FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Indiana-Michigan Mennonite Conference

September 25, 2008

Timothy Burkholder appointment by Mennonite Education Agency

Mennonite Education Agency (MEA) Executive Director Carlos Romero announced earlier today that Timothy Burkholder will join MEA as the associate director with a focus on church relations and development beginning Oct. 1, 2008.

MEA has graciously offered to share Tim’s time with IN-MI Conference to allow him to continue his responsibilities as interim executive conference minister until a new lead conference minister is appointed or until Dec. 31, 2008, at the latest. Tim will serve half time at each office.

“MEA will find that Tim’s experience and creative energy will allow him to contribute meaningfully to their mission from the moment he begins to serve, just as he has done for IN-MI Conference,” said Brent Eash, conference moderator. “Also, I am very grateful for the consideration both Tim and MEA have given to our ongoing needs for transitional leadership. This is characteristic of Tim's creative approach to challenging situations.”

“I’m thankful for this opportunity to have my interim assignment end well,” Tim said.

Among other continuing responsibilities, Tim plans to continue his participation on the Transition Team, represent the conference at the Constituency Leaders Council meeting in October, keep in touch with the Initiative to Address Economic Challenges Facing Indiana Pastors grant proposal that he has been leading since his first days as interim executive conference minister, work on the 2009–10 spending plan, help staff prepare for Tim Lichti's upcoming sabbatical, and facilitate transition activities in preparation for a new lead conference minister to be appointed.

“Just as with Tim Burkholder’s successful and productive term as interim, God will continue to provide for our conference in this unusual period of major change in conference leadership, structure, and function,” Brent said.

The IN-MI Transition Team is helping leaders across conference understand and engage new ways of thinking and working, and plans to pull together the remaining pieces of its work by June 2009. The search committee for the new lead conference minister continues its work.

Below is the news release from MEA so that you can celebrate Tim’s new appointment with him. Please remember in prayer Tim and the leaders of MEA and IN-MI Conference in this time of transition.

—IN-MI Mennonite Conference

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE\

Mennonite Education Agency

September 19, 2008

Timothy Burkholder joins Mennonite Education Agency

By Rachel Nussbaum Eby

GOSHEN, Indiana—Mennonite Education Agency executive director, Carlos Romero, announced that Timothy J. Burkholder of Goshen, Ind., will join MEA as the associate director with a focus on church relations and development. Burkholder, with over 25 years of experience working in this area in a variety of churchwide ministries, will begin working half-time at the Goshen office on October 1, increasing to full-time on January 1, 2009.

“I am excited that Tim has agreed to become part of the MEA team,” said Romero. “In addition to his extensive churchwide experience and excellent development background, Tim approaches his work with a strong love and commitment to church, a passion for education and a humbleness of spirit. He will be a great asset to MEA as we continue to work to strengthen the life, witness and identity of Mennonite Church USA through education.”

Burkholder is currently the interim executive conference minister at Indiana-Michigan Mennonite Conference and is assisting the conference’s Transition Team as it provides leadership in implementing the system redesign proposal. His conference experience also includes nine years as the executive secretary of the Northwest Mennonite Conference, where he served congregations in Alaska, Alberta, Montana and Saskatchewan. Before coming to Indiana-Michigan Conference, Burkholder was a regional director for MAX (MutualAid Ministries), a church-related property and liability insurance company headquartered in Goshen, Ind. His primary task was developing relationships with pastors and church leaders in a number of Anabaptist denominations.

Burkholder’s background also includes development and liaison work in Mennonite education. In 2007, he worked for MEA on a short-term assignment to design a development plan for the Hispanic Pastoral and Leadership Education program. During his nine years with the former Mennonite Board of Education (MBE), he led the development efforts for the Racial/Ethnic Leadership Education programs and cultivated relationships with educators and church leaders. Before employment with MBE, Burkholder also served eight years on the Hesston College Board of Overseers.

James L. Rosenberger, board chair of MEA Board of Directors, expressed his satisfaction for a successful conclusion of the associate director search, “We took time to consult with our educational partners and Mennonite Church USA Executive Leadership to decide what the primary areas of responsibility should be and the skills needed to carry out those responsibilities. Tim brings excellent experience and a broad and deep knowledge of the church to this important position.”

Burkholder looks forward to developing strategic initiatives for fundraising, providing leadership to MEA’s relationships with Mennonite Church USA conferences and congregations, and carrying some liaison responsibilities. “This opportunity has come at a time when I feel a new sense of call in my life to re-engage the wonderful synergy between the church and its educational enterprise in our missional calling, together discerning and joining in what God is doing in our world today. I am eager to build and renew relationships with leaders and potential leaders throughout the church,” said Burkholder.

Burkholder has provided lay leadership in a variety of roles over the years. He and his wife Sharon are members of Waterford Mennonite Church, where he has served nine years as a member of the Ministry Leadership Council. He has been a member of the Advisory Committee to the Office of Intercultural Relations of Mennonite Church USA since 2002. He is a former member of the Mennonite Church General Board, the Mennonite Publishing Service Board, the Generosity Project Steering Committee for Mennonite Church USA and the Design Team for Mennonite Church USA. He was also the chair of the Stewardship and Finance Commission of Indiana-Michigan Conference for three years.

Marty Lehman, director of financial development for Mennonite Church USA Executive Leadership and participant in the search process, commented, “Tim is a seasoned administrator who has held a number of positions within Mennonite Church USA organizations. His passion has always been Mennonite education so it is natural that he would return to working in a position such as this. I look forward to working with Tim in his new role at MEA.”