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An Open Hand, Not a Handout
Economic Inequality: Exploring our shared commitment to pursuing shalom As a global communion of Anabaptist-related churches, we share a common commitment to pursuing shalom. In this pursuit, we believe in seeking justice and sharing our resources, be they material, financial or spiritual. Yet our tremendous diversity means that we carry out this commitment in very…
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Europe: Old stories and new hope
When Conrad Grebel baptized his friends in the evening of 25 January 1525 in Zurich, Switzerland, little did he know that this small act would mark the start of the worldwide family of faith that we now are as Mennonite World Conference. From Switzerland, the Anabaptist movement spread north, to Germany, France, and the…
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Spain: Old churches in new Europe
Christianity is experiencing rapid decline in Europe. We have gone in the past two or three generations from being an outwardly Christian culture, to something post-Christian. In general, statistics from Mennonite World Conference indicate that the evolution of the old Mennonite churches in Europe reflect this same tendency. One exception is the case of…
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Not So With Us
Power in Church Leadership: Exploring our shared commitment to doing church together As a global communion of Anabaptist-related churches, we share a common commitment to doing church together. We also acknowledge that the church needs leaders who take responsibility for guiding and shepherding the flock. Yet we know that in our diverse contexts of church leadership, power…
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A Blessing or a Curse?
Power in Church Leadership: Exploring our shared commitment to doing church together As a global communion of Anabaptist-related churches, we share a common commitment to doing church together. We also acknowledge that the church needs leaders who take responsibility for guiding and shepherding the flock. Yet we know that in our diverse contexts of church leadership, power…
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Beyond Domination and Control
Power in Church Leadership: Exploring our shared commitment to doing church together As a global communion of Anabaptist-related churches, we share a common commitment to doing church together. We also acknowledge that the church needs leaders who take responsibility for guiding and shepherding the flock. Yet we know that in our diverse contexts of church leadership, power…
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Le pouvoir dans l’Église
Exploring our shared commitment to doing church together As a global communion of Anabaptist-related churches, we share a common commitment to doing church together. We also acknowledge that the church needs leaders who take responsibility for guiding and shepherding the flock. Yet we know that in our diverse contexts of church leadership, power gets exercised in…
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Canada: Pilgrims, strangers, disciples
Like the Mennonites (and other Anabaptists) of every country around the world, Canadian Mennonites are rooted in their nation and affected by its history. In global terms Canada is a very large country, spreading 7,000 kilometers from the Atlantic to the Pacific to the Arctic. It is also one of the wealthiest nations in…
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A Glimpse of the Universal Church
Global Communion and Why It Matters: Exploring our shared commitment to being a worldwide family As Mennonite World Conference, we share a commitment to being a worldwide communion (koinonia) of faith and life. Together, we seek to be a fellowship that transcends boundaries of nationality, race, class, gender and language. Yet because of our diversity,…
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The Interdependent Existence
Global Communion and Why It Matters: Exploring our shared commitment to being a worldwide family As Mennonite World Conference, we share a commitment to being a worldwide communion (koinonia) of faith and life. Together, we seek to be a fellowship that transcends boundaries of nationality, race, class, gender and language. Yet because of our…
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Global Communion and why it matters
Exploring our shared commitment to being a worldwide family As Mennonite World Conference, we share a commitment to being a worldwide communion (koinonia) of faith and life. Together, we seek to be a fellowship that transcends boundaries of nationality, race, class, gender and language. Yet because of our diversity, each MWC member church brings a…
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The United States: Diversity, dynamism and paradox
A context for Anabaptist witness The United States was formed, in 1776, as the first modern republic. Its founders believed they were engaging in a pioneering political experiment and granted relatively generous freedom of conscience to diverse Christian groups. It was also a nation in which, until 1865, at least 12 of every 100 people…
