Prayers of gratitude and intercession

  • Bogota, Colombia – “The Bible invites us to remember that the people of Israel were also strangers; they were captives and were deported,” says Carlos Martínez, Conferencia de Iglesias Evangélicas Anabautistas Menonitas de México. “The [early] Anabaptists were also discriminated against. And we have part of this living story among with our sisters and brothers in Chihuahua.”

    Martínez was among 21 Anabaptist leaders gathered from different parts of Mexico for a conference of Mennonite and Mennonite Brethren churches in Mexico, from 23–24 March 2017 to focus on a biblical response to caring for the vulnerable in their midst: migrants. The conference reflected on Matthew 1:16–23 and 1 Peter 1:1; 2: 9–10.Maria de Jesús Gómez Aguilar sharing the experiences workings with migrants in the Mennonite church in Veracruz

    Conversations turned toward the discrimination and harsh conditions migrants face during their journey. Mexico City is a passage place for migrants both headed to cross the border into the USA and deported from it. Many migrants experience assault from border patrol agents from both governments, sexual violence, loss of work, exploitation from the drug cartels, harsh terrains as they travel, and discrimination.

    “There are many groups of migrants, but the one that has grown has been indigenous migrants. In Oaxaca, they live on the periphery and in extreme poverty. The Mexican government wants to make them invisible,” says Leslie Ocampo, Iglesia Cristiana de Paz en México A.R.

    Compelled by the needs of migrants, Anabaptist churches convened this conference with Mennonite Central Committee to learn how to respond effectively and in partnership with each other.

    “In Matamoros, the church doesn’t have the infrastructure to offer employment [to migrants],” says Jesús Garza, Conferencia Cristiana Anabautista Menonita. “There are many churches, but no work is being done in this area. This is really sad because there is no coordination to offer support to migrants.”   

    Determined to find ways to respond biblically, participants turned their questions into brainstorming and action. “Children have to leave school to work in the street. We are working on literacy programs for the migrant children,” says Sandra Plett, Iglesia Cristiana de Paz en México A.R.

    “Puebla is a gateway for migrants. We are thinking of setting up a guest house and perhaps creating temporary jobs,” says Mario López, Ministerio Integral de Iglesias Anabautistas de Puebla.

    Several participants called attention to learning about the root causes of migration. “Preparing for the subject is key. We need to have knowledge of the causes,” says Martínez. “One possible teaching tool could be to design a training course for delegates from the churches and conferences.”

    Stories from Genesis to Revelation featuring people in the midst of migration from homelessness to home “challenge us, as the church to respond to injustice despite stirring controversy,” concluded conference participants in a closing document. “The texts demand us to respond to a higher law than that created by human governments. We are called to the law of love, especially in the light of Christ’s life. Is the church ready to pay the price for love?”

    —Mennonite World Conference release by Danielle Gonzales

    Participants:

    • Conferencia Cristiana Anabautista Menonita: Juan Jesús Garza Ruiz
    • Conferencia de Iglesias Evangélicas Anabautistas Menonitas de México: Ruhama Pedroza and Carlos Martínez
    • Conferencia Evangélica Anabautista “Misión y Esperanza” (Veracruz): John Wall and María De Jesús Gómez Aguila
    • Conferencia Evangélica Misionera de México (Chihuahua): Adrián Ramos, Juan Carlos Véjar Gómez
    • Conferencia Menonita de México (Chihuahua): Ruben Dyck, Johan Klassen
    • Conferencia Menonita de México (Iglesia Anabautista Menonita Unida de México): Isaak Bergen Thiessen
    • Conferencia Misionera Evangélica (Chihuahua): Leonard Plett and Heinrich Rempel
    • Iglesia Cristiana de Paz en México A.R.: Sandra Plett and Leslie Ocampo (Mennonite Brethren)
    • Mennonite Central Committee: Erica VanEssendelft, Fernando Sandoval and Oscar Benavides Calvachi
    • Mennonite Missions Network: Fernando Pérez Ventura and Rebeca González Torres
    • Ministerio Integral de Iglesias Anabautistas de Puebla: Mario López and Leticia Hernández
    • Mujeres por la Paz: Helena Sánchez
    • Rector de la Comunidad Teológica de México: Dan González
     
     
     
     

  • Bogotá, Colombia – A 15th birthday celebration at their church, Casa de Oración, drew Ignacio and Liliana’s family out of their house in Manta, Ecuador, earlier than usual on 16 April, 2016, just before an earthquake struck. The 7.8 Richter scale tremor killed some 700 people and left more than 6,500 families homeless, including Ignacio and Liliana who stayed with his parents after the falling wall of the neighbour’s house damaged theirs.

    Usually, Igancio, an audio-visual volunteer at the church, leaves before his wife and two children, but with the service starting earlier this Saturday evening, the family went together.  Oscar Suárez

    They were on the street when everything started to move. Ignacio’s younger son fell under the car and the wheels almost crushed his feet. The trembling lasted around a minute.

    Many families like Ignacio and Liliana were left homeless, but they saw the hand of God represented in aid that arrived from MWC’s Deacon Fund, MCC, Rosedale Mennonite Mission and others.

    On behalf of Mennonite World Conference’s Deacons Commission, Henk Stenvers (MWC Deacons Commission secretary) of the Netherlands, Ephraim Disi Mbewe (Brethren in Christ Church bishop) of Malawi and Oscar Suárez (YABs Latin America representative) of Colombia visited the cities of Manta and Portoviejo in the most affected region 25–29 January 2017 to hear stories like Ignacio and Liliana’s and to encourage members of Iglesia Evangélica Menonita Ecuatoriana.     

    The Deacons Commission is responsible for the well being of the global communion; to walk along with member churches in their time of need, whether caused by natural disaster or oppressive government. The Deacons Commission arranges a visit to “put hands around the shoulders of the members and say: ‘We are with you during these trying times.’”

    In Ecuador, the Mennonite church’s response is both spiritual and practical. Members of the churches in Guayaquil came to aid in searching for victims. Church members in Manta and Portoviejo formed circles of hope by giving food and water to families with the most immediate needs.

    Pastor Juan Altamirano in Portoviejo told the Deacons about the makeshift camp for 2,800 people where some 200 people still await housing. Many thank God that the disaster occurred on the weekend when office towers had fewer workers inside, says Altamirano.

    “There is a lot of repair work being done, but the extent of the damage is such that it will take a lot of time to get everything back to normal,” says Stenvers. “It is clear that the church community played and still plays an important role in the aftermath of this disaster, [providing] space for lament and supporting one another.”

    “These families were able to see beyond the difficulties, …to see the hand of God, supporting them at every moment,” says Stenvers.

    “They lost their homes,” says Suárez, “but with the support of the Anabaptist world family that gave economic, psychological and spiritual help, they are recovering from this tragedy.”

    “We can count on our global extended family with God’s hand moving us in the problems.”

    As part of the MWC Deacons visit to Latin America, Stenvers and Suárez also attended Cono Sur meetings. Mennonite church members from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay met 21–25 January 2017 in Buenos Aires. Themes included Anabaptist identity, training church leaders, the position of women and youth in the church, the celebration of 100 years of Anabaptist presence in Argentina, and presentations from agencies.

    “The meetings were sometimes full of laughter and joy, sometimes emotional,” says Stenvers. “There was a strong feeling of community.”

    “Sharing in simplicity in the abundant, in the laughter, in the sadness was an experience that enlarged my vision of my extended family in the world,” says Suárez.

    Back in Ecuador, the encouragement and spiritual accompaniment from the global Anabaptist family helps the church in Ecuador “pick up the pieces together, knowing that nothing will separate them from the love of God which is in Christ,” says Disi.

    And Ignacio? He has finishing rebuilding the house, larger and better organized than before the earthquake.

    “If a member of the body suffers, all suffer; and if a member receives special attention, everyone else share your joy” (1 Corinthians 12:26).

    —Mennonite World Conference release

  • Bogota, Colombia – When someone mispronounces or misspells your name, does it seem as though they aren’t quite addressing you? We choose names carefully – perhaps to honour someone or express a hoped-for characteristic; they form part of our sense of identity.

    Changing a name is not a process entered into lightly: there are legal steps, and friends and acquaintances must learn to use the new name. More importantly, the change says something about identity: something significant has changed, or the new name better describes who you have always been.

    Over the past 30 years, the leaders of Mennonite World Conference (MWC) have been in conversation around the possibility of a name change. In 2016 the Executive Committee tasked the Faith and Life Commission to lead a process to bring a recommendation to the General Council in 2018 and for decision in 2021. Regional representatives will pursue conversations and gather feedback.

    A formal request from leaders of the Brethren in Christ Church in the USA who experience a sense of exclusion motivated the current conversation. They observed that when the MWC assembly was held in Pennsylvania, USA, in 2015, the news media reported on the event almost exclusively in terms of “Mennonite” despite the many Brethren in Christ congregations involved.

    The identity of an organization can change over time. At its beginnings, MWC was a conference that European church leaders convened in 1925, 1930 and 1936 to address specific issues, particularly the refugee crisis among Mennonites in Russia. By 1948, an organizational structure had emerged using the name Mennonite World Conference. In 2003, the official name became: “Mennonite World Conference: A Community of Anabaptist-Related Churches.”

    Building widespread recognition of an organization’s identity (or brand) requires time and energy. MWC (CMM in Spanish and French) is widely known by its acronym; a name change would need to consider the linguistic consequences in its three official languages (English, Spanish, French).

    Possible alterations to MWC’s name trend in two directions: replace “Mennonite” with “Anabaptist” and replace “Conference” with “Communion,” “Community,” or “Alliance.”

    “Mennonite”

    Historically and in the context of the global church, “Anabaptist” includes a broad spectrum of groups with a commitment to believers baptism, a view of the church as a visible community, and an earnest desire to follow the teachings of Jesus in daily life. Theologically, “Anabaptist” is often used to denote an ideal or standard, a belief tradition separated from the cultural ties sometimes attached to “Mennonite.”

    Of the 105 national member churches in MWC, 76 use Mennonite, 13 are Brethren in Christ conferences and some 11 employ “Anabaptist” in their title, often in conjunction with “Mennonite.” Rather than using a form of “Mennonite” for their name, some national churches take a concept (e.g., Meserete Kristos [Christ the foundation] in Ethiopia) or an association for their name (Gereja Kristen Muria [Christian Muria churches] in Indonesia).

    The Global Anabaptist Profile research project found that churches in North America had the highest preference for “Anabaptist” as a self-descriptor (58 percent) compared to 41 percent in Europe, 38 percent in Africa, 23 percent in Asia and 21 percent in Latin America. For

    “Mennonite,” the numbers were as follows: 62 percent Europe, 60 percent – Asia, 55 percent – Africa, 33 percent – Latin America and 31 percent – North America. (Note that groups could choose more than one designation).

    A drawback of the word “Anabaptist” is that it is both too broad and too limiting: the descriptor is claimed by a much larger group than associates with MWC; but it also focuses on believers baptism as the marker of Mennonite identity to the exclusion of other important theological emphases like discipleship and the mission of reconciliation.

    “Conference”

    Almost 100 years after its first convening, MWC is best known for its once-every-six-years Assembly. Today, however, the organization functions year-round to foster relationship and support among diverse members of the Anabaptist family.

    In 2012, the General Council affirmed a document from the Faith & Life Commission that provided extensive theological reflection on the Greek concept koinonia as a descriptor of MWC. It highlights the centrality of “shared identity and life as the ‘body of Christ,’” writes Thomas Yoder Neufeld. Koinonia is “both the reality undergirding our life together, and…a goal toward which we are moving…both fact and vision.”

    The word that most closely expresses this concept is “communion,” used in MWC’s constitution and other documents. “Communion” suggests a body committed to relationships of sacrificial love, accountability, and mutual aid for the purpose of fellowship, worship, service and mission.

    Alternatively, “community” or “fellowship” suggests a gathering of shared interests, goals and activities, while “alliance” or “federation” suggests a legislative body made up of independent groups that gather to pursue common goals.

    A final option is simply to retain the name. Mennonite World Conference remains a strong brand, and though it does not fully convey all aspects of the family’s identity, other names are also a partial description.

    Whatever the outcome of the conversation, MWC will continue to serve the family of Anabaptist-related worshipping communities around the world with prayer, support and mutual submission as we follow Christ’s example of sharing and living good news to the world.

    —Mennonite World Conference release

    What comments, affirmations or concerns would you like to give to MWC? Email info@mwc-cmm.org.

  • 7 ways to support MWC in your congregation

    It is a blessing that the global media allows us to learn news from all over the world. But it can be discouraging to hear so many sad stories and feel helpless to do anything about it. By supporting Mennonite World Conference (MWC), you can make a difference through brothers and sisters in the global Anabaptist family who are God’s agents of shalom in many places.

    Here are some ways to financially support MWC’s work of encouraging and informing the global church:

    1. One lunch offering – On World Fellowship Sunday, Pentecost, Peace Sunday – or any time that suits – host a simple meal in your congregation or spend time in prayer and fasting together. Encourage participants to donate the equivalent cost of one lunch.
    2. International songfest – Assemble a program of international music to sing with your congregation or a group of churches. Sing songs from the Assemblies and invite people from diverse backgrounds (other churches, international service workers or students from other cultures) to teach songs from their traditions. Use the internet to connect with international friends or service workers during the event. Take a special offering for MWC.
    3. International food festival – Celebrate culture and faith with food and fundraising. Host an international potluck or food market with contributions from local groups with roots in other cultures. Ask questions about the traditions associated with the food. Share the proceeds of the event with MWC.
    4. Mini Assembly Scattered or Global Church Village – Learn about the traditions and history of other Anabaptist congregations in your area and around the world. Organize fellowship, worship, witness or learning events on the diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds of Anabaptists today. Take an offering for MWC.
    5. Auction or sale and service. Sell used or donated goods alongside foods and activities with proceeds going to MWC. Participate in service projects with contributions supporting the work of MWC. Or, if your church is fundraising for a building project, designate a percentage of the monies raised to support the global church through MWC.
    6. Walk with the global church – Make the Assembly theme literal with a walk (or bike ride or marathon, etc.) to raise support for MWC. Invite all Anabaptist churches in your community to join together in this event, and pray as you go.
    7. Prepare for Indonesia 2021 – Start planning for Assembly now. Learn about the history and current ministry of Mennonite churches in Indonesia. Select members to represent your church family at Indonesia in 2021 and begin yearly fundraising for travel costs and registration. Designate a percentage of the total to support the ongoing program of MWC.

    Finally, support MWC through prayer. “It is a great encouragement to know you are praying for us” – Mennonite World Conference often receives this comment from our body of churches around the world. You can receive prayer requests from the MWC family by joining the prayer network email sent monthly, subscribing to Info (monthly e-newsletter), visiting the prayers page on our website and following us on social media.

    “We’re very happy to know that we can contribute to others in our global church,” says Richard Ratzlaff, whose Mennonite church in Toronto gave a tenth of the cost of their building project to the MWC Global Church Sharing Fund. Jon Carlson, whose Pennsylvania church hosted an international songfest says, “[We were] thankful to host an event that reminded us of our connections to sisters and brothers around the world.”

    —Mennonite World Conference release

  • The International Community of Mennonite Brethren (ICOMB) is made up of 21 national churches in 19 countries with approximately 450,000 members. ICOMB exists to facilitate relationships and ministries to enhance the witness and discipleship of its member national churches – connecting, strengthening and expanding.

    The church on mission

    The church is the divine community – the body of Christ (Ephesians 1:22–23). The church is what salvation looks like! Salvation is not really an individual proposition. Individualistic cultures and doctrine of “personal salvation” so strong in North America undermines this truth. It took me years of meditating on these verses in Ephesians to begin to grasp the stunning place of the church. The church – Mennonite Brethren congregations as part of it – is, like God, “another other” kind of thing.

    —David Wiebe, executive director

     

  • Bogotá, Colombia – Mennonite and Brethren health care leaders from around the world are developing a network to foster collaboration and support among related organizations. The leaders of the emerging Global Anabaptist Health Network (GAHN), a Mennonite World Conference (MWC) supported group, are issuing a survey and a global call. GAHN invites Anabaptist health organization leaders and individual health professionals from Mennonite World Conference churches to participate.

    Building on the foundations of a 2003 meeting in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, more than 90 health care leaders from 18 countries met 19–20 July 2015, preceding PA 2015, to worship, learn from each other and think creatively about how Anabaptist-related health care organizations and those working in this field might cooperate. This group drafted a document calling for development of a Global Anabaptist Health Network.

    “It is essential that GAHN be built upon the capacities, expectations, values and consensus of its future members,” says GAHN coordinator and former associate general secretary Pakisa Tshimika.

    The task force formed at that meeting invites Anabaptist health care professionals to complete a survey (see link below) to help them gauge interest, identify priorities and expand the web of partners as they work to develop the vision, mission, structure and membership of this emerging network.

    “MWC is looking forward to the emergence of this new network,” says MWC general secretary César García. “We celebrate every effort that encourages cross-cultural interdependency and the sharing of gifts in our global family of faith. Service is easier and stronger when we do it together.”

    For Tshimika, the network is the fulfilment of a decades-long dream for “a space where Anabaptist health professionals and institutions from around the globe could meet to share and exchange on subjects of common interest.” Click here to participate in the survey.

    —Mennonite World Conference release, with files from Larry Guengerich

  • New York, USA – Right outside the window from my desk at the MCC UN Office on the 10th floor of the Church Center for the United Nations, I can see the UN entrance and the Kenyan flag, which unexpectedly brews the feeling of patriotism; I am learning to appreciate my country more when I am not in it.

    Back home, I attend Eastleigh Fellowship Center, a Mennonite church within the capital, Nairobi. My parents are both leaders in the Kenyan Mennonite community. Growing up, the notion of peace was strongly embedded in me and this informed my decision to pursue international relations as a field of study in university.

    In 2015, I completed undergraduate studies in international relations at the University of Nairobi where I discovered an interest in diplomacy and how it can be informed by theology; that is, how I can apply biblical values and Anabaptist principles to diplomatic strategies in a politically charged environment. So when I came across the MCC UN Office intern placement in MCC’s call for new IVEP participants, I concluded it would be the perfect placement for a Mennonite from the Global South seeking to make a difference in world affairs.

    I had spent four years learning about the UN in great detail, but there’s a big difference between learning about an institution in rhetoric and in practice. In the MCC office, I’ve discovered advocacy work isn’t as pretty as I had thought it to be. It requires a lot of research and coordination amongst ourselves: Doug Hostetter, director and my supervisor, Kati Garrison, program and advocacy associate, and Emma Cabana, Mennonite Volunteer Service intern. At our Tuesday one-hour staff meeting, we have rotating staff-led worship and all give updates on what we are working on. As a new intern, I chose country-specific priorities including DPRK (North Korea), Israel and Palestine.

    Challenges

    I am new to advocacy work and so attending meetings of NGO (non-governmental organization) working groups on Israel/Palestine and the Security Council was uncharted waters, full of challenges

    1. Limited experience

    International relations, as a field of study, only gives you an overview of how the international system works. Delving more into it, I had to reconcile the information I had obtained from my studies with information on the ground.

    2. The feeling of oblivion

    In the working groups, consisting of well-informed representatives of NGOs, I would often feel unable to contribute anything, not by choice but because I’m still learning the content. But, the more I attended meetings, the more I understood.

    3. Integrating into existing relationships

    Working at the Church Centre for the United Nations was more communal than it was professional. Integrating myself into the close networks among organizations and their staff was challenging; but I learned to form my own relationships and merge them into the larger community.

    The whole experience working at the MCC UN Office and within the UN community has been frustrating, enlightening, fulfilling and rewarding both professionally and spiritually.

    On a professional level, I’ve learned a great deal of how advocacy work permeates the international agenda. Thus equipped, I will now be able to seek ways of locally applying the knowledge I’ve acquired to help my church, community and country in furthering peace and humanitarianism.

    As a Mennonite, I know peace is intrinsic and that it should be pursued through nonviolence. The greatest challenge has been trying to incorporate these beliefs into a politically motivated organization. When certain countries want to use violence to curb conflict, MCC and some other faith-based NGOs have worked hard to offer nonviolent ethical alternatives for peacebuilding. . Though difficult, working within the MCC UN Office has taught me that reconciling my beliefs as Mennonite with the challenges of international politics is possible.

    —Moses Osiro of Kenya is the IVEP/MWC intern at the MCC UN Office (2016–2017).

    Seeking Latin American applicants for the 2018-2019 MWC/IVEP internship at the MCC UN Office

    Applicants must be a member of a church affiliated with the MWC, be single and 25–30 years of age. They must be fluent in English, committed to peace and justice in international affairs and have had university-level studies in international affairs, political science, sociology, history, theology or related disciplines. They must have personal practical experience in humanitarian, interfaith or justice/peace work at the local, national or international level.

    The candidate will complete an IVEP application form from an MCC office in the candidate’s country. The application deadline is in October 2017 for the 2018-2019 internship.

    ???????

  • “Do not cry,” said to me a member of my church when I lost a relative in a very tragic way. “Read this verse of the Bible,” she continued. However, I could not hear her. I needed somebody able to listen to me, somebody ready to cry with me, and somebody open to walk with me during those days of deep grief. I did not need a biblical lesson – I needed a friend.

    “I do not believe in counseling” a pastor of a local congregation told me some years ago. “People need to know how to obey God’s word instead of depending on what somebody says. Giving advice generates dependency,” he said. Years later, I heard a member of his congregation expressing resentment against the church for the loneliness and abandonment he felt during a relative’s terminal illness. Where was his pastor during the hard times of suffering, questioning and lack of hope?

    We need somebody to walk with us during difficult times. We need the support of others when we are dealing with conflicts, resentment, sicknesses and death. We need the company of wise people to help us to identify our weaknesses and strengths, and to discover the causes of them. We need christocentric guidance about sexuality, how to manage our money, and how to navigate crucial decision times in our lives: getting married, raising children, choosing a profession, retiring and other decisions.

    In other words, we need discipleship. Christian counselling is not giving advice or telling others what they should or should not do. It has to do with walking with others and accompanying in a way that helps them make decisions based on their decision of following Christ. That is what discipleship is. It has to do with imitating Christ in our every day life, and in order to do so we need the compassionate company of other members of our community and the support of the specialized gifts that can help us to deal with specific challenges.

    Today, in Christian circles, discipleship has taken many names: coaching, therapy, spiritual direction, mentoring, pastoring, counselling. This is just a way of showing how big is the need to find people with the kind of expertise that can be really useful for specific areas of need in discipleship. Depression, for example, or a learning deficiency is the kind of matters that require a specialized training for the person that will serve as counsellor.

    In a basic level, all of us have the wonderful opportunity of walking with others in their process of discipleship. Even during very difficult and challenging times, to those who are suffering, we can remain close as compassionate people without offering empty words or advice. Just listening. Many local congregations in the Global South, in a context of violence and suffering, are learning how to support others through active listening. They have discovered the healing power that is hidden in the simple act of being there for others without a judgmental attitude. Compassion, again, has become their distinctive.

    However, in many places in the Global South, the need of specialized ministries of counselling is huge. How to deal with mental illness? How to help in process of healing of memories that require specific counseling skills? How can some of the enormous resources in the Global North be shared with our churches in the Global South? I am speaking here about educational resources in the area of counselling, conflict resolution, mentoring, therapy, etc.

    This issue of Courier is just a humble initiative that looks for ways of inviting our churches to speak more about these issues and to do so in a multicultural way. We need to share our educational resources, experiences and needs in order to grow together in our discipling call.

    May God guide our churches around the world to walk with compassion, serving as healing communities that take seriously our call to discipling.

    —César García, MWC general secretary, works out of the head office in Bogotá, Colombia.

    This article first appeared in Courier/Correo/Courrier, April 2017.

  • Bogotá, Colombia – MWC’s Renewal 2027 event in Augsburg, Germany, was bookended by meetings of its decision-making bodies and working groups, including a face-to-face gathering of the four Mennonite World Conference (MWC) Commissions: Deacons, Mission, Faith & Life and Peace.

    Commission members are volunteers from around the world who represent the General Council or bring expertise in caring, service, theology and peace work guides Mennonite World Conference in proposing resources and facilitating fellowship within MWC networks. The Commissions have eight members (nine on the mission commission) including a chair and a part-time staff secretary.

    Networking for mission

    The Mission Commission discussed terms of reference; “God’s People in Mission: An Anabaptist Perspective,” a mission theology statement approved in 2015; and the creation of an MWC book of guidelines for mission based on the mission theology statement. They also planned for the next meeting in Kenya in 2018 which will include training and decision making with members of its extended networks, GASN (Global Anabaptist Service Network). and GMF (Global Mission Fellowship).

    Furthering study of faith and life

    The Faith and Life Commission spent much of their time hearing each other’s perspectives on what it means to encourage “mutual accountability.” They also addressed several other initiatives to promote theological development in MWC, including the emerging network of women theologians and on-going efforts to connect itinerant teachers with MWC member churches.

    The Commission also responded to a report on the recently concluded trilateral dialogues on baptism with the Lutheran World Federation and the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, and it continued to refine documents on a rationale for ecumenical dialogue; a policy for addressing controversial issues; and a framework to help member churches discuss a possible name change for MWC.

    Resourcing for peace

    The Peace Commission has numerous resources for individuals, congregations and national churches. The Commission continues to work on a statement of solidarity with Indigenous People and has begun drafting a statement on conscientious objection. They reviewed the existing guidelines for political advocacy and internal conflicts, and continued the early development toward the possibility of a Global Anabaptist Peace Network with the hope for an steering gathering in Kenya in 2018.

    For Peace Sunday (closest to International Day of Peace, 21 September), the Peace Commission will develop worship resources focused on the theme of “building bridges” in 2017 and on “hospitality to the stranger” in 2018.

    Caring for churches

    At their meetings, the Deacons Commission clarified their own function and roles and that of global deacons. A new roster of these senior church leaders (who are familiar with the wider work of MWC and approved by their conferences) will be assembled to respond to situations that require attention from MWC. Over the past year, the Deacons Commission sent letters of encouragement to churches, such as those in earthquake-affected Japan, Ecuador and Tanzania. In conjunction with the Communications team, the Commission launched a Prayer Network in June 2016 that sends an email every two months and also receives and responds to personal requests.

    There were no Deacons visits in 2016 but the Global Church Sharing Fund gave financial support to projects in Angola, Nicaragua, Colombia, Tanzania and India, and to churches in Ecuador after the earthquake. Secretary Henk Stenvers reported on the Deacons visit to South America in January 2017: he and YABs Committee member Oscar Suárez visited the Cono Sur meeting in Argentina, then were joined by global deacon Bishop Ephraim Disi of Malawi to visit earthquake-affected areas in Ecuador.

    In addition to participating in other meetings and leading devotionals at the Executive Committee meetings, all Commission members toured the city of Augsburg with a historian who explained the stories of Reformation and Anabaptist events.

    “As the heart of our global body, the MWC Commissions pump gifts, materials and resources,” says general secretary César García. “They share with each member the required life that makes possible new developments and growth in our living body, our global church.”

    —Mennonite World Conference release

  • How do our member churches express the MWC Shared Convictions in beautiful, local variety throughout our global body?

    The October 2016 issue of Courier/Correo/Courrier seeks to discern the variety of reasons why Anabaptist communities from around the world come together to form MWC. In the articles that follow, writers reflect on the question: How does Christ’s love for us motivate and guide our response to strangers in our local context?

    How can we get answers from the Bible for 21st century questions?

    How can we get answers from the Bible for 21st century questions? That’s a real challenge! Parts of the Bible’s message are very clear and timelessly valid. But because our world has changed dramatically, some 21st-century questions require us to re-evaluate other parts. Yet how can we know when we should hang on to previous convictions or whether it’s time to open up for new insights and ways?

    In our local church, we wanted to find answers to this question in the years 2010–2012, concerning the topic of sex and marriage, focusing on questions around premarital sex. It’s not the only ethical question, and, of course, not the most important! But it is one that concerns all generations, if not directly, then in the broader (church) family. Our starting point each time is the Bible, which “we accept as our authority for faith and life, interpreting it together under Holy Spirit guidance.”

    Studying the Bible together

    We knew that attitudes and opinions were very diverse. So should everybody just do what he or she wants? Or is there any orientation from the Bible? Some people from the older generation hoped that this process would tell the younger generation clearly what is right. Others – so-called “burned children,” who had experienced strict church discipline exercised on them or somebody in their peer group in the past – were worried these stories would be repeated. So this process had to be started very carefully. 

    We were very pleased to see 100 people from different generations join the process, trusting the guidance of the Holy Spirit on our common journey. We took several important steps:

    1. A period with Bible study – personal and in small groups. Helpful also was a chapter from Tim Geddert’s book All Right Now: “God speaks through the Bible – why do we hear God differently?”
    2. On the first evening we spoke about hopes and fears, cultural changes, hermeneutics and we shared our planned steps. Our goal was that, at the end of this process, we could discern together what we keep as binding, and what should be open to individual freedom.
    3. For two following evenings we invited an external speaker who helped us to get a better understanding of biblical foundations about sex and marriage and what this could mean for our way of living. The main outcome was that sexuality should be imbedded in a loving and life-long relationship characterised by unity, exclusiveness and stability.
    4. The fourth evening was a real highlight, because it was time to find out, where we stand after all that has been heard and said. What’s important for us? What aspects of sexuality and marriage are open to personal interpretation and what should the community address (it’s not solely a private affair)?

    To find that out, we drew a line and asked everybody place themselves on this line according to his or her point of view. Our body language expressed whether we would face people we don’t agree with, or turn away from them. We encouraged people to give short statements, like “I’m standing here, because…” Most people were facing the others – despite the different opinions. It was a wide spectrum – yet we all found ourselves under the cross on the wall.

    United despite differences

    In the following weeks, we recorded important insights, which again were discussed with elders and preachers who didn’t share the same opinion on every point, but were united to present and discuss that with the congregation. A clear majority agreed and accepted the document as a guide. It`s not a document of doctrine. There are no quick answers to the question, “How far a loving couple may go,” rather, it presents insights of the whole process we went through as local church. Sometimes leaders from other churches ask us for that paper, but we have reservations about sharing it because the process is so very important.

    Every local church should go through this process by itself. Just adapting results from others without a process will not be helpful. Looking back, there is much reason to be thankful, but we don’t want to keep quiet about painful experiences; this way of transformation in church life was difficult. We failed to live our verbalized claims. People got hurt and some tension still exists. That keeps us humble, for it`s easier to talk about the bright side than the darker side of life. But both belong to our common experience and journey as local church. As the first words of the Shared Convictions say, “By the grace of God…..” we walk forward, focusing on the great vision of shalom.

    With this experiences from the past, we approach a new challenge now, to speak about money, wealth and giving. I’m sure we will be challenged by other ethical questions in the coming years. Our starting point each time is the Bible, which “we accept as our authority for faith and life, interpreting it together under Holy Spirit guidance.” And that means being lifelong learners, not having all instant answers, but seeking them together.

    —Emanuel Neufeld is pastor of Evangelische Mennonitengemeinde Schänzli, Muttenz, Switzerland.

    This article first appeared in Courier/Correo/Courrier October 2016

  • Bogotá Colombia – As Mennonite World Conference (MWC) kicked off Renewal 2027 (a 10-year event commemorating Anabaptism’s birth through the Reformation), the Executive Committee welcomed a record number of new members at their meeting in Germany.

    Before and after “Transformed by the Word: Reading Scripture in Anabaptist Perspectives” (Renewal 2027) in Augsburg, Germany, 12 February 2017, the Executive Committee, four commissions, Young Anabaptists (YABs) committee and MWC staff including regional representatives gathered for fellowship and decision making. The multi-year trilateral dialogues, in which MWC engaged with the Lutheran World Federation and the Pontifical Council on Christian Unity, also held their final meeting in Germany during this time.

    Official church membership of Mennonite World Conference totalled 105 national churches and 1 international association after the executive committee processed membership updates, which the General Council will affirm in 2018 along with any other new members received in 2018. The Australia Conference of Evangelical Mennonites, Convención de Iglesias Evangélicas Menonitas del Noreste de México and the British Conference of Mennonites, United Kingdom, were moved to inactive or closed status. The executive committee welcomed Hmong 7th District of the Church of Christ in Thailand, Convenção Brasileira das Igrejas Evangélicas Irmãos Menonitas (COBIM), and Convención de Iglesias Evangélicas Menonitas de Puerto Rico as full members, and the following national churches as associate members (due to their size): Uganda Mennonite Church, Mennonitische Freikirche Österreich, Associação dos Irmãos Menonitas de Portugal.

    The executive committee recommended a proposal to General Council to start a discernment process on a potential name change for MWC. Over the next year, regional representatives will engage church leaders regarding a more inclusive name.

    John Roth of the Institute for the Study of Global Anabaptism presented on the Global Anabaptist Project. Published in English as Global Anabaptist Profile: Belief and Practice in 24 Mennonite World Conference Churches, the report will also be translated into Spanish, French and three additional languages, and the PDF is posted at www.goshen.edu/isga/gap.

    To ease financial planning in response to the volume of donations received in December, the executive committee will meet online in late 2017 to process the possibility of a year-end change to 31 August 2018.

    The general secretary’s six-year term comes to an end in 2018. The executive committee unanimously requested César García renew for a second term. “MWC wants to hire a ‘wool-making, milk-producing, egg-laying pig that can be eaten’!” says MWC president Nelson Kraybill, quoting a German proverb. “Despite the large assignment, César works hard, has vision for MWC, and is effective in a broad range of tasks and roles. We are grateful he has accepted [another term.]”

    At their meetings, the Peace Commission accepted Jeremiah Choi Wing Kau (China – Hong Kong), replacing Namshik Chon (South Korea), and the YABs Committee welcomed Oscar Suarez (Colombia) who will represent Latin America after Dominik Bergen (Paraguay) stepped down.

    “When 70 followers of Jesus from around the world meet at a historic centre of 16th-century Anabaptism, the past and future of the church meet in life-giving ways. At Augsburg, these modern-day witnesses on the leading edge of Anabaptist mission worshiped, shared vision, debated, planned, laughed and sometimes wept,” says Kraybill. “It was a particular joy to fellowship with Catholic and Lutheran representatives who were part of the recent trilateral dialogue on baptism. To build friendship today and find shared hope in the gospel is an encouragement to all and a strength for our shared witness to the world.”

    —Mennonite World Conference release

    ???????