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Prayers of gratitude and intercession

  • Anabaptist World Fellowship Sunday 2025

    Part A: Origin of Anabaptism in 1525 

    Part B: Origin of Anabaptists/Mennonites in your own country 

    Part C: WCRC and MWC Common Statement of Confession, Gratitude and Commitment 

    Part D: A Responsive reading of gratefulness, based on Psalm 136 

    This content is provided to give context for Anabaptism@500 years – back then, and today. Please use as much of this content as is relevant for your own context. Please be sure to add in the history of Anabaptism within your own country and how your church came to be today. 

    Part A: Origin of Anabaptism in 1525 

    The Anabaptist movement began as part of a renewal movement within the Catholic Church in Europe in the early 16th century. Some of its inspiration comes from the Catholic tradition: the strong sense of discipline and community found in monasticism, for example, the attentiveness to the Holy Spirit that could be found in Catholic mysticism, or the emphasis on following Jesus in daily life in The Imitation of Christ, by Thomas á Kempis. Anabaptism also owes a debt to Martin Luther and the early Reformation movement, particularly Luther’s emphasis on the authority of Scripture and his emphasis on the freedom of the Christian conscience. The movement was shaped by deep social and economic unrest of their time that exploded in the Peasants’ War of 1524-1525. 

    The Anabaptists themselves, however, would have said that they were simply trying to be faithful followers of the teachings of Jesus and the example of the Early Church. 

    A moment in 1525 serves as the symbolic beginning of the Anabaptist movement: a small group of Christian reformers gathered for a secret worship service in Zurich, Switzerland. The group was frustrated by the hesitance of their leader, Ulrich Zwingli, to enact the changes to Catholic rituals that they agreed Scripture demanded. In their reading of Scripture, true Christian baptism assumed a conscious commitment to follow Jesus – something no infant could do. So on 21 January 1525, this small group agreed to baptize each other as adults. 

    Although it would be some time before the full meaning of baptism came into focus, the early Anabaptists understood this act to symbolize the presence of the Holy Spirit in the gift of God’s grace, a commitment to a life of daily discipleship and membership in a new community of God’s people. 

    Named by opponents 

    Members of the movement generally referred to themselves as “Brethren” (Brüder) – or later by the more descriptive term “baptism-minded” (Taufgesinnten). Their opponents labeled them Anabaptists (= re-baptizers), in part because “rebaptism” was a criminal offense in the Holy Roman Empire, punishable by death. At first, the group resisted the term “Anabaptist” since in their minds they were not rebaptizing, but rather baptizing correctly for the first time. But over time, the name persisted. 

    Today, Anabaptist is an accepted English term for all Reformation groups who practiced believers (rather than infant) baptism, and the denominations descended from them such as the Amish, Mennonites, and Hutterites. 

    Identity-forging challenges 

    Over time, however, a coherent movement emerged. Its identity was forged, in part at least, from the need to respond to several basic challenges. 

    First, in response to accusations of heresy by religious and political authorities in the first half of the 16th century, Anabaptists were quick to define themselves as faithful, Bible-believing Christians. 

    Second, militant voices within their number who were ready to impose social and religious change with violence forced Anabaptists to clarify their identity as peaceful, law-abiding, nonviolent Christians whose only weapon was love. 

    And finally, in the face of spiritualist dissenters who favoured an internal religious experience that could avoid theological disputations and go undetected by authorities, Anabaptists were compelled to defend the public and visible nature of the church. 

    Three streams emerge 

    Despite the diversity of theology and practice evident in the first generation of Anabaptists, three coherent groups had emerged by the 1540s: the Swiss Brethren in the German-speaking territories; the Hutterites in Moravia; and the Mennonites of the Netherlands and North Germany who were organized around the leadership of Menno Simons. Although these groups differed in important ways, they nonetheless recognized each other as members of the same religious tradition, so that their internal disagreements often took the form of a family quarrel. 

    —Excerpted from Stories: How Mennonites Came to Be, by John D. Roth, Herald Press, 2006. Adapted and used with permission. 

    Over the next 500 years Anabaptism spread to many different countries around the world, each with their own origin story. Mennonite World Conference began 100 years ago to bring together the many churches from different streams of Anabaptism for fellowship, worship, witness and service. 

    More reading: Anabaptist World: 2 March 2015, “The Birth of Anabaptism” 

    The birth of Anabaptism

    Part B: Origin of Anabaptists/Mennonites in your own country 

    Please be sure to discuss the history of your own congregation and the development of Anabaptist/Mennonite churches in your own country. 

    Helpful summaries are available at the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online (GAMEO). Search a country name to learn about Anabaptist movements in the region. 

    GAMEO

    The Anabaptist wiki also offers articles about Anabaptists in many countries.

    Anabaptist Wiki

    Part C: WCRC and MWC: 

    A common statement of confession, gratitude and commitment 

    Mennonite World Conference appointed several people to participate in an ongoing ecumenical dialogue with the World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC). This is one of the state churches who in the 1500s persecuted the early Anabaptists in Europe. 

    Together, this group of theologians from WRCR and MWC prepared a shared statement for public delivery on 29 May 2025 in Zurich, Switzerland. 

    The title of the statement is “Restoring Our Family to Wholeness: Seeking a Common Witness.” The statement includes sections on giving thanks and celebrating our common confession of Jesus as Lord; confession and lament; and ends with God’s call to unity and peace. The statement can be found on the MWC website: 

    Restoring Our Family to Wholeness: Seeking a Common Witness

    Going forward with the WCRC, rather than on “resolving” the historical theological points of difference that have divided us, MWC emphasizes the places around the world where Mennonites and Reformed churches are collaborating in our witness. 

    Part D: An MWC liturgy of gratefulness 

    Based on Psalm 136 

    It is God’s faithfulness and message of salvation through Jesus Christ that we celebrate, as it has been passed down and around through the generations over 500 years, reaching us today. 

    Give thanks to the LORD for he is good, 
    For his steadfast love endures forever.* 

    Give thanks to the God of gods, 
    For his steadfast love endures forever. 

    Give thanks to the Lord of lords, 
    For his steadfast love endures forever. 

    Who by his understanding created the heavens and the earth, 
    Who built the church as Christ’s Body here on earth, 
    Who renews the church throughout time, 
    Give thanks to the LORD for he is good, 
    For his steadfast love endures forever. 

    Who through the witness of the Holy Spirit 500 years ago, 
    inspired the Radical Reformers with a renewed vision for following Jesus, 
    Who brought a deepened understanding of God’s call on our lives, 
    Grounded in Jesus, the Bible, community discernment, discipleship and love of enemies, 
    Give thanks to the LORD for he is good, 
    For his steadfast love endures forever. 

    Who through the Spirit called witnesses to spread the Good News all over the world, 
    Who inspired new congregations to witness to God’s love for all cultures and all lands, 
    Give thanks to the LORD for he is good, 
    For his steadfast love endures forever. 

    Who is Lord over our own [name of church] in [name of country], 
    Who nourishes and strengthens our own congregation to live out God’s call on our lives, 
    Grounded in Jesus, the Bible, community discernment, discipleship, and love of enemies. 
    Give thanks to the LORD for he is good, 
    For his steadfast love endures forever. 

    Who works through the global family of faith we call Mennonite World Conference, 
    Who is growing a church that transcends boundaries of race, ethnicity and language, 
    Who calls us together as a communion (koinonia) to follow Jesus, live out unity and build peace. 
    Give thanks to the LORD for he is good, 
    For his steadfast love endures forever. 

    Give thanks to the LORD for he is good, 
    Give thanks to the God of gods, 
    Give thanks to the Lord of lords, 
    For his steadfast love endures forever. 

    —- 

    *The refrain “For his steadfast love endures forever” could be replaced by “For God’s love never quits” all the way through the responsive reading. 

  • *For the most up to date information, see the event subsite:*

     

     

    TourMagination: Historian and former Hesston College professor John Sharp will lead the 15-day Celebrate 500: Classic Anabaptist Heritage Tour, May 19 – June 3, 2025 

    TourMagination: Dutch Mennonite Ayold Fanoy will lead the 15-day Celebrate 500: Anabaptist Story in Europe Tour, May 19 – June 2, 2025 

    TourMagination Mennonite Archivist Conrad Stoesz will lead the 13-day 500 Years of Anabaptist Faith, Art & History Tour, May 28 – June 9, 2025 

    TourMagination: Conrad Grebel University College alumni and friends Ð already fully subscribed.

    TourMagination: Eastern Mennonite University

    ÒSwiss Mennonites + Swiss AlpsÓ 9-Day Tour hosted by Pastor Weldon Martens, Newton, Kansas (USA). The highlight will be Commemorating 500 Years of Anabaptism in Zurich on May 29, 2025 and several days touring in the scenic Swiss Alps. Information at www.tourwithweldon.com To join the ÒInterested ListÓ contact Weldon Martens at weldon.martens@gmail.com / 402-202-9276.

    Planning a tour? Let us know! Send information to info@mwc-cmm.org

     

  • In 2025, the global Anabaptist movement looks back over 500 years of existence. Mennonite World Conference invites all to a major event on Ascension Day,29 May 2025, in Zurich, Switzerland.  

    Even as we look back on a long past, the focus of the commemoration is on the current reality of the Anabaptist movement.  

    • Who are we today as a global communion?  
    • What is important to us?  
    • What are we committed to in this world? 

    When we look back over the 500-year history of our movement, we want to share what we are and what we have. Not just with other churches. Commitment – in this world – to peace, to reconciliation, to unity, in which we get a glimpse of Christ’s coming kingdom of peace: these are key elements of how Anabaptists understand discipleship today. 

    We have gathered these commitments under the theme “The courage to love”. 

    It takes courage to stand up for reconciliation in a society torn apart by polarization.  

    It takes courage to stand between the dividing lines, to listen and try to understand what motivates others.  

    It takes courage to focus on love rather than influence, power and control. 

    In a world where people loudly demand to take a stand and distinguish themselves from those with whom they don’t want to be identified, it takes courage to choose love. Love that is ready to lay down its life for enemies, just as Christ laid down his life for enemies. 

    Love goes beyond non-violence: it is a courageous commitment to live out God’s love in this world.  

    For example, brothers and sisters in Ethiopia who, in the midst of the violence of a civil war, make public the fact that they carry no weapons.  

    People seeking to follow Christ in the midst of conflicts in Myanmar or Ukraine, often entering the spaces between the lines as they search for pathways beyond violent confrontation. 

    What about us here today?  

    Where is our courageous action in love needed today?  

    How can we usefully interpose ourselves between the front lines? How can we bear witness to a God who gives of God’s self to reconcile the world? 

    —Jürg Bräker is general secretary of Conférence Mennonite Suisse, an MWC Executive Committee representative for Europe, and a member of the committee organizing the celebration. 

    A version of this article was first published in the monthly e-newsletter of Konferenz der Mennoniten der Schweiz / Conférence Mennonite Suisse.

  • “Anniversaries are a time to stop and reflect: we remember where we have come from, consider who we are today and anticipate where God is calling us to be,” says César García, MWC general secretary. 

    “The courage to love” is the theme for Mennonite World Conference’s anniversary year in 2025. 

    For more information on MWC’s one-day commemoration event in Switzerland or information on other commemoration events throughout the year, visit mwc-cmm.org/anabaptism500.  

    The day’s activities will include choral performances, a panel discussion, historical walking tours in Zurich’s historic city centre, workshops and an interactive “find the secret church” game. A mass worship service with global and ecumenical guests in the Grossmünster church will close the day. 

    You can travel to Zurich to participate in the day as part of a tour or on your own. The closing worship service will be livestreamed in English, French, Spanish and German.  

    Throughout the year, events will be held around the world to celebrate and reflect on the Anabaptist movement and what it has become today.  

    “We are inspired how The Courage to Love moves us to Christ-like actions today just as much as 500 years ago. National churches or local congregations may wish to use this theme for their own events in 2025,” says Liesa Unger, MWC chief international events officer.  

    A collection of gatherings 

    Before the event, Mennonite World Conference’s General Council (made up of leaders from each national member church around the world) will gather for decision making and learning. After the event, young people will gather for a Global Youth Summit – the first time the event occurs outside of an Assembly year.  

    Two anniversaries 

    2025 marks two anniversaries for MWC. It is 500 years since Conrad Grebel, Georg Blaurock and Felix Manz took the courageous act of “re-baptizing” each other in Zurich, Switzerland, as an expression of their understanding of faith. This act is taken as the symbolic beginning of the Anabaptist movement, which has grown to around 2.13 million believers in more than 80 countries around the world.  

    It is also 100 years since Mennonite World Conference began. Its first event was a conference: a gathering of Mennonite church leaders from Germany, France, the Netherlands, Switzerland and the USA. These leaders asked: “How can we improve the spiritual life of our congregations?” 

    Download resources 

    Click here for event posters

  • Anabaptist Christians in a predominantly Muslim neighbourhood of 137 000 residents in Nairobi practice “The Courage to Love” on a daily basis. “Our modest Anabaptist congregation faces acceptance, evangelism and cultural fusion difficulties,” says George Ochieng, director of Eastleigh Fellowship Centre (EFC) Mennonite Church Choir. “Even so, we have been summoned to exhibit courage through loving in this environment.” 

    The EFC choir from a Mennonite church in Nairobi is one of five musical ensembles selected to represent music in Anabaptist churches around the world at the 500th anniversary event in Zurich 2025. “Our choir eagerly anticipates leveraging our musical gifts to share the love of Christ through a blend of diverse cultural elements,” he says. 

    At the one-day event 29 May 2025, each choir will perform two times: one indoor concert at the Predigerkirche or Friedenskirche and an outdoor concert at the Zwingli Platz in front of the Grossmünster without any amplification. The choirs will also participate in the final worship service at the Grossmünster cathedral which will be livestreamed.  

    The EFC choir calls its style afrofusion “because it invokes various musical cultures drawn from different countries in Africa,” says George Ochieng. The choir members themselves represent different cultures from around Kenya. They travel throughout Kenya to perform in churches and at music festivals. 

    “Heartfelt prayers ascend that our ensemble obtains the required visas for 2025,” says George Ochieng. Only 7 of their 36 members received visa to travel to the USA to perform at the MWC Assembly in Pennsylvania in 2015. “The privilege [of attending an MWC event] provides us with the opportunity to learn much more about the community of Anabaptist believers,” says George Ochieng. 

    The five ensembles will perform in a local congregation on Sunday, 1 June 2025.

    “Music transcends barriers, serving as a testament to God’s Kingdom and fostering unity across racial, linguistic and national lines,” says George Ochieng. “We pray for peace in the world at a time when the world needs this the most since World War II.”

    Other ensembles:

    Latin America:

    Ágape Band from Asunción, Paraguay. Varied musical styles mixing pop, rock, Latin, funk and folk. Seven musicians and a sound technician. Several are members of Iglesia Hermanos Menonitas Concordia and graduates of CEMTA (Centro Evangélico Menonita de Teología Asunción).

    “Our band name is the kind of love described in 1 Corinthians 13. Many of our songs talk about this self-giving love of God. We know that real love is for the ones with courage. We can only feel fulfilled when our relationship with our God defines our values and identity,” says Carlos Arce Penner, band leader.

    At age 22, he directed a band that led worship at the 2009 Global Youth Summit in Paraguay and played with different delegations during the Assembly.

    North America

    Eastern Mennonite University (EMU) Chamber Singers from Harrisonburg, Virginia, USA. A mixed voice, mainly acapella choir that mostly sings sacred music from a variety of styles, time periods and cultures. The auditioned 20 members are students from different majors.

    “Much of our music also centres on themes that are important to Anabaptism, including peace, justice, discipleship and care for creation and all people,” says director Benjamin Bergey. “One of the most foundational ways to be agents of peace in this world is by loving. We are very excited to connect with this wonderful and timely theme – and with the other music groups from around the world.”

    Benjamin Bergey was the music coordinator for the 2022 MWC Assembly in Indonesia. The EMU choir sang at the 1967 MWC Assembly in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

    Eastern Mennonite University Chamber Singers

    Europe

    Songs of Peace began as new music project at the Bildungszentrum Bienenberg in Liestal, Switzerland. Today, it is an independent association led by married couple Dennis Thielmann and Karin Franz along with musicians from local Mennonite congregations.

    “We value natural and reduced sounds combined with electronic elements in our music (mostly sung in German),” says Dennis Thielmann. Musical influences include world music, monastic traditions and sound therapy “We also try to use the musical form and staging to shape kingdom-of-God values such as simplicity, gratitude, authenticity, inclusion, patience, sustainability and global awareness.”

    Dennis Thielmann participated in the music team at the MWC Assembly in Paraguay in 2009. “As we share our music with MWC guests in Zurich, we will call our listeners to slow down and look for the resonance of God’s presence in everything that surrounds us,” he says.

    Songs of Peace

    Asia

    TIARA (The Indonesian Anabaptist peRforming Art) is an 8-member band from the GKMI Anugerah church in Jakarta, Indonesia. The members who sing, play traditional instruments (angklung) and dance, come from several locations in Central Java are regularly involved in worship music at their local congregations.

    “We want to share God’s love for and mighty works in our country through performances that contain beauty, diversity, and wisdom,” says band coordinator Eliezer Pranawa (Prana) Setiawan. “We hope that every single piece we present in Zurich 2025 could be a gift of love for the global Anabaptist churches and community.”

    “It was a privilege to be involved in the MWC Assembly in Indonesia in 2022,” he says. “At that fascinating event, we realized that we have global family and community through Anabaptist church.”

    TIARA (The Indonesian Anabaptist peRforming Art)

     

  • Commemorating 500 years of Anabaptism

    Thursday, 29 May 2025 (Ascension Day)

    Zurich, Switzerland

    Donate now to support Zurich 2025

    Renewal 2028

  • Five vocal ensembles display God’s love in the diversity of culture through music in 10 concerts at 500 anniversary event in Zurich

    “Dalam Yesus…”  For many Assembly participants, the multilingual, multicultural music of plenary worship sessions is one of the most memorable parts of this global family encounter. Rashard Allen wants to expand on that at “The Courage to Love: Anabaptism@500” in Zurich, 29 May 2025. The Mennonite World Conference event commemorates the 500th anniversary of the Anabaptist movement.

    The director of music and worship at Neffsville Mennonite Church in Pennsylvania, USA, has gathered one ensemble from each of the five MWC regions for the day.

    “We want to represent all that Anabaptism is now and what will it look like in the future: Two-thirds of Anabaptists are in the Global South. Anabaptism is very diverse,” he says.

    “Music is a huge part of expressing our diversity. Although we all speak different languages, music is a language all of us can relate to. And so, it gives us a window into a culture.

    “We can espouse Anabaptist theology and values, but music represents our diversity culturally,” Rashard Allen says. “The group from Latin America will sound different from the group from Africa. The way they express Anabaptism is contextualized through their music.”

    Consulting with MWC’s regional representatives and his own musical contacts around the world, Rashard Allen booked five ensembles:

    In line with event’s theme, “The Courage to Love,” each of the ensembles is committed to the work of reconciliation, says Rashard Allen. “They have a global ecumenical outlook in terms of how they understand their role in being an Anabaptist choir/ensemble.”

    Each group will present two concerts and participate in the mass worship gathering at the close of the day. Indoor concerts at the Predigerkirche will be 45 minutes long. The ensembles will also give a 30-minute outdoor concert. Due to local bylaws about amplification, the outdoor concerts will have a modified instrumentation style.

    “Each experience will be unique because the groups do things in different ways,” says Rashard Allen.

    There’s going to be a lot going on: workshops, a walking tour, a panel discussion and the choirs.

    “My hope is that other people will see the ensembles as a centrepiece of the event and take in as much as they can,” he says.

    “Treat it like a buffet: see one outdoor concert and one indoor concert. I would encourage people to watch a group that is not from their home continent. Allow yourself to experience something new. Each experience will be unique.”

    “I believe each person and each culture gives us a window into an aspect of who God is. I hope people will look for that in the music.”

    “I’m looking forward to worship once again with such a diversity in music, so many different expressions of love for God and God’s love,” says Rashard Allen, who was part of the international ensemble for Assembly 17.  

    “You will get a sense of where the Anabaptist church is now and where it has been. I’m really excited to be a part of it.”

    Find information about tours for The Courage to Love: Anabaptism@500.

    A3_EN_Poster_Horizontal_rev

  • On 29 May 2025, Mennonite World Conference (MWC) will welcome guests from around the world to The Courage to Love: Anabaptism@500. The day-long celebration commemorates the birth of the Anabaptist movement in Zurich, Switzerland. Following workshops, concerts, a panel discussion and self-guided historical walking tours, participants will gather for an ecumenical worship service at the Grossmünster cathedral.  

    The symbolic beginnings of the Anabaptist movement date to January 1525, when a group of young people gathered in Felix Manz’s home to commit a subversive act: adult baptism. Conrad Grebel baptized George Blaurock, who baptized several others on confession of their faith.  

    Their reading of the Bible convinced these early reformers that baptism was a symbol of a conscious decision to submit to the Lordship of Jesus Christ only adults can make. Their radical act put them at odds with the established church, which had been baptizing infants for a millennium.  

    As an act of peacebuilding and a testimony to recent reconciliation, MWC is inviting leaders of world communions (e.g., Catholic, Lutheran and Reformed) that were once sharply at odds with the Anabaptist movement. “On this day, Anabaptists will become visible in the streets of Zurich,” says Liesa Unger, MWC Chief International Events Officer. All events are within walking distance, and the worship service will be conducted in English and translated into French, Spanish and German. 

    “The event will have a strong historical component that makes it clear why we are gathering in Zurich. But an even stronger emphasis will focus on the future,” says historian and MWC Renewal 2025 coordinator John D. Roth. “The Anabaptist movement continues to be dynamic, diverse, and creative in sharing the gospel in many different cultural settings.”  

    Today, about 2.13 million believers in more than 80 countries identify as Anabaptists. MWC is preparing to receive hundreds of guests on 29 May, including from the five regions it serves: Latin America, Europe, Africa, Asia and North America. Musical ensembles from each region will perform, as well as an international ensemble – just like at MWC’s Assembly Gathered events.  

    Those attending MWC’s celebration can make the most of their trip to Switzerland with an Anabaptist heritage tour.  

    TourMagination, North America’s premier provider of Anabaptist Heritage Tours, has planned three group tours with expert leaders visiting significant sites in The Netherlands, Germany, France, Switzerland and Austria.  

    Historian and former Hesston College professor John Sharp will lead the 15-day Celebrate 500: Classic Anabaptist Heritage Tour, May 19 – June 3, 2025 

    Dutch Mennonite Ayold Fanoy will lead the 15-day Celebrate 500: Anabaptist Story in Europe Tour, May 19 – June 2, 2025 

    Mennonite Archivist Conrad Stoesz will lead the 13-day 500 Years of Anabaptist Faith, Art & History Tour, May 28 – June 9, 2025 

    TourMagination helped Conrad Grebel University College organize an alumni and friends tour that is already fully subscribed. They’re also assisting Eastern Mennonite University with a tour. 

    “We are committed to keeping the Anabaptist story alive by taking Anabaptists to the sites where their ancestors lived, loved and died for their faith,” says Audrey Voth Petkau, President of TourMagination. “Collaborating with MWC on Anabaptism@500: The Courage to Love event is a wonderful opportunity to serve the Anabaptist community.”  

    Zurich tour info

    Zurich 2025

     

  • “We have walked a long way as Anabaptist-Mennonites; today we are learning to be bridge builders,” says Jürg Bräker, general secretary of Konferenz der Mennoniten der Schweiz/Conférence mennonite suisse. “The Courage to Love” is a public, international event on 29 May 2025 marking the 500th anniversary of the birth of Anabaptism.  

    On Ascension Day in 2025, global Mennonites will join locals on the streets of downtown Zurich.  

    • Vocal ensembles from each of the five MWC regions will perform inside and out of church buildings.  
    • Workshops will consider lessons Anabaptism may teach the church today – and still have to learn.  
    • A walking tour will explore significant sites and invite reflection on how God’s Spirit transforms in history and today.  
    • A panel discussion between church and society leaders will explore the relevance of Anabaptism today. 
    • A game that combines strategy and movement will connect activity with the historical event.  
    • The day will close with a public worship service in the Grossmünster, with ecumenical representatives, MWC General Council members and local Swiss attendees alongside a range of participants from around the world. The service will also be livestreamed for virtual participation.  

    Courage for early Anabaptists meant breaking from the established church. Young students of fiery reformer Ulrich Zwingli read their Bibles and called for greater freedom of conscience: adult baptism, separation of church and state. Their courage led many to suffering and martyrdom.  

    Today, The Courage to Love compels Anabaptist-Mennonites to work at reconciliation. Mennonites are known for the peace-making work of organizations like Mennonite Central Committee. But the planning of this event is itself an act of reconciliation.  

    For more than a year, MWC event planners have worked in close collaboration with representatives of the Evangelisch-reformierte Kirche of the canton of Zurich. 

    “This event will both acknowledge the difficult break from the Reformed Church in the sixteenth century while affirming the many steps that are leading us to reconciliation with Reformed churches today,” says John D Roth. “We are moved by the graciousness of our hosts – both state and church officials – who will part of our closing worship service in the symbolic cathedral, the Grossmünster, where Ulrich Zwingli preached.” 

    “We are looking forward to seeing people gather from many parts of the world to get inspired by the early beginnings of the Anabaptist movement as well as by today’s experiences from around the globe,” says Liesa Unger, MWC Chief International Events Officer.  

    Zurich tour info

    Updated 4 March 2024

  • Commemoration of 500 years includes worship, speeches, discussions and art  

    In the shadow of the Grossmünster cathedral, the main Catholic church in Zurich, a group of young people gathered in a house to commit an act of subversion: adult baptism.  

    Their study of the Bible had led them to different understandings than the state church. As they understood it, baptism was a symbol of their conscious decision to submit to the lordship of Jesus Christ and follow his example in life ‚àí a commitment only an adult could make. That decision challenged the millennial-old practice in the Catholic Church of baptizing infants. 

    This radical act on 21 January 1525 marked the symbolic beginning of what would become known as the Anabaptist (“re-baptizer”) movement. Today, the movement has grown to include some 2.13 million believers in more than 80 countries around the world.  

    On 29 May 2025, Mennonite World Conference invites guests from around the world to gather in Zurich to commemorate this beginning. “The courage to love” (the theme for the event) will mark this history and celebrate what the movement has become today. Local government officials and church leaders of related traditions will also be invited.  

    “On this day, Anabaptists will become visible in the streets of Zurich,” says Liesa Unger, MWC Chief International Events Officer.  

    A walking tour within the city will feature stations that commemorate historical events and reflect on the contemporary church. Workshops, musical concerts, theatrical performances, panel discussions and more will be scattered throughout the downtown.  

    The day will culminate in an ecumenical worship service that recognizes the many steps toward reconciliation that have occurred in recent decades and an act of public witness. The final worship service will be livestreamed.  

    Rashard Allen
    Deborah Prabu

    Rashard Allen (USA) of the international ensemble in Indonesia is coordinating ensembles to participate in the event; one from each of the five regions. Deborah Prabu (Indonesia), worship leader from Assembly 17, is coordinating an international ensemble to lead congregational singing during the worship service. 

    “We want to have a strong historical component that makes it clear why we are gathering in Zurich. But an even stronger emphasis will focus on the future,” says historian and Renewal 2025 coordinator John D. Roth. “The Anabaptist movement continues to be dynamic, diverse, and creative in sharing the gospel in many different cultural settings.” 

    General Council delegates will be encouraged to craft local events to teach about the historical roots of Anabaptism and collect stories on the expressions of Anabaptist faith in their own contexts. 

    Check the MWC website for new information being released about the quincentennial commemoration.  

    The courage to love