Prayers of gratitude and intercession

  • The Officers’ column 

    An Executive Committee is elected from the General Council and meets annually. Two members from each continental region are elected from the Council; a President and Vice-President are also elected by the Council. The Treasurer and General Secretary are also members of the Executive Committee. 

    Meet vice-president Lisa Carr-Pries, appointed in 2022.  

    1. What does it mean for MWC to be a communion of churches? 

    I am grateful for the global church. For many, it has years broadened my understanding of the world beyond my local context and has helped me raise my children to be globally conscious human beings. It definitely changed the course of my life and deepened my faith and spirituality. I have hope for the relevance of the Anabaptist church for the transformation of each person’s life. 

    2. How do I pray for the global church? 

    I pray that our global churches will be a witness of hope to the world where despair and violence reign. 

    3. What is your hope that the church will accomplish in the next 5 years? 

    That we continue to celebrate our unity in Christ by celebrating the gift of our diversity in our theologies, backgrounds, cultures and in faithful discipleship. 

    4. What are you reading that gives hope to the global church? 

    I read daily the meditations that come from the Center for Action and Contemplation. I strongly believe that we as Jesus’ followers need to have equal parts of action and contemplation in our Christian walk.

    “We need both action and contemplation to have a whole spiritual journey…. Action may lead you to contemplation and contemplation may lead you to action. But finally, they need and feed each other.” (CAC Daily Meditation, May 13, 2016) 

    5. How do you serve your local congregation? 

    I love to lead worship and music in my local congregation. I delight in creating worship services that have the congregational members engaging their whole beings as they come to be part of a community of faith that practices faithful living. 

    6. What is your professional training? 

    I have a bachelor of church music, a bachelor of theology and a master of theology. I am a lifelong learner and have pursued additional courses and received a certificate in spiritual direction and a certificate in conflict management and congregational leadership. I have loved being a pastor for most of my adult life.  

    Courier July 2023

  • Ethiopia 

    Ethiopia is a country located in the Horn of Africa. We’re unique in some ways but the same with the rest of African countries in some other ways. We’re a very poor country with a population of around 110 million.  

    Living in a country where problems are like the air you breathe – it’s not easy; especially when you have access to go out of the country and declare your freedom. But staying and living among my people – it’s a bittersweet reality, but that’s who I am. That’s where I can find purpose in my life.   

    Drama of trouble   

    This last year, 2022* it was a very joyful, and the same time, a very sad time personally and as a nation.

    Our country is passing through a lot. We were happy at some point last year that the conflict in the north was over, but unfortunately, another one started in the western part of the country.

    Let’s talk about our economy. It started to deteriorate – as you also faced – during COVID-19, but it continues to go down due to the non-stop conflict in the country. 

    Unfortunately, the conflict also is followed by tribalism, which has become a chronic problem. It has become a challenge for us to live together; this intolerance of difference has started to dismantle our very fabric of society.

    This also leads the country into another wave of economic and political disaster. It’s going from bad to worse. Food inflation is skyrocketing and makes so many people struggle. 

    Droughts also hit the southeastern part of our country where now, it gets really worse such that people start to die due to hunger.

    The religious conflict between the Orthodox and the evangelicals, or the Protestants along with the Muslims, is another character in the cast of this drama of trouble.

    So, the life we’re living in our country is very difficult to live.

    Living despite    

    Such a situation is really challenging our churches, our societies, our congregations, our friends and our society in large, but we’re living.  

    We don’t know how, but we’re able to live everyday as a nation. We’re supposed to have collapsed, but we’re going. Of course, not in the standards of the West, but we’re moving.  

    If I have to give you an explanation, I just don’t have it. 

    All the political social economic explanation and analysis would indicate that we should collapse. We should be ‘the new Syria.’  

    For some, living everyday is just a miracle. Waking up in the morning, for some, is really a miracle.

     But we’re living. How?   

    An answer in God 

    As a Christian, I have an explanation. I believe that God is our strength. God is the creator of us, our Saviour who never gets tired or weary with our poverty or our conflicts.

    I know so many people get tired. Even for me, I get tired asking of people to pray for our country month after month, year after year, about this or that: pray for the conflict in Ethiopia; pray about the poverty levels. It gets tiring for so many people across the globe to hear that we keep on “begging.”  

    But I believe in the Creator of us, our Saviour, who never gets tired, who never gets weary of our problems.  

    God gave power to the weak, provides for the needy, and gives us strength to move and the ability to see tomorrow. We don’t know how, but God does it. Jesus is our hope. 

    I found one definition of “hope” on the internet. It says: “Hold On; Pain Ends.”

    So God is our hope. Hope that makes us to hold until the pain goes away or that enables us to endure it.  

    I’m able to pass it through. I’m able to pass it through and through and through, with all this personal and nation crisis, in fellowship with my fellow brothers and sisters. 

    We pray together every day.  Starting early in the morning from 5:00 to 6:30 am. We might sound really pious, but we simply pray and ask God for strength, for power, for more grace to live every day.  

    We gather together to share our personal burdens and also our country’s cry. We encourage each other with the hope that we receive from Christ who himself is our hope.  

    So, brothers and sisters, as we celebrate our history and foundation as an Anabaptist movement, we turn to the same source as our persecuted forefathers and foremothers: that’s Jesus Christ. He is the only hope to hope for – with or without pain.  

    —Tigist Tesfaye is a youth mentor and coach, a member of Debub Meserete Kristos Church in Ethiopia, and author of Mewetacha (The ladder – a dream connector). She is secretary of the Deacons Commission. 

    Tigist Tesfaye spoke at Renewal 2023 – Jesus Christ, our hope – in Abbotsford, B.C., Canada, 25 March 2023 (presented via video). This article has been adapted from her presentation. 

    * This refers to the Gregorian calendar system. In Ethiopia, we use the official calendar of the Orthodox Tewahido Church which has 13 months and has a different starting point that puts it seven or eight years behind the Gregorian calendar. 

    Courier July 2023

  • In Kichwa, there is a word, ayni, that describes the rule and practice of interdependence. 

    “One does not exist unless the community exists,” says Julian Guamán. In the Kichwa worldview, that community includes all of creation, not just humans. Ayni dictates that as members of the community, humans have a responsibility to be in reciprocal relationship with every other member, including plants, animals, water and soil. 

    Ayni has practical implications for how Kichwas live their lives and is an important part of Julian Guamán’s vision for the Anabaptist church. 

    “The global Mennonite church can be a teacher for other churches,” Julian Guamán says. Many Christians talk about reconciliation in spiritual terms, but what sets Anabaptists apart in Julian Guamán’s eyes is that: “The reconciliation sought by Mennonite Christians also applies to creation.” 

    Many indigenous people in Latin America are attracted to Anabaptism, Julian Guamán says, and he believes it’s because, “Mennonite theology coincides in many ways with elements of indigenous spirituality.” 

    One shared element is an emphasis on living in community. 

    “The Mennonite life is a cooperative life,” Julian Guamán says. Likewise, “The life of Kichwas is about living interdependently with others.” 

    The second shared element is reconciliation. Mennonites are known for working toward reconciliation both within the church and throughout the world. Kichwas also practice reconciliation, Julian Guamán says, by “planting harmony and equilibrium and building bridges through dialogue.” 

    Julian Guamán believes that creation care is a natural consequence of living by these two values. He shared an example of this playing out in the real world. 

    Throughout the Andes mountains, mining for gold, lithium, copper and other metals required for technology is jeopardizing the health of land, water and people. 

    With international mining companies moving into many regions, indigenous lands are some of the most well protected. “A lot of the páramo (alpine tundra) where the indigenous people live is still intact,” Julian Guamán says. 

    Westerners might see the conservation efforts of indigenous communities as preserving resources – like water – for the future. But, that’s not how indigenous people think about it, he says. 

    “I don’t think that’s the reason why we indigenous care,” says Julian Guamán, “but because we need to retain relationships with the place, the páramo. There, there is life. The páramo itself, the mountains, the hills, have a sacred dimension that we are part of.” 

    What if the global Anabaptist church adopted the rule of ayni? 

    “In a world with climate change, with environmental crises, with an economic system that destroys nature and exploits people,” Julian Guamán says, “we, as Mennonite churches, can be different, because Jesus Christ called us to love one another.” 

    —Sierra Ross Richer is a member of Waterford Mennonite Church, Goshen, Indiana, USA. She is an intern with the Anabaptist Climate Collaborative (ACC). This story from the ACC’s Lent Climate Pollinator Series: Global Anabaptist Stories on Climate Change is reprinted with permission.  

  • Witnessing in Hong Kong and beyond 

    Church members gather in a school auditorium, singing worship songs in both Cantonese (the mother tongue for most people in Hong Kong) and Mandarin. The Chinese languages share a script that contains thousands of characters. Through the internet and the globalization of church music, people who can’t read the script can now find a translated version of the songs to understand and sing along. 

    While many churches in the region abandoned online services as pandemic restrictions eased, Agape Mennonite Church in Sha Tin, Hong Kong, continues to record and stream their services on Facebook.  

    “Some of our members have moved overseas in recent years. Sometimes they join our Sunday services so they could worship in their own language, and they join our Zoom Bible study too,” says Esther Choi, Global Youth Summit delegate from Hong Kong. 

    As the population of Hong Kong ages, the church is also affected: some church members are not physically able to come to church. “Making our worship services available to them is our way to let them know that we remember them and are praying for them,” says Jeremiah Choi, the congregation’s pastor and MWC regional representative for Northeast Asia. 

    “He made no distinction between us and them,” says youth pastor Leung Tak Kwan, preacher of the day, quoting Acts 15:9. While the passage counsels not to discriminate against the Gentiles (who have received Christ but not followed the Jewish traditions), the same advice pertains to who are those too ill to take public transport to church, are in hospital or simply miss their friends after leaving Hong Kong.  

    Regardless of location or physical challenges, with virtual services, the Word of God and the fellowship continue. 

    Photo: Elina Ciptadi

    Hong Kong is facing a challenging period: government restrictions on religious activities may increase; an exodus from the working population leaves some industries with staff shortages; and church members are divided regarding politics.  

    But those at Agape Mennonite take comfort from lyrics they sang that morning, Won’t Give Up:  

    Afflictions may come, we won’t grow weary. 
    Wasting away, we will not lose heart 
    All these troubles one day soon will pass 
    Eternal glory will be our reward 

    About MWC national member church: the Conference of Mennonite Churches in Hong Kong 

    The Conference of Mennonite Churches in Hong Kong consists of three Mennonite congregations in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China that is home to 7 million people. Following Mennonite Central Committee relief work with mainland Chinese refugees in the 1950s and North America mission workers starting in the 1960s, the church was officially established in 1985.  

    How can you pray for The Conference of Mennonite Churches in Hong Kong? Please pray for unity and a peaceful way forward.

     

  • Myanmar 

    I want to highlight some of the political situation and current events in Myanmar.  

    Political climate 

    Regarding the political situation, I will not provide details.  

    Since the military coup on 1 February 2021, there have been terrorist killings and armed revolutions in all regions in Myanmar.  

    I will present a few highlights only citing the United Nation’s report (27 February 2023): 

    • There are 1.6 million refugees who have fled their homes in Myanmar, and the people of Sagaing Division and Chin State are facing the worst. 
      • The conflicts are continuing throughout Myanmar, and the humanitarian needs of displaced people and refugees are increasing. 
      •  IDPs are living in precarious conditions in displacement camps and temporary camps, and are mostly sheltered in the nearby jungles. 
    • According to Media Monitor Collective, since the military coup, 53 786 civilian houses have been burned and destroyed. 
      •  In addition, there are 2 725 civilian deaths due to armed conflict, and Sagaing Division has the highest number of deaths with 2 047, according to Media Monitor Collective. 
      •  24 065 civilians have been arrested and detained as a result of the coup and armed conflict.
    • According to information from the United Nations and civil society organizations, the people of Sagaing Division and Chin State are the most affected by the war and are in need of emergency assistance. (Most of our Mennonites are living in the conflict regions.) 

    We are also happy to record that MWC provided US$10 000 for food and medicines for 415 refugee families of Mennonite in last year. Thank you, MWC.  

    Inflation and food shortages 

    Due to the impact of civil war, conflict and domestic inflation, livelihoods have become rare. There is a shortage of jobs. Meanwhile, the price of goods is rising at an alarming rate.  

    Not only the war victims, but there is a lack of food in many places. More than 45 percent of the country is suffering from food shortages. In Myanmar, we people usually eat food three times a day, but now, many people only eat once a day. This number is increasing. Some don’t eat even once a day. 

    BMC Mennonite families are also greatly affected by the food shortage. Some members attend Sunday worship without eating at all. It is our great challenge to help the vulnerable Mennonite families in the congregations. 

    International organizations are unable to come and help.

    Mennonite youth and armed revolution 

    After the military coup, young people took up arms against the military. The armed struggle is affecting our Mennonite youth: some Mennonite youth are also willing to join the armed struggle. Some young people are already participating in the armed revolution. They also have a bitterness and avid to take arms against the military.   

    Our biggest challenge is the Mennonite youth and the armed revolution. We are also guiding our young people not to get involved in armed revolution, violence and political conflict. We absolutely do not want our youth to participate in the armed revolution. We absolutely do not want our youth to be involved in the political conflict.  

    We are peace-loving Mennonites because we believe only in the nonviolence movement.  

    Therefore we are holding Mennonite Youth Peace Conferences in several regions. We fully believe that through the Mennonite Youth Peace Conferences, our youth will be trained as peacemakers.  

    We also request you to help us with prayer support for this project of the Mennonite Youth Peace Conferences. 

    I would also like to record my special thanks to our friends, Mennonite Church Canada for prayers and financially supporting for the Youth Peace Conferences and any other things we need in  mission work. 

    Dear MWC and Mennonite Church Canada, you are the angels sent by God to Myanmar. You fed us when we were hungry. When we are down, you comfort us. You help us when we are refugees. You bring us a ray of hope when we are hopeless.  

    The world forgets our condition, but you remember us. You are true and very Mennonite.  

    Eventually Jesus Christ is still our hope. Shalom.   

    —Amos Chin is the president of Bible Missionary Church – Mennonite, and MWC member church in Myanmar. He also serves on the MWC Executive Committee.
    Amos Chin’s presentation at Renewal 2023 – Jesus Christ, our hope – was delivered by John D. Roth in Abbotsford, B.C., Canada, 25 March 2023. This article has been adapted from her presentation.

  • Portugal 

    The world changed profoundly since 24 February 2022 when Russia invaded Ukraine. This has had a strong impact on all Europeans.

    We have 14 Mennonite conferences in 11 countries in Europe, all of them with their own culture, history, work within our Anabaptist-Mennonite family.  

    In 2018, the Association of Mennonite Brethren Churches in Ukraine hosted our annual gathering with participants from Austria*, France*, Germany*, Lithuania, Netherlands*, Portugal*, Spain*, Switzerland* and the MWC president in Zaporizhzhia and Berdiansk. 

    So you might imagine when the violence began last year, people from all the conferences in Europe started asking: “What are we going to do to help our brothers and sisters?” 

    From the smallest to the biggest, they all wanted to help in different ways. All the conferences had a role to help what is going on in Ukraine. Some send funds, all pray, of course, and some even take initiative to bring relief supplies directly to Ukraine. 

    There was one conference – a small conference, located close to Ukraine – who started to help right away in a very specific, caring way. 

    The Mennonite Brethren church in Lithuania (Lietuvos Laisv≈≥j≈≥ Krik≈°ƒçioni≈≥ Ba≈ænyƒçia), started to pack vans in Vilnius and drive all the way to Ukraine to share goods with MB brothers and sisters in Ukraine. 

    They stop in Poland overnight, pass through the border and drive on into Ukraine to meet the brothers and sisters and give them supplies. Then they turn around to drive home, often waiting hours at the border due to the long lines of people seeking to leave.  

    At first, they didn’t even have time to explain about their excursions; they just started acting. 

    I shared with other churches when I learned of this. They also sent funds and goods. 

    The big effort by all the rest of the European family, each of them in a different way, to bring relief was a fantastic way to show hope to our sisters and brothers in Ukraine. 

    This solidarity is not only between Anabaptist-Mennonite churches in Europe and Ukraine but between the European churches to help each other help Ukraine.   

    It is a living out of 1 Corinthians 12:26-27: “If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honoured, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.” 

    The situation in Ukraine is still a challenge. We keep in touch as the needs continue, and we keep praying. 

    We thank God that hope was never lost. Keep praying.

    —José Arrais is from Lisbon, Portugal. He is a member of Loures Mennonite Brethren Church and serves as MWC’s regional representative in Europe. His work of interacting with the European Mennonite church leaders, hearing their needs, challenges, and blessings, is a source of joy and motivation to prayer, and he is eager to continue deepening and adding to those relationships. José Arrais is married to Paula; they have three children and one grandchild.  José Arrais spoke at Renewal 2023 – Jesus Christ, our hope – in Abbotsford, B.C., Canada, 25 March 2023. This article has been adapted from his presentation.

    *Indicates national churches from this country are members of MWC.

  • Introducing the Global Family 

    Mennonite Brethren Church of Malawi 

    ICOMB conference and MWC national member church 

    Mennonite Brethren Church of Malawi, invites everyone to celebrate progress and join in prayers for a bright future. At the core of their mission lies a deep commitment to establishing holistic churches throughout Malawi. With great humility, they strive to plant churches that diligently attend to the spiritual needs of their communities while also embracing their physical, emotional, and social well-being. These humble places of worship radiate hope and illuminate even the remotest corners of Malawi. 

    The missionaries who selflessly spread the Word of God beyond borders, reaching neighboring countries and faraway regions, are deeply appreciated. Their dedication and sacrifice have transformed lives and strengthened communities through the power of faith. 

    Discipleship, rooted in humility, stands as a pillar of their work in Malawi. The church, drawing from collective wisdom, experiences growth not only in membership but also in spiritual maturity. As individuals and families humbly embrace the teachings of Jesus Christ, they witness personal and communal transformation fueled by the power of the gospel. 

    In addition to spiritual growth, the Mennonite Brethren Church of Malawi recognizes the practical needs that require attention. With a humble spirit, they venture into the realm of agriculture, diligently working to promote food security by providing irrigation equipment and support to communities. They also remain steadfast in their commitment to ensuring access to quality education for children, empowering them for a brighter future. 

    Building capacity is of utmost importance, and the Mennonite Brethren Church of Malawi approaches this task with humility. They invest in the training of church leaders, equipping them with the knowledge and skills necessary to provide sound biblical teaching. Through this effort, they strive to foster a culture of excellence and a deeper understanding of God’s Word, guided by the principles of the Mennonite Brethren community. 

    Deep gratitude is extended to the beloved partners, the Mennonite Brethren, for their unwavering support through ICOMB. Their generosity and dedication have had an immeasurable impact, enabling remarkable feats to be accomplished in Malawi and beyond. 

    On behalf of the Malawi Conference, prayers are sincerely requested. Known and unforeseen challenges require divine intervention. You can pray for the leaders of the country, that they may be granted wisdom, humility, and a deep commitment to long-term planning based on biblical principles. Their decisions should prioritize the well-being of the people and guide the nation towards prosperity and sustainability. 

    Pray for a spirit of long-term planning to permeate the hearts of the leaders. Vision and discernment are needed to implement sustainable solutions that address the root causes of poverty, population growth, and agricultural challenges. Divine guidance is sought to anticipate future obstacles and make decisions that yield lasting positive outcomes. 

    Economic development stands as an essential component in the journey towards a brighter future. With heartfelt prayers, they seek the advancement of trade, industry, and entrepreneurship in Malawi. They ask for God’s blessings upon their efforts, providing opportunities for job creation and financial stability while uplifting individuals and communities out of poverty. Through sustainable economic growth, hope and dignity can be brought to the people of Malawi. 

    In their pursuit of progress, the Mennonite Brethren Church of Malawi humbly acknowledges the importance of education and healthcare. Pray for improved access to quality education, breaking the cycle of poverty for future generations. Pray for God’s wisdom and resources to be bestowed upon the government and relevant organizations, empowering them to invest in educational initiatives that uplift children. Prayers are also offered for enhanced healthcare services, ensuring better access to essential medical care, disease prevention, and comprehensive support for those affected by HIV/AIDS. 

    With humble recognition of the central role of family, prayers are invited for strength and resilience among families in Malawi. They ask for prayers that parents be equipped with the necessary skills and resources to provide for their children’s physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. They also pray for restoration and healing where family structures have been broken, and for the nurturing of healthy relationships and positive role models within the communities. 

    Lastly, prayers are requested for religious leaders. As Christianity flourishes as the largest population in Malawi, they are asked to embody humility and unwavering faith. May they stand as humble servants of the true God, seeking His guidance and wisdom in all aspects of their work and endeavors. 

    An invitation is extended to all who are free to come and witness firsthand the incredible work that God is doing in their beloved nation. 

    With hearts full of gratitude, they pray for God’s continued blessings upon Malawi, its people, and all those who support their journey towards a brighter future. 

    Praise God. Amen. 

    —ICOMB update July 2023 

    ICOMB
    The International Community of Mennonite Brethren (ICOMB) is made up of 22 national churches in 19 countries. ICOMB also has associate members in more than 20 countries, all at different points along the pathway to full membership. ICOMB exists to facilitate relationships and ministries to enhance the witness and discipleship of its member national churches – connecting, strengthening and expanding.

  • South Korea 

    To talk about hope, I have to start with despair.   

    There’s a question that I often get when I say I’m from Korea. It’s “Which Korea?”  

    Yes, it’s been 77 years since Korea was divided into North and South Korea. The deep-rooted fear that comes from a history of war and the insecurity that comes from that fear have created a lot of different forms of despair

    South Koreans have four major obligations. One of the obligations is the duty of national defense. And one of the duties of national defense is the duty of military service. This obligation applies to men between the ages of 18 and 40 in South Korea. They are conscripted to serve as soldiers for one and a half years. After that, they have to train regularly as reserve soldiers. 

    People say it’s gotten better, but the military culture is still very violent. The stories of bullying, suicides and shootings is not hard to find in the news. 

    When you think of conscientious objectors in South Korea, the most common group that comes to mind is the Jehovah’s Witnesses. There are also various organizations such as World Without War. And there are struggles of those who have survived imprisonment and stood up for their beliefs.  

    As of 2020, conscientious objectors no longer go to jail. This is something I’ve found hope for over this past year, but there’s still a long way to go. The current alternative service system has a punitive nature to it, where you have to serve twice the length of your military service and you are only allowed to work in prisons. 

    There are also alternative services that are not a conscientious objection in nature. My younger brother graduated from a government-run agricultural university and started farming potatoes. In Korea, the number of farmers is decreasing, and there are no young farmers, so a select group of young men is chosen to farm in place of his military service. Similar cases are also found in certain industries. The application process is very tough, and the duration is also three years. 

    My younger brother was recently informed by the government that he was allowed to replace military service with farming. The church had been praying together and I can’t tell you how fortunate he is. But, no, it’s not a feeling of relief, because my friends still have to go to the army, and my neighbours still have to go to the military. 

    Korean Mennonite churches are constantly trying to stand in solidarity with conscientious objectors. We invite them to give lectures, and we try to listen to their voices through face-to-face meetings. Our motivation and hope in the midst of the struggle for recognizing the legal status of Conscientious Objectors are in Jesus who is our teacher and example for the longstanding commitment in the AnabaptistMennonite community to the principle of nonviolence. 

    Most people may think that there is nothing wrong with the current system of conscription. But I see despair. I’m grateful that there is a community that also sees despair and takes action. That community is my local congregation and Mennonite Church South Korea (MCSK). We also have MWC walking the path together with us as disciples of Jesus.  

    Recently, MWC has issued a statement of support for conscientious objectors, largely in response to the challenges that the MCSK is facing. The MWC statement is an effort to stand in solidarity with us. And that signifies hope for me, and for my fellow Mennonites in Korea.  

    Thank you.

    —Kkot-ip Bae (Î∞∞ÍΩÉÏûé) is a member of Nonsan Peace and Joy Mennonite Church in South Korea. She studied sociology and digital media content and works as social economy program planner specialist with design responsibilities for social value propagation. She is the Asia representative in for the MWC YABs Committee (Young AnaBaptists).  Kkot-ip Bae spoke at Renewal 2023 – Jesus Christ, our hope – in Abbotsford, B.C., Canada, 25 March 2023. This article has been adapted from her presentation.

  • “There’s something in the water among Mennonite theologians and peace building scholars and practitioners…around the decolonial project that people are drinking from now that is interesting and quite good,” says Andrew Suderman.

    The Eastern Mennonite University (EMU) professor and secretary of Mennonite World Conference’s Peace Commission organized the third Global Mennonite Peacebuilding Conference and Festival (GMP III) in Virginia, USA. “Coming Together: The Journey of Faith and Peace” was the theme of the 15-18 June 2023 event organized by EMU and endorsed by MWC.

    The four plenary speakers included Tigist Tesfaye, MWC Deacons Commission secretary, and César García, MWC general secretary. Some 160 participants from 20 countries participated in 10 presentations of papers, 15 workshops, a panel discussion, an art installation and four theatre and music performances. Difficulties obtaining travel permission prevented some international guests from attending.

    Scholarship and worship came together at the conference. “We unabashedly housed the conference within worship,” says Andrew Suderman. Each plenary session opened and closed with a time of prayer and singing.

    César García urged participants bring together church and peace work despite the former’s past mistakes: “Creating structures that are completely independent and separated from the church is an unnecessary detour that affects the impact of our peace witness…. The need of peace work that is theologically and biblically grounded is an ongoing reality in many of our churches and institutions.” 

    César García. Photo: Henk Stenvers

    Art and performance also came together with theology and theory. “The idea for this GMP was to bring together academics, practitioners, pastors and artists to share with one another what they’re working on, how they are working toward embodying peace,” says Andrew Suderman. “Musicians and a theatre group help give expression to these values, to this journey…to connect head, hands and heart.”

    Music and peace also come together says Juan Moya, member of La Repvblica, a band from Colombia that performed. “[Music] depends on vibrations, rhythms and poetry to convey a message. It is a universal language.” The barrier-crossing, peacebuilding capacity of music was demonstrated as MWC president Henk Stenvers from the Netherlands joined the Colombia band on the drums.

    As a global conference, the event also brought together voices from around the world. “I appreciated the emphasis on listening to and involving people from the Global South, who shared how peace is not only taught as a concept but also suffered, demanded and – for some – becomes a call to action in order to survive,” says Juan Moya.

    A compilation of papers from the previous GMP in the Netherlands in 2019 were recently published as A Pilgrimage of Justice and Peace: Global Mennonite Perspectives on Peacebuilding and Nonviolence.

  • Meet Hiro Katano of Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan Member of the Faith & Life Commission.

    How do you serve MWC?  

    I have been a General Council member, representing Nihon Menonaito Kirisuto Kyokai Kyogikai (Japan Mennonite Christian Church Conference), since 2016. I serve MWC by connecting it with my church conference through correspondence, information, translation and teaching. I also began to serve as a member of Faith and Life Commission in July 2022. 

    How do you serve your local church?

    I have been a member of Sapporo Bethel Mennonite Church since 1998 with regular assignments of preaching and worship leading. My wife Miwako and I reside at Fukuzumi Mennonite Center in Sapporo. The Center is owned and managed by our church conference to host guests, provide space for worship services, business meetings and other gatherings. I also help my wife with her ministry as a selfsupporting pastor. 

    On behalf of Anabaptist/Mennonite churches in Japan, I have been organizing Northeast Asia Regional Peacebuilding Institute (NARPI) since its launch in 2010. I have had other opportunities to present lectures, workshops, and writing assignments on peace theology both inside and outside of the Mennonite denomination.   

    What does it mean for the body of Christ to be unified?

    For me it means to keep returning from time to time to our common values as followers of our Lord Jesus.  

    Faith: we regularly return to the life, teachings and ministry of Jesus to examine our discipleship.  

    Life: we regularly meet in a community of faith to discern the leading of the Holy Spirit for renewal and growth.  

    Work: we regularly pursue holistic reconciliation with God, others, self and creation in our daily walk of faithful living.

    While my framing is based on the socalled Anabaptist essentials, these core values are universally appealing to other denominations as well.   

    What book or podcast have been reading/listening to lately whose insights you would recommend?   

    I have been blessed and inspired by “The Jesus Way: Small Books of Radical Faith” series by Herald Press. These 10 books are concise, readable and clearly focused exposition of Anabaptist faith and worldviews. I developed them into booklets to introduce basic Anabaptist faith to Japanese youth.  

    What MWC resource do you recommend and why?

    “Shared Convictions of Global Anabaptists” is worth reading, reciting, reflecting and studying to embody. While our church conference has its own confession of faith, Shared Convictions helps us obtain more comprehensive, additional and communicative elements of Anabaptist faith.  

    What We Believe Together by Alfred Neufeld is a helpful guide as we dig into the document. I organized a workshop to explore the Shared Convictions and made a series of sermons based on the learnings. I am now expanding them into a series of video lectures on basic Anabaptist doctrines.

    Like the chambers of a heart, the four commissions of Mennonite World Conference serve the global community of Anabaptist-related churches, in the areas of deacons, faith and life, peace, mission. Commissions prepare materials for consideration by the General Council, give guidance and propose resources to member churches, and facilitate MWC-related networks or fellowships working together on matters of common interest and focus. In the following, one of the commissions shares a message from their ministry focus.

  • Young AnaBaptists build global connection during YABs Fellowship Week

    Between 18-25 June 2023, young adult groups around the world celebrated the Young AnaBaptist (YABs) Fellowship Week. Themed The family I found in my salvation, young people shared stories, worshipped together, prayed as one, learned from each other’s testimonies, and discussed Luke 15:4-7.

    A new way to meet this year was the launch of the YABs’ Discord group, with four virtual hangouts during YABs Fellowship Week, attended by 65 people from 11 countries.

    “As more young people use this platform to play games, chat, listen to voice notes/webinars and hold virtual meetings, we want to have as many young Anabaptists as possible connect to each other through this platform,” says Ebenezer Mondez, YABs mentor.

    In two of the four virtual hangouts, the current YABs Committee invited two of the original YABs Committee (then called AMIGOS): Sarah Nahar (nee Thompson) is now a nonviolent action trainer and interspiritual theologian; Elina Ciptadi is now MWC Interim Chief Communications Officer and a family counselling student.

    “Coming to the Global Youth Summit / Assembly was lifechanging,” says Elina Ciptadi. “It opened doors to a leader of a small young adult group like me to work on bigger causes at a national level, and then at a global level through MWC. It was uplifting to know that I have friends around the world we could share our struggles and triumphs with, that we could pray for and learn from each other.”

    The YABs will continue to use Discord as they build on connections made during the 2022 Global Youth Summit in Indonesia.

    “I encourage everyone to cultivate the global connections you started in Assembly, see how God can work wonders through these relationships,” says Elina Ciptadi.

    It’s not too late! Anyone still wanting to use the YABs Fellowship Week materials for their church can download them here. Youth and young adults wanting to join the online community can sign up on Discord.

    About the Young AnaBaptist (YABs) Committee

    This committee represents young people before the MWC General Council and works with the MWC Executive Committee. The YABs Committee is made up of a representative from each continent and a mentor.

  • “I learned that each participant has their own accent; it comforted me to know that having an accent is normal,” says Hens Sita, a member of GITJ Kelet, Indonesia.  

    In advance of the Mennonite World Conference Assembly in Indonesia, IndoMenno (a collaborative of the three Indonesian synods*) facilitated language classes in both English and Indonesian.  

    Up to 1 000 guests, many of them English-speaking, were anticipated to attend Mennonite World Conference’s Assembly 17 in Indonesia in 2022. Some 100 local volunteers were recruited to serve them.  

    MWC offers all written and most spoken communication in English, Spanish and French. For Assemblies, English and the local language – in this case, Bahasa Indonesian – become the stage language while interpreters relay proceedings through headsets in Spanish and French.  

    Not only were Indonesians learning to speak English, MWC event staff also took lessons in Indonesian.  

    Deeper knowledge 

    Hens Sita (Interpreter: English-Indonesian), Maria Hoffscholte Spoelder, Henk Stenvers, J. Nelson Kraybill. Photo: Nelson Okanya

    MCC International supported the classes, teachers and materials. 

    For English, a two-day training session equipped teachers to offer local classes (supported by videos and written materials). The target of 60 trainers was nearly reached: each then trained multiple learners in their local congregations for more than a hundred volunteers to serve Assembly guests. 

    Hens Sita joined the classes “to have deeper knowledge of the English language and self preparation on how to welcome guests with proper and polite English.” She interpreted English into Indonesian in some workshops and appreciated the opportunity to join seminars to learn more about Mennonites during Assembly.  

    Her highlight was serving as interpreter at the Margokerto satellite site for the presidential transition from J. Nelson Kraybill to Henk Stenvers. 

    Key words and good attitudes 

    Indonesian classes were offered online twice a week for about two months for the six Assembly staff who were based in Indonesia. 

    Although the instruction wasn’t enough to learn the language, Assembly staff learned key words, basic language structure and some cultural factors. “Although I always brought someone to translate for me when meeting with people [on business], it was still very helpful [to have taken the classes],” says Ebenezer Mondez.  

    Ebenezer Mondez. Photo: Nico Yonatan

    In his work on the multilingual website and the complicated registration forms, this basic knowledge of Indonesian language and culture often proved useful. 

    Tagalog-speaking Ebenezer Mondez had an advantage in learning Indonesian from a related language family. “Because of the training, I was able to connect some dots between the two languages” and he was pleased to be able to get around the city independently. 

    “I never had any opportunities to speak Bahasa Indonesia after leaving the country and I’m afraid I will lose it in the long run,” says Ebenezer Mondez, “but I actually think it is a very important language for us in Southeast Asia since it’s spoken in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei and Timor Leste.” 

    “MWC is about creating relationships in our global family,” says Liesa Unger, chief international events officer. On a day-to-day basis, this happens between national member church leaders, but at Assemblies, MWC congregation members cross barriers to know each other face to face as members of the global Anabaptist-Mennonite family together.  

    *Today, there are three Anabaptist-Mennonite groups in Indonesia:

    • Gereja Injili di Tanah Jawa (GITJ –Evangelical Church in the Land of Java)
    • Gereja Kristen Muria Indonesia (GKMI –Muria Christian Church of Indonesia)
    • Jemaat Kristen Indonesia (JKI –Indonesian Christian Congregation)