Prayers of gratitude and intercession

  • 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.

    Read more: For a more complete history of Mennonites in Vietnam, read Chapter 9 in Churches Engage Asian Traditions Global Mennonite History Series: Asia; © 2011 by Good Books.

    This article first appeared in Courier / Correo / Courrier, April 2022

  • 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.

    World assembly small but full of joy

    *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.

    Peace Sunday 2022

    1. 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)
    2. Viktor Emil Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning: An Introduction to Logotherapy (New York: Pocket Books, 1959, 1963), 115.
    3. 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/)

  • General Council meeting

    As the Muslim call to prayer wafted on the air through open doors, the General Council worshipped, prayed, and considered the global fellowship of churches in Mennonite World Conference.

    The in-person triennial meetings of leaders of MWC national member churches in Indonesia 1-4 July 2022 were cut short as COVID-19 positives put leaders into isolation.

    After an unscheduled day of rest 3 July, the members affirmed the new Commission chair appointments, new members on the Executive Committee (selected by regional caucus meetings) and the appointment of Lisa Carr-Pries as vice-president to finish the term of Rebecca Osiro who stepped down due to family commitments. The General Council authorized the Executive Committee to decide on the remaining proposals, with one member noting lack of support.

    Earlier, the General Council affirmed the reception of two new national member churches (Communauté Mennonite de Kinshasa, DR Congo and Mennonite Brethren Church in Malawi).

    This brings global membership from 107 (in 2018) to 109 national churches and one international association.

    “We cling to your prayer”

    Each evening, Sunoko Lin led “life in the global church” where leaders shared and the body prayed.

    “We feel that we are the forgotten people and the forgotten country,” said Myanmar church leader Amos Chin when it was his turn to share. “The most difficult time and turmoil in Myanmar is the great door that God has opened for evangelization. This is the most rewarding time of our mission field. We don’t request financial support, but we believe…prayer can make a difference. We cling to your prayer.”

    Former MWC general secretary Larry Miller offered a resourcing session on church unity based on Ephesians 1:9-10. “Nothing is outside the unity that will result from God’s grace – no person, thing, nothing,” he said. “May we in MWC be instruments contributing to rather than stumbling blocks impeding the unfolding and fulfillment of that divine plan.”

    A strong rope

    “Many small strings make a strong rope,” said Arli Klassen, regional representatives coordinator, in her report on Fair Share, MWC’s membership fees adjusted to national income levels and church size. Proposed changes to Fair Share include lowering the assessed amount for large national churches and no longer counting individual contributions toward Fair Share.

    “Negotiation is always possible,” said Arli Klassen, “but it helps the churches’ feeling about the amount when commitment is not too far away from assessment.”

    For example, she said: “Like other member churches, Vietnam always met the Fair Share amount that they negotiated and promised, which was not quite the assessed amount for this term.”

    MWC’s work is not primarily project-based, said Jeanette Bissoon, chief operations officer, in her report, therefore administrative costs tend to be high in comparison to other expenses. In this triennium, development staffing was increased with a new strategy to raise more funds.

    “Increasing the strength of MWC allows us to better support our churches to allow them to grow,” says Jeanette Bissoon. 

    Commissions proposals

    “[The Declaration on Conscientious Objection shaped by the Peace Commission] arose from petitions from churches regarding the struggles they face in their contexts,” said Andrew Suderman, Peace Commission secretary. “Conscientious objection is not foreign; we have a long history of Mennonites declaring themselves as conscientious objectors to war, to [military] service, to conscription.”

    “It shows a historic connection to another body,” says Glen Guyton, executive director of MC USA, who withdrew from the military after becoming a Mennonite. “If I had something like that at my disposal, I would have put it in my packet. It helps.”

    Faith and Life Commission commended the reception of the baptism report from the 2013-2017 trilateral dialogues with Lutherans and Catholics. “You have a job,” César García, MWC general secretary, said to the General Council delegates. “Study this document in your communities.”

    John D. Roth, Faith and Life Commission secretary, reviewed the name change proposal. “There was positive response from the churches that asked for name change when MWC explained this process,” he said. General Council delegates are instructed to take the suggested name: Anabaptist-Mennonite World Communion to their church leaders and direct feedback to the Executive Committee. The name will come before the General Council in 2025 for final discernment.  

  • An unforgettable gathering of the nations

    After two years of virtual meetings, ICOMB hosted a face-to-face summit in May 2022, inviting close to 100 global Mennonite Brethren delegates from more than 20 countries – leaders of both established conferences and representatives of emerging conferences – to participate, along with Multiply staff and global workers, in an unforgettable gathering of the nations.

    In addition to the ICOMB Assembly, where key delegates were involved with presenting their regional reports and leaning into challenging decisions facing their conferences and churches, presentations refreshed our understanding of the spiritual, theological and organizational foundations of our shared MB history, and strengthened our sense of kinship.

    Rudi Plett (Paraguay; ICOMB Executive Director) gave an overview of the MB story and values, as well as clarifying the overall missional goals of ICOMB to facilitate relationships and ministries that enhance the witness and discipleship of its member national churches – connecting, strengthening and expanding.

    Plenary talks exposed us to Anabaptist and MB history and implications for the equipping of emerging church networks (Vic Wiens), the complexities and benefits of multi-ethnic churches and church conferences (Elton da Silva of the Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches, Don Morris of U.S. Mennonite Brethren Conference, and lead pastor Ray Harms Wiebe of Willingdon Church, B.C., Canada), theology and leadership development (Mark Wessner of MB Biblical Seminary, and Hartmut August, director of Faculdade Fidelis, an inter-Mennonite Christian college in Brazil), and multiple pragmatic workshops that addressed strategies for mission mobilization (Emerson Cardoso of Brazil, Safari Bahati Mutabesha of Malawi, Ravi Sankara Rao and G. Ross of India, José Prada of Colombia, Johann Matthies and Heinrich Rempel of Germany, and other Multiply representatives such as Doug Hiebert, Nasser al’Qahtani, and Bob Davis). All workshops were well attended and peppered with lively discussion in multiple languages.

    Of special mutual blessing was the presence of Multiply board chair Wendi Thiessen, four other board members, and new general director Bruce Enns. A better venue in which for them to experience the diversity and heart of MB global mission could not be imagined.

    The summit was followed by a conference called Despertar (Awakening) 22, aimed at awakening of our love for God, for his church and for the lost. ICOMB itself was conceived at a Despertar conference in this same location in 1988, where first was envisioned a body that would develop the global MB identity, connect national church leaders through an annual assembly of leaders and strengthen national churches by coaching leaders through challenges they face in their global context.

    Despertar 22 included a refreshing of this vision through worship, testimonies, plenary sessions and workshops. Each session brought fresh opportunities for small group prayer, discussion, convivial mealtimes, worship, celebration and corporate grieving over our missing delegates from Ukraine.

    At the end of this conference, despite many having succumbed to mild COVID-19 infections, spirits were high. Those who could then launched into preplanned excursions, some of which were primarily touristic and recreational and others, such as the trip to the Amazon, facilitating ongoing outreach among indigenous people groups in Brazil.

    —Nikki White, Multiply writer, Canada

    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.

  • “I invite all people to think about the love that Jesus shared and how we can share that same love in our communities,” says pastor Yeanny Moestikasari Soeryo, director of Balai Karya Berkat, a rehabilitation center for people with special needs in Semarang, Indonesia. By reflecting on this question, the simple yet compelling shalom vision of Luke 7:22 has led Pastor Yeanny to a life of ministry, both in and out of the church.

    After nearly 30 years as a pastor, Pastor Yeanny, who entered ministry at 24, began to hear a call from Scripture. As she read about the banquet table in Luke 7:22 and the instructions to walk as Jesus walked in 1 John 2:6, she noticed people with special needs were underrepresented in her church.

    Around 2012, the dream to provide vocational training according to the specific needs of the participants was presented to Pastor Yeanny’s church. Members of GKMI Semarang church began to donate – not only money, but also land.

    In 2013, after working with community members, word of mouth began to spread, gathering a participant base. Pastor Yeanny created a permanent location for workshops for the members of Balai Karya Berkat to take courses in batik, sewing, massage, motorcycle repair, flower arrangement, hairdressing, make-up, woodworking and online business.

    Since its establishment, more than 100 people have been trained through Balai Karya Berkat. They gain professional skills that make an economically sustainable life possible.

    While visiting Indonesia in 2017, Liesa Unger, MWC chief international events officer, met Pastor Yeanny and the two began to develop a product Balai Karya Berkat could create for Assembly participants: handmade tote bags in a batik style.

    In 2019, Pastor Yeanny presented the first prototype. Assembly staff ordered 10 000 bags. Since then, the participants have been working diligently to finish one of the largest orders in their history, having already finished more than 7 000 bags and hoping to be able to finish the last part of the order by the time Assembly begins in July.

    “When Jesus came to the world he loved everyone. We are all created in one image, so we need to treat everyone as children of God,” says Pastor Yeanny. “When people take their MWC bags with them, they will be able to remember who the people were that made the bags, and that they are beloved by God.”

    Each on-site Assembly participant will receive a bag. Information is forthcoming on how to order a souvenir bag.

     

  • Assembly is a life changing experience. This event every six years was the “conference” in Mennonite World Conference for several decades. It remains a highlight for members around the world – both those who are working daily to foster connections within the AnabaptistMennonite family, and those who mainly attend the big events.

    It is a time when Anabaptist-Mennonites from around the world encounter each other in our differing worship styles – especially the more Pentecostal influenced styles that often characterize the Global South.

    “Once you’ve been to one, you can’t stop because a global fellowship like this is rare,” says Elina Ciptadi, who first went to Assembly in Zimbabwe in 2003.

    “My favorite memory is the exuberance and joy of making music together with songs from all around the world,” says Mark Wenger, a pastor from Pennsylvania who sang in the 2015 international choir.

    These memories drive excitement for the extra-long-awaited Assembly 17 in Indonesia. It was postponed one year due to the pandemic.

    The long tail of the pandemic touches Assembly as well; attendance is restricted to 700 participants – far below the expected thousands. But we hope to gather nevertheless, as we have learned these past two years, connecting as tiny faces on screens and tenuous internet links.

    “[Assembly is] where we find co-conspirators on the journey of building the kingdom of God. Here we meet other Jesus followers who are passionate about justice, peace and community. Other kindred spirits,” says Rianna Isaak-Krauß, who met her husband at the Pennsylvania Assembly in 2015. “That connection is really powerful.”

    The Holy Spirit is part of what makes that connection between diverse peoples happen and in such a powerful way in the body of Christ.

    The Holy Spirit has played a stronger role in moments of the Anabaptist movement and has been relegated to the background of our thinking and speaking as churches in others. In the last decades, Pentecostal movements have brought individual and corporate spirituality that emphasize openness to the Holy Spirit. These movements have both invigorated and threatened our churches.

    This issue looks at some of the challenges and opportunities Anabaptist-Mennonites encounter as we relate with Christians from Pentecostal movements and those within our own family who might be called “Mennoscostals.”

    We will have further opportunity to learn about being connected by the Holy Spirit (and the internet) in our diversity of worship style and theological leanings as we gather by the thousands for Assembly in July. May the Spirit reach through our screens and guide us on our journeys as co-conspirators, encouraging each other to seek peace and justice as we build the kingdom of God.

    —Karla Braun is editor of Courier and writer for Mennonite World Conference. She lives in Winnipeg, Canada.

    This article first appeared in Courier / Correo / Courrier, April 2022

  • “The persecution of Christians in India is intensifying as Hindu extremists aim to cleanse the country of their presence and influence,” reports Open Doors’ World Watch list which ranks India as 10 on the list of 50.

    Timo Doetsch, pastor of children and youth at Evangelisch-mennonitische Freikirche Dresden, Germany, interviewed Vikal Pravin Rao, executive secretary of the Mennonite Church in India, Dhamtari, and a member of the MWC Deacons Commission, and Sipra Biswas from Kolkata, general council member from Bharatiya Jukta Christa Prachar Mandali.

    Could you describe the situation?

    Sipra Biswas: We in Kolkata, do not have direct persecution at present,… but in the villages, in the rural area, persecution is there.

    Vikal Rao: I belong to Chhattisgarh, one of the central states of India. In recent times, churches have faced persecution from the Hindu extremists. But persecution is not only in the form of physical harassment or damage to the property. Christians as a minority are mentally persecuted: our voices are not heard…. Even though we have the legal documents for our properties and for our churches, we always are a target.

    Sipra Biswas: But mostly, all the states have more or less cases of persecution.

    Vikal Rao: We cannot get open meetings like the majorities, we have to get permission. That is also a part of persecution.

    two women in saris
    Sipra Biswas and Cynthia Peacock

    Another thing is: It is mandatory in India to register any organization under FCRA (Foreign Currency Regulatory Act)…if you want to receive foreign aid or help. In the recent year (2021), the government of India cancelled the FCRA registration for many Christian and Muslim organizations, for example, MCSFI (Mennonite Christian Service Fellowship of India). Many of our churches are waiting for their FCRA renewal.

    This is resulting that churches are not able to do the social work. Through the foreign help we were actually able to serve the community.

    Sipra Biswas: Anti-conversion laws is another thing. Dalits were neglected people of the societies, but Christianity helped them to feel like human beings, to feel their importance. Now, in many places, they are forced to join Hinduism.

    The first [threat] is money or “If you do this, you have to suffer the consequence.” So, this is a fear people have.

    To take baptism there will be legal procedures. You have to go to the court and tell nobody has forced me or given money.

    Christians don’t force, [yet] we were accused to tempt people to be Christians.

    Officially, India is a secular country with religious freedom. How then can it be, that there are anti-conversion laws?

    Vikal Rao: The legislative assembly has the power to amend some of the constitution. But now, they say: You cannot convert. Earlier days, we were able to preach openly the good news of the gospel on the markets. Now if we were doing it, we would be beaten or put into jail.

    How do the minorities in India react?

    Vikal Rao: Muslims sometimes with violence. Christians most of the time [are] silent. Sikh, Jainists and Buddhists have no problem.

    What do you think are practical and spiritual ways for Indian Christians to deal with the situation?

    Vikal Rao: Prayer is the thing we believe helps. We pray for those who persecute us. And we would like to share Christ’s love through our living and action…. We are not protesting. We are not getting violent. We are for peace.

    What is your prayer request for the global MWC family?

    Vikal Rao: That the churches can become the agents of peace and love of Christ. That they can follow the way Jesus teaches us.

  • Al seguir a Jesús, el cruzar barreras es inevitable. Todos preferimos la seguridad del espacio en el que normalmente vivimos. La vida cotidiana tiene hábitos que reproducimos sin, necesariamente, examinar sus implicacias y  sus significados; de manera que lo que hacemos, y cómo lo hacemos, es para nosotros lo normal y consideramos extrañas otras formas de hacerlos.

    En la 17ª Asamblea del Congreso Mundial Menonita, cuyo lema es “Seguir a Jesús juntos, superando las barreras”, quienes participan de esta Asamblea son desafiados a internalizar valores del Reino de Dios, los cuales requieren un espíritu dispuesto al aprendizaje. Las personas quienes participan de las plenarias, de los grupos pequeños, de los talleres y de las conversaciones, escuchan hablar en distintos idiomas, hay cantos en distintos ritmos y sensibilidades, hombres y mujeres llevan vestimentas que muestran la diversidad de países de donde provienen, los intercambios afectivos tienen distintas intensidades, de acuerdo a las pautas culturales prevalecientes en cada región: por ejemplo, los asistentes que provienen de América Latina, muestran su calidez cuando comparten abrazos y sonrisas.

    Jesús es el modelo de hacer misión y una característica central de su misión es la encarnación. En sí misma, la encarnación de Jesús el Cristo, es el locus theologicus desde el cual debemos desprender cuáles son las tareas que nos ha encomendado el Señor. La encarnación, está bien marcada en Filipense 2:5-7, significó el dejar una condición para asumir las condiciones de los otros, es decir, entrar conscientemente en otro espacio, trascendiendo barreras. Por lo tanto, es consustancial a la hora de seguir a Jesús, caminar con Él por todas “las ciudades y aldeas” (Mateo 9:35) para de esta manera, acercarnos a distintos tipos de situaciones y personas. Jesús superó infinidad de barreras, nosotros estamos llamados a hacer lo mismo.

    La Asamblea del CMM en Indonesia es rica en aprendizajes. Tiene una cara que muestra la diversidad de nuestra familia global, y otra que nos ofrece la oportunidad de mirar y experimentar la vida de las congregaciones locales. En los servicios de las mañanas y las noches uno puede estar rodeado por hermanos y hermanas de todos los continentes, y esto nos hace sentir la realidad de ser una comunidad global. En las visitas a congregaciones locales se puede palpar la vida de hermanos y hermana en la fe que generosamente comparten experiencias de vida, testimonios y los alimentos, que prepararon para recibir a quienes llegaron de distintos países. Ha sido muy aleccionadora la experiencia de ver el panorama global de la familia anabautista mundial y vivir de cerca los latidos del corazón de las congregaciones locales.

    Nuestro llamado es seguir las pisadas de Jesús, y como sus discípulos y discípulas tenemos que aprender constantemente a superar barreras que deforman el propósito de Dios que es crear una nueva humanidad. La Asamblea en Indonesia, ha sido una bella oportunidad para alentarnos a continuar caminando juntos, porque la misión cristiana se hace en la compañía de las otras personas. El Espíritu Santo, que es el espíritu de Jesús, y este nos alienta a trascender las barreras y da sensibilidad para aprender y poner en práctica el mensaje que denuncia la opresión de los muros tanto simbólicos como los físicos.

    —Carlos Martínez-García

  • Children’s program

    As a church, it’s important to take in mind that a sense of belonging should be there for everyone regardless of the differences, especially in age.

    Mennonite World Conference is well-aware of this matter, hence Assembly 17 in Indonesia has a children’s program. This is provided for children to be able to experience, connect and learn together with those of the same age from around the world in the global church.

    Held at Sekolah Tinggi Teologi Sangkakala Salatiga (STT Sangkakala), children’s theme emphasizes learning. Jennifer McWilliams, the acting Children’s Program Coordinator explained that

    “The big idea was Jesus invited others to learn from him to be disciples,” says Jennifer McWilliams, acting children’s program coordinator. Through this, the children learn to understanding that the church is bigger than they think.

    Despite personal challenges and language barriers, the first session of the program went well on the first day. The people participating as volunteers have been very helpful during the conduct.

    All in all, the Assembly is not only a place that caters to adult participants’ spiritual needs, but also the children’s. Through creative approaches, the program is a perfect place for the children to learn about each other and Jesus in a fun way.

    —Windhi Arsari is a teacher. She is a member of GITJ Kelet, Indonesia.

    *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)

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  • Barriers of internet access and recording quality, of jetlag and illness, of language and culture stand in the way of MWC Assemblies but in Indonesia 5 July 2022, they did not prevent God’s people from worshipping together.

    “This marks a new way of doing assembly where we can learn and fellowship in satellite locations and gather online in groups and families around the world,” says National Advisory Council member Paulus Widjaja. He cautioned against fear, “a great enemy” that causes us to exclude others.

    Amid songs and dances representing Javanese culture, he presented MWC (outgoing) president J. Nelson Kraybill with a gunungan, a fan that represents the world, from Javanese theatre.

    “You come to us walking on the water through the storm,” prayed J. Nelson Kraybill, acknowledging the fears facing Assembly participants.

    Jesus was the greatest barrier crosser, said evening speaker Tim Geddert, on the theme of following Jesus across barriers. Jesus’ interaction with the Syrophoenician woman in Mark 7 shows both Jesus’ divinity and humanity, he says. In every Gospel passage, we should ask how we can learn from both, Tim Geddert says.

    “May we throw open the doors of our lives to the disruptive Holy Spirit,” prayed Lisa Carr Pries, MWC vice president (2022-2025), in closing.