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As presented to the Mennonite World Conference General Council, Limuru, Kenya, 24 April 2018
Part I “All things gathered in Christ”
- God is a gatherer
- The Old Testament
- The New Testament
- Ephesians 1:10 – The Secret is Out! God is gathering all things in Christ!
- Ephesians 2:11-22 – For He is “our” Peace
- The near and the far
- Conclusion – Anabaptists and the “gathering of all things”
Part II “Unity of the Spirit – the creation of body and temple”
- Spirit (ruach/pneuma) – energy, breath, wind
- The unity of the Spirit
- 1. Spirit as energy or power
- 2. Spirit as breath
- 3. Spirit as wind
- The body of Christ, the womb in which the new human is being formed
- The temple of God – a home from recycled material
- Unity and diversity
- Anabaptists and Spirit
Part III “Maintaining the Unity of the Spirit – when walking together is hard”
- We do not walk alone
- How do we walk together?
- Humility, patience, suffering each other
- Forgiveness
- Speaking truth WITH the neighbour
- Seeing the face of God in each other
- Does the bond ever tear? Does the chain break?
At time of writing, Thomas R Yoder Neufeld is chair of the Faith and Life Commission. He is retired as professor of religious studies (New Testament) and peace and conflict studies at Conrad Grebel University College in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
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Part 1: MWC & Communion
Mennonite World Conference is called to be a communion (Koinonia) of Anabaptist-related churches linked to one another in a worldwide community of faith for fellowship, worship, service, and witness.
Let’s keep in mind that, according to Paul, God’s unity plan is immeasurably bigger than the plan we might have in mind.
Presenter: Larry Miller
Part 1 Part 2: Leadership & Communion
“Leadership that Facilitates Unity” or “Leadership that Builds Communion”
- What characteristics are important for leaders of national churches in order to build communion?
- What are leadership weaknesses that effect negatively meetings and even relationships among church leaders?
In short, the question is what kind of leaders do we need in order to have healthy meetings and especially, beyond meetings, healthy global communion?
Presenter: Larry Miller
Presented to: General Council, December 2022 (Zoom)
Part 2 
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Criteria:
- An MWC member/associate member or an organization associated with member churches is eligible for Jubilee funds if the request is related to and enhances the four pillars of church life: fellowship, worship, service and witness.
- The Jubilee fund can support member churches in case of need after natural or human-made disasters.
- The member church submitting the request must contribute at least 30% toward the endeavour. This requirement does not apply in cases of disasters.
- The amount requested should not exceed US $10 000. In some cases (e.g., disasters), the maximum amount of US $10 000 can be exceeded at the discretion of the committee that decides on the applications.
- An MWC member church will be eligible for only one grant in a three-year period.
Procedure:
- An application package is available on the MWC website or upon request from any MWC office.
- Requests must be officially approved by the national church officers and should include what the applicant church will contribute towards the project.
- Forms A, B and C must be submitted.
- Form D is for submission of the final narrative and financial report.
- The MWC general secretary, and chair and secretary of the Deacons Commission form the committee that decides on the applications.
- Following our MOU with Mennonite Central Committee, MWC will include an MCC advisor in the committee decisions about allocations from the Global Church Sharing Fund.
- This committee may ask advice from MWC Regional Representatives and other organizations involved in the area.
Monitoring:
- The member church receiving the gift is required to keep a record of all disbursements.
- A mid-term project update is required within one year of receiving the grant. The update should include a report on how the money has been spent to date and an updated budget for the completion of the project. A timeline of the project work should also be included.
- The final financial and narrative reports are required within six months of the project completion. This report should include detail of project spending and explanations of any significant changes from the original proposal.
Download PDF below:
- Global Church Sharing Fund Application – all forms
- Global Church Sharing Fund budget template: Excel
- Global Church Sharing Fund Jubilee Application – Form A: Application
- Global Church Sharing Fund Application – Form B: Bank information
- Global Church Sharing Fund Application – Form C: Agreement
- Global Church Sharing Fund Application – Form D Budget template (1 of 2)
- Global Church Sharing Fund Application – Form D: Final report (2 of 2)
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The Global Mennonite History Series consists of five volumes of history, one from each continental region. Writers from each region trace the origins, development and mission of the Anabaptist-related churches there, reflecting the experiences, understandings and perspectives of these churches.
This fresh offering of history is the first time some of these churches have cooperated in telling their story in their own voice. Themes in one book differ from those in another. This telling of the story of Mennonite and Brethren in Christ churches is intended “to stimulate the renewal and extension of Anabaptist Christianity worldwide.” This series helps readers to understand what the North American religious magazine Christian Century calls “the shift in church energy, leadership and numbers from North to South, from developed to developing nations.”
The Global Mennonite History Series was initiated by Mennonite World Conference at its thirteenth global assembly in Calcutta, India in January 1997. The series was guided by an international organizing committee whose members represent all five continental regions. General editors are John A. Lapp and C. Arnold Snyder.
The series includes the following five volumes:
(All volumes in English, with translations of some into selected languages)
1. Anabaptist Songs in African Hearts,
released in 2003 at the 14th global assembly in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe (also available in Spanish and French).3. Mission and Migration,
the volume from Latin America, released in 2010 (also available in Spanish and French)4. Seeking Places of Peace,
the volume from North America, released in 2012.5. Churches Engage Asian Traditions,
the volume from Asia, released in 2011.English-language books are available at Mennonite Life (formerly Lancaster Mennonite Historical Society) (USA) and Pandora Press (Canada)
Dutch translation of Volume II, Geloof en Traditie beproefd, available at http://www.mennosimonsshop.nl
German translation of Volume II, Glaube und Tradition in der Bewährungsprobe, available at http://www.neufeld-verlag.de -
Global Mission Fellowship of Anabaptist-related churches vision statement
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Creation Care and MWC: Responding as a Global Church
“El cuidado de la creación y el CMM: Respondiendo como iglesia mundial”
« La protection de la création et la CMM : une réponse de l’église mondiale »
How should Mennonite World Conference respond to climate and other environmental crises which are impacting communities globally? This workshop presents learnings and stories that come from the recent creation care survey. Creation Care Task Force members will lead a conversation on how MWC should respond to these creation care crises.
¿Cómo debe responder el Congreso Mundial Menonita al clima y a otras crisis ambientales que están afectando a las comunidades a nivel mundial? Este taller presenta aprendizajes e historias que surgen de la encuesta reciente sobre el cuidado de la creación. Los miembros del Grupo de Trabajo de Cuidado de la Creación conducirán una conversación sobre cómo el CMM debería responder a estas crisis del cuidado de la creación.
Comment la Conférence Mennonite Mondiale doit-elle répondre aux crises climatiques et environnementales qui ont un impact sur les communautés du monde entier ? Cet atelier présente les apprentissages et les histoires qui proviennent de notre enquête récente sur la protection de la création. Les membres du Groupe de travail pour la protection de la création animeront une conversation sur la manière dont la CMM devrait répondre aux crises environnementales.
Doug Graber Neufeld is chair of the Creation Care Task Force for MWC. He is professor of biology at Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg, Virginia, USA, and directs the Center for Sustainable Climate Solutions.
Creation Care and MWC Responding as a Global Church -
Creation Care Task Force
Rationale:
MWC is a global communion of Anabaptist churches that are together facing the climate crisis. Central to our ethos is to respond faithfully to the challenges of our world. What does it mean to follow Jesus into this crisis?
Member churches Ð along with all humanity Ð are all at the receiving end of the climate crisis. Some, especially in the Global North, are disproportionately at the production end of the crisis. This means that we have within our communion a diversity of experience and a diversity of responsibility.
MWC provides an opportunity to respond faithfully to the crisis within in diverse ways within one communion, which is itself profoundly fitting in relation to this crisis.
This task force will formulate a plan for the MWC response.
1. Mandate:
a) Explore the diverse ways in which countries of MWC member churches are being impacted by the climate crisis.
b) Explore and assess practical ways to encourage ecologically faithful living in member churches of MWC.
c) Assess and encourage the development of biblical and theological capacity relevant to the climate crisis (for example, theology of creation, creation and Christology, discipleship in relation to creation).
d) Formulate a strategic plan for MWC that includes immediate, mid-range, and longer-term commitments.
e) Develop specific, practical actions and projects in the short term, even as a long-term strategic plan emerges, in order to communicate urgency and practicality.
2. Composition
a) Every effort be made to draw in younger persons who are passionate about climate and are theologically articulate
b) Every effort be made to have representation from around the globe, so that variety of experiences become part of the discussion from the outset
c) Task Force to consist of up to 7 members (possibly more, if deemed practical), representing each of the continents, with an appointee by MCC.
3. Reporting structure
A coordinator/chair be appointed who would report actively on the work of the taskforce to the commissions (via the commission coordinator), and report to EC.
4. Modus operandi and funding
a) Every effort be made to “go green” in how the taskforce does its work (e.g., Zoom/Skype/Facebook/other platforms for interaction; use of websites to share and disseminate information as much as possible)
b) Identifying (potentially new) funding sources committed to climate concern that have not hitherto been tapped.
Date approved: 9 April 2020
Approved by: Executive Committee
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In the world today there are still some countries that have mandatory military conscription, and there is a wide variety of policies toward conscientious objectors. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (article 18) states that everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion. In addition to the Christian foundation for exemption from military service expressed in this document, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights provides a legal framework for protecting conscience against war.
Our hope and desire is for these provisions to be made accessible to all members of society who for reasons of conscience cannot take part in military service or training.
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Luke 24:1-6a Christ is risen. He is risen indeed -
Report on the Consultation on Believers’ Baptism
Participants in the Consultation on Baptism in Kingston, Jamaica 08-10 January 2015
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