Prayers of gratitude and intercession

  • Courier: Perspectives

    Asia: India 

    Little Flock Discipleship School is a “ring” of fellowships in Uttar Medabari, Alipurduar District, West Bengal, India. In 1985, Little Flock was established as an evangelical church organization to carry out the Great Commission in the northern part of West Bengal. However, as the ministry spread, the need to train, equip and send disciples into unreached regions became apparent. The first batch of Little Flock Discipleship School with 12 disciples began in April 2010 in a rented house in the village called Bamanpara. By 2024, the 14th batch is being completed, adding another 24 to the 201 disciples who have been trained.  
    Little Flock is part of India United Missionary Church (BJCPM-Bharatiya Jukta Christa Prachar Mandali) and runs in partnership with Nappanee Missionary Church. It is a member of the Global Mission Fellowship.  

    Little Flock is situated at the foot of the Himalayan mountains, surrounded by beautiful scenery – forests and rivers, mountains and tea gardens – reaching out to seven Indian states and bordering on three neighbouring countries: Bhutan, Nepal and Bangladesh. 

    We have set up the four following objectives:  

    • #1 Transform disciples into Christ-like character. 
    • #2 Equip disciples with Scripture. 
    • #3 Impact lives through effective disciples. 
    • #4 Multiply disciples. 

    Our ministry wings include a discipleship training centre; discipleship training workshops; child development centres (schools for socially, economically and politically marginalized children with free tuition and provided meals); basic computer training centres; prayer and counselling centres; blood donation camps; eye camps; children’s festivals. 

    After studying in Little Flock’s training school, students have a bigger vision to learn and serve. They have gone on to health training or theological colleges. Other organizations and denominations send their grassroots workers for training for the mission field.  

    Here are some case histories: 

    Social and spiritual transformation 

    Transformed from drug addiction through the power of the Holy Spirit while training in Little Flock in 2018-2019, Saikhoram Reang went back to his village Gaurangapara, Tripura. He was filled with vigour to work among the poorest of the poor children deprived of basic food, school, education and parental care.  

    Little Flock helped him establish a child development centre. Children are taught songs, skits and artwork, both biblical and secular. The school has brought dropouts back into education, now at the high school level. 

    Since 2020, Saikhoram Reang and his team have been a great blessing to educate, feed and spiritual enlighten 71 children.  

    From timid man to fearless missionary 

    When he joined Little Flock in 2014, Bibek Narjinary was extremely timid and introverted. But his life was radically transformed.  

    Seeing his motivation for mission work, Little Flock sent him to study in a theological college. After the completion of his master’s degree, he committed his life to establish a school for the most underprivileged children in the Nornoso forest village of Karbi Anglong, Assam.  

    This place has no road, electricity, school, market or church for 400 children and their families. The community is alien to the gospel. “I am ready to die for the sake of the gospel here,” says Bibek Narjinary.  

    Untouchable spirit of faith and grace 

    Dimasa tribes in North Cachar Hills, Assam, are vehemently opposed the gospel. Christians, a micro group, are considered “untouchables.” 

    But Gobilal Ponglo, who was discipled at Little Flock in 2010, returned to his village and has stood rock solid in his faith in spite of persistent persecution from his neighbours. He has been instrumental in forming a couple of house churches and has started a child development centre in the village.  

    This is not easy place to practice Christian faith, but God has been so good and so gracious to protect them.  

    A trainer for transformation 

    Discipled at Little Flock in 2011, Kripa Joy Reang also works as a passionate missionary in the North Cachar Hills. His gift is to establish new mission stations in the remotest pockets of the region.  

    On one of his mission ventures, he met Samson Reang in Dasta, South Tripura, who was running a tiny nursery school for poverty-stricken refugee children. Kripa Joy Reang discipled him for a bigger work. As a result, Samson Reang has established a Victory English School with a hostel and a chapel. 

    This school is an agent of social, educational, economical and spiritual transformation where 200 students are studying from nursery to Standard 5. 

    Beyond the borders  

    Amrit Kujur, an Adivasi man, discipled in 2010, has been instrumental in assisting the Little Flock missionary in East Nepal. Amrit Kujur has formed house fellowships in Tokla tea gardens.  

    Growing faith in the forest  

    Another Adivasi evangelist, Chotelal Oraon and his wife Filmita Oraon continue to work to establish God’s kingdom among the forest villages of North Bengal Since were led to Christ and discipled in 2010, they have established two churches. 

    In Lothabari village, where they started a fellowship house, there is now a small church building to serve the congregation. 

    India has witnessed renaissance among the majoritarian religion in the last decade. We have seen a lot of challenges in doing mission work and encountered persecution. So we have a paradigm shift in mission strategies. One-to-one sharing of the gospel and training lay members to carry the mission is crucial. Discipling believers to develop Christ-life character is a necessity. We take an apostolic approach by training native leaders to share the gospel in the remotest places. We believe in being the agent of social, economic and spiritual transformation for eternal purpose. 

    And we pray continuously.  

    Through the work of Little Flock, churches are being revived to disciple believers and spread the gospel of Jesus Christ in unreached areas. And the young generation Christians are catching up with the vision.  

    We thank God for opportunities to spread the good news of Jesus Christ in these regions and countries.  

    —Reverend Asit Basumata serves as a principal at Little Flock Discipleship School in India. He has a Master of Divinity and has worked as a professor at the Pax Christiana Bible College in Chennai and as a project coordinator for an HIV/AIDS project. He presented about Little Flock Discipleship Schools along with Mr Gyan Mochary, executive of Little Flock and president of Literacy International India, in a GASN webinar, 10 September 2024.  

    This article first appeared in
    Courier / Correo / Courrier, volume 39, number 4

  • “Their commitment to passing down the message of peace and the gospel inspires me to live a sacrificial life for peace.” Stories of the early Anabaptist martyrs have shaped and inspired Mennonites around the world for 500 years. They continue to do so for suffering pastors in Myanmar, like the one quoted above.  

    From 25-29 November 2024, five MWC leaders, one MC Canada staff member and 17 pastors from Bible Missionary Church, Mennonite in Myanmar met in Chiang Mai, Thailand for a solidarity visit.  

    Myanmar’s years-long civil war has meant fear, violence, displacement and lost loved ones.  

    “The purpose of the visit was to learn how the global church can support the church in Myanmar during this time of suffering and oppression,” says Deacons Commission secretary Tigist Tesfaye. “And to foster mutual learning about peace and Anabaptism.”

    The solidarity delegates wanted to learn about the situation that the church in Myanmar faces. The challenges of living under military dictatorship have intensified for the church with the recent increased enforcement of mandatory military service.  

    The pastors shared about the burden of possibly being conscripted or having their young adults sons compelled – even kidnapped – into military service. They spoke about fasting from their one meal a day. They said they are sometimes regarded with suspicion by government forces and local religious leaders (Buddhist) for following what is perceived as a Western religion.  

    4 men and 1 woman stand in front of a tropical house
    The MWC delegation: Andrew Suderman, Andres Pacheco Lozano, Agus Mayanto, César García, Tigist Tesfaye.

    The visit was also a response to an invitation for learning about the Anabaptist movement. The schedule included sessions on What We Believe Together (Shared Convictions) led by César García, MWC general secretary. Peace Commission secretary and chair Andrew Suderman and Andres Pacheco Lozano led sessions that explored what it means to be a church dedicated to the ways of Jesus Christ’s peace. 

    There were teaching sessions and pastoral sessions with prayer times, time for discussion and mutual learning. And the pastors from Myanmar shared their experiences and what was on their hearts.  

    Agus Mayanto, MWC’s regional representative for Southeastern Asia, and Norm Dyck of MC Canada Witness led evening prayers.  

    Many of the pastors commented that the lessons on Anabaptist history and being a peace church were entirely new and opened a way to personal change and social change. 

    “They encourage me to view life and faith through a fresh lens,” said one pastor.  

    “I was inspired to learn more about peace – especially active peace as a way of living and responding to challenges,” said another.  

    “Understanding the history of the Anabaptist movement was a significant highlight,” said another. “I am committed to sharing the story of Anabaptism and its history with others.” 

    “When faced with conflict, we often feel limited to two options: seeking revenge or remaining silent. However, studying the Beatitudes taught me a third way: responding with peaceful action,” said another pastor. “This revelation was transformative for me.” 

    The solidarity visit concluded with the pastors from Myanmar highlighting particular ways forward for them to respond to their context. The group identified several ways to grow in the knowledge and practice of building peace as Jesus followers. Discussions groups, task forces and conferences – especially for the youth – were some of the suggestions.  

    How can you pray for Myanmar? 

    The pastors requested prayer  

    • For courage and skill to preach the gospel of peace. 
    • For the pastors to be faithful servants despite the persecution. 
    • For the soldiers who are also suffering. 

  • Photo: Mennonite church of Ghana – Dalive congregation

    Christmas! Christmas!! Christmas!!! Christmas in Ghana is a season of magic and wonder.  

    Every Ghanaian has their own definition to what Christmas means to them. It reminds me of the fact that no matter what one might go through, nothing is permanent. It brings joy and assurance that tomorrow can be better.  

    The December weather greets us with dry air in the day and warmth at night. When this weather change is experienced, Ghanaians begin to harvest their inner Christmas spirit.  

    Neighbours begin to play sweet local and global Christmas carols to inform that the greatest season of the year is in.  

    Workers begin to work harder. 

    Children try to obey every rule set by their parents.  

    We greet each other: 

    • “May a good year meet you.” / “May we be alive to see another year as any form of bad luck moves far from us.” 
    • Ga dangbe: “Afioo Afi.” / “Afi aya ni eba nina wor, wor femomoomo, alonte din ko akafo wor ten.” 
    • Akans: “Afihyiapaoo.” / “Afi nkor nbe to yen.” 
    • Ewes: “Blonya fedzorgbenyuie na mi.” / “Blonya fedzorgbenui.”  

    This runs through the whole month. But the main celebration begins on 24 December and ends after the first week of the new year.  

    Christmas Eve begins with decorations of house and church buildings with bright lights along with colourful artefacts. On this day, folks visit their families at home. They then join their families for a midnight activity.  

    The activity that a Ghanaian will engage in on this day varies. Some choose to go partying, others prefer to stay indoor with their families but my family prefers to go for a church service where we sing local Christmas carols, hymns songs of praise and pray into the upcoming year.  

    On 26 December, women prepare special meals for their families while the men and young ones engage in so many different kinds of games and sports.  

    The King and the royal family along with many sponsors may place a trophy and the team to win gets the ultimate prize.  

    During the days from 27-30 December, most families get to spend time together: shopping, visiting entertainment parks, tourist sites or the beach. Basically, we engage in anything fun.  

    31 December is a magical day. It is a time for self-assessment and making new year resolutions. The day is mostly silent as families meet to discuss the way forward into the next year. The leaders of the church and the society call on people to try to solve disputes. The church organizes an all-night service.  

    With empty streets, neglected drinking spots and bars, sports centres closed, turned tables on the streets, the location of almost everyone is the church. People come to confess their sins, hoping to see the next year going well for them.  

    1 January is a blessed day. Every house in the community spends so much time to prepare different kinds of foods. They share these foods as gifts to their neighbours. This is a day to get satisfied and make merry.  

    The celebrations end exactly a week after. Things go back to normal. Schools begin to reopen for students; workers go back to work; everything follows in the normal way.  

    People plan for the life ahead hoping that things will go better than the previous year. 

    –Gborbitey Isaac Nii Torgbor is a member of Ghana Mennonite Church, Ghana. He is the Africa representative on the YABs Committee (Young AnaBaptists).  

    YABs Committee
    Christmas reflection videos

  • Discover the global family on a fresh website. Users will find a new look when they visit starting 12 December 2024.  

    The expiry of old technology was the impetus for Mennonite World Conference to refresh the website on a new platform.  

    MWC’s website is a portal to a tool kit of information about our communion of Anabaptist churches.  

    Users can learn how to Get Involved by praying with us, donating, participating in the Global Church Sharing Fund.  

    website header menu preview with "get involved" circled

    They can learn more About MWC’s vision and mission, the General Council and can find MWC’s statements on living out solidarity with Indigenous Peoples, on conscientious objection and more.  

    website header menu with "about mwc" circled, and arrows pointing to "vision & mission", "General Council", "MWC Statements"

    They can explore Our Work through stories from around the world, the information about our Commissions, Young Anabaptists (YABs), Networks, Creation Care Task Force and the Francophone Network (Reseau Mennonite Francophone).  

    header menu with "our work" circled, and arrows pointing to "YABs", "Creation Care Task Force" and "Reseau francophone"

    Our Resources library is one of the popular reasons to visit MWC’s website. Users can find all their worship resources, videos of webinars and songs, Courier magazine PDFs, Creation Care Task Force resources and more. The Resource library can be browsed according to resource type or theme. 

    Similarly, videos and information on past Assemblies are found in the main menu bar where newly released information on the upcoming Assembly will also appear.  

    header menu visual with "Assembly" circled

    Interchurch relations – one of the three pillars of MWC’s mission – is easy to find in the main menu. 

    header menu with "interchurch relations" circled

    Additionally, the site will have a new map with a dashboard that allows users to dig deeper into the information about baptized members, congregations and national member churches (to be revealed shortly). 

    One special new function of our refreshed website is a Submit a Prayer function.  

    header menu with "submit a prayer" circled and arrow pointing to in the dropdown

    “Praying for each other is one of the most immediate ways we can live out unity and build peace. We welcome your submission to share with the global family,” says César García, MWC general secretary.  

    “Our website helps to connect our members around the world as we follow Jesus together in our different locations,” says Kristina Toews, MWC Chief Communications Officer. “We are grateful to the team at Bethink Studio for their work in providing a fresh look in accordance with our design standards. Their expertise in transferring our content from Drupal to WordPress was complimented by their deep listening to help us reorganize our content. We also appreciate Mathieu Cain who consulted on map redesign to make member information much easier to find.” 

  • “If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there.” This saying summarizes one of the ideas from Lewis Carroll’s classic children’s tale, Alice in Wonderland. Having a road and defining your destination is crucial if you want to arrive there. 

    There is a biblical version of that saying in Proverbs 11:14: “Where there is no guidance, a nation falls” (NRSVue). Guidance, direction, road, destination – all those words are implied in another word that is sometimes misunderstood and historically problematic but with plenty of theological content: mission. 

    In the book God’s People in Mission: An Anabaptist Perspective, I define mission as everything the church is and does, bearing witness to Jesus Christ in her ministry of reconciliation. Let me expand this definition a bit more: 

    Everything that the church is and does 

    • The church is a foretaste of the Kingdom of God. 
    • The church as a message implies her very presence. Any mission that is not communal and interdependent is weak. 
    • The church does not have a message. She is the message. 
    • The church’s presence announces the gospel of Jesus Christ through words and deeds, thus promoting reconciliation. 
    • The church’s action in its testimonial work includes everything it does: worship, pastoral care, teaching, evangelism, service, peacebuilding and health ministries, among other things. What the church does or does not do, and how it does it, is part of its message. 

    bears witness to Jesus Christ 

    • Through its words and deeds, the community’s message is delivered as a witness, affirming their experience and testimonial knowledge. This implies an approach that is not imperialist (as if they were the master and keeper of the absolute truth) and is not delivered from positions of human power. Instead, it is sharing “from below,” with steadfast humility, our faith experience. 
    • The message is about Jesus Christ, so it must be communicated from a position of vulnerability and service, just as Jesus did. This requires sacrificial surrender and a cruciform lifestyle that practices ministerial strategies consistent with Christ’s life and work. 
    • Considering the divine incarnation and Christ’s identification with discriminated persons, bearing witness to Jesus requires a serious contextualization of the message and an intentional identification with those excluded, ignored or victimized by society. 

    in her ministry of reconciliation  

    • The ministry of reconciliation has been entrusted to the church. This implies that the new life in the community, thanks to the Spirit, makes it possible to experience reconciliation with God and among humans. 
    • The ministry of reconciliation seeks not only the salvation of the soul in the distant future but also the re-establishment of an entire relationship with the Spirit of God and a life of just relationships which allow us to enjoy the peace which the same Spirit makes possible in the new creation. 

    From an Anabaptist perspective, how you arrive at your destination – the road – is crucial. That is why our understanding and practice of mission are so important. At Mennonite World Conference (MWC), we want to organize ourselves (structure) and our work (road) in a way that shows what we understand by mission.  

    The MWC Mission Commission brings together a network of agencies from all over the world to work interdependently in a multicultural way. By belonging to the Mission (GMF) and Service (GASN) networks of the MWC Mission Commission, agencies affirm their identity as church organizations, as missional expressions of the church. Through their work, they bear witness to Christ in several areas of specialized ministry, such as church planting and social development. That is what this issue of Courier is about. Let’s join our agencies and MWC networks to follow Jesus, live out unity, and build peace! 

    —César García, MWC general secretary, originally from Colombia, lives in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. 

    Read César García’s chapter, “The fulfillment of our mission” and 9 other chapters on the Mission Commission’s 10 statements in God’s People in Mission: An Anabaptist Perspective, edited by Stanley W. Green and Rafael Zaracho, ©2018. 

    God’s People in Mission: An Anabaptist Perspective
    This article first appeared in
    Courier / Correo / Courrier, volume 39, number 4

  • Anabaptist World Fellowship Sunday 2025

    In many cultural contexts, and particularly in Africa, the offering is as important as the sermon, as a meaningful part of worship.  

    The pastor often asks one of the ushers to pray, to bless the givers, and also that those who are not giving may be blessed to give. Often someone will give a testimony and Scripture on the theme of giving, as part of the offering.  

    Sometimes helpers will take baskets around, and at other times members are all encouraged to come up to the front to put their offering into a basket at the front. In many places the people sing and dance while giving their offering at the front, because giving something as an act of worship elicits much joy.  

    MWC invites a special offering to be taken for the global Anabaptist church community on Anabaptist World Fellowship Sunday. One way to think about this offering is to invite every member to contribute the value of one lunch in their own community to support the networks and resources of our global Anabaptist church family. Sacrificing one lunch is our humble way of giving thanks to God and supporting the on-going ministry of God through the church. 

    This gift of “one lunch” (the value within one’s own country) per person, once a year, is something that most MWC members can do, except in times of famine or violence. People who have more resources can give much more than this, and could be encouraged to do so. Others with more scarce resources could consider giving the monetary value of one item that they would normally include in a meal.  

    Here are some ideas on how to plan for a special MWC offering in your congregation.  

    1. Plan for One Lunch offerings to be put into a special basket at the front or in culturally appropriate lunch bags/containers during the worship service as a separate offering from the normal offering. 
    2. Plan for a shared congregational meal together before or after worship on Anabaptist World Fellowship Sunday.  
      This could be “potluck”, with each family bringing dishes of food to share, with an offering basket for MWC to “pay” for the meal. 
      This could be auctioning off or selling a prepared packed lunch brought by families to the church. These packed lunches are then available for auction or for purchase or donation by anyone to take home, or to eat together after worship. 
    3. Plan for a time of shared fasting and prayer for the global church during a mealtime before or after worship on Anabaptist World Fellowship Sunday. Include an offering for MWC during that time. This offering would approximate the value of the meal that is not being eaten by the participants in the fast. 

    Funds that are gathered through this special offering in each congregation can be sent directly to Mennonite World Conference using the various mechanisms shown on our website

    Donate

    Or, these funds can be sent to your national church office with a request to pass the funds on to MWC. Clearly mark the offering as designated for Mennonite World Conference and indicate it is an Anabaptist World Fellowship Sunday offering. 

  • Anabaptist World Fellowship Sunday 2025

    Part A: Origin of Anabaptism in 1525 

    Part B: Origin of Anabaptists/Mennonites in your own country 

    Part C: WCRC and MWC Common Statement of Confession, Gratitude and Commitment 

    Part D: A Responsive reading of gratefulness, based on Psalm 136 

    This content is provided to give context for Anabaptism@500 years – back then, and today. Please use as much of this content as is relevant for your own context. Please be sure to add in the history of Anabaptism within your own country and how your church came to be today. 

    Part A: Origin of Anabaptism in 1525 

    The Anabaptist movement began as part of a renewal movement within the Catholic Church in Europe in the early 16th century. Some of its inspiration comes from the Catholic tradition: the strong sense of discipline and community found in monasticism, for example, the attentiveness to the Holy Spirit that could be found in Catholic mysticism, or the emphasis on following Jesus in daily life in The Imitation of Christ, by Thomas á Kempis. Anabaptism also owes a debt to Martin Luther and the early Reformation movement, particularly Luther’s emphasis on the authority of Scripture and his emphasis on the freedom of the Christian conscience. The movement was shaped by deep social and economic unrest of their time that exploded in the Peasants’ War of 1524-1525. 

    The Anabaptists themselves, however, would have said that they were simply trying to be faithful followers of the teachings of Jesus and the example of the Early Church. 

    A moment in 1525 serves as the symbolic beginning of the Anabaptist movement: a small group of Christian reformers gathered for a secret worship service in Zurich, Switzerland. The group was frustrated by the hesitance of their leader, Ulrich Zwingli, to enact the changes to Catholic rituals that they agreed Scripture demanded. In their reading of Scripture, true Christian baptism assumed a conscious commitment to follow Jesus – something no infant could do. So on 21 January 1525, this small group agreed to baptize each other as adults. 

    Although it would be some time before the full meaning of baptism came into focus, the early Anabaptists understood this act to symbolize the presence of the Holy Spirit in the gift of God’s grace, a commitment to a life of daily discipleship and membership in a new community of God’s people. 

    Named by opponents 

    Members of the movement generally referred to themselves as “Brethren” (Brüder) – or later by the more descriptive term “baptism-minded” (Taufgesinnten). Their opponents labeled them Anabaptists (= re-baptizers), in part because “rebaptism” was a criminal offense in the Holy Roman Empire, punishable by death. At first, the group resisted the term “Anabaptist” since in their minds they were not rebaptizing, but rather baptizing correctly for the first time. But over time, the name persisted. 

    Today, Anabaptist is an accepted English term for all Reformation groups who practiced believers (rather than infant) baptism, and the denominations descended from them such as the Amish, Mennonites, and Hutterites. 

    Identity-forging challenges 

    Over time, however, a coherent movement emerged. Its identity was forged, in part at least, from the need to respond to several basic challenges. 

    First, in response to accusations of heresy by religious and political authorities in the first half of the 16th century, Anabaptists were quick to define themselves as faithful, Bible-believing Christians. 

    Second, militant voices within their number who were ready to impose social and religious change with violence forced Anabaptists to clarify their identity as peaceful, law-abiding, nonviolent Christians whose only weapon was love. 

    And finally, in the face of spiritualist dissenters who favoured an internal religious experience that could avoid theological disputations and go undetected by authorities, Anabaptists were compelled to defend the public and visible nature of the church. 

    Three streams emerge 

    Despite the diversity of theology and practice evident in the first generation of Anabaptists, three coherent groups had emerged by the 1540s: the Swiss Brethren in the German-speaking territories; the Hutterites in Moravia; and the Mennonites of the Netherlands and North Germany who were organized around the leadership of Menno Simons. Although these groups differed in important ways, they nonetheless recognized each other as members of the same religious tradition, so that their internal disagreements often took the form of a family quarrel. 

    —Excerpted from Stories: How Mennonites Came to Be, by John D. Roth, Herald Press, 2006. Adapted and used with permission. 

    Over the next 500 years Anabaptism spread to many different countries around the world, each with their own origin story. Mennonite World Conference began 100 years ago to bring together the many churches from different streams of Anabaptism for fellowship, worship, witness and service. 

    More reading: Anabaptist World: 2 March 2015, “The Birth of Anabaptism” 

    The birth of Anabaptism

    Part B: Origin of Anabaptists/Mennonites in your own country 

    Please be sure to discuss the history of your own congregation and the development of Anabaptist/Mennonite churches in your own country. 

    Helpful summaries are available at the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online (GAMEO). Search a country name to learn about Anabaptist movements in the region. 

    GAMEO

    The Anabaptist wiki also offers articles about Anabaptists in many countries.

    Anabaptist Wiki

    Part C: WCRC and MWC

    A common statement of confession, gratitude and commitment 

    Mennonite World Conference appointed several people to participate in an ongoing ecumenical dialogue with the World Communion of Reformed Churches (WCRC). This is one of the state churches who in the 1500s persecuted the early Anabaptists in Europe. 

    Together, this group of theologians from WRCR and MWC prepared a shared statement for public delivery on 29 May 2025 in Zurich, Switzerland. 

    The title of the statement is “Restoring Our Family to Wholeness: Seeking a Common Witness.” The statement includes sections on giving thanks and celebrating our common confession of Jesus as Lord; confession and lament; and ends with God’s call to unity and peace. The statement can be found on the MWC website: 

    Restoring Our Family to Wholeness: Seeking a Common Witness

    Going forward with the WCRC, rather than on “resolving” the historical theological points of difference that have divided us, MWC emphasizes the places around the world where Mennonites and Reformed churches are collaborating in our witness. 

    Part D: An MWC liturgy of gratefulness 

    Based on Psalm 136 

    It is God’s faithfulness and message of salvation through Jesus Christ that we celebrate, as it has been passed down and around through the generations over 500 years, reaching us today. 

    Give thanks to the LORD for he is good, 
    For his steadfast love endures forever.* 

    Give thanks to the God of gods, 
    For his steadfast love endures forever. 

    Give thanks to the Lord of lords, 
    For his steadfast love endures forever. 

    Who by his understanding created the heavens and the earth, 
    Who built the church as Christ’s Body here on earth, 
    Who renews the church throughout time, 
    Give thanks to the LORD for he is good, 
    For his steadfast love endures forever. 

    Who through the witness of the Holy Spirit 500 years ago, 
    inspired the Radical Reformers with a renewed vision for following Jesus, 
    Who brought a deepened understanding of God’s call on our lives, 
    Grounded in Jesus, the Bible, community discernment, discipleship and love of enemies, 
    Give thanks to the LORD for he is good, 
    For his steadfast love endures forever. 

    Who through the Spirit called witnesses to spread the Good News all over the world, 
    Who inspired new congregations to witness to God’s love for all cultures and all lands, 
    Give thanks to the LORD for he is good, 
    For his steadfast love endures forever. 

    Who is Lord over our own [name of church] in [name of country], 
    Who nourishes and strengthens our own congregation to live out God’s call on our lives, 
    Grounded in Jesus, the Bible, community discernment, discipleship, and love of enemies. 
    Give thanks to the LORD for he is good, 
    For his steadfast love endures forever. 

    Who works through the global family of faith we call Mennonite World Conference, 
    Who is growing a church that transcends boundaries of race, ethnicity and language, 
    Who calls us together as a communion (koinonia) to follow Jesus, live out unity and build peace. 
    Give thanks to the LORD for he is good, 
    For his steadfast love endures forever. 

    Give thanks to the LORD for he is good, 
    Give thanks to the God of gods, 
    Give thanks to the Lord of lords, 
    For his steadfast love endures forever. 

    —- 

    *The refrain “For his steadfast love endures forever” could be replaced by “For God’s love never quits” all the way through the responsive reading. 

  • Anabaptist World Fellowship Sunday 2025

    Luke 6:32 says if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you?  

    Human beings have the tendency to love those who love them. It is easy to love those who love us or who are good to us. But Jesus teaches us to love those who do not love us.  

    We need to have the courage to love and accept all kinds of people around us. And this is possible only when we have Jesus in our hearts. 

    Here is an activity that can be done with children to think about the courage to love.  

    Materials required: 

    • Different colours of craft papers, including red and white 
    • Pencil or marker 
    • Scissors 
    • Glue 

    Steps: 

    1. Draw and cut a big heart with red coloured craft paper. 
    2. Draw and cut a cross with white coloured craft paper. The cross should fit inside the heart. 
    3. Cut small circles from other colours of paper. Draw faces on them with different expressions. (These circles represent different kinds of people we have around us: some are sad, some happy, some angry.) 
    4. Glue the cross inside the heart. (Represents the presence of Jesus in our hearts.) 
    5. Glue the different faces inside the heart.  

    This heart picture will help us to understand that we can love and accept different kinds of people in our lives when we have the love of Jesus within us. 

    —contributed by Amita Siddh, Rajnandgaon Mennonite Church, Mennonite Church of India 

  • Anabaptist World Fellowship Sunday 2025

    Participate in person or join in online on 29 May 2025

    On Saturday 29 May 2025, Mennonite World Conference (MWC) will welcome guests from around the world to The Courage to Love: Anabaptism@500. The day-long celebration commemorates the birth of the Anabaptist movement in Zurich, Switzerland.  

    Following workshops, concerts, a panel discussion and a self-guided historical walking tour, participants will gather for an ecumenical worship service at the Grossmünster church.   

    As an act of peacebuilding and a testimony to recent reconciliation, MWC is inviting leaders of world communions (e.g., Catholic, Lutheran and Reformed) that were once sharply at odds with the Anabaptist movement. All events are within walking distance.  

    The final worship gathering will be conducted in English and translated into French, Spanish and German. The service at 15:00 UTC will be livestreamed. 

    The courage to love

    Host your own local or regional gathering

    Celebrate together in a worship service and/or potluck using these worship resources and eating with brothers and sisters. This could be on AWFS on Sunday 19 January 2025, or on 29 May 2025, or whatever timing is convenient in your own context. 

    Create and share artwork and stories

    Identify aspects of the Anabaptist message that reach us today. Create your own personal testimonies, sermons, artwork. Share on social media, post in homes or church buildings, etc.  

    For each of these we give thanks, and at the same time we identify ways we feel called to respond through faithfully sharing and living out the message of God’s love here and now. 

  • Many hands make light work 

    This adage is one we use frequently when we’re doing work together. A core part of our identity as Mennonite World Conference is living out unity, so pooling our efforts to make a positive difference in the world is fundamental. 

    Living out unity is calls on each one of us to to share with each other. MWC’s Fair Share operates on this principle (More on Fair Share below). It insists that we all have something to share but also for that sharing to be just, we need to acknowledge our different situations across our planet.  

    Fair Share 

    MWC has 110 national member churches in 61 countries around the world. Except in the context of the most grievous situations like active warfare, all member churches are expected to make annual Fair Share contributions to help support MWC’s core work as we’re linked to one another in a worldwide community of faith for fellowship, worship, service and witness.  

    We share what we have is a meaningful sentiment in most parts of the world. Of course, some have more and some have less, but what’s foundational is that we all give from what we have. We know from Jesus’ story of the widow’s offering in Mark 12 that sacrificial giving is part of reaching out with God’s love.  

    Today, about 30% of MWC’s annual unrestricted revenue comes through Fair Share contributions from national member churches. These contributions are critical to MWC’s thriving as a worldwide Anabaptist family of faith. In our community of faith, we inspire each other by our investments in building-up the global church community.  

    Stewardship in the household of faith 

    We asked several regional representatives to reflect on the meaning they find in MWC’s work in the area of Fair Share. Across the globe, these 13 people are the face of MWC to and for our national member churches. They live in 5 regions: Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America & Caribbean and North America. These experienced leaders help interpret their regional contexts to the rest of the global family They also use their contextual wisdom to help negotiate Fair Share.  

    Here are some of their thoughts on Fair Share: 

    Siaka Traoré, living in Burkina Faso and MWC regional rep for Central West Africa, insists that Fair Share is an act of justice, collaboration and communion. Siaka Traoré sees it as justice because it is required of all members without exception based on race or place. To be part of the community, all must contribute. 

    Willi Hugo Pérez, living in Guatemala and MWC regional rep for Central America, sees MWC’s Fair Share approach as a gesture of love, gratitude and commitment. Willi Hugo Pérez sees the gratitude for the generous gifts, joys and blessings that we receive from God through the beloved family.  

    Jeremiah Choi, living in Hong Kong and MWC regional rep for Northeast Asia, observes the practical benefits of these annual investments by MWC national member churches. MWC’s support makes it possible for national member church delegates from all over the world to gather and see each other face-to-face as we live out unity together. 

    Jumanne Magiri, living in Tanzania and MWC regional rep for East Africa, sees Fair Share as a duty we all carry as part of the global Anabaptist family. As we all contribute together, it is an indicator of our stewardship and responsible action as members of the household of faith. 

    As we join together in the MWC family, we are all called to bring our full selves to enrich each other’s lives. Just as in our families at home, we share love in a variety of ways. Contributing to the building-up of the worldwide Anabaptist family of faith is a powerful way to “preach the gospel” without necessarily using words. It’s an opportunity for all of us to do our share – our Fair Share.  

    May God continue to bless the work of our hands together.  

    —Bruce Campbell-Janz is MWC’s Chief Development Officer. He lived in DR Congo on church-related service for eight years and now lives in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA, with his wife Ann. 

    Contribute Fair Share

  • Evangelism rallies, energetic music and dancing all day; witnessing, altar calls with a dozen respondents. Praying is loud, through tears or joy. You can feel the enthusiasm.  

    I was heartily welcomed by the Mennonite Brethren church in DR Congo to celebrate their 100th anniversary in August 2024.  

    The multiday event was held in a big new church built across from the MWC member church’s headquarters in Kikwit, Kwilu province, an eight-hour drive over 500 kms from Kinshasa.  

    But the distances did not deter: people gathered.  

    Some 2 500 people packed the large church to celebrate the anniversary of CEFMC (Communauté des Églises de Frères Mennonites au Congo) in 5 hours of worship service.  

    Bishop Daniel Onashuyaka Lunge of the ecumenical Église du Christ au Congo (ECC) gave a sermon on unity – an ever-present challenge for church communions around the world.  

    CEFMC, an MWC member church, has its challenges but also many gifts. 

    The leaders of CEFMC wants to see the church become self-supporting but also to create healthy partnerships. They pray for pastors and evangelists to spread the message.  

    They are dealing with trauma from colonialism and a culture of mistrust resulting from systemic corruption in government systems.  

    The need for qualified leadership in the church is acutely felt; not only for education but also to practice countercultural servant leadership that is not tempted toward corruption, tribal divisions and ego-driven displays of power. 

    The vast geography of the resource-rich country creates both riches and hardships. Protracted violence, especially from armed rebels in the East, sends displaced people to all corners of the country and beyond.  

    I presented Antoine Kimbila and CEFMC with a plaque of commemoration on behalf of the global family. To remind them they are part of this large global family who shares their joys and struggles. 

    And they have a lot of gifts to share with our family. 

    The emotional vibrancy of their connection to Jesus is a gift. Even through an hours-long church service, their faith is palpable. 

    Their practice of community is a gift. Church members welcome displaced people from the East with open arms. They listen and share strategies for trauma healing. They offer food and even take refugees into their own homes. 

    2024 “100 years of evangelism in Congo"

    Their faith is a gift. In the West, once we have money, we build. In DRC, when there is a vision, they begin to build, praying patiently and trusting for what is needed to continue.  

    Their baptisms are a gift. For some, conversion entails a significant turning away from another way of living. In their baptisms and beyond, they live out a strong sense of being saved. 

    When I visit churches, I always say, “I can greet you in the name of César García (our general secretary), but not in the name of MWC because then you would be greeting yourself. You are MWC.”  

    Then I take a picture with the gathered people waving at the camera as they greet the other 1.5 million believers who are MWC.  

    My being there is a sign of their part in this bigger global family. That is why these in-person visits continue to be important in a time of Zoom meetings.  

    As I taste the dust and the heat and feel the joyful spirit of faith and hope in Jesus alongside these believers on the other side of the world, we are both reminded that we are one. We are worth each other’s time. We are tied together in this global family of faith.  

    —Henk Stenvers, from the Netherlands, is the president of MWC (2022-2028).  

    a group of women dance through a large outdoor crowd in Africa
    Communauté des Églises des Frères Mennonites au Congo celebrated the 100th anniversary. Photos: Henk Stenvers
    This story first appeared in Courier/Correo/Courrier 39.4 / 2024: read the full issue here

  • “Disperse and connect.” This motto guided Hawkesville Mennonite Church as they closed the congregation’s active ministry and disbursed the assets to support other ministries. Mennonite World Conference was one of the beneficiaries from this congregation in rural Ontario, Canada.

    “The church’s assets will be used to promote the ongoing mission of the church,” says David Martin, interim pastor at Hawkesville at the time of closure. (Canada Revenue Agency requires that donations are used according to their designation.)

    The congregation chose Mennonite World Conference, Mennonite Church Canada and Mennonite Church Eastern Canada – representing the global, national and local ministries of the church.

    “The closing service had a sense of commissioning: take what we received here and bring those gifts elsewhere,” says David Martin.

    The church’s money and members are now dispersed for continued connection: people and the gospel.

    Before it closed, the worship leader at Hawkesville’s weekly services would give a short update on how MWC, MC Canada and MCEC are working to build the church. This built the congregation’s role within the wider work of the church. “The global church is important,” says David Martin.

    Closing the church was “a bold decision,” says David Martin. The congregation had strong leadership and the financial resources to continue.

    However, the congregation recognized there was little possibility of accepting new members in their rural context. The region is well resourced with many other congregations, meanwhile younger people usually settle in urban centres.

    “The congregation was not likely to thrive well without getting smaller,” said David Martin.

    There was nearly a year of discernment that led up to the decision and another year of grieving and celebration that preceded the final service in June 2024.

    David Martin guided the congregation in spiritual practices to grieve, release, celebrate and position themselves for “a new future that God is creating for us,” he says.

    Over almost 75 years of ministry, Hawkesville Mennonite served in many ways: member made quilts for MCC, pillows for a local hospital, cream buns for the annual relief sale, and more.

    “We decided to put efforts behind other local churches, to find different ways to reinvest ourselves in the mission of the church, to use assets to seed the future.”

    Every member had at least one if not several options within a 15-minute travel radius, says David Martin. So they dispersed to find new connections and devote their energies to new avenues of service.

    “There is sadness and we wish it had not happened. But there are no regrets,” says Julene Fast, congregational chair.

    Informal gatherings planned the next year will continue to bring the dispersed Hawkesville members together again for connection. God’s mission continues in new forms.

    Read more:

    Canadian Mennonite: HAwkesville closes with gratitude
    MCEC: Closing with Grace