Prayers of gratitude and intercession

Starting 24 December 2021, Mennonite World Conference (MWC) is accepting registration for online participants for Indonesia 2022 through its registration site: indonesia2022.mwc-cmm.org

“Assembly will focus on accepting online registration first, and starting from the end of February 2022, people will be able to register for on-site participation,” says MWC chief international events officer Liesa Unger.  

“Once registered, online participants will get first priority to upgrade from online to on-site when travel requirements become clear,” she says. 

Registration costs vary depending on country of origin to ensure equitable access to this global gathering. MWC follows its “fair share” policy for membership and event registration fees. “Based on each country’s income level, online registration fees vary from free to USD $150 per person,” says Liesa Unger.   

People who register before 30 April 2022 will also enjoy early bird rates. 

Churches, Bible study groups and youth groups can also take part in the virtual experience. “We encourage the whole church to register online and plan for a time to gather and get involved in worship, group activities and workshops with the on-site participants,” says Liesa Unger. 

Churches can get the most out of this hybrid fellowship with their global family by planning ahead: 

• Which sessions to attend 
• Arrange parallel activities with the Assembly schedule in mind 
• Connect with Assembly online participants in other locations 
• Planning ahead for participating virtually as a church will  

Participating in Assembly as a group has several benefits. The best internet connection can serve multiple participants, reducing costs and makes tech troubleshooting easier. Groups will get a sense of togetherness from being in the same space with people they know, interacting with a global community. Assembly is not meant to be a solitary experience.  

“We want to make sure that the global online experience is not limited to countries where the internet is available in every single home. We thus encourage congregations to watch together through one individual’s registration, but to take an offering for Mennonite World Conference’s Assembly Fund in lieu of registering every person who attends virtually from the church,” says Liesa Unger.  

“I encourage all of us to take heart and know that God is in control. Since the pandemic began, we have learned that situations can change very quickly, and in response we learn new things to address these changes. On-site or online, we can follow Jesus together across barriers as one global family of faith,” says Janti Widjaja, GKMI church leader. 

To learn about Assembly, scan code below or go to www.indonesia2022.mwc-cmm.org

 

Mark Wenger, singer, bass 

Franconia Mennonite Church, Telford, Pennsylvania, USA 

Assembly 16: PA 2015 

“I was the old guy in the worship team. My favorite memory is the exuberance and joy of making music together with songs from all around the world. It was hard work in preparation, but terrific fun in the performance and leading.” 

“The global Mennonite family has matured and is mutually enriching and supporting congregations all around the world. North America is not the center of the Mennonite church, nor its theology. I regularly remind my congregation about this.” 

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Paul Dueck, conductor 

Canada  

Assembly 15: Paraguay 2009 

“MWC Assembly in Paraguay in 2009 was a mountaintop experience for me. It was a great privilege for me to work with a group of amazing musicians and together lead in the singing at the worship sessions. I keep in contact with most of the people in this group.”  

“One of the most memorable experiences was when the lights went out in the middle of the day. Since the church had no windows, we sat in total darkness. [The music team] scrambled onto the stage and miraculously were able to lead familiar heart songs in several languages until the lights were restored. The final song was ‘Siyahamba’ (We are marching in the light of God).” 

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Agus Setianto, singer 

GKMI Gloria Patri, Semarang, Indonesia 

Assembly 14: Zimbabwe 2003 

“An unforgettable moment was when I led the morning worship and Marilyn Houser Hamm, our leader, announced that I was celebrating my birthday that day. On 16 August 2003, 7 000 people from all over the world, sang for me on my birthday! That was amazing.” 

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Marisol Arriaga Aranda, singer and guitarist 

Mexico 

Assembly 16: PA 2015 

“Todo el encuentro del congreso mundial menonita para mí es un recuerdo maravilloso, pero en especial les contaré cuando estábamos en uno de los momentos de oración previa a la participación coral… Mi hermana me comunicó que operarían de emergencia a mi sobrinita de 9 años. En ese momento yo quise compartir con todo el grupo que intercedieran por mi sobrina y fue un momento de comunión muy hermosa. esto dio paz a mi corazón y comuniqué a mi hermana que en el grupo coral estuvimos orando por mi sobrina. Agradezco a Dios que la operación de mi sobrina salió bien.” 

“Me ha motivado a tener una visión global de nuestras comunidades anabautistas. Sobre todo, en la unión e integración de culturas y naciones que enriquecen nuestra manera de hacer comunidad; un ambiente libre, creativo y lleno de esperanza. Un lugar de adoración con una atmósfera de multiforme gracia de Dios.” 

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Saptojoadi, Singer and guitarist 

GITJ Banyutowo, Indonesia 

Assembly 15: Paraguay 2009 

“I was very excited to be member of international choir and music at the Assembly. I played a borrowed guitar with two others. For one week, my new musician friends Paraguay, Canada, USA, Germany, France and DR Congo practiced 42 songs from many countries. I enjoyed the traditional music of Paraguay.” 

“In the Assembly service, Mr. Paul Dueck gave me opportunity to sing [my original composition] Dhuh Pangeran twice. I was so proud singing my song before about 5 000 people from around the world. I am so proud too because many people like this song. Because of Dhuh Pangeran, I know people in MWC and friends from Voices Together Hymnal editor and many Anabaptist people.” 

“I continue singing from the MWC International Songbook (2009) at home. I have translated some of them. and converted the note music into number notation. I want to show those songs to our members church and sing them in our language.”  

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“Dodó Miranda” Adão João Gomes de Miranda, vocalist  

Angola 

Assembly 16: PA 2015 

“I have learned a lot from last conference specially tolerance, and paying more attention to other. May God keep capacitating us to better serve his ministry.” 

Assembly team reflects on why they keep coming back for more

Many people serving the Mennonite World Conference today started as participants or delegates to its six-yearly Assembly. Here, Assembly staff members share how Assembly transformed their view of the church: from local to global, from small to significant; from giver-recipient relationship to equal partners in the ministry; and why they crave this global fellowship.  

From participants / delegates of past Assemblies

Liesa Unger, Germany, MWC chief international events officer

My first Assembly was Strasbourg 1984, France, when I was 20 years old. We went there by bicycle, riding 100km from our church in Germany. It was such a life- changing experience that I went to every single Assembly since, because I want more of those encounters with people from around the world that touch my life and broaden my perspective.

Ebenezer Mondez, the Philippines, YABs committee member and Assembly registration assistant 

I went to the Assembly in Pennsylvania 2015 as a Global Youth Summit (GYS) delegate with no background of the global Mennonite family. I come from a country that always has foreign missionaries. We have always been the recipient. The Assembly made me realize that I have a gift to share too. I come from a very small church with no more than 1 000 members nationally, but I was chosen to be part of the YABs (Young AnaBaptists) Committee, serving the global young generation of the church in a small way. To me, it’s remarkable that I can share something I have…even though I’m not white and I have no theological education. I can contribute to the kingdom of God – we all can. And that’s the amazing global Mennonite family to me. 

Tigist Tesfaye, Ethiopia, Assembly volunteer coordinator and Young Anabaptist mentor 

I was a GYS participant in Paraguay 2009; in Pennsylvania 2015 I was part of the YABs committee organizing the Global Youth Summit; and now I’m a staff member. The Assembly to me is a glimpse of the kingdom of God when we go to heaven. I’m excited about it. 

 

Nelson Martinez, Colombia, Assembly registration coordinator 

Indonesia 2022 will be my second Assembly, but I’m experiencing both Assemblies as a staff member. Pennsylvania 2015 was a huge event with a few staff, and what we could accomplish was amazing. That’s why I’m staying in the team, believing that God will make everything possible. When the event is over, there’s this sense of not wanting to leave the place and the people I’ve been working with so closely. I’m sure Indonesia 2022 will be like that too. Working toward the same cause globally is amazing. 

Rianna Isaak-Krauss, Canada/Germany, Assembly assistant 

Pennsylvania 2015 was my first Assembly, where I was a GYS delegate from Winnipeg, Canada. I love Assembly because that’s where we find co-conspirators on the journey of building the kingdom of God. Here we meet other Jesus followers who are passionate about justice, peace and community. Other kindred spirits. That connection is really powerful. I also ended up meeting my husband at the Assembly. We were both GYS delegates, and meeting him changed the trajectory of our lives.  

Jardely Martinez, Colombia, Assembly youth program coordinator 

Assembly is a great space not just to connect with others but also to be encouraged in our communal spiritual journey. Pennsylvania 2015 was my first Assembly and I was really encouraged after my return home, talking about how we’re part of a larger community of faith with those in my church. I want them to experience some of that. Assembly is an opportunity for us to be encouraged and then encourage others. I’m really thankful for that. 

Preshit Rao, India, Assembly registration assistant

I went to Pennsylvania 2015 when I was 19 as a GYS delegate. Since then God has helped me with opportunities to work with and serve MWC in various matters while I never thought I would have the chance to serve the global community. I’m thankful for that, and it’s full of learning experiences. It’s nice to be around people from all over the world. In hard times, when you have a global family, they’re there with you; they pray for you. It’s very reassuring to know this. The pandemic has affected many people: Assembly will be the time to encourage each other. 

Agus Setianto, Indonesia, Assembly national co-coordinator

My first Assembly was Winnipeg 1990, where I performed a traditional dance from Indonesia. Then in Calcutta 1997, I was also part of the cultural performances; in Bulawayo 2003, I was part of the international choir; in Paraguay 2009, I was a General Council member; and in Pennsylvania 2015, I was elected as an Executive Committee member representing Asia. I’m now a national coordinator. All the previous Assemblies I’ve taken part as a participant and delegate, but I didn’t know the massive work behind it. Now it’s my turn to learn to host you, at my 6th Assembly. 

Elina Ciptadi, Indonesia, Assembly communications

My first Assembly was in Bulawayo 2003, and I’ve been to every single one since then. Once you’ve been to one, you can’t stop because a global fellowship like this is rare. In normal times, you get together with people in your church, your small group, and feel that the challenges you’re facing are yours alone. Then you go to Assembly, where many people encounter and have worked on similar challenges. In listening to them, we see the many ways in which people seek to be better witnesses and followers of Jesus. There is strength and encouragement in this connection. And that connection is life changing. 

Karina Derksen-Schrock, USA, translation and interpretation coordinator

My first Assembly was Bulawayo 2003. Assembly is all about the relationships we build and the opportunity to continue connecting over the years. I’m really excited about meeting people next year. 

 

Messages from your host: 

Lorenzo Fellycyano, Indonesia, Assembly registration assistant 

I’ve never been to any previous MWC Assemblies. But every time I’m connected to the global community, it always becomes a moment to find myself in others and through others. I see similarities and differences in people who have come into my life from different cultural backgrounds. In connecting with them, I find my truer self. 

Rut Arsari, Indonesia, Assembly registration assistant 

This will be my first Assembly, and it’s exciting although there are a lot of things we’re thinking about and I have many questions. For me, Assembly is like a little box with a question mark hovering above it, like in cartoon movies. Outside of that box are things I’ve learned and read about the Assembly, but I still don’t know what’s inside. That’s why I chose to be part of the Assembly team: I want to know what’s in the box. The only way to know is to be part of Assembly. And it doesn’t matter how many Assemblies you’ve gone to, each one of them will offer something new. 

Ary Rusdianto, Indonesia, Assembly Indonesian language coordinator

I’m excited about meeting old friends who were part of the Mennonite Central Committee’s exchange program in the past. Indonesia 2022 will be a reunion, and I hope many of them can come to Indonesia. 

 

Sarah Yetty, Indonesia, Assembly national co-coordinator

I look forward to welcoming you to the first Assembly in Indonesia. In the meantime, we are trying to speed up COVID-19 vaccination in and around the Semarang area to protect the population. Other than using the JKI Holy Stadium church as a vaccination centre, we’re also going door-to-door to make sure everyone has access to vaccines. (As of October 10, 2021, half the population of Central Java has received their first dose, 20% has been fully vaccinated). 

Daniel Trihandoyo, Assembly fundraising and marketing

In 2009, I was planning to attend Assembly in Paraguay but couldn’t get leave from work. Indonesia 2022 will be my first Assembly and I’m happy to serve in fundraising and marketing. We have a long way to go with fundraising due to the pandemic, but the team is excited to continue the work and make Assembly a success. 

Lydia Suyanti, Indonesia, Assembly assistant

Indonesia 2022 will be my first Assembly, also the biggest event I have ever experienced where I would be able to meet people from around the world and share our love for Jesus. I’m glad that I have an international family with Mennonite World Conference. 

 

Simon Setiawan, Indonesia, Assembly logistics assistant

Indonesia 2022 will be my first Assembly, and I look forward to hosting and serving the participants who come to my country. 

 

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It’s not too early to put Indonesia 2022 on your calendar: 

Assembly Gathered 5-10 July 2022

Global Youth Summit 1-4 July 2022

Or join virtually. More information available here

 

“For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17:20) 

In July 2009, leaders from the three Indonesian Mennonite conferences GITJ, GKMI and JKI found themselves in a conversation outside a dormitory in Asuncíon, Paraguay. Although they were not strangers, their paths rarely crossed. Singing together at one of the Assembly’s worship services in Paraguay was their first time completing a task together.

The three groups they represented had complex histories that included separation and division, but that day when they sang together in Paraguay, they aptly chose the popular Indonesian song “In Jesus We Are Brothers and Sisters”. 

There, in the relaxed context of the 15th Assembly of Mennonite World Conference, something significant shifted in their relationship. “We realized that all of us were of a similar age and that we shared many of the same concerns and values,” says David Meijanto. 

For the first time, members of the group asked: Why don’t we get together more often back in Indonesia? 

The church leaders returned to Indonesia with a commitment to meet every three months to share together and encourage each other. At one of those “Indo-Menno” meetings, the idea emerged that the three groups could together host the 2021 MWC global assembly in Indonesia. Their proposal to host the Assembly in 2021 was accepted by MWC’s General Council during 2012 meetings in Basel, Switzerland. 

Today, leaders of these three synods are looking beyond their differences to seek new partnerships with each other and with the larger Mennonite world.  

Moving mountains 

When the pandemic hit the world in early 2020, non-essential travels came to a halt. Although MWC Assemblies in Zimbabwe coincided with epidemics before (Zika in 2015; H1N1 in 2009; SARS before 2003), no one at MWC had experienced a global outbreak that necessitated cancellation of all travel.

Quickly the national advisory committee agreed to postpone the Assembly to 2022, also shifting the format to hybrid: offering in-person and virtual participation.  

Now, as the country prepares to loosen travel restrictions and allow tourists from 18 countries to come, the three synods that make up the Mennonite church in Indonesia are looking forward to welcoming you in July 2022 – in person or virtually. 

Regardless of how you choose to participate, Indonesia 2022 will offer a great perspective on the ways Anabaptism has taken root in Indonesia. 

It is not too soon to put July 5-10, 2021, in your calendar. Registration opens in December 2021.

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About the three Mennonite synods in Indonesia: 

Gereja Injili di Tanah Jawa (evangelical church of Java – GITJ) 

GITJ emerged in 1854 from the work of Dutch Mennonite missionary and linguist Pieter Jansz. It was the first Anabaptist-Mennonite congregation in the world whose members were not primarily of European or North American origin. An influential figure in the early history of the GITJ was Kyai Ibrahim Tunggul Wulung, a local mystic who helped enculturate the gospel message into a distinctively Javanese idiom. As of 2019, members of the 117 GITJ congregations tend to live in rural areas around Jepara and Pati, speak Javanese, work as labourers and worship in a somewhat formal liturgical style. 

Gereja Kristen Muria Indonesia (Muria Christian church of Indonesia – GKMI) 

GKMI traces its roots to Chinese immigrants who settled in Java in the early 20th century. In 1917, Tee Siem Tat, a Chinese businessman, became a Christian when he and another family member were miraculously healed after listening to Gospel stories. The resulting congregations’ Anabaptist identity was strengthened in the 1950s and 1960s, when Hermann Tann consciously worked to introduce Mennonite theology and polity. In 2020, some 129 congregations make up the GKMI. Its members tend to be of Chinese background, well-educated and strongly committed to missions. 

Jemaat Kristen Indonesia (Christian congregations of Indonesia – JKI) 

JKI emerged in the late 1970s as a charismatic renewal movement within the GKMI. Led by Adi Sutanto, a small GKMI prayer group began to incorporate speaking in tongues, faith healing, visions and prophecy into their regular worship. JKI, formed in 1985, has since grown to include 400 congregations today, including several in the United States, Australia and the Netherlands. The best-known JKI church combines charismatic worship with social ministries and a strong outreach program in the city of Semarang. This 20,000-member “Holy Stadium” is the site of the MWC Assembly in 2021. 

—Original article written by John D. Roth, MWC Faith and Life Commission, secretary; professor of history at Goshen College, Indiana, USA; director of the Institute for the Study of Global Anabaptism. Updated in October 2021 by Mennonite World Conference. 

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Before visiting Indonesia to meet the Anabaptist-Mennonite family in person, meet them through history. A Cloud of Witnesses by historian and MWC leader John D. Roth offers a brief, readable account of the three Anabaptist-Mennonite synods in Indonesia.  

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1. Come to the MWC Assembly to learn more about the global church.  

We sometimes forget that the body of Christ is bigger than our congregation or national conference. The gathering in Semarang, Indonesia, in July 2022 offers a rare opportunity to learn more about the life and faith of sister churches in other countries.  

In addition to the wonderful international music and inspirational worship gatherings, you will have a chance to participate in a host of workshops, browse the booths at the Global Village pavilion, check in on the Global Youth Summit, and encounter church leaders from the 107 groups who are members of MWC. Doing so will give you a fuller picture of who we are as a global Anabaptist-Mennonite church. You will return home wanting to learn more. 

2. Come to the MWC Assembly to renew friendships.  

According to a recent survey of MC USA congregations, nearly 40 percent of our churches have a relationship with a sister church outside of the United States, and 76 percent include members who have served in international settings with MCC or a Mennonite-related mission agency. The same is true of most congregations in MC USA, MC Canada, the Church of the Brethren in the United States and Canada, and the Mennonite churches in Europe.  

Assembly 17 is a wonderful opportunity for you and your congregation to strengthen these long-time international friendships with face-to-face encounters.  

3. Come to the MWC Assembly to make new friends.  

Anyone who has traveled internationally knows the joy of unexpected, sometimes life-changing, relationships, seemingly formed by accident, that open up the world in a new way. Participants in Assembly 17 will have a chance to meet regularly for conversation in internationally diverse discussion groups. Meals, workshops, recreational activities, and Assembly Scattered tour options will provide dozens of additional opportunities to meet other participants.  

Go to Assembly 17 assuming that you will exchange phone numbers, email addresses and social media links. The connections you make could blossom into lifelong cross-cultural friendships.  

4. Come to the MWC Assembly to be renewed and transformed.  

Our congregations and conferences in Europe and North America have been facing difficult times in recent years. Sometimes it’s difficult to be hopeful about the future. At Assembly 17 you will encounter Mennonite brothers and sisters from churches around the world who are also facing enormous challenges – poverty, limited access to education, COVID-19 and other health crises, profound political instability and even persecution.  

The looming crisis of climate change affects all of us, albeit in very uneven ways.  

Come to Assembly 17 with the goal of listening and sharing, ready to bear one another’s burdens, and to be renewed by Christ’s promise that he will never leave or forsake his people. 

5. Come to the MWC Assembly to receive hospitality.  

The story of the early church is filled with accounts of Christians extending hospitality to each other as they traveled across cultures and languages. Hospitality is a fundamental Christian virtue.  

If you have spent time abroad – as a tourist, as a short-term volunteer, or on a study tour – you almost certainly remember times when you experienced a gracious and generous reception from others.  

Members of the GITJ, GKMI, and JKI synods in Indonesia have expressed their eagerness to extend Christian hospitality to brothers and sisters from around the world. And regardless of whether you are able to attend in person, you could extend your own hospitality with a financial gift that will make it possible for others to attend the gathering. 

6. Finally, come to the MWC Assembly to discover the cultural richness of Indonesia.  

The Republic of Indonesia is the world’s fourth most populous country, famous for its wood carving, batik, shadow puppets and traditional dance, and home to some of the most stunning natural beauty to be found anywhere in the world.  

The world’s largest population of Muslims resides in Indonesia; but the country’s strong national commitment to religious freedom has also enabled smaller Buddhist, Hindu, Confucian and Christian communities to flourish.  

For many people, Indonesia is an affordable destination, with an excellent infrastructure for tourists, who will enjoy the flavorful cuisine, remarkable cultural diversity and friendly reception. 

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This excerpt from A Cloud of Witnesses: Celebrating Indonesian Mennonites, by John D. Roth; Herald Press (2021) is used with permission.

Visit MennoMedia to order your copy in paperback or ebook. 

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