News

A Baptism at Walden Pond

Our community celebrated an outdoor Sunday morning baptism ritual on June 29, 2025 at Walden Pond. One of our members was baptized, and two were re-baptized in the beautiful clear water after a short worship service on the shore. There were forty people gathered in support of these community members, who completed a year of study and renewed commitment using the book Our Story, God’s Story. After the ceremony, some folks jumped in the water to enjoy a gorgeous summer morning together.

MCOB at Pride/No Kings

Despite the rain, about twenty of us showed up at Boston Pride/No Kings on June 14, 2025, to march in the parade. We were joyful as we proclaimed that God‘s love is for everyone! And we picked up a few new people along the way!

Charlotte Boudreau has joined the MCOB staff

As of April 2025, Charlotte Boudreau is serving MCOB as our administrative assistant. She now manages our church email account, sends out weekly emails that include worship team coordination and Zoom/OOW reminders, and creates and send our weekly epistle. She also supports Kate with other admin tasks as needed, such as communicating with FMC staff and responding to general and visitor inquiries. Charlotte has been a part of MCOB since 2014, and we’re thrilled that she’s taken on this new role.

Tree Planting with the Mystic River Watershed Association

On Tuesday, June 10, about fifteen of us from MCOB volunteered with the Mystic River Watershed Association to help plant saplings that will hopefully help restore an area on the shore. For the past two years the group has worked to remove invasive species, and now they are repopulating native species.

Kate Andre Ordained to Ministry

Pastor Kate Andre was ordained into ministry in the Mennonite Church in a beautiful service on Sunday, May, 18, 2025 at the Friends Meeting House in Cambridge, MA. The ordination was led by Mick Sommers of the Atlantic Coast Conference. A large crowd gathered for the joyous occasion, which featured meditations from Rev. Susan Goering and Rev. Michelle Dula.

Mennos for Separation of Church and State Initiative

The Mennos for Separation of Church and State (MSCS) is a MCOB study/discussion/advocacy group on the topic of separation of church and state. Anabaptists have affirmed the separation of church and state since the founding in 1525 in Geneva. Five centuries later, the MSCS wrote the following statement to express our stance in April 2025:

We, the Mennonite Congregation of Boston, join others in celebrating this year the 500th Anniversary founding of Anabaptism. That radical founding inspired us Anabaptists to affirm over the centuries that the church and the state are separate. The work of the church differs fundamentally from the state, both in its goals and how it achieves those goals. 
We believe that Christians should not use the power of government to impose our Christian beliefs and practices on others. Nor should we put our religious faith in any political leader. 
We reaffirm those Anabaptist beliefs by standing against Christian nationalism, from which our forebears suffered. Jesus taught that the Two Greatest Commandments are to love God and love one’s neighbor. 
We believe that these commandments should take priority over everything.

MSCS hopes to host more discussions and lead a worship service on the topic in summer 2025.

Read our letter, “An invitation to dialogue,” is in Anabaptist World.

MCOB’s Outdoor Worship on the Charles: a prayer for the suffering

As part of a MennoAction initiative, MCOB held an outdoor worship service on April 27 with the theme of “God’s Love Knows No Borders.” We set up on a windy day along the Charles River near Harvard Square. Through readings and songs, we prayed for a more loving world.