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A 500-year witness
As we celebrate our 500th anniversary, we remember that beginning with gratitude and humility through the theme Courage to Love, inspired by 1 John 4:7-21 and Psalm 136.
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Reflect back to reflect forward
On this 100th anniversary of Mennonite World Conference, leaders were gathered at Schönblick, Germany, in May to celebrate and to continue the work of MWC through the gathering of the General Council. The Courier editor gathered former leaders (Danisa Ndlovu, J. Nelson Kraybill, Larry Miller, Nancy Heisey) to reflect on the “sweet memories” of watching MWC
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Living “inefficiently” as the children of the Lord
Recently, the number of young people in churches across Asia has significantly declined. This is likely a global phenomenon. Why has believing in God become a foolish act? Because in this harsh world, what young people need most is money, and to earn money, one must become an “efficient” being. The younger generation lives with
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More blessed to give than to receive
“The hand that gives is always uppermost; the hand that receives is always lower.” —African proverb A Congolese pastor reshaped my understanding of giving and receiving. The last time I saw her was at the Global Assembly of Mennonite World Conference (MWC) in Paraguay in 2009, where she expressed gratitude to my wife and me for
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The beating heart of MWC
Deacons The responsibilities of the Deacons Commission include overseeing the Global Church Sharing Fund (GCSF), fostering prayer within the Anabaptist communion (sending the Prayer Network email, hosting Online Prayer Hour and collaborating with the president on pastoral letters), and deacon visits. From 2022 to the end of 2024, the Deacons Commission approved 20 GCSF proposals
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A pastoral letter regarding war in the Middle East
Beloved sisters and brothers: The escalation of war in the Middle East today is a source of fear and grief for our Anabaptist family around the world. For some, this is a new reality, for others it adds to the burden of violence carried for years or decades from local conflict. We see all of
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The Courage to Love
Some of us have a tendency of thinking that we should define right doctrine and from there go to practice. Scripture first; experience next. But in many ways – in our history and in our current reality – experience pushes us to think theologically to make sense of what is happening.
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MWC welcomes election of new pope
Mennonite World Conference congratulates Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost on his election as Pope and 267th Bishop of Rome 8 May 2025, taking the papal name Leo XIV. The election makes history with the first pope selected from North America, following Pope Francis (Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio) who was the first Latin American. In a letter
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Seeking common witness together
MWC-WCRC dialogue creates statement and study guide “The search for peace starts within the body of Christ,” says Tom Yoder Neufeld, chair of MWC’s Faith & Life Commission. As Mennonite World Conference celebrates 100 years of living out unity within the Anabaptist family, our leaders are also working on our mission to relate with other
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A training ground for leaders
YABs mentor Ebenezer Mondez describes his journey from attendee at the Global Youth Summit (GYS) in 2015 to staff from 2022-2028 and his hopes for the Global Youth Summit. Young AnaBaptists (YABs) aged 18-30 are the target audience for GYS. What was it like going to GYS in the USA for the first time in
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Easter message: Together
A holy day message from the General Secretary Christ is risen! He is risen indeed. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed for his followers to be one. This Easter, I am pleased to share this message from leaders of Christian communions across twelve distinct traditions. Through my work with various world communion leaders, I
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A pastoral letter from Anabaptists in Ecuador
A state of “internal armed conflict” has been declared in Ecuador since January 2024. The government continues to struggle against violence from organized crime groups. The three Mennonite national churches in Ecuador – Iglesia Evangélica Menonita Ecuatoriana (IEME – MWC member church), Iglesia Cristiana Anabautista Menonita de Ecuador (ICAME), Iglesia Cristiana Menonita (ICME) – call…
