The Buzz newsletter | Updated Weekly

Church Council Update 
The Church Council will be meeting this Thursday, April 16 for their regular meeting, and then again this Saturday morning for an extended time focused on our transition and discernment process. That meeting will consider various models which will enable Butler to fulfill its mission in southeast Fresno. The goal is to develop proposals to present to the church membership for further discussion and deliberation.

A copy of Thursday meeting agenda will be available online prior to the meeting. The topics will include a review of financial reports through March, steps to take toward a unified budget, a report from the mission statement task force, and further updates from our Lead pastor on the transition process.  
 
Both Council meetings are open for guests to attend and listen in (Thursday 6:30pm / Saturday 9:00 am). If you have a topic to suggest for a future meeting, or any questions or concerns, please direct those to the council member from your congregation. Please pray for the council as they meet for wisdom, discernment, and unity in decisions to be made.

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    Women's baking day 2024

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Reflections on a life of service

In Memory of Edmund Janzen

Edmund Janzen passed away the morning of April 14 after a difficult recovery from a recent surgery. We are saddened to be missing Edmund's presence with us, but take joy in knowing that he is with the Lord. Thank you for your prayers for his wife, Mary, and their family during this time.


Because family members are in town, a memorial service has been scheduled for this coming Monday, April 20 at 11AM here at Butler Church. All are welcome.  For those not able to attend in person, a recording / livestream link will be available on the Butler Church YouTube channel.
 
Edmund modeled a life dedicated to faith, scholarship and service. In addition to being a beloved member of our Butler family, he was also well known as a professor, mentor and administrator. (Learn more, and hear from Edmund in his own words here.)

Mens event

Mission Festival Invitation

The Fresno School of Mission is hosting their annual Mission Festival on May 8 & 9 here at Butler! Our local Butler missionary, Nzash Lumeya, is calling our Butler family to take a personal step into mission: You can Pray, be Present, and Partner in this ministry work.


This Saturday morning (April 18) brother Nzash will hosting an outreach ministry gathering to share more details, introduce ministry leaders from Tijuana, and pray together over the upcoming event. Please join in person or via Zoom if you are able! To connect, call or text Nzash at 559-907-1445.

Men's Day at the Lake

A Saturday day trip to Bass Lake is being planned for Saturday, May 2. The day will be filled with food, fellowship and fishing! Watch for a sign up opportunity as we coordinate food and transportation. If you're interested in participating, let us know or talk with Mike Acosta or Samson Khoutsavanh this Sunday!

More news items....

Update from Pastor Ron
We’ve come through a deeply meaningful Holy Week and Easter weekend here at Butler Church. So many members participated in food distribution, the Stations of the Cross installation, and our all-church Easter Sunday celebration – thank you! A special thanks to our church staff for their efforts. I hope we all experienced something of Jesus’ resurrection life in these past days and weeks. We’re so grateful for the 9 new members welcomed into our community (2 of whom were baptized!). It was good to see representation from each congregation at Butler. 

This coming Sunday, I look forward to sharing more details about our transition process in all 4 gatherings as our Council met this week and will meet twice next week. (See also the Buzz update from March 26.) We need the support and the input of all members as there will soon be proposals which the Council will bring to the membership for further discussion and deliberation. We are moving forward!
 
Church Financial Update: The first quarter of 2026 (Jan–Mar) is now in the books, and we can report the following financial details that show us meeting our expenses and supporting partner agencies.
• Actual expenses: $ 101,234 (this amount includes some capital projects and future reporting will delineate such expenses in a more accurate, pro-rated way)
• Unrestricted giving: $ 100,790 (103% of projected giving!)
• Restricted giving: $ 15,000+ (agency support) – we have met our goal (!) and actually received more than this amount (the remainder will be distributed as designated).

Thank you for your faithful support of Butler’s ministries and staff as we seek to live as a community of God’s hospitality in our SE Fresno neighborhoods.Yours in the peace of Jesus, Pastor Ron
April 9, 2026
Support for Butler Family Members
We have several people in our Butler family dealing with significant health challenges. Please keep them in prayer, especially those with a new or difficult diagnosis. Here's one way to help - providing a meal!

Lisa Keith writes: "Hello Butler Friends, I’ve been diagnosed with invasive/aggressive breast cancer and could use your prayers and support. I’m grateful for your continued encouragement as I battle cancer and care for my two parents, age 92. I’m grateful for any support you can give. Peace, Lisa."
Mennonite Disaster Service Opportunity this Summer
The devastating Pasadena/Altadena fires in January of 2025 destroyed more than 8,000 homes. The California MDS Unit will begin construction on the first house MDS will build in what will become a national project. Plans are to start this June. This Pasadena project includes framing, adding siding, installing the roof, along with windows and doors so that the home can be mostly finished on the outside during the summer. Volunteers who can give a week or more are needed. All housing and meals will be provided. Construction experience is helpful but not necessary; skills will be taught. If interested, contact Jim Holm at mds.calif@gmail.com.
Dr Emebet Mekonnen

Listening Sessions available

Our Butler member, Dr. Emebet Mekonnen, is taking part in a chaplaincy training program this year, which will also bring an added blessing to our church family!


Butler Church partnering with “Clinical Pastoral Education of California” in this training, through volunteer internship hours. For the next 4 months, Emebet will be present on campus at various times during weekly office hours. Not only will this opportunity provide an educational context for Emebet as a chaplain-in-training, but our church family will benefit from her investment of time in the form of listening sessions. 


Our goal is to make Emebet's time and listening presence available to church members and community neighbors who need a prayerful, listening ear. Dr. Mekonnen will be report weekly to Pastor Ron and others in Butler Church leadership. We will provide more information as to the times / places for this ministry in the coming days. Look for more details in our Sunday gatherings and in upcoming editions of the Buzz. We welcome Emebet as a volunteer member of our staff for the next several months! – Pastor Ron

January 2026

Assistance Fund Donations
Through the Butler Church Benevolent Assistance Fund, we have been able to help with several time sensitive needs recently. Given the upcoming cuts in SNAP funding even more requests may be coming in soon. Please consider making an additional donation to the church benevolent fund, by designating for this in the offering or through giving online. We also work with partner agencies like MB Foundation and Everence to expand our capacity through matching grants. 

If caring for needs of folks in our community in very practical ways is something close to your heart, please also talk with your pastor or contact the church office. We would like to build a social action response team that can respond to needs as they are made known. If you have a personal need, please also talk with a pastor.
Text Updates from Butler Church
If you find an occasional text reminder helpful, be sure to “Opt In” so our “Breeze-butler” text messages get through! To share your preferences for text or email updates, you can complete the Butler Subscriptions form. Thanks! 

Note: If you have signed up, but are no longer receiving text updates - try texting START to 87447. Remember that "msg & data rates may apply." Details are in the Butler subscriptions form.
Butler Cultural Celebration Night
Spanish Translation Available!
Our Butler website is also available in Spanish! Click the upper left corner to switch between English and Spanish. (If you notice any translation errors, please let us know!) 

¡Nuestro sitio web Butler ahora también está disponible en español! Haga clic en el ícono de arriba para cambiar entre inglés y español. (Si nota algún error de traducción, ¡avísenos!)

Updated on: 4/15/2026

Looking for earlier Butler news stories? You can visit our news archive here.

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