In this episode of the Ohio Conference Cast, host Jacob Dodson, pastor of Wooster Mennonite Church, talks with Conference Minister Dick Barrett about the upcoming Annual Conference Assembly (ACA), which will take place March 3-4 at Central Christian School in Kidron. In the course of their conversation, Dick reflects on what he has learned during this time of discernment for… Read More »

International service can have long-term effects on those serving. In the case of Bill Schumacher, his voluntary service term in Bangladesh in the 1980s left him with an enduring interest in the welfare of the people there. In this episode of the Ohio Conference Cast, hosts Jared Chase and Jacob Dodson talk with Bill and Carole Schumacher of Sharon Mennonite… Read More »

In this episode of the Ohio Conference Cast, Assistant Moderator Paula Snyder Belousek and Regional Pastor Sherah-Leigh Gerber introduce listeners to the Conference-wide prayer times planned for this fall. All are invited to take part in these prayer times, which will be held on Zoom on Wednesdays at noon, starting Sept. 14. We will be using Take Our Moments and Our… Read More »

In this episode of the Ohio Conference Cast, Jacob Dodson and Bill Seymour talk with Conference Minister Dick Barrett about the current season of review and discernment taking place in the Ohio Conference. Listen to the episode to hear Dick Barrett discuss how the Holy Spirit is at work during this time and to hear his reflections on how the… Read More »

Ohio Conference Cast returns! In this episode Jacob Dodson and Thomas Dunn share ideas for the podcast in a new season, announce a number of upcoming Ohio Conference events, and reflect on the recent gathering of Ohio Conference pastors and credentialed leaders in Plain City. Thomas says, “I think Ohio Conference is at its best when we are listening to… Read More »

This episode of the Ohio Conference Cast podcast features an interview with Con­ference Minister Dick Barrett. Hosts Corben Weaver Boshart and Ramon Lianez talk with Dick about challenges facing the church today. Dick notes that he has been encour­aged to view challenges as opportunities. “God has called us in this time for a specific reason,” he says. Listen to this… Read More »

How do we disciple young people in the church? How can we help them discover their calling in a cluttered world? In this episode of the Ohio Conference Cast podcast, Glen Guyton, the executive director of Mennonite Church USA, considers these questions and reflects on his years in youth ministry.  He notes that we often don’t realize the long-term effects… Read More »

Picture this scene: Three Mennonite pastors, two of whom are military veterans, sit down for a discussion of Mennonites and the military. This scenario may sound unlikely, but it’s actually a description of the latest episode of the Ohio Conference Cast podcast. In this podcast episode, hosts Corben Weaver Boshart and Ramon Lianez talk with Lucas Johnson, pastor of Valley… Read More »

Are you paying attention to what the Spirit is saying to you and calling you to do for the next stage of your life? The special guest for this episode of the Ohio Conference Cast podcast, Jewel Gingerich Longenecker, would encourage everyone to consider that question. Jewel Gingerich Longenecker is dean of lifelong learning at Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary (AMBS)… Read More »

How essential is prayer for renewal? This episode of the Ohio Conference Cast features discussion of this question with Brad Roth, the featured speaker at Ohio Conference’s recent missional conference. Listen to this episode to learn how Brad has seen the fruits of prayer in his own ministry. You can also hear some suggestions for incorporating prayer and fasting into… Read More »