Prayers of gratitude and intercession

Nairobi, Kenya – Nine Kenyan delegates and three editors gathered together at the Mennonite Guest House in Nairobi the last week in January. Their task: to proof the manuscript of a history of the Kenya Mennonite Church (KMC), a Mennonite World Conference member church. The idea for this book, chronicling KMC’s 50-year history, was birthed in 2003 at the Mennonite World Conference summit in Zimbabwe, in a discussion between Kenyan Bishop Dominic Opondo and David W. Shenk, author and EMM global consultant.

“This is the account of the acts of the Holy Spirit in calling forth and forming the Mennonite Church in Kenya,” wrote Francis Ojwang, primary researcher and author of the book, in the foreword. “Just as ancient Israel and the early church made a very high priority of writing their history of the acts of God among them, so also the KMC needed to record their journey with Jesus Christ.”

The nine delegates were bishops, pastors, and leaders, each representing dioceses of KMC. They spent three full days pouring over the nearly 200-page manuscript. They read each section aloud and then discussed whether the story it portrayed was accurate – moving on only after reaching consensus, in the African way. There were stories to amend, adjectives to tweak, and because of the different ethnicities involved, misspelled vernacular words and place names to correct.

During the reading, David Shunkur, a Maasai pastor from Olepolos, read a section of the manuscript that described his own congregation’s story. Shenk, who served as a consulting editor, said, “It was a moving scene to see Shunkur proofing a paragraph about history he had made himself years before. The delegates showed an enormous amount of ownership in the process.”

The book will be published by Uzima Publishing House, the Anglican publishing house in Kenya, early in 2013.

International distribution of Eastern Mennonite Mission release by Debbi DiGennaro

Additional photo available

?Kenyan group shot, back row: David Shunkur, Domnic Opondo, John O. Ndege, Samson Ogoye, Laura Kurtz, Gordon Obado, Fredrick Bobo, Zsdekia Arwa, and David Shenk. Both Kurtz and Shenk, former EMM workers in East Africa, were involved in editing the manuscript and travelled to Kenya for this final review. Front row: Sophie Shunkur, Caren Okello and son, Naomi Awino, Everline Achieng, Francis S. Ojwang, and his son Emmanuel King, Jr.

Japan—Assistance to residents of temporary housing is one way that Japan Mennonite Fellowship is focusing its ongoing work of relief assistance following the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

By the end of December, many shelters had closed and affected people had to move into temporary housing as the first step to independence, which meant that provision of food and daily necessities was stopped. Those affected can live in temporary housing for only two years.

“But the needs of those who are entering temporary housing are diverse,” commented Hiroshi Minegishi, pastor of Kesennuma First Bible Baptist Church on the island of Hokkaido. “Many people, for example, the unemployed, the elderly and persons with disabilities, still need food and every day goods.”

As one of its projects, Japan Mennonite Fellowship decided to help the people from Kesennuma First Bible Baptist Church which was completely leveled by the tsunami. When the tsunami struck, pastor Minegishi was fleeing by car with his wife and daughter. He escaped with only the clothes on his back, which included a red jacket. The red jacket has now become his trademark.

Aid so far has included food distribution to the 153 families in temporary housing. Food was assembled in a temporary community hall in a residential area. A five kilo sack of rice had a label with the names of both the local church and Japan Mennonite Fellowship.

Assisting Japan Mennonite Fellowship in the aid initiative in Kesennuma were members of Hiroshima Mennonite Church. Japan Mennonite Fellowship, which represents four MWC member churches in Japan, formed the East Japan Great Disaster Relief Assistance Committee in May 2011 to coordinate response to the earthquake and tsunami disaster.

MWC release, from reports translated by Takanori Sasaki, chair of Japan Mennonite Fellowship

Bogotá, Colombia—On Sunday, April 15, some Colombian Anabaptist churches ask congregations in their own country and beyond to worship, pray and reflect for the victims, perpetrators and peacemakers related to conflict in their country.

The Internally Displaced Monitoring Center, according to an article released recently by Mennonite Central Committee, reports that just over 5 million people have been forced from their lands and homes within Colombia by armed conflict.

Justapaz, a ministry of the Iglesia Cristiana Menonita de Colombia (Mennonite Church of Colombia), notes that at least 69 documented cases of human rights violations against Colombia’s faith community occurred in 2009, the most recent year for which statistics are available.

In response to this context, Mennonite Central Committee and other faith-based groups organize an annual event called Days of Prayer and Action to pray and advocate for the internally displaced people of Colombia. The theme for this year’s event is, “A Place to Call Home: Hand in Hand for Peace in Colombia.”

Participating in this initiative are some of the congregations of the three Mennonite World Conference member churches in Colombia—Iglesia Menonita (Mennonite Church), Iglesias Hermanos Menonitas (Mennonite Brethren) and Iglesia Hermandad en Cristo (Brethren in Christ).

The plan this year involves not only the April 15 call for prayer but also a call for advocacy on April 16. On this day, churches and faith-based organizations, according to the MCC release, “are asked to witness through advocacy activities, calling on U.S. and Colombian policy makers to support peace and justice in Colombia.”

Congregations are being invited to create artwork that will be displayed in public vigils across the U.S. and sent to partnering communities in Colombia. The MCC U.S. Washington Office has resources and activities available for congregations to use. For online access to the resources, go to http://washington.mcc.org/days.

MWC release

Orodara, Burkina Faso – During the second week of February, more than 100 Mennonite women had the time of their lives in Orodara, Burkina Faso. The Eglise Evangélique Mennonite du Burkina Faso annual women’s seminar combines adult continuing education, business training, spiritual renewal, and just plain time-away-from-work fun.

Burkina Mennonite Church, a member church of Mennonite World Conference, has 374 baptized members. When over a quarter of the national church shares a powerful experience, it is truly leaven in the loaf, raising spiritual vitality and increasing the capacity to share the Bread of Life with surrounding communities.

At a couples seminar last August, where nearly 80 men and women deepened their knowledge about marital relationships, the importance of communication between spouses, mutual forgiveness, child psychology and pedagogy, and resource management, to name a few of the subjects presented and discussed.

“This seminar was transformative for the church,” said Rod Hollinger-Janzen, executive coordinator for Africa Inter-Mennonite Mission, who was in Burkina for administrative visits in October 2011. “Two months later, people were still so excited about what had happened when they put into practice what they learned at the seminar, they couldn’t stop talking about it.”

Siaka Traoré, national president of the Burkina Mennonite Church, gave concrete examples of Hollinger-Janzen’s observations. In one situation, church leaders were called to intervene in a disagreement between a father and his children.

“After attending the seminar, the father was able to talk to his children himself,” Traoré said. They resolved the issues threatening to divide the family without outside mediation.”

Claire Traoré, president of the Burkina Faso Mennonite women’s association and wife of Siaka, added that husbands and wives were talking together more – and making time to pray together, too.

“Communication with each other and God really reduces problems in the home,” Claire Traoré said. Steve Wiebe-Johnson, Mennonite Mission Network’s director for Africa, said the Mennonite Church in Burkina Faso is numerically small and dispersed through the country. Members often live side-by-side with Muslim neighbors.

“Mennonites in Burkina don’t have many occasions to be together and to support each other,” Wiebe-Johnson said. “The simple act of coming together for face-to-face time is a tremendous encouragement to the growth of the church spiritually and relationally, which will also impact its testimony in a rather harsh spiritual and economic environment.”

International distribution of Mennonite Mission Network release by Lynda Hollinger-Janzen. MMN is the mission agency of Mennonite Church USA.

Mtshabezi, Zimbabwe—A women’s conference held here in April 2011 attracted more than 1,300 women and resulted in the formation of an “interlink” committee to carry forward the vision of the organizers.

The purpose of the gathering was to “link and network on worship matters” among Brethren in Christ and Mennonite women, to learn about income generating projects and to “teach each other on matters of church doctrine and fight against cultural myths that threaten our churches.”

The gathering was hosted by the women’s organization of Ibandla Labazalwane kuKristu eZimbabwe (Brethren in Christ Church of Zimbabwe) with invitations for delegates from eight other countries—Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Botswana, South Africa, Kenya and Uganda. Only the last two were not able to send delegates.

Conference attendees elected a Brethren in Christ/Mennonite Church Interlink Committee to further the goals of the network and to plan for the next gathering to be held in Botswana in 2012. Persons from countries which do not hold women’s conferences were inspired to start.

The conference was funded in part by funds from the MWC Global Church Sharing Fund and in part by registration fees paid by the participants.

Conference organizers gave $1,251 US to Mennonite World Conference president Danisa Ndlovu as an offering or tithe to be used to enhance food security programs at Wanezi Farm in Zimbabwe.

“This is in recognition of the challenges that we are experiencing as a nation,” commented Felicia Sibanda, the organizing secretary of the event. “A seed planted is food for tomorrow!”

– MWC release

St. Jacobs, Ont., Canada—Bert Lobe of St. Jacobs, Ontario has announced that he will retire from his work with Mennonite World Conference (MWC) at the end of 2012. He has served with MWC since 2008.

During this year he will assist the new General Secretary, César García, with the many transitions that come with a leadership change.

As the MWC North American representative, Lobe will also continue to nurture relations with MWC members and participants in North America by facilitating visits of the General Secretary and representing MWC at meetings. Together with Merle and Phyllis Good of Pennsylvania, Lobe coordinates fundraising activities in North America.

Further, he represents MWC in developing and supporting cooperative programs with Mennonite Central Committee, such as the placement of an MWC intern at the United Nations and the selection of young adults in the global south for the YAMEN! (Young Anabaptist Mennonite Exchange Network) program. He is also delegated by the General Secretary to relate to the Asia Caucus and MWC member churches in Asia.

“We are thankful for the gifts, wisdom and service that Bert is investing in the global church,” commented García. “We will miss his energy and work capacity.”

Lobe’s work experience has focused around education and the work of the church—Mennonite Central Committee and MWC. He and his wife Martha have spent 20 years serving in leadership roles with MCC in India, Bangladesh, Winnipeg and Akron, 22 years in education, serving as principal in a public high school, a Mennonite high school and as associate principal of the American International School in Hong Kong.

“Vocationally I have tried to find myself at the intersection where the challenges and needs of the world intersect with my own deep inner gladness,” commented Lobe. “These years with MWC have convinced me again of the significance of the church and the work in which it is engaged. Notwithstanding its frailty and failure, at its best the church is a community of salvation in the many places in which it is found. It is!!”

Lobe added, “My own deep satisfaction and joy occurs when I find myself with folks who are trying, as a community, to make sense of that it means to follow Jesus in their very particular places. And when those attempts at being in the world in the manner and spirit of Jesus are shared, there is such capacity for hope, compassion and strength to be set free. That is the church!”

– MWC release

Photo: Bert Lobe

Bogotá, Colombia—In January, Mennonite World Conference (MWC) General Secretary César García unveiled a new staff structure developed with the assistance of consultants James and Karen Klassen Harder of Bluffton, Ohio.

The growth and maturity of MWC, commented the Harders, means that the office of the General Secretary will need to delegate more responsibility to management staff in key program areas.

The first step for García was to establish an Operations Team. The appointments so far include:

• Len Rempel of New Hamburg, Ontario as Chief Operating Officer responsible for finances and budget, maintaining and monitoring staffing, policies, job descriptions. Rempel, a Certified Management Accountant, began working for MWC in March 2011.
• Anna Sorgius of Strasbourg, France as Chief Administrative Officer responsible for managing the general secretariat office, membership, database, archiving, translators. Sorgius has worked for MWC for 13 years. She will move to Bogotá, Colombia in August after the Strasbourg office closes in June of this year.
• Liesa Unger of Regensburg, Germany as part time Chief International Events Officer responsible to lead the organization of MWC international events such as Executive Committee and General Council meetings and Global Assemblies. Unger has worked with MWC in various capacities for the past decade, most recently as coordinator of logistics for the General Council meetings to be held in Switzerland in May.
• Ron Rempel of Waterloo, Ontario as part time Chief Communications Officer responsible for managing and planning the global communications strategy, and overseeing the communication program that currently includes news service, Courier magazine and the website. Rempel began as news editor in November 2011.

Still to be appointed is a Chief Development Officer responsible for managing and planning a global strategy for fundraising and capacity building.

Also envisioned in the new structure are several coordinator positions reporting to the General Secretary. One is a Coordinator of Commissions—Faith & Life, Deacons, Mission, Peace. The second is a Coordinator of Regional Offices. The goal, according to García, is to have an MWC office in each of the five continental regions—Latin America, Africa, Asia and Pacific, Europe, North America.

– MWC release

Additional photos available: Len Rempel, Ron Rempel, Liesa Unger

Energetic music, lively dance, and passion for the church they belonged to was apparent to those who came, both church delegates and visitors, to the conference held just outside of Johannesburg from April 15-17, 2011.

A second celebration was then held from October 14-16, 2011, as this commemorated the recognition of the South African Brethren in Christ Church as a conference by the International Brethren in Christ Association (IBICA). The October celebrations were held in the nearly completed Hillbrow BIC church, which is located in the heart of Johannesburg. Representatives from Zimbabwe, Zambia and Botswana were in attendance to celebrate with the Brethren In Christ Church in South Africa (BICCSA).

“We are excited,” says Reverend Benedict Macebo Ndiweni, the BICCSA Overseer in responding to the new reality that the BICCSA has now achieved General Conference status. “However, it is the responsibility that comes with this new status [of now being a conference] that makes one a little timid.”

The conference held during the Easter weekend in April was the first General Conference held in South Africa since the birth of the BIC Church in South Africa in 1988.

The first BIC church in South Africa began in 1988 in Soshanguve by the late Rev. Hamilton Madlabane. In the early 1990’s, another BIC branch began in Hillbrow, Johannesburg, as many BIC members from Zimbabwe moved to South Africa after the economic downturn in Zimbabwe. These two congregations were the building blocks of the BIC church in South Africa, which currently stands at 13 different congregations with 1,246 members.

Although the BIC church has experienced a lot of growth in South Africa, especially in the last decade, the social reality of the communities they find themselves in is of much importance.

Frank Nkala, the BICCSA Moderator, says that “while sharing the gospel with unreached neighbors we wish to meet the needs of the community through education and medical facilities.”

“As we preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we also need to be sensitive to the social needs of the people,” says Rev. Ndiweni.

This interest in the community is continued within the governance of the church. As the BIC church derives from the Anabaptist movement, which typically contains a strong emphasis on communal discernment and accountability with the highest level of decision-making being held by the General Conference, which is composed by representatives from all of the churches.

This is different than the way other churches are structured, especially within the Southern African context. “Many churches are owned by the founder members,” says Rev. Ndiweni. “Churches are owned by particular families. If a minister dies, the son takes over. You see churches resorting to the courts to decide the successor. The church leaders become like traditional kings. They cannot be questioned. In short, BICC is bringing into the fore the issue of accountability.” Although Rev. Ndiweni recognizes that this may be strongly resisted, it is one of the things that the BICCSA offers the broader South Africa church context.

Bishop Thuma Hamukang’andu, as chairman of IBICA, presented the certificate of conference status to Rev. Benedict Ndiweni, the National Overseer of BICCSA. Honorary awards were also granted to those whom the church felt had made a significant contribution toward the development of the church.

The above release was submitted by Andrew Suderman, director of the Anabaptist Network in South Africa. The Brethren in Christ Church in South Africa (BICCSA) is linked with Mennonite World Conference through the International Brethren in Christ Association (IBICA), which became an associate member—the 101^st member—of MWC in May 2011.

Dhamtari, India — The Mennonite Church in India celebrated its 100th anniversary Oct. 27-30 with a gathering of about 1,000 people at Sunderganj Mennonite Church.

The MCI is one of eight MWC member churches in India.

The MCI traces its origins to a 1912 meeting in Balodgahan convened by Mennonite mission workers and visiting representatives of the Mennonite Board of Missions and Charities, who together drafted a constitution.

MCI moderator and bishop C.F. Nath said it is important to remember the “foundation stones” of the past. “We have to develop them for our future and keep them active according to our constitution,” he said. “These 100 years are full of experiences and information. We have to learn from them and go ahead with new ideas, new energy, new assurance and new vision, so that we may glorify our almighty God and our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ.”

Myron S. Augsburger of Harrisonburg, Va., who attended the festivities with his wife, Esther, noted that Westerners have stepped aside over time, allowing leadership to emerge from the Indian community of faith.

“Having visited the church in Chhattisgarh on several occasions over the past 40 years, I am impressed with the work of the Spirit in creating greater unity, resolving conflicts, enhancing the sense of community in the love of Christ and developing a stronger sense of mission as a people sharing God’s reconciling grace,” he said.

The focus of the conference came from Rev. 3:3: “Remember therefore what you have received and heard. Obey it and repent.”

-Mennonite Weekly Review staff

Madrid, Spain—At their annual gathering, held here in November 2011, leaders of European Mennonite conferences decided to hire a coordinator to serve as their liaison to Mennonite World Conference (MWC) and to fulfill some coordination tasks for the European conferences. They also reflected on the challenges they face in the European context.

The decision to hire a coordinator grew out of the hope that MWC will still have a visible presence in Europe after the office in Strasbourg, France is closed in June 2012. European leaders formed a working group consisting of Henk Stenvers (Netherlands), Doris Hege (Germany) and Markus Rediger (Switzerland) to give direction to the work of the coordinator. They are asking congregations to give their blessing.

In his last sermon as general secretary of MWC, Larry Miller spoke on the theme of “The struggle to make the church a place of blessing.” Many churches and conferences in Europe face big challenges, with more people leaving the church than coming in. Meeting participants were reminded that no challenge is so big that God can’t make out of it a blessing.

The struggle to make the church a place of blessing is almost 500 years old for the Mennonites in Europe and never as relevant as it is today. A concluding statement in Miller’s sermon was an encouragement and a challenge: “Like Jacob’s life, our life together preparing the church as a place of blessing for one another and for the world is a long and winding road. But we are walking it together, hopefully in the way of Jesus Christ and hopefully to the glory of God.“

While the Mennonites in the Netherlands celebrated many milestones in 2011, their thoughts are also turned towards the future as half of their members are over 60 years old. Conference leader Otto Bleker is encouraging the Dutch churches to go into their communities after the jubilees of 2011 and not remain the silent ones of the land.

While church numbers are diminishing in general, certain churches are growing, mostly in France. There is now a Mennonite church in Lurs, in the southern region of Provence. Other French churches are looking for bigger meeting places because their numbers are growing.

However, many places in Europe don’t have enough trained pastors and leaders and the Mennonite seminaries are lacking in students and finances. Many churches hire pastors from other denominations. The Spanish churches have started to offer theological courses through the Mennonite theological seminary in Bienenberg and those interested are mainly coming from evangelical churches.

From Portugal it was reported that the five Mennonite churches are feeling the effects of economic pressures that prevail in the country. Increasingly people are looking to the churches for help. Help for families under financial pressure are also offered by churches in Germany and Switzerland where meals for schools are offered inside churches and homeless children are taken in by families. In Germany the themes of peace work and church planting are also being worked on.

The Swiss Mennonites extended an invitation to Sumiswald, Switzerland for the European Mennonite Regional Conference (MERK) from May 17-20, 2012. Sumiswald lies in Emmental, in the basin of Langnau, home of the oldest Swiss Mennonite church. The theme is “Hands Reaching Across Borders.” Excursions will be offered to give insight into the history and areas of the Swiss Anabaptists.

From May 13-27, 2012 the various committees of the MWC will meet in Sumiswald, including the Executive Committee, the General Council, the four commissions, the YABs (Young Anabaptists), continental caucus members, educators and other networks. Miller emphasized that these meetings will be very extensive, as was the world assembly in Asunción, Paraguay in 2009.

From a report by Markus Rediger, MWC executive committee member, chair of the Mennonite European Regional Conference MERK, Bern, Switzerland