For many Brazilian evangelicals, Pentecost is not a one-time event of the past. There is a clear awareness of the Spirit in daily life. About 70 percent of evangelical churches in Brazil are Pentecostal and the others are influenced by the Pentecostal movement.
Factors that influence our view of Pentecost
We don’t have a tradition of critical thinking in Brazil. We live with the expectation that God will change my life through a wonderful work of the Holy Spirit, as evidenced through the first outpouring at Pentecost.
Another factor that influences us is Spiritism. With influences from the practices of Umbanda, when supernatural manifestation occurs, Brazilians tend to accept what is going on without questioning or discerning if we are dealing with the Holy Spirit or other spirits.
When we hear reports of supernatural manifestations in a church, we want to see it with our own eyes to experience what God is doing today. We often read without historical awareness. In Acts 2, we skip past the wind and the proclamation aspect: the “real thing” is tongues – proof that God is at work and that we are his special people. If it happened in those days, it could and should happen again to us today (Mark 16:17–18).
This perception is so strong that those who are not of the Pentecostal camp feel they are missing something. Often, as some ask themselves why these supernatural manifestations do not occur to them or in their church today, they blame themselves for not being open for the Spirit. Others become defensive, asking if the manifestations (tongues, healing, prophecy) really change the lives of those who claim to have these gifts.
Seeking the Holy Spirit
However, neither response helps us to understand what Luke was trying to tell us.Our reading then becomes not a search for the meaning in the text, but a meaning “for me.”
When we talk about the Holy Spirit, we are often not really concerned with the Holy Spirit, but what the Spirit can give us: power.
The same worldview dominates our reading of the Gospels. There is no concern with the crucial question the Gospel writers try to get across: “Who in the world is this Jesus?” Our reading is: “What can this Jesus do for me?”
What scares us is that this question already appears in the Gospels when Jewish leaders wanted Jesus to perform a miracle before them (Matthew 12:39), or Herod, when he wished to be entertained with a miracle (Luke 23:8–9). The answer Jesus gave the Jewish leaders was the sign of Jonah, and to Herod, Jesus did not speak a word.
In our pragmatic search for the power of the Spirit, we look for personal benefits from the Spirit instead of authentic worship. In this sense, we need to hear the words of A.W. Tozer: “Whoever seeks God as a means toward desired ends will not find God.” This raises an intimidating question: If these people don’t find God, whom or what are they finding?
The work of the Spirit as transformation
Nevertheless, God’s grace is beyond our shortcomings. Even though we all read the Bible with our presuppositions, God reaches out and changes lives. Those who are open to the work of the Spirit, through the Word, personal conversations, daily situations, even supernatural manifestations, and try to discern what God is doing are being transformed. Often, we would hope this growing in faith would be much faster, however the maturing process is slow.
We are not easily changed from our view that God is at our disposal to satisfy our needs. We must learn what the Bible teaches about the Christian life, accompanied by people who model this lifestyle. We don’t need heroes; we need everyday Christians who defy the success models and have Jesus as their model.
I rejoice at the fact that as my fellow Brazilians – both Pentecostals and Mennonites – open themselves to the work of the Spirit in their lives, they are convinced of their sins (John 16:8) and guided by the Spirit to all truth (John 16:13).
We know that the work of the Spirit is far from finished in our own lives and pray that the transformation process may go on till “we become in every way like Christ” (Ephesians 4:15, New Living Translation). This might take more than a generation. We are called to model our lives according to Jesus and influence those around us. Only God can change the world.
—Arthur Duck is on faculty at Faculdade Fidelis, a Mennonite Brethren-affiliated Bible school in Curitiba, Brazil. A version of this article appeared in the MB Herald, 1 June 2011.
Émanation du Réseau Mennonite Francophone, le Centre de Formation à la Justice et à la Paix (CFJP) propose une formation anabaptiste francophone en ligne dans les domaines de la paix, de la justice et de la réconciliation.
Officiellement hébergé à Université de l’Alliance Chrétienne d’Abidjan (UACA), le CFJP a été lancé en 2017 en lien avec quinze institutions partenaires en Afrique, Europe et Amérique du Nord. Parmi elles, douze sont situées en Afrique subsaharienne.
L’ADN du projet CFJP
Le CFJP a pour but d’offrir aux responsables chrétiens des possibilités de formation académique et pratique portant sur la justice réparatrice, la transformation des conflits et la consolidation de la paix. Il vise à former des artisans de paix qui servent l’Église au sens large tout en étant enracinés dans la théologie, les valeurs et les perspectives anabaptistes. Ces artisans de la paix se concentreront sur un changement holistique à long terme, profondément ancré dans le shalom divin, qui intègre la transformation personnelle, sociale et systémique. La diversité des contextes ministériels, y compris les questions et les besoins particuliers qu’ils suscitent, nous oblige à proposer des outils, des compétences et une expertise contextualisés à l’Église et aux communautés chrétiennes. Finalement, les artisans de paix seront appelés à développer des partenariats au-delà des lignes confessionnelles, institutionnelles, organisationnelles ou culturelles.
Abidjan, février 2022
Alors que les tanks de Poutine franchissaient la frontière ukrainienne et tiraient leurs premières balles, une vingtaine de spécialistes de paix et de justice se réunissaient sur le campus de l’Université de l’Alliance Chrétienne d’Abidjan. Le groupe était chargé de concevoir les formations diplômantes d’un master dans les domaines de la justice réparatrice, de la résolution des conflits et des études sur la paix, ainsi que de proposer une première ébauche de ce programme aux écoles et aux institutions théologiques partenaires du consortium CFJP. Les participants venaient du Bénin, du Burkina Faso, de Côte d’Ivoire, de France métropolitaine et de Guadeloupe, du Nigeria, de la République Démocratique du Congo, de Suisse et du Tchad. Le groupe était constitué de professeurs et de pasteurs, de missionnaires et de militants, de diplomates et de médiateurs au niveau de la base.
Un cursus à construire
Le groupe s’est mis au travail autour de tables de conférence, discutant de la nature d’un premier master, identifiant les besoins-clés des membres de nos Églises, définissant les compétences nécessaires pour former des artisans de paix, tout en débattant vigoureusement des cours qui devraient constituer le cursus. Le partage des repas, au cours desquels nous avons eu des échanges personnels et familiaux, a permis de tisser de nouveaux liens et de poser une fondation solide au travail qui est devant nous. Nous avons également partagé les défis auxquels nous faisons face dans nos contextes respectifs ainsi que nos témoignages et parcours spirituels.
Les liens se tissent pendant les repas. Photo : Matthew Krabill
À l’écoute des besoins de l’Église
Au cours des échanges, une professeure et doyenne d’université de l’Est de la RDC a évoqué 25 ans de conflit dans sa région et le traumatisme générationnel qui en a résulté à tous les niveaux de la société. Elle a parlé en particulier de la violence à laquelle de nombreuses femmes ont été soumises, mais aussi du rôle indispensable qu’elles ont joué dans la transfiguration et le renouvellement de sa ville. Malgré les nombreuses cicatrices et les traumatismes d’un conflit prolongé, la résilience des femmes a permis à la communauté de vivre une transformation qu’elle n’aurait pas pu connaître autrement. Dans ce contexte, elle nous a implorés de répondre aux besoins de l’Église en fournissant à ses membres des outils et des compétences pratiques pour faire face aux conflits, aux divisions et aux ruptures qu’ils connaissent ; elle a insisté pour que ces compétences soient fondées sur les valeurs bibliques et la réflexion théologique afin que la communauté puisse continuer à guérir et aider les autres à faire de même.
Ce témoignage émouvant a permis, avec beaucoup d’autres, de catalyser une prise de conscience des « murs d’hostilité » destructeurs, toxiques et isolants – constituant la distanciation sociale ultime – qui ont été construits dans nos contextes, mais aussi de la puissance du Prince de la paix, qui nous a appelés à être des ambassadeurs de réconciliation.
“As a worldwide community of faith in the Anabaptist tradition, people in ministry are key to Mennonite World Conference,” says César García, MWC general secretary. After Assembly 17 and associated meetings, there are new people serving this global family of churches.
The General Council selected new continental representatives for the Executive Committee for 2022–2028:
Sindah Ngulube, a bishop from Brethren in Christ Church of Zimbabwe (Africa);
Amos Chin, a leader from Bible Missionary Church in Myanmar (Asia);
Francis Peréz de Léon, a leader from Iglesia Evangélica Menonita Boliviana (Latin America);
Doug Klassen, executive director of Mennonite Church Canada (North America).
Linda Dibble, moderator of Mennonite Church USA, will serve until 2025, finishing a term that was vacated. A representative for Europe will be appointed at the Executive Committee meetings in December, which will be held in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada.
The Executive Committee is elected from the General Council (GC) and meets annually. (During the coronavirus pandemic, these meetings took place over Zoom. Instead of several days in person, the Executive Committee met over two days several times throughout the year.)
Two members from each continental region are elected from the GC; a president and vice president are also elected by the GC. The treasurer and general secretary are also members of the Executive Committee.
At Assembly in Indonesia, the presidency of MWC transferred from J. Nelson Kraybill to president-elect Henk Stenvers from the Netherlands (2022-2028). Lisa Carr-Pries of Canada became vice president (2022-2025) to complete the term of Rebecca Osiro of Kenya, who stepped down for family reasons.
Andi O. Santoso (GKMI – Gereja Kristen Muria Indonesia – pastor from Indonesia and now regional administrator for Asia with Mennonite Mission Network) becomes Deacons Commission chair;
James Krabill (retired from Mennonite Mission Network) steps into the Mission chair (having served as Commission member 2009-2015).
At December meetings, the Executive Committee will confirm the following appointments: chair of the Peace Commission, new General Council appointments to the Commissions and new YABs Committee members.
“MWC is called to be a global communion,” declares the Mennonite World Conference Reference Notebook. “This implies that our focus is not only on the goals we want to achieve, but also on how we achieve them and what type of community we are as we move toward them.”
“MWC – Continuing the work Jesus began through worship, service, mission, and evangalism” (sic). These words are inscribed upon a wooden shepherd’s staff that J. Nelson Kraybill gave to president-elect Henk Stenvers 8 July 2022 as a symbol of Mennonite World Conference servant leadership.
During the Assembly 17 worship service at GITJ Margokerto, the presidency of Mennonite World Conference transferred from J. Nelson Kraybill (2015-2022) to Henk Stenvers (2022-2028) at GITJ Margokerto, Indonesia.
The congregation of GITJ Margokerto hosted a dozen MWC guests for four days during Assembly. Margokerto was one of the first colonies founded by Dutch Mennonite missionary P.A. Jansz for the evangelization of the region.
Speakers for evening Assembly worship services were broadcast from a different satellite location each night to the main stage at STT Sangkakala in Salatiga, Indonesia, and to online viewers around the world.
Incoming president Henk Stenvers has served a decade as Deacons Commission secretary, during which he pioneered Online Prayer Hour and played a key role in the coronavirus task force. He has served Algemene Doopsgezinde Sociëteit (the Dutch Mennonite church) and the European Mennonites for almost 20 years.
“We wholeheartedly supported Henk in the past years to travel a lot and serve in MWC…[and] express our continuing support,” said Miekje Hoffscholte-Spoelder, current chair of Algemene Doopsgezinde Sociëteit. “We know that we are but a small part of Mennonite World Conference – a very interested part, however; with many projects and friendships in other countries.”
“Our global church is deeply grateful for the ministry of Nelson Kraybill during these seven years,” says César García, MWC general secretary. “We will miss his pastoral heart, wisdom and willingness to serve unconditionally.”
“Henk’s experience as a church leader in The Netherlands and his knowledge of the world church will be a great blessing in the years to come. It will be a privilege to work with him.”
*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)
The GKMI synod office is “our home together” and a “house of prayer” for GKMI congregations. The GKMI synod had a longing: to invite the MWC executive committee, Commission secretaries, regional representatives, General Council, and MWC staff to “our home” for a welcome dinner.
Since the beginning of June, we were preparing for this 4 July 2022 event. Approximately 70 people were involved.
There was only one thing on our minds: to give the best we have, even in the midst of a lot of busyness and limitations.
Although, the GKMI synod office building is still under construction, it was transformed for the guests. All existing shortcomings were not covered, but highlighted, so that guests could see how far the work has gone and what this building will look like in the future.
The long-awaited day arrived. We were very excited (and nervous).
When the 100 guests got off the bus, they were immediately greeted by our synod board. Pagar bagus and pagar ayu (ushers) – dressed in traditional clothes of many regions in Indonesia –provided hand sanitizer and guided guests to enjoy traditional snacks: serabi from Solo; risoles, a Semarang specialty; tea and juice.
The Youth Commission of GKMI Sola Gratia accompanied by karawitan, a Javanese traditional music group from GKMI Lamper Mijen, performed the welcome dance, the Gambang Semarang Dance. Notably, Rev. Budi Santoso, pastor of the GKMI Lamper Mijen, played the bonang instrument in the gamelan.
Our eyes sparkled with joy when we saw the excitement of the guests while watching it, even capturing it with their smartphone cameras.
On the main staircase facing the pool, guests watched events in front of the chapel at the centre of the synod office. The performance of angklung, a musical instrument from West Java, played by GKMI Sola Gratia Sunday School children, punctuated speeches by the GKMI synod board and remarks from MWC president J. Nelson Kraybill (2015-2022).
MWC regional representative for Southern Africa Danisa Ndlovu receives a gift from GKMI for the Mennonite church in Ghana.
Mr. Undianto, a member of the GKMI Surakarta congregation and part of the GKMI synod office construction team, spontaneously gave offerings to Mennonite churches facing difficult times, accepted by representatives of the Mennonite church in Ghana, DR Congo and Bolivia. GKMI provided assistance through the Algemene Doopsgezinde Societeit (Dutch Mennonite church) to Mennonite brothers and sisters in Ukraine who are victims of the war. And as stated by Rev. Amos Thang Chin, GKMI has also provided financial assistance to purchase food, medicine and medical equipment for around 450 church members who were forced to flee to the forest and live in makeshift tents due to the conflict in Myanmar.
Under the shade of the night’s sky, the guests feasted on a dinner of Indonesian and international dishes, so that all could enjoy it. The meal was accompanied by soft music and lights, praises from GKMI worship and kulintang, a traditional Minahasa musical instrument, from the GKMI Sola Gratia Women’s Commission.
GKMI synod staff carefully prepared the Maumere dance, later reprised with participation.
Before the event closed, the staff of the synod office stood in the midst of the guests as traditional music with beats originating from Maumere, Sikka, East Nusa Tenggara reverberated through the sound system, followed by an exciting lighting game. We danced the Maumere dance, joined by the guests who also danced with enthusiasm!
“I have travelled to many places in the world, and I have never been greeted like this,” said J. Nelson Kraybill in his remarks, “The Mennonite brothers and sisters in Indonesia have truly wowed us with their extraordinary hospitality. Thank you!”
His words, the smiles and laughter of the guests, and our dancing together were priceless. We felt like the child who brought five loaves and two fish to Jesus (Matthew 14:13-21). Although our offerings were homespun and not fancy, they were accepted. Jesus smiled. And he made it a blessing for many!
At the event’s close, guests asked for the Maumere dance song…to dance together again! Praise the Lord!
—Mark Ryan, “berita GKMI” magazine, Indonesia. Used with permission.
Introducing the Global Family:
Conferencia Peruana Hermanos Menonitas – Peru
ICOMB Member Conference
The Peruvian Mennonite Brethren Conference has approximately 457 members and 631 attendees; it is made up of 9 established churches and a number of these have annexes. In line with the work plan of the Conference, this year visits were made to the churches; through these visits, the leaders were able to see the needs of the churches and help them, some churches needed financial support, others needed training for their leaders, also some churches required repairs due to the recent earthquake that took place in the country of Peru.
Thanks to God, the conference has the help of missionaries, such as Stacy Kuhns, who resides in the country and supports the conference. In the following months, they will receive the visit of the Chavez family, missionaries who will also contribute to the conference. Let us pray for the conference, that God will continue to send people who want to serve God in Peru.
Courses for Sunday school teachers.
Conference training courses
During the last few months, courses have been held for pastors and leaders in homiletics and hermeneutics. This training is held in the Piura and Sullana areas, because of the distance between them, so that more people can have access to the courses. Likewise, Sunday school teachers are participating in courses. These will be extended until November.
On July 21 and 22, the church is expecting a visit from Emerson Cardoso, who will conduct mission training in Piura and Sullana.
Pastors and leaders are currently studying online, thanks to the certificate courses offered by the Instituto Biblico Asuncion in Paraguay. The conference hopes to provide more pastors and leaders with laptops so that they can continue learning through virtual classes.
Visiting the construction site of Nuevo Paraíso Church- Piura
Prayer Requests
The farthest area is Trujillo, as the distance between the conference and the churches in this area is quite large, communication and visits to the church are very difficult. Pray for the churches in this area, that they may find more ways to work together and have a closer relationship.
We thank the missionaries that support and serve in this conference, and ask God to continue to raise people that want to serve in Peru.
Thank God for the training opportunities in the church, may God continue to provide the means to keep training the leaders.
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.
Germany
My church journey in and out of Mennonite and Pentecostal traditions begins before I was born. Because of a thoughtless and frankly embarrassing comment from the pulpit toward her at age 15, my mother left the Mennonite church at the age of 18.
She and my father raised their children in evangelical churches until emotional healing finally came from a church plant in New Holland, Pennsylvania, USA. Interestingly enough, though classed as non-denominational, this congregation was planted by Mennonites and was marked by the gifts of the Holy Spirit which sprang from the Pentecostal movement.
After leaving for Bible school, my own church journey took me through a spectrum of movements that some might find uncomfortable at the very least and others name as cult-like at worst. I finally found stability when I based my faith not on a movement or denomination but rather my relationship with God and in the study of God’s Word.
Anabaptist research opens questions
Also interestingly, it’s precisely because of research I did on Anabaptist history, a movement which emphasized the principles of truth from the Word, pacifism and social justice, that I began to question some things. Why did both Pentecostal and Mennonite movements back-burner things that were hallmarks of the other’s movement when good things clearly sprang out of them?
For example, why did it seem charismatic churches sent their children to Mennonite and Calvinist camps to memorize Scripture and learn more Bible stories?
On the other hand, why does it seem Mennonite preachers often relegate teaching on the Holy Spirit to a brushed off sermon once or twice a year?
Although there are secondary doctrinal issues that define us differently as Pentecostals and Mennonites, eventually I realized it doesn’t have to be an “either/ or” mentality but a “both/and.”
Pentecostal zeal enlivens faith
This realization came when I researched the history of the Anabaptist movement and I saw the zeal that fired up so many in the early days of the movement to give up their lives for the truth that they believed. It changed my thinking because I realized that their fire was as much- if not morezeal for the Lord then I experienced in any Pentecostal or charismatic church.
In my own history, more than one ancestor lost entire families for not backing down on their Protestant beliefs in France, or fled Germany with other persecuted Anabaptists.
Just as my own mother’s journey came full-circle to receive emotional and spiritual healing through a Mennonite church plant, so my family’s healing continues through the places God is leading me. Now I serve on the leadership team of a multi-cultural international church in Halle, Germany, planted through cooperation between Verband Deutsche Mennoniten, Eastern Mennonite Mission and Deutsches Mennonitisches Missionskomitee.
Balance guides multi-cultural welcome
The balance I’ve learned of acknowledging the Holy Spirit as much as loving the Father in Jesus Christ as a living and active part of the God I worship has served me well.
At Soli Deo Church, we offer services in multiple languages at almost every gathering including Sunday services, so we’ve learned we need a similar balance. We have to be patient and be open with people from all sorts of different backgrounds as much as they have to be patient with us.
There is a balance between holding onto our beliefs that may be based on Western church culture and recognizing that other cultures have an expression of Jesus inside of them that is based on their backgrounds as they come to the Father through the Son and the Holy Spirit. We may look different, but we are one as we look toward Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2).
Learning to listen to each other in love is so important. Some who have joined us are not comfortable with overt expressions of the Holy Spirit that came out of the Pentecostal movement while others find it essential to their belief practice. And yet both groups have found a home with us. They all want to worship together, so we find a way where some would say there is no way.
It is precisely the appreciation of Anabaptist principles of following Jesus held in balance with the spontaneity of the presence and action of the Holy Spirit that equips me to help lead an international church.
That kind of love and appreciation of differences is the very message of the gospel and is what keeps us fellowshipping together despite our multi-cultural backgrounds. And I believe learning this balance will thrust us into the next big movement of God on this earth.
—Kellie Swope is a member of the leadership team of Soli Deo Church, a Mennonite church in Halle, Germany.
An Executive Committee is elected from the General Council and meets annually. Two members from each continental region are elected from the General Council; a president and vice-president are also elected by the General Council. A president-elect begins a term three years before the handover of responsibilities. The treasurer and general secretary are also members of the Executive Committee.
See the October 2021 issue of Courier to meet the officers.
Africa representatives
Samson Omondi
Congregation: Majiwa Mennonite Church, Kisumu, Kenya
“It is an honour to serve the global Church through MWC because it provides an excellent opportunity to share experiences and ideas from varied cultures all over the world.”
Asia/Pacific representatives
Paul Phinehas
Congregation: Gilgal Mission Trust Pollachi, Tamil Nadu, India
“I am grateful to be part of MWC because we can do more together than we can as individual flock, and we gather together to worship God in the ways he has exposed in the Bible.”
MZ Ichsanudin
Congregation: GITJ Semarang, Central Java, Indonesia|
“It is an honour to be involved in the ministry of the church globally through Mennonite World Conference (MWC) because organizationally, MWC is the only forum for churches that specifically promote peace, not only on a small scale, but on a world level; between faiths, between tribes and nations. How to achieve peace without going to war using weapons and politics is a big challenge for MWC. We do not only think for ourselves but for all human beings on this earth.”
Europe representatives
Alexander Neufeld
Congregation: Evangelischmennonitische Freikirche Dresden, Germany
“I am grateful to be part of MWC because it boosts my sense of belonging to a wonderful family of faith and provides me with an opportunity to meet and to interact with so many loving and interesting people. My prayer for the global AnabaptistMennonite church is that we may glorify Christ and make known the Gospel of Jesus and his way of relating and living.”
Wieteke van der Molen
Congregation: Doopsgezind Gemeente Schoorl, Netherlands
“The most beautiful thing in MWC is that we try: try to reach out, to truly listen (to each other, ourselves, God), to see Christ looking at us through the eyes of a brother or sister. We fail utterly and completely and constantly. In understanding, in communicating, in truly helping each other, in creating a safe space for all of our brothers and sisters to join in that one story about God and humankind. And still we try. It is this trying and failing and trying again, that builds the kingdom of God.”
North America representatives
Lisa Carr Pries
Congregation: Nith Valley Mennonite Church, New Hamburg, Canada
“As a volunteer, I desire to engage people in the vision of Mennonite World Conference by holding out Jesus’ hope and Christ’s light so that they are transformed, known deeply as God’s beloved children and can notice God’s activity.”
Caribbean, Central and South America representatives
Carlos Martínez García
Congregation: Fraternidad Cristiana/Vida Nueva (CIEAMM), Mexico
“It is a great privilege and blessing to get to know the challenges and opportunities that our global family faces. It is enriching to share our experiences and projects related to being Christ followers in an increasingly diverse world.”
Juan Silverio Verón Aquino
Congregation: Iglesia Maranata de los Hermanos Menonitas (Mennonite Brethren), Asunción, Paraguay
“My prayer for the global Anabaptist church is that it continues to carry Christ’s peace to every corner of the Earth.”
Vacant **
Africa
*Steven Mang’ana Watson died 4 March 2021
North America
*Bill Braun’s term came to an end in December 2021 when his local congregation Willow Avenue Mennonite was suspended from membership in the US Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches.
When we look back at what happened in the last two years all throughout the world, one could just offer a sigh. We were never prepared for this.
Being locked down for several months in the Philippines forced us to reconfigure our social life. We tend to look at each family member from a different angle; the pandemic has made us realize that our families are treasures that we should nourish.
Everyone was worried about getting simple colds or a little sneezing, as this could be interpreted differently. When you went to the hospital for a check -up, there was a chance that you would be put in an isolation room with no relatives near you.
Panic and loneliness are our worst enemy.
Simply not having control over the situation and feeling disempowered makes us feel lost.
One good thing that happened during this disruptive and challenging situation was that our creativity was squeezed.
In our country, movement of goods stalled because of lock down. People were hungry. Agricultural products need to move.
This caused a new concept to emerge: “Produce Peace Plus” was born. Produce Peace Plus was a way of moving produce from the farm to the consumer’s table while providing a solution for products discarded because of lock down. We were able to deliver food to people in need.
Creativity comes from our great Creator.
As human beings, we submit to the one who created us, we say, “Not my will, but your will be done.”
Although we enjoy God’s creation, we must not worship Creation itself rather than the Creator. When we trust God, the creative Creator provides imaginative ways to respond to the challenges that emerge during the pandemic and beyond.
—Joji Pantoja is chair of the Peace Commission and founder and chief executive officer of Coffee for Peace in Davao, Philippines.
Vietnam
History
There are two expressions of Anabaptism in Vietnam: H·ªôi Thánh Mennonite Vi·ªát Nam (Vietnam Mennonite Church – VMC) was founded in 1964 by the Vietnam Mennonite Mission, a ministry of Eastern Mennonite Missions begun in 1957. After a time of inactivity following the change in government in 1975, it reconvened in the 1980s and was recognized officially by the current government in 2007. The Vietnam Evangelical Mennonite Church (unregistered) had its beginnings in 1998 and organized formally in 2004, combining several indigenous expressions encouraged by Vietnamese Mennonites from Canada.
Jesus at the centre
In Vietnam, what it is to be an AnabaptistMennonite is presented as simply living out the gospel as received. Jesus is the centre of our faith, community is the centre of our life and reconciliation is the centre of our work. This approach taught by North American pastor and teacher Palmer Becker resonates well with Vietnamese people.
Mennonite pastors and leaders share this message their preaching. It is easy to understand and attractive. People inside and outside the church find this resonates in their hearts.
Peace and gentleness from the nonviolent teachings of Anabaptism are also part of the transformative message that reaches Vietnamese Mennonites and shapes how they deal with one another. “It affects all areas of life,” say the Mennonite pastors. “Following Jesus in peace brings reconciliation to every body.”
For non-believers, it is freeing to talk about sin and to learn how Jesus brings liberation from sin. Traditional evangelical church members find this approach is liberating.
This message is also attractive to indigenous house church groups who are not part of any network of churches. As a result of hearing this articulation of faith, some ask about joining the Mennonite denomination.
“To demonstrate our beliefs, we live out those beliefs in Christ daily,” say Vietnamese Mennonite pastors. “Christian faith is a ‘lived-out’ faith, not just a system of beliefs.”
A Mennonite church service in Hai Phong, Vietnam. Photos courtesy of EMM
Lived out faith
In the Northern part of Vietnam, some Mennonite churches are very hot in evangelism, testifying to their faith in the power of the Holy Spirit. The women evangelize daily while shopping in the market. Some are vendors who share the gospel with their customers. They see healings as they share the gospel. When people come to believe in Jesus, church member evangelists bring them to the pastor for teaching.
In the Central and Southern parts of the country, there are nine organized mission teams of Mennonite church members who go out on mission every month.
There is a team on the border of Cambodia, one in the most westerly part (Kien Giang).
Pastor Hoang Bich leads a team in Da-nang reaching out to the Ka-tu ethnic group. They are also working with a university student group.
One team in Quang Ngai (Central Region) is very active.
Additionally, there is an Eastern region team, a Daklak team, two teams in Soc Trang, and a Ca Mau team.
The teams do house-to-house outreach. They reach out to people they know, family members, and people in the designated provinces. Once they have a group who has shown interest, they start a Bible study for preparation for baptism.
In the most southern province (Ca Mau), Pastor Quyen leads a team. He dedicated his life to serve Jesus after his daughter took ill and had been pronounced dead by the doctor, but came back to life as his wife continued to pray.
He is very active and has gathered a group of people for Bible study. The study group is very disciplined, almost like medieval monastery
In the era of COVID-19, Pastor Quyen preaches every other day on the internet (via Zoom). His virtual congregation is so large – nearly 1 000 people listening in at one time – it pushes the platform limit.
Among those who are encountering Christ through the ministry of Pastor Quyen, there are demonstrations of the Holy Spirit and miracles. Some people choose to move to be near his church. He also contacts other local churches to meet face-to-face with people who have connected via his Zoom ministry.
In the Quang Ngai, Soc Trang, Thu Duc, and Binh Thanh areas of Vietnam, the members are reaching out to the poor
Although the churches are not large in size, they are large in impact.
Crossing barriers
Mennonite churches take root in the countryside and the city. The primary minority ethnic groups the VMC is reaching out to are S’tieng, Kor, Bahnar, H’mong, Ka-tu, Ede, De, Khmer, Cham. Today, about 50 percent of the memberships are from at least 10 different ethnic minority groups. The other half are Vietnamese.
The urban groups reach out to rural ethnic persons who move to the city for work, education and opportunities.
The church members follow the Holy Spirit’s guidance. “We are free and open to embrace all the gifts of the Spirit, according to Bible teachings,” say the Vietnamese pastors. This is in contrast to the traditional evangelical churches who tend to discourage or not recognize some of the gifts of the Spirit.
Although it is not formalized, Vietnamese Mennonite churches also follow Jesus across barriers by recognizing women to serve as pastors and in leadership.
Challenges and opportunities
A Mennonite evangelist prays with a community member in Quang Ninh, Vietnam. Photos courtesy of EMM
Like many fast-growing churches, their strength presents a difficulty: the church is growing fast, so they need a way to train leaders quickly. COVID-19 hampers some of the financial activities of the church as members livelihoods are affected by the slowed down economy.
Many people – even in the rural areas – have been able to get vaccinated. “This brings hope,” the pastors say.
VMC does not have an office and training centre. When COVID-19 shutdowns are in the past, the need for a centre will be more pressing. The church’s faithful outreach among those who are poor is growing the church, but its financial capacity remains small.
With support from Vietnamese Mennonites in the USA, the churches were able to reach out to their neighbours with medical, social help and food during the worst of pandemic infections. “It demonstrates the heart of loving of Anabaptists for the people in Vietnam,” say the Mennonite pastors.
Although COVID-19 curtailed some possibilities, it also created new opportunities for online study, training and fellowship. Bible studies and other training have been occurring via Zoom, which brings together people from a distance – including East and West – with minimal time and financial cost.
This is also an opportunity for youth. “We envision involving younger folks from other countries who have a heart for mission to relate to the youth leaders in Vietnam,” say the Mennonite pastors. “Could teenagers in the Mennonite World Conference community regularly connect with youth in Vietnam?”
The youth of Vietnam, many of whom know how to speak English, are ready to maximize on the internet connected world, in fellowship, learning and reaching out. “This has potential to turn missions upside-down. This is an opportunity for youth around the globe,” say the Mennonite pastors.
The global family
VMC remembers with fondness the MWC fraternal delegation visit from five continents in 2008 on the occasion of their legal recognition by the Vietnam government authorities. This was very meaningful as the MWC delegation spent three days with church leaders and visited congregations, demonstrating foot washing, among other things.
VMC was happy to become a member church of MWC in 2009 in Paraguay. “We appreciate the opportunities for fellowship with believers around the globe on the occasions of General Council and General Assembly meetings. May these relationships increase and deepen,” say the Mennonite pastors.
They are eager to connect with other Mennonites close by within Asia, and to develop more connections with Eastern Mennonite Missions in the USA.
Young people have participated with the International Volunteer Exchange Program (IVEP) of Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), which first made its presence known in Vietnam in 1954. “Several of our youth have benefited significantly through this program,” they say.
A growing church
The Mennonite church is Vietnam is a testimony that God is working. “The Vietnam Mennonite Church (VMC) senses God’s favour at this time,” say the pastors. COVID-19 does not hamer the simple message: we are all sinners and need Jesus. With Jesus, people enjoy newfound freedom, peace and protection.
During this pandemic, many people suffer mental problems due to uncertainties. Standing on the rock of Christ Jesus, Vietnamese Mennonites find comfort and reassurance that they bring to others. “There is no need to worry; God cares for you!”
-Article contributors: Vietnamese pastors Huynh Dinh Nghia, president, VMC; Huynh Minh Dang, general secretary, VMC; and Tuyen Nguyen, bishop, LMC – a fellowship of Anabaptist churches responded to questions from Gerry H. Keener, international worker with Eastern Mennonite Mission.
With its national motto of “unity in diversity,” Indonesia proved a fitting host for the 17th Assembly of Mennonite World Conference – downsized by COVID-19 restrictions but full of joy, beauty and fellowship.
In an outdoor venue at a Mennonite Bible college (JKI) on a mountaintop in the city of Salatiga on the island of Java, Anabaptists from 44 countries gathered 5–10 July 2022 for the global church reunion that’s held every six years — or seven, in this case, after a postponement due to the coronavirus pandemic.
A Christian celebration in a nation that is 87 percent Muslim, the event concluded with Sunday morning worship at the 12 000-seat Holy Stadium – home of JKI Injil Kerajaan, a Mennonite congregation that is one of Indonesia’s largest churches – in nearby Semarang.
The pandemic long ago dashed hopes to fill the Anabaptist megachurch. MWC capped attendance at 1 000 because “we didn’t see how we could follow all the government’s rules that came with over 1 000,” said Liesa Unger, MWC chief international events officer. “Our biggest fear was not COVID itself but being shut down by the government.”
On-site registration was 1 144 — 594 for the entire week and 550 for a day. Sixty-four came from the United States and 31 from Canada. At least 789 registered to watch the livestream individually or in groups around the world.
The lack of MWC’s usual throng – the average daily attendance of 700 was about 10 percent of a typical Assembly – did not diminish the significance of getting a taste of what God is doing through about 107,000 Anabaptist Christians (from three synods: GKMI, GITJ and JKI)* in a Muslim-dominant and diversity-affirming nation.
Religious harmony
GKMI Winong
Didik Hartono, pastor of the GKMI congregation in Winong Village, told how his church and a neighbouring mosque live out Indonesia’s vision of religious harmony.
The meeting places of the two faiths “seem to be as one,” he said, because a canopy extends across the street, connecting them.
A video featured church and mosque members describing their friendship and cooperation as an example of “the ideals of Indonesia.”
“May we all keep on building the brotherhood values and live in peace with everyone and also with ones who are not the same religion as us,” Hartono said.
In one evening service, Sufi Muslim dervishes, or semazens, demonstrated the spiritual ritual of whirling. Wearing floor-length white frocks, long-sleeved white jackets and black felt hats, five men from Jepara’s Sufi Islamic community spun in circles, with arms raised, while women from the church sang and a band played. Sufism is a mystical form of Islam. Whirling is a meditative practice to draw closer to God.
The Sufi religious dance was livestreamed from the Jepara GITJ congregation. Because the congregation works closely with the local Sufi community, the pastor wanted to invite Sufi participation, and MWC officials agreed, Unger said.
The fact that the Sufi dancers were not present in Salatiga reflected the hybrid character of the assembly. Even on site, conference-goers became livestream watchers. To involve four congregations in Central Java that had expected to host visitors, MWC arranged for them to host parts of four evening services. Projected on a screen behind the stage, speakers and musicians at the remote sites reached local audiences and the main conference crowd.
Disappointments
Some conference-goers got COVID-19 and had to miss part of the Assembly. Everyone took a rapid test upon arrival. About 5 percent tested positive, but no one got seriously ill, Unger said. Everyone was asked to wear a mask at all times.
César García, MWC general secretary, tested positive and had to quarantine for part of the week. Substitutes read the messages of two speakers, Salomé Haldemann of France and Willi Hugo Perèz of Guatemala.
After more than two years of uncertainty and changing plans, organizers were relieved to pull the event off.
At times, the Assembly itself seemed in doubt, said Paulus Widjaja, who chairs MWC’s national advisory committee in Indonesia. He’s grateful it wasn’t cancelled, but downsizing was a disappointment.
“We were planning to have about 10 000 people,” Widjaja said. “We had hoped the president of Indonesia might come to the opening ceremony. We believed that if we invited him, he would come. Then corona came, and everything – poof!”
Unger said: “I’m happy that we moved it by a year, because last year was the worst COVID time. India was in the media, but Indonesia was suffering even more.”
Worship styles
International Ensemble
On Assembly’s four full days, conference-goers worshipped both morning and evening, with workshops and tours in the afternoon. An international ensemble led 45 minutes of singing to start the morning service and half an hour to open the evening meeting.
Singers from around the world contributed diverse styles. On opening night, the worship team from the 18 000-member Jakarta Praise Community Church – one of several JKI congregations that are among the largest churches in all of Indonesia – brought high energy and rock-concert volume.
Worshipers heard two featured speakers each morning and one each evening, plus other stories and testimonies, building on the assembly theme, “Following Jesus Together Across Barriers.”
Each of the four full days focused on a different continent, and speakers addressed different aspects of what Anabaptists can do together: Europe, learning; Asia, living; Latin America, caring; Africa, celebrating. North America was featured in the opening service.
Peace under consideration
Many speakers offered personal views of events and situations in their countries and described how Anabaptists are seeking to bring peace and ease suffering.
Jeremiah Choi, a pastor in Hong Kong, told of demonstrations and violence in recent years in response to the Chinese government’s crackdown on Hong Kong’s freedom.
Many people are leaving Hong Kong for the United Kingdom, including 10 percent of his congregation, Agape Mennonite Church, “to seek a place of freedom and hope,” Choi said. But he has vowed to stay, to build the church and work for peace.
“If you are facing an unpredictable tomorrow,” Choi said, “look up to God, and look to your calling.”
Tigist Tesfaye Gelagle, a leader from Ethiopia, addressed the theme of celebration by asking how it was possible to celebrate amid the sins of war, hunger, racism, oppression of women and “when I am treated like a criminal at immigration in most countries. When I am treated as a terrorist. When I am at the mercy of my superiors. How can I enjoy and dance and worship?”
Celebration is possible, she said, when we treat each other as significant.
“Unless we are significant to each other, there is no celebration of togetherness,” she said. “Seeing significance in others crosses barriers. I can forget my pain if I am significant to you.”
Salomé Haldemann of France suggested Europeans needed to be trained in peacemaking by those in the global church with experience resisting war. “Suddenly our theology and beliefs feel obsolete. A storm took over Europe, and our convictions collapsed.”
“We affirmed nonviolence when our context was peaceful, but in the face of war we see nonviolent resistance as naïve and unrealistic,” said Salomé Haldemann, a graduate of Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary. Anne Hansen of Germany read her address.
Citing the tradition of calls to action at MWC Assemblies, she noted that in 1967 in Amsterdam, USA civil rights leader Vincent Harding called on Mennonites to “come alongside Black sisters and brothers in the freedom struggle.”
In 1984 in Strasbourg, USA writer and professor Ron Sider encouraged starting a nonviolent peace force, which sparked the creation of Community Peacemaker Teams.
“What does it look like to practice love of the enemy on a collective level in our time and place?” Salomé Haldemann said.
“Maybe Mennonites could prepare for war resistance with an anti-military service, like a nonviolent resistance boot camp. It might be time for us to create a widespread training for church people to learn and practice the basics of civil resistance.”
Gamelan
YAB (Young AnaBaptist) Committee member Ebenezer Mondez of the Philippines cited persecution in India and political violence in Myanmar as places where Christians are suffering but getting less attention than Ukraine.
After praising Mennonites in Ukraine who are helping their neighbours through the hardships caused by Russia’s invasion – and commending those who have sent aid to Ukraine – he said: “I challenge us to do the same for our brothers and sisters in India and Myanmar. Let us learn more about their situation and how we can be the hands and feet of Christ in times of need.”
“In times of trouble, we are the extension of God’s hand,” Ebenezer Mondez said. “The miracles of God come through us. This is what living together in times of crisis looks like. We forget about our differences and disagreements, and we find our common goal for peace. Truly, crisis and hardship bring out the best in us.”
Desalegn Abebe, president of the Meserete Kristos Church in Ethiopia – whose 370 000 members make it the world’s largest Anabaptist denomination – invited everyone to the next assembly, in Ethiopia in 2028.
At the closing worship service on Sunday morning at Holy Stadium, more than 1 000 attended, sitting in every other seat for social distancing. H. Ganjar Pranowo, governor of Central Java, a region of 36 million people, greeted the crowd with references to peacemaking and Anabaptist history.
He said Indonesia’s president, Joko Widodo, was seeking to mediate between Russia and Ukraine to stop the war.
“When there is bloodshed between countries, it is our duty to seek peace between them,” he said. “Whatever the reason for war, it can never be justified.”
H. Ganjar Pranowo cited a story that many Anabaptists would recognize as the Martyrs Mirror account of 16th-century martyr Dirk Willems. He spoke in Indonesian, with the English translation projected on a screen.
He said he would not need to tell others to “imitate the Mennonites in practicing and spreading peacefulness” – as Willems did – because the principles of peace and truth are “embedded in every human soul.”
In the week’s final message, Nindyo Sasongko, an Indonesian GKMI pastor who teaches at Fordham University and lives in New York City, USA, wrapped up the theme of crossing barriers by linking it to the biblical story of Ruth, a Moabite woman who vowed to follow her Israelite mother-in-law wherever she went.
Henk Stenvers and H. Ganjar Pranowo
An even stronger communion
In her loyalty to Naomi, Ruth showed profound courage, breaking boundaries of nationality and religion, Sasongko said. When we follow Jesus across barriers, he said, we also follow the example of Ruth.
“Reconciliation cannot be achieved when there is no commitment to cross boundaries,” he said.
The presidency of MWC passed from J. Nelson Kraybill of the United States to Henk Stenvers of the Netherlands. A medical doctor, Stenvers has served on the MWC Deacons Commission for 10 years.
At the closing ceremony, Henk Stenvers, the new MWC president, looked toward the future.
“Now at the end of this great gathering, we look ahead with energy and hope,” he said. “In 2025, we hope to commemorate the birth of Anabaptism in Zurich and, God willing, in six years another assembly in Ethiopia. We all will work hard to make Mennonite World Conference an even stronger communion of faithful followers of Christ.”
—written by Paul Schrag, editor of Anabaptist World, a USA-based magazine. Reprinted with permission.
*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)
The power of resilience
A Peace Sunday 2022 testimony
“The vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter’s hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as seemed good to him” (Jeremiah 18:4).
This theme has been discussed a lot recently, especially since the pandemic, while some of us may be struggling with health concerns, loss of hope, and so on. What exactly is resilience?
During my training with Mindanao Peacebuilding Institute in 2018, I met a Palestinian Christian woman who shared about her life within a war zone. My biggest question is how can they have such a resilient, strong character, endurance, in the midst of their chaotic, and horrific place to live? How has she and her family managed to live her entire existence in the middle of persecution, hostility and even bomb explosions? She revealed that one of her closest friends was killed in a bombing. I’m not sure how she manages to survive in such a setting.
Resilience is defined as the ability to bounce back from adversity, adapt, move on and, in certain cases, even flourish, writes Eilene Zimmerman. Genetics, personal history, environment and situational context all play a role in an individual’s resilience.1
I believe that resilience may be built in individuals and societies via crisis, challenges, calamities, tragedies, hardships and sufferings where they can make peace with the situation and adjust to uncertainty. This is the strength of internal resilience.
Viktor E. Frankl, in his legendary book about his time in a concentration camp, says, “one could make a victory of those experiences, turning life into an inner triumph, or one could ignore the challenge and simply vegetate, as did a majority of the prisoners.”2 This is a powerful thought borne out by real experience about the ability to achieve resilience amid adversity.
During my Psychosocial and trauma healing class at Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary (AMBS), I learned about the art of kintsugi. Kintsugi is a wonderful skill of restoring shattered objects by lacquering the cracks and meticulously dusting them with gold powder. The golden flaws, according to the Japanese tradition, make the pieces even more precious. It’s lovely to think of this technique as a metaphor for our life, to imagine our damaged, challenging, broken or painful aspects radiating light, gold and beauty.
Kintsugi teaches us that broken parts of our bodies make us stronger and better than we were before. When we think we’re broken, we can pick up the pieces, put them back together, and learn to appreciate the cracks.3
In the Old Testament, God the Jehovah – also known as the potter’s hand – makes Israel into a new vessel (Jeremiah 18:4). I like the word “reworked” here. I believe this is a process of becoming a new creation, a new person, that only God and us can make happen.
It is a journey of our encounter with God and, at the same time, our practice of self-awareness, self-discovery, self-healing or self-transformation to be a new vessel in the hand of the Creator for God’s purpose and glory.
This Peace Sunday, as we remember many hardships, wounds, traumas, challenges, suffering or pain in whatever season we are in, with God’s help and loving hands, we can be reworked as a new person and a new community of God.
Are we willing to embrace our brokenness, vulnerability, and scars to be transformed into a more resilient community of God so that we might empower those around us?
This is the power of resilience: working with God to co-create a newness in ourselves; to be more prolific, alive; to be a new human being; and to be a new people of God in this changing world. Let’s make peace with our broken pieces!
—Andi O. Santoso is a member of the Mission Commission. He is an ordained minister in the GKMI Mennonite church in Indonesia, currently studying at AMBS.
Eilene Zimmerman, “What Makes Some People More Resilient Than Others”, New York Times (https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/18/health/resilience-relationships-trauma.html)
Viktor Emil Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning: An Introduction to Logotherapy (New York: Pocket Books, 1959, 1963), 115.
Candice Kumai, “Honor your imperfections with the Japanese art of ‘Kintsugi’,” Shine (https://advice.theshineapp.com/articles/honor-your-imperfections-with-the-japanese-art-of-kintsugi/)
Samson Omondi
Paul Phinehas
MZ Ichsanudin
Alexander Neufeld
Wieteke van der Molen
Lisa Carr Pries
Carlos Martínez García
Juan Silverio Verón Aquino
Crossing barriers
