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Missional Frontier: Kenya
A Mission Story of KMC – witnessing in faith Country context in Brief Kenya Mennonite Church (KMC) is a conference registered in The Republic of Kenya. Kenya has a total land area of 581,309km2. Around 9.5% of this total land area is arable. The population is 48 million with a growth rate of 2.3%. Women…
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Courier 2024 / 39.2-3
Perspectives Resources General Secretary Inspiration and reflection Sharing the food of life “Anyone who tasted Jesus is good should tell others what he/she tasted.” Evangelism is a scary word for many of us, but this simple advice offered by pastors in Ethiopia helps to simplify the task. Although we each bear responsibility to share the…
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Courier 2023 / 38.2
Inspiration and reflection Perspectives Country profile Resources General Secretary Word from the editor In crisis, a community of hope More with Less is the title of a Mennonite-famous cookbook. Home economist and former MCC service worker Doris Longacre Janzen crafted this countercultural cookbook in the 1970s. It exemplifies Mennonite ideals of simplicity and takes inspiration from…
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Baptism and Incorporation into the Body of Christ, the Church
Lutheran-Mennonite-Roman Catholic Trilateral Conversations 2012–2017 It was with the twin goals of increasing mutual understanding and helping one another grow in faithfulness to Jesus Christ that a trilateral dialogue took place between Lutherans, Mennonites and Roman Catholics, from 2012 to 2017. Over the course of the five year period, the dialogue followed the well-established interchurch…
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The gospel with two hands: physical and spiritual development
Malawi “I am Yao,” says Madalistso Blessings Kaputa. That people group is regarded to be Muslim in Malawi. “Someone has reached me.” Chewa, Yao, Lome (major people groups in Malawi): they can all be part and parcel of this family of God, he says. As a Yao, he is able to represent the church in…
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Believers baptism churches meet to share changing understandings
Kingston, Jamaica – A consultation held here 08-10 January involved representatives from six different believers baptism church traditions. They shared their understandings and practices of baptism and explored how their thinking has changed in light of the emerging theological convergence on baptism and growing ecumenical encounter over the past 30 years. This was the first…
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Greek Catholics in Ukraine restore former Mennonite church building
Kitchener, Ontario, Canada – In Ukraine a former Mennonite church building is being restored and transformed – with the help of Canadian Mennonites – into a Greek Catholic church. This development, according to observers, is an example of Mennonite-Catholic collaboration in the spirit of other exchanges over the past decade or so. The Mennonite church…
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Global North mission agency learns from Global South partners
Changi Cove, Singapore — President Nelson Okanya and others from Eastern Mennonite Missions (EMM) found themselves celebrating the growth of and learning from Global South mission partners at the annual meeting of the International Missions Association (IMA), a group of 22 Anabaptist mission groups, held 26 August to 2 September in Singapore. Asia Pacific Mission…
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European Mennonite leaders seek renewal of identity as peace church
Elspeet, The Netherlands – At the annual meeting of the leaders of European Mennonite conferences, interest in creating a centre of coordination was reaffirmed. The conference leaders also gave attention to the renewal of the peace witness and to the varied perspectives of the churches in Europe. At the outset of the gathering, held 23-25…
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Regional workshops lay foundation for MWC Africa Caucus
Kinshasa, DR Congo—Two separate meetings of Mennonite World Conference (MWC) Africa representatives occurred on successive weekends at the end of October and early November 2011 in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo. Together they marked the “end of the beginning” of a five year long process to put into place a new structure for fellowship and…
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Europeans plan to hire coordinator; seek to be ‘a place of blessing’
Madrid, Spain—At their annual gathering, held here in November 2011, leaders of European Mennonite conferences decided to hire a coordinator to serve as their liaison to Mennonite World Conference (MWC) and to fulfill some coordination tasks for the European conferences. They also reflected on the challenges they face in the European context. The decision to…
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An act of justice, a gesture of love
Many hands make light work This adage is one we use frequently when we’re doing work together. A core part of our identity as Mennonite World Conference is living out unity, so pooling our efforts to make a positive difference in the world is fundamental. Living out unity is calls on each one of us…