Prayers of gratitude and intercession

The problems in Venezuela affect the economy, relationships, health services, crime, insecurity, public services, corruption, politics, malnutrition and inflation. We decided to come to Colombia to improve the living conditions of our families, look for new opportunities and have a change in our lives. On arrival, we suffered a heavy emotional blow when we saw other Venezuelans living in a state of begging. It was hard to compare the economy of Colombia to Venezuela: we suffered a lot when we saw the amount of food in supermarkets, stores, marketplaces and warehouses, food that is not available just across the border in our own country.

Thank God, we are very grateful to the people who welcomed us in their country. We have received no assistance from the state. We did not intentionally decide to come to the church. Rather, we think it was God who brought us here, since we did not know that the Mennonite church existed. Now Carlos has been baptized and is a member of the church. We have known God here in this church. Every day, we receive a word through the pastor and the children’s ministry. We have received unconditional support, a lot of love, and accompaniment every day from Riohacha Mennonite Church.

In this church, we have learned to listen to the Word of God through devotions, Sunday school and prayer vigils, and we have learned to live in community, to help each other. We have learned to accept our change of life. We have learned to value people, our family, our friends, those who help us every day. We thank God first for all the support received in this place, to the pastor for teaching the Word, to the Sunday school teacher for allowing us to help out in the work with the children. We have learned a lot about caring for people who are elderly, which is the ministry of the Mennonite church in Riohacha. We have learned about brotherhood and unity. We have learned to love God. For this reason, we thank the Mennonite church for taking us in and giving us the opportunity to continue growing spiritually.

—Venezuelan migrants welcomed to the Iglesia Menonita de Riohacha, Colombia

From foreigner to family

Sometimes people are excluded and marginalized, “strangers or foreigners” in their own land. Society has its “foreigners,” people it puts aside, regarding them as strangers who do not conform to social norms. The gospel approaches these people and invites them to participate. The gospel invites the church to treat them with dignity, hospitality and with attention. Marginalization annuls them. The church gives dignity that affirms their identity as beloved. The church invites them to enter the community of the kingdom of God. The church moves them from that foreign place to being at home.

— Comunidad Cristiana Menonita El Paraíso, Caracas, Venezuela

This testimony is part of the World Fellowship Sunday worship resource for 2019. Click here to see more: www.mwc-cmm.org/wfs

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For more than 20 years, gangs clashed in Chamelecón neighbourhood in San Pedro Sula, Honduras. The main street served as an invisible border, marking off the territory of the two dominant gangs. Even for people who weren’t in gangs, it was dangerous to cross the street. 

This neighbourhood is home to Vida en Abundancia, a Mennonite church. In 2008, the congregation felt called to start a primary school to shield the children from the influence of gangs. However, the violence continued. Police and gangs fought in front of the school and even once inside the school before classes began. In 2013, threats to the security of the teachers and students was so great that the school had to close. The church accompanied its 38 students in the process of changing to schools outside the community. 

In spite of all the fear in the community and reduced size of their own congregation, the church was determined to spread hope. Unable to influence the school anymore, the remaining members went beyond the safety of the church building to carry out activities in all corners of the neighbourhood, making “God-music” stronger than the sound of weapons. 

The leader of the gang that controlled the territory heard the song and was drawn to seek out the pastor. With some trepidation, pastor José Fernández presented himself as the one the gang leader was looking for. “No one touches this pastor,” the gang leader instructed his followers. That moment strengthened the church’s resolve. Little by little, young people began to arrive at the church fleeing the horror of that world of violence and resentment. 

Hope began to grow again. People began to return. Last year, the school reopened. Adolescents being developed in a mission program also contribute to the community.

The little church that remained steadfast in spite of hardship is flourishing, trumpeting out a song of hope to drown out the sound of violence.

—As told to Oscar Suárez, YABs committee member for Latin America

This testimony is part of the World Fellowship Sunday worship resource for 2019. Click here to see more: www.mwc-cmm.org/wfs

Every year on the Sunday closest to 21 January, Mennonite World Conference invites its 107 member churches to join in a celebration of World Fellowship Sunday.

The worship themes vary from year to year, but the rationale for the timing of the event has remained constant – on 21 January 1525, a small group of Christians in Zurich, Switzerland, participated in a baptismal service that launched the renewal movement that we know today as Anabaptism. 

As with the beginnings of every reform movement, the identity of the movement was not fully formed on that wintry day in 1525. Today, the Amish, Mennonites, Hutterites and a dozen other groups all claim the early Anabaptists in Switzerland among their founders.

Each of these groups can also identify other beginning points for their church. The Amish, for example, trace their origins to a renewal movement around Jacob Amman in 1693. The Hutterites first practiced community of goods in 1528, and did not adopt their name from Jacob Hutter until several years later. One group vigorously opposed all such commemorations, insisting that the only appropriate marker for Anabaptist-Mennonite beginnings was Easter Sunday or, perhaps, Pentecost. 

When we shift our attention to the global church, the question of “beginnings” becomes even more complicated.

Did the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition in Java begin with the arrival of Pieter and Johanna Jansz in 1852; or with the indigenization of the church under the leadership of Tunggol Wulung a decade later?

Did the Meserete Kristos Church of Ethiopia begin in 1945 with the first Mennonite missionaries from eastern Pennsylvania? with a renewal movement called Heavenly Sunshine in 1962? or with the decision in 1965 to identify their church as “Christ the Foundation”?

Over the past century, most Mennonites of European descent have come to regard the 21 January 1525 date as almost sacrosanct; yet this event became the focus of historical veneration only relatively recently when Mennonite leaders from seven countries gathered in Switzerland in 1925 to coordinate relief efforts for Mennonite refugees in South Russia.   

In the coming decade, Mennonites around the world will have the opportunity to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the beginnings of the Anabaptist movement.

In 2015, following conversations with member churches and ecumenical partners, the MWC Executive Committee approved a 10-year series of events called “Renewal 2027.” Beginning in 2017, MWC holds an annual celebration in various parts of the world, highlighting especially the ways in which the Anabaptist tradition has found expression in the context where the event is being hosted.

Plans are also well underway for a significant celebration in Europe in 2025 (organized in conjunction with a meeting of the MWC General Council and the assembly of European Mennonite Churches) that will include input from ecumenical partners, European Mennonite and Baptist historical societies and the local Swiss Mennonite church.

So, as MWC has publicly affirmed for decades in its World Fellowship Sunday, the baptisms of 21 January 1525 make it a significant date to commemorate.  

But MWC’s commemorations will conclude at its 18th global assembly, likely to be held somewhere on the African continent, in 2027. Doing so is a reminder that the Mennonite tradition is not locked in its 16th century European origins. We are part of a global movement, ever renewing, that is both rooted in the past – be that Jerusalem, Zurich or Semarang – and oriented to the future.  

—A Mennonite World Conference release by John Roth, secretary of the Faith and Life Commission. A version of this article first appeared in The Mennonite.

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Celebrate World Fellowship Sunday with the global Anabaptist family. Click here to download the worship resources. 

Bogotá, Colombia – Throughout the history of the Christian church, followers of Jesus have been transformed and renewed by the living presence of the Holy Spirit. We persevere with hope in the face of overwhelming challenges.

Today, the churches in the Global South are especially attentive to the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. The Mennonite World Conference regional representatives from Africa prepared worship resource materials for World Fellowship Sunday 2018.

MWC World Fellowship Sunday is your opportunity to help the people in your congregation become aware of what it means to belong to a global Anabaptist faith community. It is our annual celebration of worshipping in spirit with Anabaptist brothers and sisters around the world.

“On this day, we celebrate that, in Christ, and by the power of the Holy Spirit, the cultural and national boundaries that separate us have been overcome by the cross,” says MWC general secretary César García.

The prayers, songs, biblical interpretation, personal stories and cultural suggestions for worship included in the package invite everyone to worship in the style of African Anabaptist churches today.

“WFS is a special day on which to show that we are living a new life in a new society where we mutually support one another, carry those who suffer, serve the world and interdependently learn from one another what it means to follow Jesus,” says García.

Download this resource to celebrate World Fellowship Sunday in your local congregation with the global Anabaptist family in January or at whatever time is convenient for your congregation in 2018. Go to mwc-cmm.org/awfs to download the worship resource, photos and videos.

Mennonite World Conference also invites a special offering to be taken for the global Anabaptist church movement on World Fellowship Sunday. One way to think about this offering is to invite every member to contribute the cost of at least one lunch in their own community to support the networks and resources of our global Anabaptist church family.

Send pictures and stories from your congregation’s celebration to photos@mwc-cmm.org.

—Mennonite World Conference release

There are many in Africa who experience physical healing by the power of the Holy Spirit.

This is a story of two different types of physical healing, at the Meserete Kristos Church in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, by Tesfatsion Dalellew.

Some years ago, there was a week-long evening revival conference, which meant the entire church compound was full of people. Tesfa arrived a little late, and by then even the outside tents were full, so he squeezed into one, standing on the side. To his right was someone he didn’t know, but on his left there was a young woman he knew from a local church choir. That entire choir had been arrested during the time of persecution of Christians in Ethiopia and they all had been badly beaten. This particular woman had been beaten on the bottoms of her feet, so that her nerves were damaged and she couldn’t walk.

The preacher was preaching when Tesfa arrived, and it was a very short sermon. He finished preaching, and asked the people to put their hand on the part of their body that hurt, and then the preacher prayed for healing for all. Tesfa had had back problems for more than 25 years, so he put his right hand on his back. Somewhere in the middle of the prayer, the young woman beside him fell down and began convulsing. Tesfa thought she was possessed by a demon.

The pastor finished the prayer, and then said, “There is a woman in the outside tent who has been having severe pain in her feet; the Lord has healed you. Please come forward and give your testimony.” At that moment, the woman whom Tesfa thought had been possessed started to go forward. To everyone’s astonishment, she told how she was beaten to the extent her nerves were affected. But during the prayer she felt the power she couldn’t contain, and she fell on the ground shaking. From that moment on, she said she felt well as she walked to the front of the church, and healing had happened instantly

As for Tesfa, since he did not fall, shake or shout and having just witnessed such a dramatic healing, he began to complain to God that he had not been healed after carrying his pain for so many years. He continued in this way for three days, until he finally realized that he was complaining about the pain, but was not feeling it. Then he tested himself doing things that he had not been able to do before, and there was no pain. Even after a difficult tennis game there was no pain. Then Tesfa began to talk about God’s healing power in his own life.

–A Mennonite World Conference release by Tesfatsion Dalellew

This testimony is part of the World Fellowship Sunday worship resource for 2017. Click here to see more: mwc-cmm.org/wfs

World Fellowship Sunday celebrates koinonia amid suffering

Bogotá, Colombia – “We celebrate World Fellowship Sunday because it is a way to remember the origin of our church: clearly, first comes the teachings of Jesus, but we also remember that 500 years ago some brave women and men, motivated by the real teachings of Jesus, decided to follow him even though that action cost them their lives,” says Oscar Suarez, member of Iglesia Menonita de Ibagué (Ibagué Mennonite Church), Colombia.

Each year, Anabaptist-related churches around the world are encouraged to worship around a common theme on a Sunday close to 21 January. On that date in 1525, the first Anabaptist baptism took place in Zurich, Switzerland. Mennonite World Conference’s World Fellowship Sunday provides an opportunity to remember our common roots and celebrate our worldwide koinonia.

For 22 January 2017, the churches in Europe have prepared materials with the theme “My cry is heard.”

“This theme has to do with the current situation of many refugees and migrants arriving in Europe. As such, it speaks to the reality in which many of our churches are immersed and to the pain and suffering of those of whom we are a part,” says MWC general secretary César García.

The materials (now in a new format) contain biblical texts, prayers, song suggestions, sermon ideas, stories and other resources.

A new 3-minute video, MWC Year in Review: 2016, that is now available online and for download, can also be used as part of World Fellowship Sunday celebrations.

Emmanuel Mennonite Church, Abbotsford, B.C., Canada, will use these materials to celebrate World Fellowship Sunday and the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity on 22 January 2017. “As a local congregation, we realize that we are part of a worldwide body of Christ that includes followers of Jesus from many different cultures and walks of life,” says pastor April Yamasaki. “The same Spirit enlivens and leads us, and draws us together: that’s good reason to celebrate, to pray for one another and learn from one another.”

“We remember the foundation of our Anabaptist faith and that we have sisters and brothers around the world, brave men and women motivated by the teachings of Jesus,” says Suarez.

MWC encourages congregations who celebrate World Fellowship Sunday to designate “one-lunch” offerings to Mennonite World Conference, and to appoint a reporter to send photos and event commentary to photos@mwc-cmm.org.

—Mennonite World Conference release

Robert Beutler knows all too well what it means to be persistent. After hearing of a Syrian refugee family’s arrival in his hometown of Enkenbach-Alsenborn, he made a point of contacting the family to welcome them. It was only after the third attempt, however, that Mr. Beutler finally caught the entire family at home.

“These refugees come here to a completely foreign world, but we expect them to integrate,” says Mr. Beutler. “It’s necessary for them to get a foothold, and that means helping each other out and supporting each other.”

Sometimes that support is as simple as making sure the mailbox is properly labelled with the new family’s name or helping get the trash out on the proper day. Filling out complicated paperwork and attending appointments are also on the agenda.

Mr. Beutler is a member of the Mennonite church in Enkenbach-Alsenborn. When the church board heard of the wave of refugees coming to Germany, they organized a meeting of local churches, clubs and politicians, out of which a citizens’ initiative grew.

“When the number of refugees and asylum seekers swelled right on our doorstep, the public authorities were faced with a huge, almost overwhelming task. That makes it all the more important that we as a church community step up and help where we can,” says Rainer Burkart, pastor of the Mennonite Church in Enkenbach-Alsenborn. “Right from the beginning, we worked closely with the Catholic and Protestant churches, and with town authorities.”

This group calls itself “Begegnungen in Enkenbach-Alseborn: Menschen helfen Menschen.” The title makes the purpose clear: Encounter – people helping people. Regular visits to make certain basic needs like food and clothing are being met, a weekly 10-kilometer run, and free German classes are a few examples of their activities.

One particular opportunity for building relationships is the Begegnungscafé, a meeting for young, old and everything in-between. Each Tuesday afternoon, a neighborhood church’s fellowship hall resounds with Arabic, Farsi, Urdu or Albanian, mixed with English and German. Everyone is invited – regardless of official residency status, nationality, language or religion – to eat cake and drink tea or coffee while laughing together over shared language attempts and hearing of new and interesting cultures.

At the café, Mr. Beutler makes contact again with individuals or families he has visited in their new homes. They are usually reserved at first, unsure of Beutler’s intentions. “But their eyes always light up when I see them again. Eventually they build enough trust to open up a little bit,” says Beutler.

As with any work where people are involved, aiding refugees can be very demanding and disappointing, especially when cultural differences seem insurmountable. One can feel exploited or frustrated by inaccurate perceptions of what life in Germany will be like. Conversations with others in the community and church family can be a positive way to deal with these difficulties.

This area of community development gives Mr. Beutler the most joy. “The work with the refugees has something satisfying and comforting about it. But it is the overall trend that makes me happiest. Many from our church family and community are really dedicated to the work. There’s something warm and familiar in our interactions with each other. It’s great.”

Written by Dora Schmidt, a member of Mennonitengemeinde Enkenbach (Mennonite church) in Enkenbach-Alsenborn, Germany.

This testimony is part of the World Fellowship Sunday worship resource for 2017. Click here to see more: www.mwc-cmm.org/worldfellowshipsunday

To read this article in German click here.

Bogotá, Colombia – “How will the church respond to the different needs we hear and see around us?” The European Mennonite churches asked this question, especially relating to the refugee crisis, as they prepared the worship materials for Mennonite World Conference’s World Fellowship Sunday (WFS), 22 January 2017.

“My Cry is Heard” is the theme of 2017’s package, redesigned with a more engaging format. It contains prayers for the Mennonite World Conference (MWC) family and liturgies for worship, song suggestions, notes for sermon preparation, stories of European Mennonite churches’ radical welcome to refugees, and recipes.

“World Fellowship Sunday is our opportunity to remind our people that we belong to each other as sisters and brothers in God’s household,” says MWC general secretary César García. “Each local congregation belongs to a global community of faith that transcends language, nationality and culture. We are here to support each other, to uphold those who are suffering and being persecuted and to learn from each other.”

The Sunday closest to 21 January is designated WFS to remember the first Anabaptist baptism in 1525; however, congregations are encouraged to celebrate the global Anabaptist family on a date that suits their schedule. Click here to see the World Fellowship Sunday 2017 Worship Resource.

MWC fosters relationships within the Anabaptist family year round through its communications department and the regional representatives who are part-time volunteers responsible for developing and supporting relationships with MWC member, associate-member and potential-member churches, local congregations and MWC-related agencies and partners.

In September 2016, Pablo Stucky joined the team as regional representative for the Andean Region of Latin America (Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela). Stucky lives in Bogotá, Colombia, where he serves as director of CEAS (Coordinación Eclesial para la Acción Psicosocial), a ministry of the Mennonite, Mennonite Brethren and Brethren in Christ churches of Colombia. CEAS resources local congregations to minister emotional, social and spiritual support to victims of armed conflict and other expressions of violence in Colombia, and fosters opportunities for transformation and reconciliation among churches and perpetrators.

Coordinator Arli Klassen is grateful for the work of the 10 regional representatives, and hopes to gain representation for the Caribbean and Southeast Asia regions.

Danielle Gonzales became web communications coordinator for MWC, working in Bogotá, Colombia, as a participant in Mennonite Central Committee’s Service and Learning Together program (SALT). Born to binational parents, her mother from Mexico and her father from the USA, Gonzales grew up living between two distinct cultures in Los Angeles, California. She studied theology and focused on human rights and women’s issues. Her passion for justice has given her the opportunity to work with migrants from Mexico and Central America at the USA-Mexico border and in her own city. Through SALT, she is following her dreams of living in South America to acquire Spanish language and broaden her understanding of human rights in the Latin American context.

 Pablo Stucky and Danielle Gonzales

—Mennonite World Conference release