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The church must be about holistic mission
Since the Bangkok World Missionary Conference which took place at the turn of the years 1972/1973, in Thailand, there has been a feeling of uneasiness regarding “mission” within the churches in the Western World. At Bangkok, representatives of the newly decolonized countries had accused Western missionaries of having linked the proclamation of the gospel with the spread of…
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What I found at PA 2015 and will take home with me:
Paulus Hartono, Indonesia Being a part of the throngs at PA 2015 made Paulus Hartono of Indonesia reflect on his early life and how unlikely it is that he found his way to this place. Now a Mennonite pastor and highly active in peace work in Solo (Surakarta) Central Java, Indonesia, with its strong Muslim…
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Inspiration and reflection: Hospitality
Piring bukan beling: Hospitality not hostility Indonesians are famous for their hospitality. If you visit their home, they will serve you food and drink. In the villages, the housewife will cook the family’s only chicken to serve a guest. I learned hospitality from my parents. I grew up in a big family with nine children…
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More united than ever before
Alfred Neufeld, chair of MWC’s Faith and Life Commission, reflects on the state of the global Mennonite faith community Alfred Neufeld, theologian, historian and generally insightful philosopher, reads on two tracks these days: “Proceedings” from past Mennonite World Conference Assemblies and social media. Neufeld, of Asuncion, Paraguay, is on a year’s sabbatical from his administrative…
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“Nothing that I am doing am I doing by myself”
Rebecca Osiro of Nairobi, Kenya, steps into her new role as vice president of Mennonite World Conference (MWC), with a life of experiences that has tested her faith and taught her wisdom. Rebecca was the first woman to be ordained in the Kenya Mennonite Church (in August 2008), but her interest in the church stretches…
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PA 2015 by the numbers
Bogotá, Colombia – Mennonite World Conference’s (MWC) 16th Assembly in Pennsylvania, USA, connected Anabaptists from around the world, in person and electronically. A new statistics poster released by MWC illustrates the final numbers from PA 2015. There are many interesting facts, for example: 75 percent of visa applications were accepted and 4.25 tons of waste…
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MWC Assembly balances books
Bogota, Colombia – Assembly PA 2015, the once-every-six-years gathering of Mennonite World Conference, closed financially at break-even, that is, without a deficit. The MWC operations team continuously made adjustments, maintaining priorities of environmental sustainability and financial stewardship despite unexpected developments. The net total income of $3,300,000 USD from registrations and donations (adjusted for transfers to…
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Courier 2015 / 4 October
Author advisory PA 2015 plenary speaker Bruxy Cavey resigned 3 March 2022 from The Meeting House, Oakville, Ontario, Canada, a member of Be In Christ Church of Canada, MWC member church. The congregation’s Board of Overseers requested his resignation after a third-party investigation determined he had a sexual relationship that “constituted an abuse of…
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A Vision for Reconciliation
How did you become interested in the life of the church? Kraybill: Growing up in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA, my family was deeply involved in the mission of the church at the local level. Both of my parents gave tirelessly to the congregation, serving in many roles, from Sunday school teachers to janitors. My uncle Nevin…
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Walking in Autonomy and Community
How to be independent together In the beginning, man was alone. Even though God created all animals and brought them to man to be named, man was alone. And it didn’t suit him at all. God could see that, and so he whispered a deep, deep sleep unto man and while he slept, God took…
