Resources for Pastors

The Pastoral Leadership Committee and Susan Janzen, Conference Minister for Ministerial Leadership, provide these resources to support the pastors, chaplains and other credentialed leaders of Central Plains.

Zoom Gatherings
Monthly Meeting for First-Time Pastors -- Third Tuesdays @ 10 a.m. CT 

Please feel free to contact Susan anytime for information, counsel, or prayer. Call or text her at 319 610-1007, or send her an email. If you're in the Kalona area, please drop by (301 Fifth Street). She is generally in the office Tuesday through Thursday, 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Central Time.

Annual Leaders Retreat

Pastors, chaplains, other credentialed leaders and their spouses are invited to the Annual Leaders Retreat held each spring at St. Benedict Center near Schuyler Nebraska. Hosted by the Pastoral Leadership Committee, the retreat includes a balance of input and rest, with the goal of renewing our spirits through encouragement, worship and fellowship.
Mark your calendars! Dates for the next two retreats have been reserved: April 19-21, 2024 and April 27-29, 2025

Yearly Accountability Meeting

The conference ministers meet annually with all credentialed pastors to build relationships, strengthen communication, offer encouragement and nurture accountability. This letter from Susan gives more detail.

Salary Guidelines

The Pastoral Leadership Committee recommends that congregations use the Salary Guidelines formulated each year by Mennonite Church USA.  Find free software here to calculate a salary based on the guidelines.​

Ordination Standards

The Pastoral Leadership Committee adopted a minimum set of educational/formation standards for persons ordained in Central Plains.

​Pastor/Congregation Evaluations
​​Pastor/Congregation evaluations are a natural and essential part of effective ministry.  When done well they can help the pastor and congregation be more effective in ministry.  When done poorly, evaluations can create pain for the pastor, the pastor's family and the congregation.  For this reason, it is important that those responsible for leading evaluations plan the process with the conference minister.  Contact Susan Janzen at susanjanzen@centralplainsmc.org to start the planning process.  Also check out these free, downloadable resources for doing evaluations well.   

Sabbatical Planning

The Pastoral Leadership Cttee advocates that pastors take periodic sabbaticals for refreshment and renewal. Sabbatical rhythms reflect Biblical health and wholeness. Here are some resources to help you and your leadership team guide your planning. Check out this brochure one of our pastors created for his congregation to explain sabbatical.  

Scholarships for Pastoral Training

The Pastoral Leadership Committee administers a scholarship fund for training future leaders. This application form can be used to apply.  Fill out a reference request and read the Hochstetler Training Fund Guidelines.  For more information, contact office@centralplainsmc.org or one of the conference ministers. 

Pastoral Financial Assistance

Are you on the path to meet your short- and long-term financial goals? And do you have a financial plan that takes your faith and values into consideration? Financial planning from Everence® can help. Gain control of your finances and work alongside a professional planner to find opportunities, prevent detours and get the trusted guidance you need.. Pastors from Mennonite Church USA and Conservative Mennonite Conference can receive a subsidy for their first-year financial planning fee. Download a brochure about the Pastoral Financial Assistance grant.

Ministerial Leadership Info Form

For pastors looking for a call in Central Plains or Mennonite Church USA, the first step is to complete the Ministerial Leadership Information (MLI) form online.  To begin the MLI process, complete and submit this online inquiry form and you should receive an email within a few days letting you know that a login and password are being sent to you which will enable you to access the online MLI. Contact Conference Minister Susan Janzen to let her know of your interest. If you have any questions about the form contact MLIInquiries@mennoniteusa.org.

Misconduct Policy & Procedure

The Pastoral Leadership Committee of Central Plains Mennonite Conference takes seriously any ethical misconduct on the part of its credentialed leader, or any other leader in the congregation.  Mennonite Church USA has developed policies and procedures for dealing with such misconduct, to which Central Plains also subscribes.  All allegations of such misconduct should be directed to one of the Conference Ministers or to the Chair of the Pastoral Leadership Committee.

The policy and procedures can be found here, along with many other resources.  Below are the procedures in Spanish as PDF files.
Normas y Procedimientos Indice
Normas y Procedimiento texto
Haciendo Justicia 

​Ministerial Sexual Misconduct Policy and Procedures Seminar with Terry Shue, June 15, 2017:    To view video go to:​https://youtu.be/osl93GGPtrk