About MHS
“We joined MHS in 2016 in order to maintain and deepen our commitment to the values-based Anabaptist heritage that Pleasant View was founded on.” Jonathan Hollinger, CEO, Pleasant View.
Vision
To be a community of vibrant Anabaptist health and human service ministries committed to God's work of healing and hope in Jesus Christ.
Mission
MHS strengthens and extends Anabaptist health and human service ministries in faithfully and effectively fulfilling their missions.
MHS is a not-for-profit, faith-based, membership organization connecting Anabaptist-related health and human services providers together to stay true to our values and achieve the very best outcomes. Believing that we are stronger together, MHS offers centralized resources and values-centered consulting services that:
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Expand each member’s individual capacity for doing good
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Boost organizational effectiveness
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Cultivate and support the next generation of non-profit leaders
Membership and consulting with MHS is open to not-for-profit organizations in alignment with our guiding Anabaptist values:
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Justice and dignity for the vulnerable
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Care of the spirit
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Reconciliation, hospitality & service
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Ethical business practices
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Stewardship of God’s gifts
Read our 2017 Annual Report Here.
About Our Members
Most current members are affiliated with an Anabaptist denomination, such as Mennonite Church USA, US Mennonite Brethren, or the Brethren in Christ U.S. MHS membership spans many disciplines, including: retirement communities, mental and behavioral health services providers, acute care hospitals, ministries serving troubled children and families, healthcare centers, and programs serving people with disabilities. Our current membership -of more than 75 organizations - serves people of all ages across the United States. Membership fees are adjusted for organizational size.
MHS members enjoy a distinct advantage, as they have unlimited access to a full range of programs and services carefully designed to support their unique, kingdom-building work. Our unique faith combined with years of collaborative experience allows us to offer the tools and resources needed for success.
To better understand if MHS membership is the right investment for your organization, review this list of questions:
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Could your team benefit from strengthened governance and leadership planning?
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Would you benefit from shared ideas through networking and collaboration?
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Could you improve your bottom line by saving money through shared services?
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Would you enjoy working with talented, faith-inspired, and values-oriented consultants who understand your mission and ministry?
If you answered YES to any (or all!) of these questions, then MHS membership is certainly an investment worth considering. Click here for more information on membership.
National Sponsorship by MHS
We believe in the strength of long-term, beneficial relationships between organizations and their community of faith. Through national sponsorship, MHS and the sponsored organization share in the stewardship of the organization's mission.
Reserved powers are specified in the bylaws of the sponsored organization and address appointment of board members, appointment of a chief executive officer, approval of the mission statement, and approval of changes to the bylaws.
Board Members
The MHS board is made up of five individuals appointed by the Mennonite Church USA and Mennonite Brethren US Conference, six member-elected directors, and up to two at-large positions appointed by the board.
Edward (Ed) Brubaker, Vice Chair.
CEO, Living Branches.
Lansdale, Pennsylvania
Jenifer (Jen) Foster
Executive Director, Central California Mennonite Residential Services
Fresno, California
Kerry Hoke
College Ministries Coordinator, Messiah College
Palmyra, Pennsylvania
Leon Hoover
CEO, Kings View Corporation
Fresno, California
Laurie Nafziger, Chair
CEO, Oaklawn
Goshen, Indiana
Lowell Peachey, Finance Committee Chair
CEO, Mennonite Friendship Communities, Inc.
South Hutchinson, Kansas
Maribel Ramirez Hinojosa
Clinical Psychologist
College Station, Texas
Valerie Rempel, Secretary/Treasurer
Academic Dean, Fresno Pacific University Biblical Seminary
Fresno, California
Rolando L. Santiago, Governance Committee
Chair, CEO, Santiago Consulting
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Jodie Smiley
Executive Director, Paxton Ministries
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Don Tyson
Professor of Nursing, Eastern Mennonite University
Harrisonburg, Virginia
Ertell Whigham, Jr.
Associate Pastor, Nueva Vida Norristown New Life
Norristown, Pennsylvania
Staff
Karen Lehman, President/CEO
Goshen, Indiana
Karen@mhsonline.org
Twila Albrecht, Administrative Assistant
Goshen, Indiana
twila@mhsonline.org
Nila App, Executive Assistant
Goshen, Indiana
nila@mhsonline.org
Julie Hillard, APG Administrative Coordinator
Lancaster, Pennsylvania
julie@mhsonline.org
Alisa Miller, Managing Director of MHS Consulting
Haymarket, Virginia
alisa@mhsonline.org
Heather Plunkett, Associate
Norfolk, Virginia
heather@mhsonline.org
Mim Shirk, Senior Vice President
Goshen, Indiana
mim@mhsonline.org
History
As early as the late 1800's, Anabaptists in the United States began developing health and human service organizations, such as: nursing homes, mental health centers, hospitals, and agencies serving youth and those with developmental disabilities. In some cases, these ministries were initiated locally by individuals, congregations, and other groups, while others were initiated regionally or nationally by mission and service agencies. The existence of a national network of organizations can be traced to the 1940's, when Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) established five mental health organizations under the oversight of Mennonite Mental Health Services.
In the 1980's, Mennonite Mental Health Services separated from MCC and expanded to include any health and human service providers affiliated with Anabaptist denominations. A later refocusing of our mission resulted in the name MHS.
Today, MHS has more than 75 member organizations and maintains strong church connections through formal relationships with Mennonite Church USA and Mennonite Brethren US Conference. In 2013, MHS became an agency of Mennonite Church USA.