We Belong to Mennonite Church USA
Atlantic Coast Conference is an area conference of Mennonite Church USA. Our commitment to Anabaptist Christianity centers on the person of Jesus, the counsel of Scripture, and the interpretive framework of the 1995 Confession of Faith in a Mennonite Perspective. While many of our congregations are located in Southeastern Pennsylvania, we have congregations in Massachusetts, New York, and Maryland. ACC congregations minister in urban, suburban, and rural contexts.
We Embrace Congregational Polity
Congregations are the building block of our life together. Congregational delegates (both lay and credentialed) are appointed by congregations and gather together twice each year for fellowship, worship, and discernment about our common mission. Our bylaws recognize that “The final responsibility and authority of the Conference rests with the Delegate Council.” The Executive Committee works to enact the agenda of delegates, and our Conference Ministry team serves congregations and their leaders. Committees such as Peace & Justice, Mission, Finance and Stewardship, Youth, Gifts Discernment, and Ministerial Leadership bring congregations together for shared ministry and service.
We equip pastors and leaders
Our Conference Ministers meet regularly with credentialed leaders. Pastors, chaplains, and youth ministers gather together in clusters for mutual support and encouragement. In times of leadership transition, conference ministers work to resource congregational search teams, connecting them with information from MCUSA’s MLI database and offering insight and counsel. Congregations are empowered to make hiring decisions.
We invest in youth
Since our formation, ACC has invested staff time in youth ministry, working alongside congregational youth ministers and planning conference-wide youth activities, including an annual Fall Youth Retreat. We work closely with our congregations to ensure compliance with new legal requirements designed to protect children and youth from abuse.
We partner together for God’s kingdom
ACC’s numerous Conference Related Ministries do Kingdom work in areas of prison ministry and reentry, immigration and refugee services, mental health, Christian education and spiritual formation, camping, and elder care. Congregations also have longstanding relationships with agencies including Mennonite Central Committee, Mennonite Mission Network, and Mennonite Disaster Services.
We share a common vision
As part of Mennonite Church USA, we are committed to living into our common Vision for Healing and Hope. God calls us to be followers of Jesus Christ and, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to grow as communities of grace, joy and peace, so that God’s healing and hope flow through us to the world.
We invite you to learn more about Atlantic Coast Conference through exploring our website, calling our office, attending congregational worship services, chatting with our credentialed leaders, or visiting an Annual Assembly.