Bogotá, Colombia – On 12–19 February 2017, Anabaptist-Mennonites from around the world will gather in Augsburg, Germany, to celebrate the opening event of Renewal 2027 in conjunction with meetings of the Mennonite World Conference Executive Committee. Renewal 2027 will be a 10-year series of events (culminating in 2027) to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the beginnings of the Anabaptist movement. MWC representatives from Europe have planned a day-long public conference 12 February 2017: “Transformed by the Word: Reading the Bible in Anabaptist Perspectives.”

Occurring 500 years after Luther’s famous appeal to sola scriptura launched the Reformation, the conference will explore how Anabaptist-Mennonites around the world have engaged Scripture in the past...and how Scripture continues to be relevant today.

“After 500 years,” says Alfred Neufeld, Faith and Life Commission chair, “it is time for us to ask the challenging question: Do we still have anything in common with the founding mothers and fathers of the Anabaptist church? Should we? Can we?”

Neufeld chairs the planning committee for the 2017 event which includes Henk Stenvers, Rainer Burkart, Jantine Huisman, Arli Klassen, Liesa Unger and John D. Roth.

The event, which runs run from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., will include worship and singing, examples of biblical interpretation from the global church, insights from ecumenical partners and an opportunity for all participants to participate in biblical interpretation.

Watch for more information later in the year regarding speakers, schedule and online registration. Space will be limited!

– Mennonite World Conference release

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