Purpose
The Deacons Commission focuses on the welfare of the churches within the MWC communion, particularly in times of duress, and offers listening, prayer, encouragement and support to churches feeling the need for brothers and sisters to “walk with them” in their particular need. The commission promotes the attitude and practice of service among member churches by means of visits, teaching and materials.
Program Activities
- Global Church Sharing Fund
- MWC Prayer Network: Click here for more information about what the Prayer Network is and how to sign up.
- Online Prayer Hour
Coronavirus response
Deacons Delegation Visits:
- 2020: Burkina Faso (People of Burkina Faso call for prayer)
- 2019: Hong Kong (Solidarity with A Mennonite Church on A Crossroad)
- 2017: Democratic Republic of Congo (Generous love amid war in Democratic Republic of Congo)
- 2017: Peru (MWC Deacons communicate the church’s care)
- 2017: ConoSur meeting and Ecuador (MWC provides care after the storm)
Commission Members
Chair
Andi Santoso
Indonesia/USA
Secretary
Tigist Tesfaye
Ethiopia
Deusilene Milhomem de Carvalho
Brazil
Walter Jakobeit
Germany
Mary Soledad Cano
Honduras
Raúl Rincón
Portugal
Brian Maphosa
South Africa
stories by or about the Deacons Commission
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Support for maternal health leads to vaccination openness
Millicent conceived in March 2020, just when Kenya reported the first case of COVID-19. The resident of Mathare, a poor district, was very fearful. Her neighbour Sophie, a care group volunteer with Centre for Peace and Nationhood (CPN), reached out when she realized Millicent was worried. With the support of Sophie and other CPN-trained mentors,…
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After Zoom, prayers carry on
Online Prayer Hour doesn’t end when the hour does. Not only do participants in Mennonite World Conference’s bimonthly prayer meeting continue for another 15 minutes – greeting each in other in a pandemonium of languages – they also carry prayers back to their local congregations. On 18 March 2022, participants in breakroom rooms prayed in…
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“We don’t live by fear”
Mennonites stand in the breach through prayer “And I sought for anyone among them who would repair the wall and stand in the breach before me on behalf of the land,” writes the prophet Ezekiel (22:30). On 19 November 2021, more than 110 members of Mennonite World Conference from Argentina to Zimbabwe rose to pray for the world. …
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Bimonthly prayer unites across language and location
Despite a two-day headache and recovery from a COVID-19 infection, Madhur Lakra logged on at 19:30 local time to pray. He not only participated in but led a Hindi prayer room for MWC’s bimonthly online prayer hour in July. After a large group welcome in English with simultaneous interpretation, the 100 participants on the Zoom…
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MWC continues pastoral response to COVID-19
In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, stories poured in from MWC member churches about job loss and hunger in their congregations and communities due to shut downs. Mennonite World Conference began collecting funds to respond to pandemic-related needs within and through the household of faith. A year into the pandemic, MWC is blessing…
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