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Love, care and learning with the global church
My first memory of Mennonite World Conference was the Assembly in Wichita, Kansas, USA in 1978. I was in a theatre production, Cheyenne Jesus Buffalo Dream, that was featured in the Assembly. My overwhelming memory is experiencing the global family for the first time – so many Anabaptists from all over the world! That experience…
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Fulfilling the law of Christ
Perspective — Bolivia In recent years we have been hearing of war and conflicts in many regions; armed conflicts have been escalating, provoking thousands of displacements, millions of poor and a sense of hopelessness and distress. It seems that we are experiencing the kind of signs Jesus described in Matthew 24 as signs of “the end of…
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Investing and exercising
Perspective — Canada Mennonite Church Canada has 205 congregations spread out across the vast land of Canada. Our eastern-most congregation and our western-most congregations are 5 300 kms apart. I first entered pastoral ministry in 1992 as a youth pastor. I loved the youth of my congregation. I loved their energy. I loved how sincerely they practiced their faith.…
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Reaching a hand to the neighbour
Perspective — Switzerland My local church in Switzerland is the fruit of a Mennonite church plant. When cars and tractors were still rare, Mennonites gathered in the rural hills all over the region, in farmhouses and meeting places that offered education, shelter and a simple chapel for communal worship. After some years, these communities stepped down…
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Ethiopia’s Meserete Kristos Church withdraws from Mennonite World Conference
Mennonite World Conference regrets to announce that Meserete Kristos Church in Ethiopia has voted to withdraw from MWC membership. After an extended period of prayerful deliberation and earnest discernment, the Meserete Kristos Church, assembled in national convention on 4 September 2026, reached a formal decision to withdraw from Mennonite World Conference. The motion was carried…
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Not a program but a table
The Officers’ Column Solidarity comes from the Latin solidus — whole, firm, united. It is more than sympathy (“I feel sorry for you”) or empathy (“I understand how you feel”). Solidarity says, “I will stand with you.” It is the willingness to bear one another’s burdens. Our church has recently studied the text from Matthew…
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Carrying burdens through testimony and prayer
Global Mennonite gathering in the Philippines highlights solidarity, faith and shared witness Nearly 300 participants from more than a dozen countries gathered in the historic town plaza of Lumban on 14 March 2026, for the 9th annual Mennonite World Conference (MWC) Renewal event. Centred on the theme “Solidarity in the Family of Christ: Sharing Burdens, Sharing Hopes,”…
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Participating in worship together
Dances at Renewal express culture and unity “Dance uses familiar movements to connect with God, engage community and express thanksgiving while expressing our cultural practices, especially in celebration occasions,” says Marcial Arenos from Binuangan Mennonite Christian Church, North Luzon District, Integrated Mennonite Church in the Philippines. “It’s an embodied expression of worship that involves collective…
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Together, we have a responsibility!
Swahili will be an official language of Assembly 18 Ubuntu – I am because we are. “This African philosophy is very important to understand when we are gathering as a big community of Anabaptists in Arusha. There is no way I can manage anything myself. I do it because other people have helped me: interdependence,”…
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First-time gathering in Africa strengthens unity across Anabaptist family
Convened under the theme One Body, One Voice: Strengthening Unity Across the African Anabaptist Family, the meeting brought together 35 official participants: leaders from 22 MWC member conferences in 15 countries in Africa, MWC staff and regional representatives, and an African Mennonite Central Committee staff person serving the East Africa and Sahel region.
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God takes our worries and concerns to heart
All things work together for the good of those who love God. The COVID-19 pandemic was a tragic event for all of humanity. However, when faced with challenges, people seek solutions. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Mennonite World Conference was able to create something positive: the launch of Online Prayer Hour.
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Worship with the world
MWC members look forward to worship resource packages for Anabaptist World Fellowship Sunday, YABs Fellowship Week, Peace Sunday. In 2026, worship resources are available for Creation Sunday, a new celebration added to the calendar.
