Glen Guyton first person of color to be Mennonite Church USA's top executive
He was an air force captain who became a conscientious objector. Now he'll lead a historic peace church.
Glen Guyton will be the next executive director of Mennonite Church USA, the largest U.S. Mennonite denomination. He is the first person of color to be the church’s top executive.
“We want to be relevant as Anabaptists in the 21st century,” he said. “There are other partnering churches adopting the peace philosophy. We’re going to be looking for opportunities to work with people especially in local contexts, whoever those partners may be.”
Guyton joined the historic peace church in 1993 while a captain in the air force, becoming a member of Calvary Community Church in Hampton, Virginia. Mennonite and Quaker leaders and military counseling ministries helped him attain a conscientious objector discharge. He was later a youth pastor at Calvary before becoming the denomination’s director of intercultural relations. He has also held financial management roles and is currently chief operating officer.
