Commemorating 500 years of Anabaptism
Thursday, 29 May 2025 (Ascension Day)
Zurich, Switzerland
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“Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress” (James 1:27). Igreja Evangelica Menonita Em Angola (IEMA) has taken this to heart with a lending project to promote small business for widows and abandoned women in their community.
During a meeting of IEMA’s executive committee, the women’s department raised concerns about struggling women in four provinces where the church operates: Luanda, Uige, Lunda Norte and Lunda Sul.
The leaders decided to provide capital assist women to develop small businesses for their ongoing sources of income.
To support the project, the Mennonite World Conference member church received a Global Church Sharing Fund grant of $10 000.
Recognizing economic disparity that accompanies our diverse global Anabaptist family, the Global Church Sharing Fund aims to meet the needs of some with the surplus of others, as in 2 Corinthians 8:13-15.
“Within the mosaic of the global family, our members have different resources and needs. Through the Global Church Sharing fund, we seek to share with each other and turn our differences into beauty,” says Tigist Tesfaye, MWC Deacons Commission secretary.
Over two project periods, IEMA gave a loan of US$50 to 160 women each. “Some of the women wanted to start a productive activity for the first time, others were already engaged in various activities but whose business failed due to lack of capital,” says Emanuel NGOMBO MATANU, project manager.
The project provided entrepreneurial training and monitoring to empower women to carry out their activities and to reduce their poverty.
About 70% of the women were able to repay the loan within several months. “The women who returned the money claimed they can now continue their business,” says Rev. Makanimpovi Sebastião Sikonda, a IEMA leader who serves on MWC’s General Council. Some 10% did not follow up at all.
“Physical and spiritual needs are interconnected,” says Tigist Tesfaye. “We are pleased to support IEMA in caring for their own members through this project to equip vulnerable women to increase their income.”
Applications to the Global Church Sharing Fund must be endorsed the national MWC member church. Grant recipients in 2023 include support for completing construction of a guest house for the Mennonite church in Ghana; translation of John D Roth’s book Stories: How Mennonites came to be into Portuguese in Brazil; support for a regional fellowship gathering of Anabaptist leaders from Peru, Ecuador, Colombia and Venezuela; and emergency funding for natural disaster response in Malawi and Kenya.
About MWC member church IEMA
In 2024, IEMA reported a total of 45 congregations with 11,672 baptized members in 2024. There have been Mennonite churches in Angola since the 1980s, largely stemming from Angolan refugees who encountered Mennonite ministries in DR Congo. They have a primary and secondary school in Rocha Pinto and Cacuaco (Luanda).
How can you pray for IEMA
The resource-rich country became independent of colonial rule in 1975 but decades long civil war followed. The country has become politically stable since 2002, but economic and social inequality continue to divide the population. Droughts and excess rain events challenge rural and subsistence farmers’ survival. Pray that the church may be equipped and encouraged to share the hope of Jesus while helping to meet daily needs.
Please share: your gifts to MWC can support projects that build the church through worship and material assistance around the world.
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Dr. Bijoy Kumar Roul, founder and chair of the Brethren in Christ (BIC) Church, Cuttack, Odisha, India, died 12 July 2024. He represented BIC Odisha on Mennonite World Conference’s General Council since the church became a member in 2003.
“I had known Bishop Bijoy Roul to be a leader with a deep commitment to live out Matthew 28:19 amidst many challenges he faced,” MWC regional representative for South Asia Cynthia Peacock says.
“His faith led him to disciple his team of coworkers which resulted in establishing 105 local congregations with more than 6 000 members and several house fellowships as well as 4 hostels for Christian boys and girls. He served faithfully till his last in spite of failing health and kept the BIC churches united in spite of the distances and remote places they are located. He tried to cooperate as much as possible to relate with MWC and promote MWC within BIC Odisha,” she says.
“We are grateful for the service of church leaders and we mourn with those who have lost a mentor and friend. We pray for wisdom as BIC Odisha discerns succession for his role. May the members of BIC Odisha continue to walk in faithfulness to Jesus, courageously sharing the gospel of peace despite local challenges,” says César García, MWC general secretary.
“He was a great missional leader and mentor. I consider him my spiritual father. I truly appreciate his commitment to the church as well as church planting. He always encouraged us to take our ministry with a greater sense of responsibility, and his life was a living example of full dedication into God’s kingdom,” said Sunil Kadmaset Setlur, a BIC Odisha church member who served as MWC staff through YAMEN (2022-2023).
The funeral service took place on Sunday, 14 July 2024, attended by family, friends and church members. Bijoy Roul was 73 years old. He is survived by two sons and one grandchild.
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“Through Mennonite World Conference (MWC), I learn what it means to be a global citizen, and that the church is much bigger than my own local congregation,” says Agus Mayanto (Southeast Asia). “We are all brothers and sisters and not strangers anymore.”
A Mennonite pastor from Indonesia, Agus Mayanto, is one of MWC’s regional representatives.
This team of 13 experienced church leaders interpret Mennonite World Conference to the national church leaders and congregations in their regions. And they advocate for the concerns and perspectives of their region to the MWC family.
Until the end of June 2024, the regional representatives were led by coordinator Arli Klassen.
“I have always loved the church and been fascinated by the church in different places around the world,” she says.
Her interest was piqued by attending MWC meetings while in another role: “How does the Anabaptist church work on the global level and what does it do?”
“I got more enthusiastic about MWC with each meeting I went to,” Arli Klassen says. She leapt at the chance to serve and work with the global church.
Jumanne Magiri Mafwiri, regional representative for East Africa, was similarly compelled by how MWC gives exposure to a bigger world. “As a child, I thought my tribe was the best one everywhere,” he says. “Now, I know that there are many different peoples with different cultures and God has made all of us.”
For Siaka Traoré, (Central West Africa), this diversity opens his mind to be more missional. “I’m inspired to see the Word of God widely – diversity belongs to God; we are all different but have similar needs.”
For Cynthia Peacock (South Asia), MWC is crucial for “connecting outside my own country, being part of a world communion;” For Danisa Ndlovu (Southern Africa), it’s “building a family,” and for Agus Mayanto (Southeast Asia), turning strangers into brothers and sisters.
“I learn what it means to be a global citizen, and that the church is much bigger than my own local congregation,” he says.
“Sometimes I feel alone,” says Freddy Barrón (Latin America – Southern Cone), “but we have sisters and brothers all over the world.”
“Out of many, we are one people, one in the Lord,” says George Broughton (Caribbean).
“We are here as representatives of the diversity around the world,” says José Arrais (Europe). “In our polarized world we are called to be together and include each other.”
“It is only ‘with all the saints’ that we can know and experience the love of God more deeply and more richly,” says Arli Klassen. “Through our differences, we know God better (Ephesians 3).”
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Even civil war doesn’t stop the global family from supporting one another. For the Indonesia 2022 Assembly, Amos Chin from Bible Missionary Church, Mennonite (BMC), came to participate in the MWC General Council. A military coup followed by civil war had broken out in his country a year earlier, destroying the livelihoods of people there.
That year and also in 2023, BMC received a Global Church Sharing Fund (GCSF) grant from Mennonite World Conference. “We used the fund for food, medicine and basic necessities for the Mennonite refugees in the Chin state,” said Amos Chin.
“Many of us, especially young men in the families, have to live in hiding to prevent being conscripted in the military. During a civil war like this, there’s no question that conscription would mean killing our neighbours and friends. We do not want to take part in this,” said Amos Chin.
However, these young men may be financial providers for their families. “Under such pressure, these gifts have allowed us to help our church members and war refugees obtain basic needs,” said Amos Chin.
The MWC family has also responded on a member-church basis.
In 2022, Assembly host conferences GKMI (Gereja Kristen Muria Indonesia)* and JKI (Jemaat Kristen Indonesia)* sent aid to refugees, both to displaced peoples and those who want to return to their hometowns.
During the 2024 Executive Committee meetings in Curitiba, Brazil, Andean region regional representative Pablo Stucky passed a special offering from his home church in Colombia to Myanmar. “Members of my church follow the situation of Myanmar keenly because they too have endured years of mandatory military service, internal armed conflict and forced displacement,” said Pablo Stucky.
“These connections were made possible because all our churches were connected to Mennonite World Conference and because MWC raised the issue of Myanmar. For this, I thank you,” said Amos Chin.
Bruce Campbell-Janz, MWC Chief Development Officer, said, “Everyone in MWC is called together to follow Jesus, and in this there are many opportunities to practise generosity as MWC amplifies the voices of churches around the world facing challenges. This mutual sharing in suffering and joy is core to MWC’s vision.”
Since the civil war broke in 2021, about half of the country is controlled by rebel forces, causing military bombing and raids on a daily basis. Death tolls continue to rise, now numbering 50 000 according to The Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED). This makes Myanmar the most violent among the 50 wars ACLED tracks globally.
Photo: Amos Chin About 30 percent of Myanmar’s population is facing food insecurity, according to the 2023 World Food Programme report.
Since the civil war broke in 2021, BMC had to close three refugee camps due to food scarcity and lack of medicine. One Mennonite church has been destroyed. The Mennonite church in Myanmar has 47 congregations, 21 of which exist in locations severely impacted by the war.
“Myanmar is facing many problems, from war, food scarcity, high inflation to high unemployment. But, on the other hand, God is opening a great door for us to continue spreading the gospel. In fact, church attendance is growing, and many of our youth made a pledge not to partake in the civil war because they understood the Anabaptist teaching of peace. Some have even chosen to go to prison rather than taking up arms,” said Amos Chin.
“Please continue to pray for us, the more than 200 Mennonite families whose livelihoods have been totally destroyed by war. Pray for peace in Myanmar,” said Amos Chin.
About MWC national member church Bible Missionary Church, Mennonite
Established in 1997, Bible Missionary Church, Mennonite, in Myanmar has 47 congregations with around 2 000 baptized members and 3 500 regular attenders. The church has been following Jesus in the context of state violence for decades, with escalation into civil war after a 2021 coup.
*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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Peace Sunday 2024 Teaching resource
Reading Scripture has always been at the heart of the church’s life, but from early on, different ways of reading and understanding have led to conflict and division.
What is Scripture?
Already in the early centuries several movements arose with differing claims about the meaning of the Gospel and how to understand Scripture. In the 2nd century, Marcion (c. 85-160 CE) refused to recognize the Scripture of the Jewish people, writings which Christians had used from the beginning. He founded a new and large church which used only Marcion’s edited canon of Paul’s epistles and the Gospel of Luke. During this same period, Gnosticism was making headway, denying the Incarnation and claiming the true knowledge came from the “secrets” of “those who know”, and composing their own Gospels.
Irenaeus was born around 140 in Asia Minor, moved to Lyon (in today’s France) where he became bishop. As part of his ministry, he wrote to argue against Marcion and the Gnostics. Irenaeus recognized the challenge represented in trying to make sense of the many narratives in Jewish Scripture, which the church interpreted in the light of our Gospels and many epistles that were also commonly accepted as Scripture during this time, since the New Testament as we now know it was not yet finalized.
A king or a fox?
One way that Ireneaus dealt with this question was to describe Scripture as a mosaic. He used the image of the Bible as a beautiful image of a king, constructed by a skillful artist out of precious jewels. What happened with other readings such as those of Marcion or the Gnostics was to take the mosaic apart, reshuffling the pieces so that the final image was no longer a king, but something else, such as a fox.
In Irenaeus’s mind, the king was of course Jesus. The bishop of Lyon was part of the church when it was still a persecuted minority and had not aligned itself with the political power of the Roman empire. In this context, king Jesus was not like the Roman Caeser, but the nonviolent Christ of the Gospels, much the same as in the Anabaptist tradition.
Along with other theologians of this period, Irenaeus understood the incarnation as a profound reflection of God’s nature, the God whose self-giving love on the cross and resurrection redeemed humanity from captivity to Satan who used violence to keep humanity imprisoned. For Irenaeus, the mosaic of Scripture, i.e., its proper reading, was to point to this Jesus and not to another; not to change the king into a fox. His theology has continued to influence the church up until today. In 2022, for example, Pope Francis attributed to Irenaeus the title of “doctor of unity.”
Irenaeus’s solution of course did not solve the problem. Differing readings of Scripture persisted. During this same period the early church recognized that guideposts were necessary for this kind of reading of Scripture.
Rules to guide
These guideposts were called “rules of faith,” and Scripture was to be interpreted in line with the guideposts. They left a lot of room for discussion, but also set limits beyond which the king would become a fox. The first rules of faith were formulated in reaction to Marcion and Gnosticism, and the process has gone on ever since.
Mennonite World Conference’s understanding of the “king” in the mosaic is close to that of Irenaeus. Jesus, who announced God’s kingdom and was crucified as the “king of the Jews”, taught and lived nonviolence. His acceptance of death on a cross corresponded to his rejection of hatred and vengeance, his resurrection signaled the defeat of death and evil.
Unfortunately, throughout her history, the church has sometimes turned the “king” into a “fox,” using Scripture to construe a Jesus who called Christians to fight and to make war. The Anabaptist movement reacted to these restructurings of the mosaic.
Shared Convictions
In more recent times, MWC member churches together produced guideposts to the reading of Scripture which are called “Shared Convictions.” The fourth of these seven convictions recognizes the importance of Scripture.
As a faith community, we accept the Bible as our authority for faith and life, interpreting it together under Holy Spirit guidance, in the light of Jesus Christ to discern God’s will for our obedience.
The fifth conviction depicts an understanding of Jesus close to that of the early church.
The Spirit of Jesus empowers us to trust God in all areas of life so we become peacemakers who renounce violence, love our enemies, seek justice, and share our possessions with those in need.
Ireneaus described the mosaic of Scripture as a “collection of jewels”. But the narratives that come to us in the Bible tell of much brokenness. Brokenness of relationships, between humanity and God, between humans, as well as humanity’s relationship with nature. The “jewels” of Scripture tell stories of a broken world, of violence, of rejection and abuse.
But the real jewel is the narrative of God’s faithfulness, God’s determination to make things right, through self-giving love. God, in Christ, is taking the broken aspects of our lives and of the world and working to make things right, to reconcile. To that, we are called to witness, through deed and word and through our common life as a global fellowship.
The seventh shared conviction reflects this project of reconciliation and healing and incorporates it into the life of our communities.
As a world-wide community of faith and life we transcend boundaries of nationality, race, class, gender and language. We seek to live in the world without conforming to the powers of evil, witnessing to God’s grace by serving others, caring for creation, and inviting all people to know Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord.
To transcend these boundaries, we must be aware of the narratives of brokenness in Scripture and in our lives that God is redeeming through self-giving love. Then the mosaic of the world-wide fellowship is comprised of brokenness turned into jewels.
—Neil Blough is former director of the Paris Mennonite Centre and professor emeritus of church history at Faculté Libre de Théologie Évangélique Vaux-sur-Seine, France.
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2 Corinthians 4:7 describes the gospel as a “treasure” in “clay jars.”
These humble vessels bring to mind the Japanese tradition of kintsukuroi that creates (or recreates) pottery from broken pieces. Damaged vessels are put back together, often with gold binding, to create a useful object once again.
The new piece tells a story about the past and is infused with glory that is greater than the former, as in Haggai 2:9.
As a community, try out this form of art.
- Go throughout your neighbourhood, collecting rubbish, and cleaning up.
- Find broken vessels (e.g., dishes or vases).
- Clean the broken items that can be reused.
- Work together to piece them back together, not into what they were but to create (or recreate) something new and beautiful.
Photo: Andrew Suderman For example, see the pictured cross constructed from broken clay jars. Iglesia Cristiana Menonita Centre de Fe, Anolaima, built this park “Igleparque” in their town about 2 hours’ drive from Bogotá. It is open to the public. Church members guide visitors through to view its many features and to share the message of the gospel.
With permission, send your story and photo to photo@mwc-cmm.org to share with the global Anabaptist family.
Peace Sunday 2024 – worship resource
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Five vocal ensembles display God’s love in the diversity of culture through music in 10 concerts at 500 anniversary event in Zurich
“Dalam Yesus…” For many Assembly participants, the multilingual, multicultural music of plenary worship sessions is one of the most memorable parts of this global family encounter. Rashard Allen wants to expand on that at “The Courage to Love: Anabaptism@500” in Zurich, 29 May 2025. The Mennonite World Conference event commemorates the 500th anniversary of the Anabaptist movement.
The director of music and worship at Neffsville Mennonite Church in Pennsylvania, USA, has gathered one ensemble from each of the five MWC regions for the day.
“We want to represent all that Anabaptism is now and what will it look like in the future: Two-thirds of Anabaptists are in the Global South. Anabaptism is very diverse,” he says.
“Music is a huge part of expressing our diversity. Although we all speak different languages, music is a language all of us can relate to. And so, it gives us a window into a culture.
“We can espouse Anabaptist theology and values, but music represents our diversity culturally,” Rashard Allen says. “The group from Latin America will sound different from the group from Africa. The way they express Anabaptism is contextualized through their music.”
Consulting with MWC’s regional representatives and his own musical contacts around the world, Rashard Allen booked five ensembles:
- Africa: Eastleigh Fellowship Church (EFC) choir (Kenya)
- Asia: GKMI Anugerah worship band (Indonesia)
- Europe: Songs of Peace (Switzerland)
- Latin America: Agape Band (Paraguay)
- North America: Eastern Mennonite University Chamber Singers (USA)
In line with event’s theme, “The Courage to Love,” each of the ensembles is committed to the work of reconciliation, says Rashard Allen. “They have a global ecumenical outlook in terms of how they understand their role in being an Anabaptist choir/ensemble.”
Each group will present two concerts and participate in the mass worship gathering at the close of the day. Indoor concerts at the Predigerkirche will be 45 minutes long. The ensembles will also give a 30-minute outdoor concert. Due to local bylaws about amplification, the outdoor concerts will have a modified instrumentation style.
“Each experience will be unique because the groups do things in different ways,” says Rashard Allen.
There’s going to be a lot going on: workshops, a walking tour, a panel discussion and the choirs.
“My hope is that other people will see the ensembles as a centrepiece of the event and take in as much as they can,” he says.
“Treat it like a buffet: see one outdoor concert and one indoor concert. I would encourage people to watch a group that is not from their home continent. Allow yourself to experience something new. Each experience will be unique.”
“I believe each person and each culture gives us a window into an aspect of who God is. I hope people will look for that in the music.”
“I’m looking forward to worship once again with such a diversity in music, so many different expressions of love for God and God’s love,” says Rashard Allen, who was part of the international ensemble for Assembly 17.
“You will get a sense of where the Anabaptist church is now and where it has been. I’m really excited to be a part of it.”
Find information about tours for The Courage to Love: Anabaptism@500.
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The management board of the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online (GAMEO)* held their annual meeting both in person in Goshen and Elkhart, Indiana, USA, and by Zoom on 24 May 2024. This meeting brought together board members from the United States, Canada, and the Netherlands to discuss the upcoming year of projects and to facilitate a transition in board leadership.
One key focus of this year’s meeting was expanding GAMEO’s multilingual offerings. GAMEO board members met with Michèle Sigg of the Dictionary of African Christian Biography (DACB) to learn about Sigg’s experience with publishing multilingual web content and increasing accessibility for DACB users.
Following the meeting, GAMEO members agreed on several updates to the site to increase multilingual access.
One of these updates is already complete – on May 28th, GAMEO released two new article categories, French language articles, and Spanish language articles, that allow users to locate and access articles based on the publishing language of the material.
Board members also voted to allow content submissions in any language and to work toward integrating Google Translate options into the site.
In addition to those changes, board members allocated a portion of this year’s budget for web updates. The planned updates include making the site more smartphone-friendly, redesigning GAMEO’s homepage, and adding tools to make it easier for users to suggest corrections and updates.
With the retirement of Jon Isaak, executive secretary of the Mennonite Brethren Historical Commission and GAMEO board chair since 2020, and Bert Friesen, GAMEO financial liaison, Aileen Friesen of the D.F. Plett Historical Research Foundation will take on both roles.
—GAMEO news release
* GAMEO is an online free encyclopedia that is probably the most authoritative source of information about Anabaptist Mennonites, Hutterites and Amish that is available on the internet.
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“One body with different parts and different functions: Even though we exist in different locations and cultures, we share the same convictions central to our belief and practices,” says George Broughton, reflecting on Mennonite World Conference. He is one of several new people serving to building up the global family through MWC.
Regional representative: Caribbean
William George Broughton – known to friends as George – has been appointed MWC regional representative for the Caribbean. He served as pastor of Temple Hall Mennonite Church, a congregation of the Jamaica Mennonite Church (JMC), for 30 years. He served as president of JMC for eight years and currently serves as chair of the Pastors Fraternity. He studied at Jamaica Theological Seminary.
A bivocational minister, George Broughton also employed his education in urban and rural environment management (MSc) and public health (BSc) working as environmental public health officer for the Ministry of Health, Jamaica, for 40 years and for five years as a lecturer in a local university.
George Broughton represented JMC as delegate to MWC’s General Council meetings from 1997 in Kolkata, India, to 2018 in Kenya, excepting 2009 in Paraguay.
George Broughton and his wife Joan have two young adult children.
“I am excited about the fact and opportunity to be serving as the bridge between MWC and the conferences in my region, seeking to convey a better understanding of the Caribbean people to the worldwide MWC constituency,” he says.
YAMEN coordinator
MWC collaborates with Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) on YAMEN, a yearlong service opportunity for young Christian adults outside Canada and the USA. Participants experience living in a different culture while serving alongside local MCC partners in schools, farms, community agencies and day cares, gaining hands-on experience.
In April 2024, MCC separated the position of IVEP (international volunteer exchange program) coordinator from that of YAMEN coordinator. Andrea Geiser Leaman continues to coordinate the North America based program while Carolina Pérez Cano, SEED Colombia coordinator since 2013, takes on YAMEN, also an MWC appointment. Additionally, since April, she work alongside SEED coordinators in 6 locations. (SEED is a two-year program that brings together young people from different parts of the world to accompany the community development processes of MCC partners.)
A member of El Rebaño, a Mennonite Brethren church, Carolina Pérez Cano coordinates the programs from Bogota, Colombia. She has training in nursing, social work and a master’s degree in international cooperation for development.
“The church is a great field of opportunities, from where you can build peace, create community and generate welfare/development,” says Carolina Pérez Cano.
YABs Committee: Europe representative
Saskia Horsch was approved as YABs Committee Europe representative, after Gaëlle Oesch (France) stepped down in 2023. She is a member of Evangelische Freikirche Schwandorf- Mennonitengemeinde, a congregation of AMG (Arbeitsgemeinschaft Mennonitischer Gemeinden in Deutschland).”
A student beginning medical school, Saskia Horsch is active in her local church and has gone on Christian service trips to The Gambia, Czech Republic and Greece, many through the Herzwerk Christian formation program of Forum Wiedenest e.V. JUWE (South German Mennonite Youth Organization) summer camp has been formative in her faith journey where she has participated as a camper and a volunteer.
“I have experienced how helpful it is to have other young believers to walk beside you, supporting each other and learning from each other; I want other young people to experience it as well,” says Saskia Horsch. “I am excited about working together with people from all over the world.”
Updated: 4 July 2024 – correction to Carolina’s work experience
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The rain came with a cool breeze, driving humid heat out the open church windows. So began “That the World May Know” (John 17:23), the fourth Global Gathering of the Global Christian Forum (GCF) in Accra, Ghana.
The gathering 16-19 April 2024 marked the 25th anniversary of the Global Christian Forum. This is unique space for all major streams of Christianity to be together for encounter and prayer. Today, the GCF reflects the movement of the majority of churches from the Global North to the Global South.
A communiqué written by a group of eight representatives summarized the event.
“To share our personal stories is to witness to the resurrection of Christ together. These stories act as bridges that help to foster mutual respect and embrace diversity by recognising Christ in the other,” the GCF communiqué says.
Faith and Life Commission member Anne-Cathy Graber represented Mennonite World Conference at the Forum. “It’s an honour to contribute to the third part of MWC’s mission to ‘relate to other Christian world communions’ by participating in this global gathering,” she says. “We pray that the world may know we are Christ’s disciples through our unity lived out through gatherings like these.”
Anne-Cathy Graber represents Mennonite World Conference at the Global Christian Forum. Photo: Comfort Woode Broken in humanity
The Forum included a pilgrimage to Cape Coast Castle where millions of African men, women, and children were kept in dungeons until loaded on ships that would take them to the Americas, Caribbean and Europe as objects of trade. In the church building above the dark stifling space, blessings had been invoked for the ships that carried captives away.
Story sharing throughout the Forum told of continuing dehumanisation across the world today. Following the castle visit, participants worshipped in Wesley Methodist Cathedral, calling for lamentation, healing and reconciliation.
“We are empowered by the Spirit to act for the restoration of the world. As the broken yet reconciling Body of Christ, we can clearly hear the voice of the Shepherd who heals all wounds,” declares the GCF communiqué. “The church must raise its prophetic voice.”
The very first youth gathering in GCF’s history preceded the main Forum from 13-15 April 2024. The diversity and vision of the young adults gave energy to their own conversations about justice, hope and reconciliation.
Traditional Ghanaian drummers provide welcome music as delegates arrive for the Global Christian Forum in Ghana. A procession of flags from participating countries is headed by a Ghanaian-style cross. A Glimpse of the Fourth Global Gathering -
Global gathering of young people for quincentenary
Global Youth Summit (GYS): a time for worshipping together, reflecting on faith across cultures, learning about the local culture, and growing understanding through relevant workshops – and love. The local GYS planning committee meets for the first time in Schwäbisch Gmünd, Germany, 31 May to 1 June 2024 to lay down the foundation of the 2025 event: “Empowered by love” (1 John 4:11).
Young adults aged 18-30 are the target audience, but youth groups accompanied by a supervising adult may also register to participate.
Traditionally, GYS – the international gathering of Young AnaBaptists (YABs) – has taken place every six years alongside the Mennonite World Conference global Assembly.
But in 2024, the Executive Committee approved a proposal from the YABs Committee to increase the frequency to every three years, coinciding with General Council meetings.
This means the next GYS will happen in Germany from 30 May to 1 June 2025.
“GYS 2025 is a special event! This will be a perfect opportunity for young people to immerse themselves to our heritage and the origins of the Anabaptist movement while also having fun and making connections with young people from all over the world,” says Ebenezer Mondez, YABs mentor.
Young adults who attend this event will also have opportunity to join the Zurich event (29 May 2025) which will commemorate the 500th anniversary of Anabaptism.
(from left to right) Noa Fechner, Leonard Hangen, Rianna Isaak Krauß, Liesa Unger, Christopher Damm, Nezer Mondez “Changing the frequency of GYS to every three years gives more young adults a chance to participate and facilitates selection of new YABs Committee members at the half-way point,” says Elina Ciptadi, interim chief communications officer. She was the Asia representative on the original YABs Committee, then called AMIGOS.
Young adults are in a time of many transitions. Almost each iteration of the YABs Committee has had one member move on before completing the full six-year terms.
“A lot of change can happen in six years. They may start their term as a university student but end their term as a working adult, spouse and parent,” says Elina Ciptadi.
The GYS planning group invites volunteers from MWC-related conferences across Europe to be part of the team who will make this event possible. More information about the GYS will be released in September 2024.
Click here to sign up for updates about YABs activities and the GYS.
Click here to volunteer or learn more about Zurich 2025.
GYS planning committee, pictured above (from left to right):
- Noa Fechner (Arbeitsgemeinschaft Mennonitischer Gemeinden in Deutschland – AMG; GYS delegate, Indonesia 2022),
- Leonard Hangen (AMG; GYS participant, Asuncion 2009, PA 2015);
- Rianna Isaak-Krauß (AMG; CCMBC GYS delegate, PA 2015; workshop coordinator, Indonesia 2022), Liesa Unger (MWC chief international events officer),
- Christopher Damm (Arbeitsgemeinschaft Mennonitischer Brüdergemeinden in Deutschland – AMBD);
- Ebenezer Mondez (GYS delegate, PA 2015; YABs Committee 2015-2022; MWC YABs mentor).
