About Rochester Mennonite Church

Meeting at:
Schaeffer Academy
2700 Schaeffer Ln NE
Rochester, MN 55906

Rochester Mennonite Church is a congregation affiliated with the Central Plains Mennonite Conference of Mennonite Church USA. We are a Historic Peace Church (includes Mennonites, Church of the Brethren and Religious Society of Friends/Quakers) with a 480-year tradition of peaceliving and peacemaking. We value our Anabaptist heritage, and seek to live it in our daily lives. Our mission as a church, being part of the body of Jesus Christ, is to witness to God's love and grace through living out our Anabaptist vision in worship, ministry, and service within our church, community and world. As stated in our Church Covenant: We recognize that being a disciple of Christ is an ongoing journey of transformation that we will undergo together as a community of faith.

See also a brief history of Mennonites in Rochester, MN.

Rev. David D. Brunner has been pastor of Rochester Mennonite Church since July 2001. A native of Pennsylvania, he received his BA in sociology at Goshen College (IN), his BD at Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary (IN), a ThM in Pastoral Counseling at Crozer Theological Seminary (PA), and a DMin in Pastoral Counseling at Graduate Theological Foundation (IN). He has served as pastor in two congregations (13 years) and chaplain in hospitals and long-term care facilities (20+ years). He worked for several brief periods as a social worker.

davidportroit1a With this broad background of training and experience, he enjoys pastoring RMC as well as leading and participating in a wide variety of community services, including volunteering as chaplain at Olmsted Medical Center, and with Catholic Charities in the refugee re-settlement program. He organized the Historic Peace Churches of Rochester to bring together churches who value peace as central to their belief and daily practice. He also organized The Tent of Abraham/Open Hearts, Helping Hands project, a dialogue and planning group to facilitate conversation toward better understanding among Christians, Jews and Muslims, along with those of other faith traditions. He has been accepted as a Cojourner with the Sisters of St. Francis of Rochester.

Other interests include singing with Rochester Symphony Orchestra & Chorale, playing guitar and autoharp with groups, exploring the vast resources of the computer and the internet, reading widely, woodcarving, and physical exercise for health maintenance and fun. He is happily married to Jo Ann (Mapes), the father of three and grandfather of four.