Prayers of gratitude and intercession

  • Bulawayo, Zimbabwe – Danisa Ndlovu, president of Mennonite World Conference, retired from his position as bishop of Ibandla Labazalwane KuKristu eZimbabwe (Brethren in Christ Church in Zimbabwe), effective 31 December 2014.

    Ndlovu has been bishop of the Brethren in Christ Church since 2000. Beginning in 2015 he assumes a new role with the Susek Evangelistic Association, a United States–based ministry that “is committed to the advancement of the gospel of Jesus Christ by strengthening and building of the church” through evangelism, conferences and other initiatives. In this new role Ndlovu will help to organize and co-facilitate leadership summits in Africa and elsewhere.

    Ndlovu has ministered as bishop during difficult times for Zimbabweans. Government corruption, violence, famine and skyrocketing inflation have resulted in devastation, despair and even death. Yet, as Ndlovu told the 2008 General Conference of the Brethren in Christ Church in North America, “In the midst of suffering, God is calling us to offer our bodies as living sacrifices.” Under his leadership, the Brethren in Christ of Zimbabwe have committed themselves to service and worship despite seemingly insurmountable trials.

    In reflecting on his years as bishop, Ndlovu counts the 2003 MWC Assembly in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, as one of his greatest achievements. The Assembly “gave our brothers and sisters around the world an opportunity to put a face to the plight of the Zimbabwean people,” Ndlovu says. “The world had a taste of our strength (and possible weaknesses) as a church, as well as our spiritual vibrancy.”

    At the local level, Ndlovu celebrates the maturity he has seen in the Zimbabwean church during his tenure as bishop. He reflects, “Doing business in the church—whether at the congregation, District Council or Conference level—has been seen as an important, integral and sacred part of worship. As a result, during my years as bishop, business session have been for the most part extremely peaceful and worshipful.”

    Ndlovu has served as bishop for fifteen years. He was succeeded by Sindah Ngulube on 1 January 2015. Ngulube has served in various ministry roles in the Brethren in Christ Church in Zimbabwe, most recently as overseer for the Harare District.

    – Devin Manzullo-Thomas

     

    Danisa Ndlovu

  • Harrisburg, PA, USA – “Mennonite World Conference Assemblies come with many parts. Two of them are Assembly Gathered and Assembly Scattered,” explains Liesa Unger, Chief International Events Officer for MWC. Unger, of Regensburg, Germany, is overseeing the planning of “Pennsylvania 2015,” the next MWC Assembly to be held in July 2015.

    “Assembly Gathered will happen at one place – Harrisburg, PA – during one week, 21-26 July 2015. Assembly Scattered will take place at multiple sites, with some events before Assembly Gathered and some following.”

    Assembly Scattered first occurred as part of the MWC Assembly in Calcutta in January 1997. Because few Mennonites live in Calcutta, MWC leaders worked with churches throughout India, and in other countries in Asia, to host travelers on their way to or from Calcutta. Visitors experienced church life in communities across the region, and locals who weren’t able to attend the Calcutta Assembly fellowshipped in their home communities with sisters and brothers from other parts of the world who were traveling to or from the Assembly.

    “Many of the Assembly Scattered sites for PA 2015 also include visits to nearby historical or cultural landmarks. Hosts will introduce their guests to places and activities they’ve read about. But this is more than tourism. By experiencing each other’s settings, we learn to know each other better,” reflects Unger.

    “We’ve enlarged the Assembly experience for everyone’s benefit by offering both Assembly Gathered and Assembly Scattered,” explains Unger. “If you’re making the trip to North America, why not visit Mennonite communities that are close to or within southeastern Pennsylvania, or choose some that lie beyond? And if you live in Canada or the U.S. but can’t get to Harrisburg, why not experience the global faith family by welcoming members into your home and congregation?”

    Assembly Scattered will take place in more than 10 communities during July 2015.

    “This opportunity for fellowship flows both ways,” says Unger. “Visitors learn about day-to-day life in the U.S. and Canada, while also worshipping in Anabaptist-related congregations. And locals are enriched by opening their homes and churches to ‘family’ they would otherwise not have known. This is how lifelong relationships become real.”

    Details about Assembly Scattered are available on the registration form for PA 2015.

    MWC release by Phyllis Pellman Good, Lancaster, PA, a writer and editor for Mennonite World Conference.

    Assembly Scattered Opportunities

    Before Assembly Gathered: Pennsylvania locations

    1.    “Mennonites of Lancaster County, PA.” Visit several Mennonite congregations, dating from the 1700s, which are alive and well in beautiful Lancaster County, PA. Hear their joys and challenges; worship and fellowship with them. Learn about early Mennonite interaction with Native Americans. Tour the oldest home in Lancaster County. Visit a farm operated by Amish, as well as a modern farm operated by Mennonites. Become acquainted with Eastern Mennonite Missions in western Lancaster County. From 9:30 a.m., Saturday, 18 July through Tuesday morning 21 July.

    2.    “Mennonite Farms of Lancaster County, PA.” Visit some of the farms owned for generations by families who are members of the 300-year-old Mellinger Mennonite Church. Learn about modern farm operations in North America. Why do young people choose farming? Enjoy worship, fellowship, and recreation with the congregation on Sunday. From 8:00 a.m.  Friday 17July through 7:30 p.m. Monday, 20 July.

    3.    “Fun and Fellowship with Pittsburgh (PA) Mennonite Church.” Discover this urban, multi-generational church’s efforts in environmental stewardship and sustainability, fellowship, peace, and justice. Learn the steel-industry beginnings of the “City of Bridges” and its rising economy in technology and education. From Friday evening 17 July through Monday morning 20 July.

    4.    “Anabaptist Welcome and Witness in Philadelphia Since 1683.” Beginning in 1683, Philadelphia was the primary port of entry for Mennonite immigrants. Today, 332 years later, 28 Anabaptist congregations in greater Philly worship in nine languages. Join multi-cultural worship with testimonies of how God is at work in the city. Experience three urban ministry sites. Visit historical sites in one of the U.S.’s oldest cities. From noon Friday, 17 July through Sunday evening, 19 July.

    5.    “Living Discipleship in Community.” Visit one of two Bruderhof communities in Pennsylvania: Spring Valley or New Meadow Run. Join in community gardening, work projects, meals, games, outdoor activities, and campfire fellowship. From 11:00 a.m. Friday 17 July through noon on Sunday 19 July.

    Before Assembly Gathered: Eastern U.S. locations

    6.    “Mennonites, Monuments, and African American History in Washington, D.C.” Take guided and interpreted walking tours of national monuments (focusing on peace monuments, among them, Martin Luther King, Jr.’s) and of Georgetown (focusing on African American history). Includes attending area Mennonite congregations. From Friday morning 17 July, through Sunday evening 19 July.

    7.    “Diverse Anabaptist Communities in Miami (FL) Metro Area.” Experience Miami and Dade County, home to 50 BIC congregations, 10 Mennonite, and three Amor Viviente fellowships, with members from Hispanic, Haitian, Anglo, Garifuna, and other cultural groups. An introduction to immigration realities through testimonies of immigrants and those who offer assistance. Join in spirited worship and fellowship. From Friday 17 July, through Monday 20 July.

    8.    “Join North Carolina’s Six Historic African American and One Hispanic Mennonite Brethren Congregations for a Weekend of Worship, Music, and Inspiration.” Learn how the only MB congregations in the eastern US began during segregation in the South and about their vibrant ministry today in the mountain communities of eastern NC. Enjoy fellowship on Friday evening 17 July, a visit to the churches and their ministries on Saturday, and a final worship service on Sunday, ending at noon, 19 July.

    9.    “Living Discipleship in Community.” Visit one of two Bruderhof communities in New York: Foxhill or Bellvale. Join in community gardening, work projects, meals, games, outdoor activities, and campfire fellowship. From 11:00 a.m. Friday 17 July, through noon on Sunday 19 July.

    Before Assembly Gathered: North American locations

    10.  “DOOR San Antonio (Discovering Opportunities for Outreach and Reflection) in Partnership with San Antonio Mennonite Church, Texas.” Hear from locals about immigration. Witness life at the US/Mexican border. Volunteer with nonprofit agencies in San Antonio. From Friday 17 July, through Sunday 19 July.

    11.   “Mennonite, Mennonite Brethren, and Brethren in Christ Churches in the Pacific Region.” Experience the diversity of MWC-related churches – Indonesian, Latino, Nigerian, Congolese, and Korean – while interacting with church members and visiting outreach ministries and church institutions in Fresno, Los Angeles County, and San Bernardino/Riverside counties, California. From Thursday 16 July, through Monday 29 July.

    12.   “Walking with God in the City and the Wilderness: Anchorage, Alaska.”  Fellowship with members of Prince of Peace Mennonite Church (the northern-most Mennonite church in the world!), visit ministry locations of the Voluntary Service unit, engage Alaska’s native cultures, and hike and sightsee in the wilderness.  From early Thursday 16 July, through late Monday 20 July.

    13.   “Participate in the 105th Annual Conference of Conservative Mennonite Conference (CMC) in Hartville Ohio.” Our theme will be “Step with the Spirit” (Galatians 5:25).  You’re welcome to join with representatives from over 100 North American CMC churches in worship, workshops, discussion, and fellowship. Begins Thursday evening 16 July, and concludes at noon, Sunday 19 July.

    After Assembly Gathered locations

    14.   “Two Kingdoms, Two Loyalties: Anabaptist Engagement with Government in the U.S. Capital.” Visit and converse with various Anabaptist-related advocacy offices in Washington, D.C. From Monday morning 27 July, through Wednesday evening, 29 July, or Thursday morning 30 July.

    15.   “DOOR San Antonio (Discovering Opportunities for Outreach and Reflection) in Partnership with San Antonio Mennonite Church, Texas.” Hear from locals about immigration. Witness life at the US/Mexican border. Volunteer with nonprofit agencies in San Antonio. From Monday 27 July, through Wednesday 29 July.

    Pending Assembly Scattered location

    16. New York, New York. Visit with members of the Anabaptist-related Garifuna-, Spanish-, and English-speaking churches in at least three of New York City’s boroughs.

    Members of the Prince of Peace Mennonite Church in Anchorage, Alaska, one of the congregations that will welcome Assembly Scattered participants. Photo courtesy of John David Thacker

     

     

  • Dhamtari, India – Edward Sahani, a delegate to the Mennonite World Conference General Council for the past six years, passed away 13 December 2014 at the age of 65. He represented the Mennonite Church in India Dhamtari. Sahani was a member of Sunderganj Mennonite Church.

    A medical doctor, he worked in Dhamtari Christian Hospital Dhamtari and Jagdishpur. He also served Shantipur Leprosy Hospital (Leprosy Mission) Shantipur and Leprosy Hospital Champa. In addition to his medical work, he was active in education leadership. He chaired Mennonite Medical Board and Mennonite Board of Christian Education for almost ten years. He was also manager of Mennonite English Senior Secondary School Dhamtari, and Mennonite Higher Secondary School Dhamtari. He is survived by his wife Anjana and an adopted daughter. “Please keep his family in your prayers,” wrote Madhukant Masih, the executive secretary of Mennonite Church in India Dhamtari.

  • Liestal, Switzerland – While “deeply shaken” by the terror caused by IS (Islamic State) militias in Iraq and Syria, “we believe that the situation does not render pacifist convictions obsolete,” declared the faculty of the Theological Seminary Bienenberg in a mid-September statement.

    The statement – entitled “Using violence against violence?” – questions the growing support for military intervention as a “moral responsibility compatible with the Christian faith.”

    “A peace church position is not equivalent to apathetic passivity,” notes the faculty statement. “We are convinced that evil must be confronted.” They advocate the following alternative means of action: prayer; nonviolent peacemaking operations, help for refugees and the practice of “just policing.”

    The statement responds to the objection that the Christian pacifist position is “idealist and naive.” The statement also challenges those who find Biblical support for “necessary violence”, citing instead God’s protest against the “logic of violence” in the death and resurrection of Jesus.

    “We know that it is only possible to express some of these thoughts when at a safe distance from violent conflicts,” acknowledges the statement. “However, we do not want to let ourselves be paralyzed by helplessness and resignation, but rather we carry on, humbly and with the help of God’s Spirit, in the ‘hunt for peace’ (Hebrews 12:14) as best as we are able.”

    Bienenberg is a school founded by the Mennonite churches of France, Germany and Switzerland.

    To read the complete faculty statement in English, click here.

    To read the complete faculty statement in German, click here. 

    MWC release

     

  • Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA – Mennonite World Conference is seeking gifted vocalists to join the International Vocal Ensemble for the Pennsylvania 2015 Assembly.

    This ensemble will lead congregational singing during the Assembly. The singing and worship services will reflect the global fellowship of Mennonite World Conference, and be rich in music and worship diversity. The purpose of this group is to lead, teach, and inspire – not to give a performance.

    The ensemble will consist of ten persons representing all continents. Those applying to  sing in the ensemble should have a strong commitment to Christian/Anabaptist values, excellent team skills, previous performance experience, reference from a pastor. Applicants should be familiar with (or be willing to learn) a wide variety of international types of music and different worship styles, able to communicate in English, sing a vocal part and play an instrument.

    Prior to Assembly, ensemble members will practice and become familiar with the music in their home countries, beginning in May 2015. They will need to arrive in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania by 16 July to have several days of practice before the Assembly starts on 21 July.

    Those interested in applying to be on the Assembly International Vocal Ensemble, should provide a brief resume and videos or MP3s (or links) of their performances to Don McNiven (ibica.dmcniven@gmail.com ) and John Williamson (JohnWilliamson@mwc-cmm.org). Applications should be sent prior to 15 January 2015. For more information please contact JohnWilliamson@mwc-cmm.org

    MWC release

    Photo: Merle Good

     

     

     

     

     

  • In early November, the Korea Anabaptist Press released a Korean translation of What We Believe Together by Alfred Neufeld, a 2007 publication in the Mennonite World Conference Global Anabaptist Mennonite Shelf of Literature. This was an initiative of the Korean Anabaptist Network. Kyong-Jung Kim, the Northeast Asia Representative for MWC, has distributed the book to the leaders of Korean Anabaptist churches for use as a study guide and discussion for Anabaptist church identity.

    MWC Release

     

  • Bogota, Colombia and Goshen, Indiana, USA – Leaders of Anabaptist/Mennonite healthcare institutions and healthcare professionals will hold a conjoint international meeting during an international leadership summit 20-21 July 2015, under the sponsorship of Mennonite World Conference and Mennonite Health Services.

    The summit’s sponsors state that leaders from Anabaptist/Mennonite-affiliated healthcare institutions have not gathered in this way before, and other health professionals have seldom participated in similar inter-disciplinary meetings. Meeting participants will address topics such Anabaptist theology and health, women’s health, health technology, end-of-life health care, Anabaptist vision for global health, sustainability, and the culture of peace, church and hospital partnership in Zambia. They will also discuss a vision for creating a Mennonite World Conference-based global health network.

    Today more than 150 Anabaptist-affiliated health and human service institutions serve others around the world as a truly global witness. Some of these organizations are large, mature, and complex. Others are small and less institutional. But all share a common commitment to expressing the love of Christ in caring service. 

    The 2015 summit will build on conversations begun in 2003 at the Mennonite World Conference Assembly in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. Approximately 60 persons attended with representation from countries throughout the world, with most participants being physicians.

    César García, General Secretary of Mennonite World Conference, said, “Come join us. Let’s walk together on the road of healthcare. Let’s stand in an interdependent and cross-cultural way with those who are sick and suffering. Let’s enjoy the hope that brings together a compassionate, global community to support those who need to be touched by God’s healing.”

    Rick Stiffney, President and Chief Executive Officer of Mennonite Health Services, said, “The witness of the broad Anabaptist/Mennonite community of faith is a witness that cares for the whole person – body, mind, and spirit. The church, wherever it has flourished, has developed healthcare ministries, schools, and other expressions of justice and peace.”

    Stiffney added, “In era when many religious communities are fracturing, healthcare ministry – the loving care for others – can draw us together in common cause. Common cause can offer us opportunities to reach out to others for encouragement, prayer, sharing best practices, and building relationships for peer learning.” 

    Stiffney concluded, “This leadership summit will afford participants an excellent opportunity to build a network of deeply committed healthcare leaders and professionals who know that we stand stronger together than when we stand alone.” 

     

    César García Photo

     

    Rick Stiffney Photo

     

  • Harrisburg, PA, USA – In less than a year from now, our sisters and brothers from around the world, and from across North America, will be coming to Harrisburg to worship and fellowship with us. “PA 2015,” the Mennonite World Conference Assembly, will be held at the Farm Show Complex, July 21-26, 2015.

    “We expect to host up to 8,000 guests,” says Lynn Roth, North America Representative for MWC. “Our team is lining up lodging, food, transportation, the worship services, the seminars, the Global Church Village, and the choirs, but we need local people to provide a heartfelt welcome, to enter into the event as fully as possible, beginning now!”

    Here’s what you can do:

    1. Plan to attend the whole 5½ days. This is the way you’ll make lasting friendships and discover the gift of belonging to an international family of faith. Go to www.mwc-cmm.org/pa2015registration.

    2. Join the Prayer Network now. You’ll receive monthly messages about particular needs in planning the Assembly. Two big ones—that our sisters and brothers from the Global South will be granted visas so they can attend; and that we North Americans will offer hospitality of the heart to our visitors. Go to www.mwc-cmm.org/pa2015prayernetwork.

    3. Urge your congregation to partner with another congregation whose members have fewer financial resources or are recent immigrants to the U.S., so its members are able to attend and join in the global fellowship. For more detail, go to www.mwc-cmm.org/pa2015partnership. Contact your conference office for information about how to do this.

    4. Learn more about your global family of faith by reading What We Believe Together, by Alfred Neufeld, based on MWC’s “Shared Convictions of Global Anabaptists” statement. The book includes discussion questions, so find others who will read the book, and discuss it together. Or read and discuss the five books in MWC’s Global Mennonite History Series. Each history has been written, not by North Americans, but by persons from those continents. All these books can be ordered from www.lmhs.org, or by calling 717-393-8745.

    5.  Don’t miss “Resources for Congregations” on the MWC website. You’ll find a video about PA 2105, information for your church bulletins, background articles, ideas for planning events leading up to the Assembly, and more. Go to www.mwc-cmm.org/pa2015resources.

    6. Volunteer to help now and/or during PA 2015. Consider hosting guests in your home. Go to www.mwc-cmm.org/pa2015volunteer.

    “Remember,” says Roth, “PA 2015 will be an experience of Jesus we can’t fully replicate in our own congregations, a taste of heaven as we worship and fellowship in many languages and cultures.”

    Article by Phyllis Pellman Good, Lancaster, PA, a writer and editor for MWC

    PA 2015 will feature exuberant singing. Photo by Merle Good

     

  • India – A jointly sponsored series of workshops have helped to strengthen Anabaptist identity across India.

    In a collaborative effort, the Mennonite Christian Service Fellowship of India (MCSFI), Mennonite World Conference (MWC) and Mennonite Central Committee India (MCCI) hosted a series of four workshops across India from 20 October to 3 November 2014. As a follow-up to similar initiatives in the last three years, these workshops included four primary objectives: (1) to stimulate a better understanding of Anabaptist identity; (2) to prepare a core of leaders for ministry within the Mennonite and Brethren in Christ churches of India and Nepal; (3) to move to a greater sense of unity among these churches; and (4) to encourage vibrant congregational life through a focus on the Bible.

    Event organizers report that “all of these objectives were met to a great extent.”

    Forty to 60 people attended each workshop. The workshop team was led by Jack Suderman of Canada, secretary of the MWC Peace Commission, and included speakers Shant Kunjam, bishop of Mennonite Church India; Sandra Baez, pastor of the Iglesia Menonita Torre Fuerte (Torre Fuerte Mennonite Brethren Church) in Bogotá, Colombia; and Christina Asheervadam, professor of theology at the Mennonite Brethren Centenary Bible College in Hyderabad, India. The music coordinator was Irene Suderman of Canada, and translation was conducted by Sushant Rajat Nand of Mennonite Church India.

    According to a report from conference organizers, the workshops were well received and had a significant impact on participants’ sense of Anabaptist identity. They credited the speakers with provoking participants “to think with open minds about some controversial topics like modes of baptism, the role of women in the church and leadership roles in the churches using gifts of the Spirit and shalom in all areas of life.” Moreover, they added that the team “communicated well across language, cultural and experience barriers with good interaction, group discussions and clarifications.”

    At three of the workshops, the sessions were augmented by a presentation from César García, MWC general secretary. García’s presentations were much appreciated by participants, and event organizers add that the “face-to-face experience [with García] brought participants to a better understanding that MWC is ‘all of us.’”

    Based on a report by Cynthia Peacock, Carol Zook, Gordon Zook, and Rev. M. K. Masih

     

  • In the face of the terror caused by the IS militias in Iraq and Syria, Western nations have reacted with air strikes and deliveries of weapons. A reaction that, given the atrocities described, has been widely accepted – also increasingly in churches. Among the same churches that almost unanimously raised their voices in protest against the American invasion of Iraq, there is now an increasing contingent which holds military intervention to be a moral responsibility compatible with the Christian faith.

    The Theological Seminary Bienenberg is rooted in a peace church tradition whose commitment to pacifism is rooted in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is a position that once again faces fundamental questions in light of the terrible and threatening events in the Middle East. First and foremost, we find ourselves – insofar as is possible in well-protected Switzerland – deeply shaken when we hear about the persecution and execution of Christians and other minorities. We also experience feelings of powerlessness, anger, and the fervent longing that a stop be put to this brutal course of action as quickly as possible. Nevertheless, we believe that the situation does not render pacifist convictions obsolete. Because we are Christians, we now see ourselves challenged to find a way of dealing with the enemy according to the principles of nonviolence inspired by the Gospel. For this reason we are addressing all who profess Jesus Christ as the Prince of Peace and seek to follow him. It is His call to love one’s enemies that we hear as an appeal to the churches to witness to God’s coming kingdom in this world.

    By writing this, we are sharing a few rough thoughts about events that at times render us speechless. To speak out in this manner runs the risk of coming across as crude or cynical. We are also quite aware that we do not have a satisfactory answer for all things. However, we would like to share our wrestling with the pressing questions that time and again are raised by such eruptions of violence. We know that it is only possible to express some of these thoughts when at a safe distance from violent conflicts. We are also part of a society that has for far too long taken a passive role and has not yet exhausted all possibilities to help. However, we  do not want to let ourselves be paralyzed by helplessness and resignation, but rather we carry on, humbly and with the help of God’s Spirit, in the “hunt for peace” (Heb. 12,14) as best as we are able. This we do in fellowship and solidarity with the victims of these inhuman actions. God have mercy!

    Objection 1:

    Isn’t (Christian) pacifism idealist and naive?

    The current characterizations of (Christian) pacifism as naive are nothing new (1), but rather a familiar and rec curing accusation. Throughout history, people and movements that set themselves against the conventional wisdom of returning violence with violence have been derided. Yet those with power have often considered them to be far more than harmless crackpots. They recognized  what  was actually at stake and asked apprehensively, “What would happen if even more people were seduced into nonviolence?” They frequently answered this question in the form of sometimes violent persecution. The Anabaptists, for example, could tell a few tales in this regard. The question, “What would happen?” would by and large remain unanswered. Which is a shame, because history has recorded a good number of stories of peacemakers whose apparently “naive” pacifism impeded or put to an end to bloodshed (2). These are examples of unexpected turns made possible because people acted “naively” in the best sense of the word. They cultivated a “culture of peace” (3) which fostered an alternative relationship to violence. Therefore, it cannot be said that Christian pacifism is fundamentally doomed to failure, although there is of course no guarantee that it will always lead to the desired result. The same, however, can also be said of military intervention.

    We must also not forget that Christian pacifism is a costly path (4). This too it shares in common with military intervention. The hope of being able to lead a “clean” war with intelligent weapons with which “only” terrorists are targeted and killed without further victims has long since revealed itself to be an illusion. Is there really such a great difference between the necessary willingness to make sacrifices of an armed soldier and a nonviolent Christian, that only the latter is seen as naive and unrealistic?

    Objection 2:

    Violence can only be stopped with violence

    Eleven years ago, the American military made a move to overthrow the then-Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein as part of the “Axis of Evil”. They succeeded and celebrated this as the speedy success of their potent military machine. It did not take long, however, to recognize how short-sighted their strategy was. Instead of the quick withdrawal of troops they had planned, a long and drawn-out war persisted which did not just claim many victims, but also accrued horrendous costs. When the last troops withdrew in December 2011, they left behind them a region crippled by a political vacuum, which has since been filled by increasingly radical groups. The military action in Iraq had thus eliminated a dictator, but also paved the way for new excesses of violence. This is a phenomenon that has been demonstrated in other cases as well. Benjamin L. Corey rightly asks: “If the use of violence is how we got here, why would we think MORE violence would actually make things better?”(5)

    Under the banner of R2P (Responsibility to Protect), political and ecclesiastic leaders have argued in favor of a three step program to solve, or at least hinder, violent conflicts: Prevention – Reaction – Rebuilding (6). However, the example of Iraq is a painful reminder that hasty and unilateral violent reactions to conflict do not solve the problem and sometimes only aggravate the situation. Such military interventions frequently promise far more than they are able to deliver. One can only imagine what would happen if at least as much funding were directed into conflict prevention and reconstruction (including trauma recovery) as is to the stockpile of weapons that is supposed to secure or reestablish peace (7).

    Objection 3:

    Should we then simply stand by and watch as these terrible things happen?

    No. A peace church position is not equivalent to apathetic passivity. The current situation requires a reaction. The question is, by which means? A military intervention seems justifiable at this point. Yet history shows that previous “just wars” have been carried out with dubious motivations at odds with their original or official intention. What are the goals of the “coalition of the willing” in Iraq? In its military actions, does it itself follow the rules of engagement that it demands from its enemies? Why do we not hear the cry of the responsibility to protect in the face of so many other instances of inhuman injustices in the world?

    We are convinced that evil must be confronted. Military violence seems to us, however, unsuitable for the task. In the following points, we see alternative means of actions:

    Prayer. We Christians ask God for astounding things. He who prays to God for a sunny day despite a bad weather report expects nothing less than that God will override the basic physical laws of meteorology. What makes this trust in God so fleeting when it comes to war and peace? When we pray not only for the victims and for those threatened, but also for the perpetrators, we do so in faith in God’s promise: “Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit!” (Zach. 4,6).

    Nonviolent peacemaking operations. Often unheeded by official reporting, people in conflict zones around the globe dare to place themselves between the fronts without weapons (8). They do not shut their eyes before evil, but rather confront it bravely with their unarmed presence. In their vulnerability, they break through the classic friend-enemy mentality, which can open the door to unexpected possibilities for action. Impressive reports of such peacemaking operations show that there is a “third way” and raise challenging questions about conventional peacekeeping strategies (9). They also continually remind us how important contact between people and (church) communities in conflict areas is in helping us not to be led by media coverage into indiscriminately dividing parties into “good” and “evil”. In searching for an appropriate course of action against the terror of the IS, we would therefore especially like to hear from directly-affected Christians.

    Help for refugees. Our Anabaptist history contains many examples of people who responded to repression and persecution with flight. Many of these experienced a great deal of solidarity and hospitality in difficult times. Today we can take on responsibility as hosts with similar generosity – whether providing emergency assistance at the local level or seeking to improve the process of admission of refugees here in Europe, who at the moment are far too often impeded by bureaucracy (10).

    Police operations. The phrase “just policing”- calls to mind in church circles the deployment of international (!) police troops. Trained in nonviolent conflict resolution and held to the standards of international law and Human Rights, such teams could be deployed in order to protect  people. Whether they would be completely unarmed is debatable. If weapons were, however, to be used in an extremely restrained manner – for example, to secure a refugee corridor –  it  would  nevertheless amount to a completely different strategy, than a large-scale military invasion with the goal of eliminating the enemy. Peace church circles that consider such an operation to be acceptable strongly plead for a “nonlethal use of violence.” (11)

    Objection 4:

    Doesn’t the Bible also speak of necessary violence?

    There are without a doubt some vexing passages in the Bible in which violence is described as desired, or at least legitimized, by God. However, to derive from these instances an across-the-board rule of thumb that violence is just sometimes necessary seems inappropriate to us. Taking into account the overarching lines of the biblical narrative as a whole, it becomes clear that God truly desires Shalom – a just peace. This can be seen most clearly in the comprehensive will to peace of Jesus. He wages a battle without compromise against pseudo-religion of any kind, against injustice and self-righteousness – and in spite of it all loves his enemies instead of killing them. Even upon being sentenced to death on the cross by the political and religious powers that be. God protests against this logic of violence with the resurrection of Jesus on Easter Morning and in so doing validates Jesus and his way. In reflecting upon the story of Jesus, the early church arrived at the conclusion: in Jesus, God responded to human hostility with reconciliatory love (Rom 5,10). Instead of fighting back, God embraces the world and brings about Shalom. It also becomes clear that Jesus set an example for how Shalom can take root in our own relationships (Phil 2,5-11). As Christians, we see ourselves called to follow in the footsteps of Jesus (1Pet 2,21; Lu 22,49-51) and to overcome evil with good (Rom 12,21). In saying this, we are aware that there is no guarantee that this way will come without suffering and always deliver the desired results. Throughout the centuries, peacemaking individuals have occasionally paid a very high price. Yet it is the resurrection that stirs in us the belief that enmity and death do not have the last word, but rather God’s love makes everything whole. We pray therefore, that our fear abates to the love that reaches even to our enemy (12).

    By the Faculty of the Theological Seminary Bienenberg (Lukas Amstutz, Frieder Boller, Heike Geist, Hanspeter Jecker, Denis Kennel, Bernhard Ott, Michel  Sommer, Marcus Weiand, Marie-No√´lle Yoder)

    September 16, 2014

    (For a PDF file of this document click here)

    1 The wanting realism of Christian pacifism has, for example, recently been critisized by Reinold Scharnowski in his article,‚ÄûAllerletzte M√∂glichkeit ist Waffengewalt“, (http://www.livenet.ch/themen/glaube/glaube/261886-allerletzte_moeglichkeit_ist_waffengewalt.html).

    2 A collection of such stories of peace can be found in Cornelia Lehn, Friede sei mit euch!, Weisenheim am Berg 1987.

    3 Also see Alan & Eleanor Kreider, Paulus Widjaja, Eine Kultur des Friedens: Gottes Vision für Gemeinde und Welt, Schwarzenfeld 2008.

    4 This costly way is described by Ron Sider,  ‚ÄûGottes Volk vers√∂hnt“ in: XI. Mennonitische Weltkonferenz Stra√üburg, 1984: Hauptansprachen. Strasbourg: CMM (:35-39), in English: http://www.cpt.org/resources/writings/sider.

    5 http://www.theologiestudierende.de/2014/08/19/irakischer-voelkermord-unsere-gewalt-hat-uns-hier-her-gebracht/

    6 The concept is thoroughly explained here: http://www.schutzverantwortung.de. A detailed examination from a peace church perspective by Jakob Fehr can be found here: (http://www.dmfk.de/fileadmin/downloads/Fehr_-_R2P_die_Konfrontation_mit_dem_Boesen.pdf)

    7 For the call to a long-term strategy for Iraq, see also http://www.huffingtonpost.com/derek-flood/is-there-a-nonviolent-isis_b_5670512.html

    8 An example is the Christian Peacemaker Team (http://cpt.org/)

    9 Two such reports can be found on  http://mennoworld.org/2014/09/01/cpt-aids-refugees-seeking-safety-in-iraqi-kurdistan/      und http://mennoworld.org/2014/08/29/jim-foley-is-and-what-i-learned-from-being-kidnapped/

    10 American Benjamin L. Corey asks on a related note: ‚ÄûWhy not stage the largest airlift since the Berlin Airlift, and bring all of these religious and ethnic minorities out of their situation, and grant them asylum here in the United States?“

    11 See   also   the   presentation   of   Fernando   Enns   ‚ÄûGerechter   Frieden   zwischen   Interventionsverbot   und   Schutzgebot“,   http://friedensbildung- schule.de/sites/friedensbildung-schule.de/files/anhang/medien/fbs-responsibility-protect-449.pdf

    12 Alice  Su  describes  this  transformation  impressively  on  http://gospelworldview.wordpress.com/2014/09/03/1-john-isis-and-the-gospel-versus-terror.  A German translation can be found here: www.bienenberg-blog.ch.

     

  • Lisbon, Portugal – Roman Rakhuba, a leader of the Mennonite Church in Ukraine, shared the trauma of recent military actions in his country during his first ever participation in the annual gathering of leaders of European Mennonite conferences.

    He shared how the church is responding in the face of lost homes and a mandatory draft for their young men. They are trying to find ways to support each other if people need to evacuate, even having evacuation plans hanging in the church.

    He also told a dramatic story about the power of prayer. One pastor crossed the lines of battle to bring clothes and other materials to people in need on the other side. He was caught by separatists who are mainly Orthodox and who see Protestants and Evangelicals as heretics. They put him in a cell and told him he would be executed.

    When he was brought to the place where he would be shot he prayed aloud. The wife of the commander of the execution party heard him and said to her husband: “You cannot execute this man, he is a Christian!” She implored her husband to set him free and finally he gave in. He gave the pastor some money and they brought him close to the line of battle and set him free! He reached the other side safely.

    A powerful moment of the meeting occurred when all the leaders gathered together to pray for Rakhuba and the church in Ukraine. On his Facebook account, Rakhuba described it as the most moving moment of his life.

    The European Mennonite leaders urge everyone in the global Anabaptist community to hold up the Mennonite church in Ukraine in prayer. They ask for prayers for wisdom to be faithful disciples in times of war and violence, prayers for strength and support as the Ukrainian church is reaching out to a great number of refugees, and prayers for wisdom as the church walks with people who are suffering.

    What began as a meeting of a few long standing Mennonite churches has grown into a time of connection and mutual support between Mennonite leaders from all over Europe. The most recent annual meeting took place from 17-19 October 2014, and was hosted by the Mennonite Brethren church in Portugal.

    Henk Stenvers, MWC Europe representative, shared that it was a time of, “Sharing our challenges and concerns, discussing peace issues and Mennonite identity and trying to think about ways to work together. In this way we want to create a network of Mennonite and Mennonite Brethren churches in Europe.”    

    Participants, who are leaders of national churches and the MWC Executive committee members for Europe, represented a diversity of countries: Netherlands, Switzerland, Ukraine, France, Spain, Portugal, and several conferences from Germany. David Wiebe, president of the International Community of Mennonite Brethren, was also present as a guest.   

    -Kristina Toews

     

  • New York, New York, USA – JeaHyun Nham from the Republic of Korea (ROK/South Korea) is the latest Mennonite World Conference (MWC) intern to join the staff of the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) United Nations Office. The intern is a joint appointment of MCC and MWC.

    Nham is a member of Jesus Village Church in Chuncheon, ROK..The church, founded in 1996, models itself on the spirit of early Anabaptists.

    Nham is an undergraduate student at Underwood International College in Seoul, ROK, majoring in International Studies and Comparative Literature and Culture. She also has worked at a refugee center in Seoul, helping people from other countries process their refugee status.

    Last year, Nham was an exchange student at the University of California, Berkeley. Following her year in New York, she will complete her final year of college in her home country.

    Nham first learned about MCC when she and her family visited the MCC East Coast Material Resources Center in Ephrata, Pa., six years ago during her father’s sabbatical year in Cleveland, Ohio.

    “I learned of all of the supplies that MCC sent to aid many Korean refugees during the Korean War,” Nham said. “Without the helping hand of organizations like MCC, it would have been impossible for the Korean people to have risen from the ashes of the Korean War.

    “I realized that MCC puts the love of Jesus for humanity into practice as they share a portion of his love through their assistance.  I am eager to pass the torch of love to many other nations worldwide by joining the MCC mission at the UN office.” 

    Nham is the seventh MWC intern to serve in this role. All were supported by MWC and were participants in MCC’s International Volunteer Exchange Program (IVEP), a service opportunity for young adults from outside Canada and the U.S., said Doug Hostetter, director of the MCC UN Office.

    During her one-year internship, which began in August, Nham expects to learn more about how MCC works within the UN community to build bridges of understanding between peoples and nations. She also will bring her own background and experience on peacebuilding.

    “I particularly wish to contribute a Korean voice for reconciliation and peace to the efforts to end the bitter war which has divided the Korean peninsula on 38th parallel for 60 years,” Nham said.

    “As I commute to work, I see graffiti on the wall of the New York subway saying, ‘Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere (Martin Luther King, Jr.).’ I want to be God’s farmer, eradicating the root of injustice and planting the earth with seeds of peace and reconciliation.”

    All of the interns have brought the voice and the concerns of their churches and their people to the U.N. community,” Hostetter said. 

    “They have worked hard to build communication between their congregations and national churches in their home countries and the world community of diplomats and faith-based nongovernmental organizations at the UN,” he said.

    The interns also shared their faith and built understanding between Anabaptists in the global north and global south as they worshipped with Mennonite and Brethren in Christ churches in Canada and the U.S.

    Hostetter said that after their internships are complete, interns have become more deeply involved in their home churches and often participate in the work of the Young Anabaptists (YABs) network of MWC.

    The search process for the 2014 intern begins in December. Applicants must be a member of a church affiliated with MWC; single; 22-30 years old; fluent in English; and with interest and some university-level studies in international affairs, peace studies, development or related fields. The home location rotates; the next intern will be from Latin America.

    Interested candidates are invited to contact the MCC office in their country for IVEP application materials, or contact Lynn Roth, North American representative of MWC at LynnRoth@mwc-cmm.org.

    Article by MCC staff

    Joint release: Mennonite World Conference and Mennonite Central Committee