Recently, Mike Cline stepped down as co-editor here at JM out of a desire to balance work, school, and home life. Thankfully, he’ll still grace us with articles from time to time.

Today we’re anouncing Mike’s replacement: Brandon Rhodes. Welcome to the team, Brandon!

Here’s the background on Brandon:

Brandon Rhodes is a lifelong Oregonian who worships and serves in the Old Growth Community, a new-monastic Mennonite church plant in Portland’s eclectic Brentwood-Darlington neighborhood and presently in its first year together.

In his adolescence he was a part-time Christian and full-time fundamentalist crank.  But when Brandon lived in a kingdom-centered intentional community while studying Environmental Studies and Political Science at the University of Oregon, he found himself steadily transformed by the gospel.  God redeemed him from sneering individualism and into playful community, from shrill nationalism into the Kingdom of the Triumphant Lamb.  His is a journey of being regularly startled by God’s love and beauty.

Since college, Brandon has continued to live in Christian community, graduated seminary, and worked as a writer and activist for several creation-care and global justice nonprofits.  He enjoys vegetable gardening, reading compulsively, brewing beer, Mexican food, Romans 8, and trees.

About Mark Van Steenwyk

Mark Van Steenwyk is a member of Missio Dei. He is a speaker, writer, educator, and grassroots organizer. With the support of the Central Plains Mennonite Conference, he travels to radical and intentional communities around the country to help network and offer support.