moderator-elect and we are blessed for his willingness to serve on the new IMH executive board. As moderator-elect, he will learn deeply about our IMH and develop the skills to serve our Latino constituents well for years to come. It is a pleasure for us to welcome Josue and work with him.”
Mennonite Education Agency is headquartered in Elkhart, Indiana, and partners with Anabaptist Mennonite educational institutions and programs to provide resources, networking, and support to school administrators, faculty, and staff. As the education agency of Mennonite Church USA, MEA ties church and school together in a complementary and cooperative way to ensure students receive a high-quality education from a distinctive Anabaptist Mennonite perspective.
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Contributed by MEA Staff – 2/14/2022
