Commissions and MWC over 100 years
In the 2009 constitution of MWC, the General Council established standing commissions – Deacons, Faith & Life, Mission, Peace – “on matters of vital concern to the MWC community of churches.”
The tasks of Commissions are to prepare issues or materials for consideration by the General Council, give guidance and propose resources to MWC or member churches and facilitate MWC-related networks or fellowships working together on matters of common interest and focus.
From the perspective of the Peace Commission, Joji Pantoja shares how the Commission contributed to fellowship, worship, service or witness within the global Anabaptist communion, and how it played its role for MWC to be a global community of faith in the Anabaptist tradition.
During my time as chair, the Commission worked to translate our peace theology into tangible global witness. Three powerful moments stand out, each showing a different facet of our peace witness.
The first was our work with the Wounaan in Panama, where a community visit led to MWC advocating with their government to protect their sacred Cocobolo trees and their role as forest guardians.
This was peace as concrete, rooted action – defending God’s creation and the communities that sustain it.
The second was the creation of a general statement from MWC affirming our support for Indigenous Peoples’ rights worldwide. This was peace as prophetic positioning. The Commission was instrumental in drafting this, drawing on biblical principles of justice.
This statement moved us from reacting to crises to proactively defining our global identity, giving every member church a theological foundation for solidarity.
The third was our direct intervention for a conscientious objector in Korea, a member of our global family imprisoned for his faith-based refusal to participate in military training. Here, our peace witness became pastoral advocacy. The Commission mobilized all parts of MWC to advocate for his freedom, affirming that our theological stance on peace has real-world consequences for our members.
This action demonstrated that the Commission is not only about broad statements but also about standing with individuals whose lives embody our core convictions, ensuring our global communion is a tangible source of support and witness.
Cherished memory
I remember the profound silence in the room after we heard the Wounaan elder speak of the forest as a relative. That moment of shared conviction, where our theology met their lived reality, was sacred.
Similarly, I hold dear the patient and prayerful journey of drafting the Solidarity Statement with Indigenous Peoples. This was not a swift process; it took nearly two years to finalize the position paper. This lengthy period was not a delay, but a necessary season of fellowship. We listened, debated, and refined the text to ensure it truly represented our diverse global family.
The moment when everything was finally harmonized and we adopted it together was incredibly powerful. We were not just approving a document; we were witnessing the fruit of sustained, collective discernment, truly living out the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Future
I dream of the Commission creating practical toolkits for churches on how to engage in local truth and reconciliation processes, or facilitating partnerships where churches with experience in land justice can mentor others.
Let’s move from making powerful statements to empowering a thousand local witnesses, all connected and strengthened by our global communion.
—Felicitas (Joji) Pantoja (Philippines), Peace Commission, chair (2015-2022)
Comments from other Commissions:
Deacons
“The very important and significant work of the Deacons Commission to walk with the churches in time of suffering and duress as well as in times of rejoicing to encourage our brothers was and will continue to be as it began in Acts 6:1-7. These experiences truly brought and will continue to bring our communities in closer relationship to be “salt” and “light” to the world.— Cynthia Peacock (India), chair (2009-2015)
Faith & Life
“We developed a dynamic working session where different members prepared case studies about weighty matters that had been decided – sometimes with great difficulty or conflict – in their national or regional churches. I was thankful for this opportunity to work together with the whole Commission on this task, drawing on experience from all five continents, and learning so much about ourselves in the process.” —Anicka Fast (Canada), secretary (2023- )
Mission
“It felt good and right to us and to the Spirit to finally join together Anabaptist bodies from around the world who were engaged in mission. Why wouldn’t we cooperate!? Why wouldn’t we collaborate!?”—Janet Plenert (Canada), GMF chair (2009)