Cornerstone Mennonite Church
Cornerstone Mennonite Church
Wondering about the experience of churches that have started working with Anabaptist Brotherhood?
Read this interview with Neal Zimmerman about the experience of Cornerstone Mennonite Church in Memphis, Missouri.
Cornerstone Mennonite Church in Memphis, Missouri, was founded in 2007. Since then, it has grown and planted two additional churches.
Starting a new church requires courage, vision, and a willingness to embrace uncertainty. In that same spirit, Cornerstone has stepped out and become the first church to join Anabaptist Brotherhood as an entire congregation. Typically, when a new initiative launches, it attracts a few early adopters while others wait for evidence of success before committing. But Cornerstone’s decision to join Brotherhood was neither careless or rushed.
It was the result of thoughtful deliberation and careful process. The journey began with a few exploratory phone calls made by Neal Zimmerman (deacon). He then arranged a conference call that included the ministerial team and myself. After discerning that Brotherhood’s Medical Aid and Alms Plan closely aligned with their values and medical aid concerns, Cornerstone requested an informational meeting for the entire congregation to thoroughly discuss Brotherhood’s Medical Aid & Alms Plan. Their sister congregation, Mount Moriah, followed suit requesting their own information meeting and discussion. Both congregations are part of the Mid-Atlantic Fellowship.
Cornerstone’s Medical Aid Journey
Cornerstone’s initial search for a medical aid plan in their early years led them to join a broad-based Anabaptist sharing plan. “It met our needs very well,” Neal recalls. “We were satisfied except that it required a significant amount of energy and time to manage the medical bill negotiation side of things.” Over time this burden became great enough that Cornerstone sought another sharing plan that would handle bill negotiation on their behalf.
They found another Anabaptist sharing plan that offered bill negotiation. It was a welcome relief, freeing up church leaders to focus more fully on the spiritual needs of their members while the sharing plan managed the complexities of medical bills. However, they later discovered that this sharing plan relied heavily on the government’s Medicaid program to reduce medical costs. As time passed, Cornerstone’s conviction deepened, and their concerns about using government-funded Medicaid became more clear.
Another essential value for Cornerstone was full acceptance of pre-existing conditions. The previous plan had required some of the members with pre-existing conditions to depend on Medicaid—a compromise that made them uncomfortable. Once again, Brotherhood aligned with Cornerstone’s principles by sharing the burden of pre-existing conditions. Brotherhood requires 70% participation of a church in order to accept pre-existing conditions, but for Cornerstone, this requirement was not an issue. Their level of participation in medical aid has consistently been 90% or higher. The congregation fosters a strong group mentality. “We are proactive on the front side, and almost all of our members participate in medical aid,” Neal said. “If a member needs help with their quarterly contribution, we consider helping with our own alms fund.”
As they discussed whether to switch to Brotherhood’s plan, Cornerstone seriously considered managing their own medical aid plan in partnership with their sister churches. Neal recounted the congregation’s conclusion: “While it would have provided a close sense of medical sharing, we concluded that we weren’t large enough of a group to handle the larger bills. Plus, it would require a dedicated person to manage the plan, and we would have been back to the old problem of negotiating our own medical bills.” Neal went on to describe his vision to be part Brotherhood’s broader plan. “There is a measure of security of a larger group. But more importantly, we get to be a blessing to other churches in bearing medical and alms needs more broadly with them.” In the end, Cornerstone made the decision to join Brotherhood’s Medical Aid and Alms Plan.
Reasons for joining Brotherhood
Reason #1 – The Transparency of a Member ID Card
Brotherhood’s approach to interacting with medical providers is marked by transparency and clarity. Neal appreciates that members aren’t required to pose as a person without a health sharing plan in order to receive self-pay discounts. Instead, Brotherhood issues a Member ID Card that clearly identifies the member as part of a structured sharing plan with defined administrative and payment policies. This transparency offers peace of mind to medical providers as well. Using the Member ID, providers can verify membership in their electronic data system, confirming that the patient is with Brotherhood. In addition, providers submit bills directly to Brotherhood through electronic transmission, relieving members of the burden of sorting through complex medical codes, bills, and paperwork.
Reason #2 – An Alms Plan with members with higher incomes bearing the greater burden.
Neal expressed appreciation for Brotherhood’s Alms Plan, which allows wealthier members the privilege of bearing a greater share of the needs of widows, those with disabilities, and low-income families. He noted that some of the more financially able members of the congregation commented approvingly on this arrangement and felt inspired to contribute generously, embracing the opportunity to give cheerfully and sacrificially to the Alms Plan. The Alms Plan is one of Brotherhood’s distinctive features. It reflects the spirit of the Apostle James’ call to exercise pure religion by “visiting the fatherless and widows in their affliction.”
Reason #3 – Be your brother’s keeper
As mentioned earlier, Cornerstone’s convictions grew to stop the routine reliance on Medicaid to reduce medical expenses. They were attracted to Brotherhood in part because it does not expect Medicaid to be their brother’s keeper. Neal summed up this conviction with a thoughtful question: “Where do you start and stop with government Medicaid insurance?” As this belief deepened, it became clear that Brotherhood ‘s approach perfectly aligned with their vision to take full responsibility for bearing the cost of medical needs as a brotherhood. Brotherhood’s slogan, “Caring for Our Own,” captures this commitment. This burden
is not heavy—it is a joy. Anabaptists are blessed with more than enough resources to fulfill the call to be our brother’s keeper without depending on Medicaid.
Reason #4 – Structure of the Plan.
With his background in business management, Neal recognizes and values the importance of Brotherhood’s structured plan. Any sizable effort requires clear systems and organization to function smoothly and effectively. Neal pointed out, however, that structure does not replace compassion. Emphasizing his point he added, “Structure is not the enemy if you navigate the individual situations with a personal touch.” At the same time, he cautioned, “If systems override people or policy is used to avoid the messy individualized touch in needy situations, a corporate feel will dominate. However, good policy sets expectations and provides principled direction in tough situations.”
Worries about being the “early adopters”
“Being an early adopter of Brotherhood feels like a leap of faith,” Neal admitted. The congregation at Cornerstone acknowledged potential risks of joining a new organization. Yet, after prayer and discussion, they sensed God’s leading in this decision. Several key factors helped them move forward with confidence:
1. Financial Backing
Multiple individuals stepped forward during Brotherhood’s formative stages and provided $1,000,000 of Pledged Promissory Notes. This demonstration of financial commitment gave Cornerstone assurance that Brotherhood’s foundation was not only spiritually sound but also financially well-considered.
2. Proven Reference-Based Pricing
One of Brotherhood’s distinctive features is its use of reference-based pricing—a proven, advanced method for determining fair and reasonable charges for medical services. Unlike typical discount-based billing, which can be unclear and arbitrary, reference-based pricing uses industry benchmarks and medical pricing standards to negotiate fair and transparent costs. This approach is not untested. It has been successfully used for years by the Ohio Medical Aid Services (Amish) and by Plain Church Group Ministries (Amish). During Brotherhood’s development, these two established organizations graciously shared their knowledge and experience, helping to shape Brotherhood’s bill negotiation polices.
3. Experienced Leadership
While any new organization carries some level of risk, Neal shared that “Cornerstone was reassured by the experience of Brotherhood’s leadership team. These leaders have a proven track record of founding other credible financial nonprofit organizations. Their background in successfully guiding similar ventures through their early years gave Cornerstone peace of mind that Brotherhood would be well led and responsibly managed.”
Not every church may feel ready to take the risk of being an early adopter. We share Cornerstone’s journey and the reasons behind their decision in order to help other congregations prayerfully discern whether Brotherhood is the right fit for them.