Iris de Leon-Hartshorn, director of intercultural relations for Mennonite Church USA, is excited about what immigrants have to offer to the church. “They have a lot of resources from their background experiences,” she said. However, she and others in the church realize more needs to be done to support leadership development. She is working on an initiative to consistently provide more resources for racial-ethnic congregations.

Marty Lehman, director of MC USA communication and development, said that a gathering of immigrant churches in Los Angeles took place in April to work at addressing that need; another event will take place in September. “One of the four church-wide priorities is leadership development,” she said.

Some programs are already in place to help immigrant churches. A Mennonite Education Agency (MEA) program led by Rafael Barahona assists Hispanic pastors. Barahona has also started a Spanish newsletter.

According to de Leon-Hartshorn, conversations are ongoing about a project with Mennonite Publishing House and MEA to hold writer’s workshops, “for writing our books and our curriculum.” There are “a lot of people that come into the country and are now ready for seminary, but lack the writing skills to make the transition,” she said.

Offerings taken to help fund these programs are providing good seed money. “The money we’re collecting now will allow us to go beyond where we are right now,” she continued.

Lehman also sees the need for more diversity in church leadership positions. “We’re not a one-size-fits-all denomination,” she said. “I’m learning what I think is needed (to help the immigrants) is not often the case.”

De Leon-Hartshorn is hoping to plan a writer’s symposium before the next church convention in 2011 to help get more immigrants into leadership positions in the church. She said, “They have a lot to offer. They’re the ones building new churches, both here and abroad. They’ve had to adapt to another context, and maybe they can help us be more affective in our ministries.”