We want to see everyone we know become more like Jesus.

Who Are We?

Waterway Church – An Evangelical Mennonite Congregation existed as Media Mennonite Church until we moved from Media Road to Waterway Road in 2020.  Media got its start as an outreach to the Oxford area by Maple Grove Mennonite Church in the 1940s.  

Our Mission

Our mission is to teach and live the truth of Jesus so that everyone we influence grows in compassion and devotion to God. We want to equip the “old in faith” for service and help the “new in faith” grow in understanding and practice.

What is an Evangelical Mennonite Congregation?

Let’s break that down piece by piece.  

Evangelical

For those of you who remember your 4th-grade grammar, “evangelical” is an adjective, not a noun.  Evangelical is not a demographic or a voting block, although you’ve heard it used that way.  We use this word to describe ourselves because “evangelical” has its roots in the ancient Greek word “evangel,” which means “Gospel” – aka the Good News of Jesus.  We are all about sharing the good news of Jesus because his salvation and his teaching are at the deepest core of who we are.  

Mennonite

Mennonites are a Christian faith group that began in the 16th century.  Menno Simons was an early prominent leader and eventually, the group became known as “Mennonites” because of his leadership and teaching.  Particular Mennonite beliefs and practices vary from church to church, but following Jesus in every area of life is one of our core values. 

We find that many people asking about Mennonites are actually thinking of the Amish.  Mennonites and Amish both come from a Protestant tradition known as Anabaptism (meaning “to be baptized again”) began in the 16th century, but the ways that we live out our faith have become very different over the centuries.

Amish focus on separating from “the world” – distinctive language and dress codes, no electricity, horses, and buggies. At Waterway, we also believe in simple living and not accepting the status quo, but our goal is to engage the world rather than sequester ourselves from it. We want to tell everyone we know about Jesus and we want to challenge each other to live as Jesus lived. Our faith is something to be shared.

Congregation

A congregation is a group of people gathered around shared values and beliefs. Our congregation is alive and growing, and there is room for you to join us.  

What Do We Believe?

Our primary identity is as Christians. As we get more specific, our theology is best described as “Anabaptist” and “Mennonite” – but we know that those words mean lots of things to lots of different people. A pretty good description of what we believe is found in the Confession of Faith in a Mennonite Perspective, which you can find here.

At Waterway, our denominational affiliation is with a group called AMEC – the Alliance of Mennonite Evangelical Congregations.  For more on what we believe and teach at Waterway, you can check out the AMEC “Purposes and Principles” page here.

Our Team