Glen Guyton has been announced as the new executive director of Mennonite Church USA (MC USA), according to a press release issued by the organization. He will begin a three-year term on May 1.
He is currently MC USA’s chief operating officer and director of convention planning.
From 2003-07, Guyton was a member of the Board of Trustees at Eastern Mennonite University. In 2012, he returned as the keynote speaker for EMU’s commemoration of Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday celebration.
Guyton takes over from Dr. Ervin Stutzman, a 1999 graduate and former dean of Eastern Mennonite Seminary.
Guyton’s nomination earned a unanimous vote from the MC USA Executive Board.
“We believe Glen is called at this time and place to lead MC USA,” says Joy Sutter, search committee chair. “We are impressed by Glen’s love for the church, his vision and passion for the future, his commitment to anti-racism, his excellent skills in communication, his business acumen and the hope he holds for the future of the denomination. His gifts in administration and vision, and his broad respect throughout the church, will serve us well.”
Guyton joined the MC USA staff in 2009 as director of intercultural relations and for the next five years, held various staff roles related to finance and convention planning. He was an insurance counselor with Mennonite Mutual Aid (now Everence) and a member of MCUSA’s executive board from 2007-09.
Guyton joined the Mennonite denomination in 1993 at Calvary Community Church in Hampton, Virginia, where he also became the youth pastor. At the time of joining the church, he was stationed at Langley Air Force Base. After his baptism, he became a conscientious objector and withdrew from the U.S. Air Force.
He served on Virginia Mennonite Conference (VMC) Alternatives to Military Service Committee and the VMC antiracism team.
Guyton has a bachelor’s degree from the U.S. Air Force Academy and a master’s degree in education from Regent University. He lives in San Antonio with his wife, Cyndi, and children Andre-A and Alex. He is a member of San Antonio Mennonite Church.
“I feel called to serve MC USA,” Guyton said in a press release. “I owe it to my children and younger generations to continue on this journey. This role is not about me but the wonderful people who make us MC USA. I look forward to working with our conferences and congregations to help them live out their witness in their context in new and creative ways. At heart, my work is equipping the next generation to understand and live out their call.”
Read Glen Guyton’s May 2017 article in The Mennonite.