Prayers of gratitude and intercession

  • For the first time in more than a decade, Anabaptist church leaders from Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela gathered together, 9–12 November 2018, in La Cumbre, Valle, Colombia.

    They studied the Bible, sang in community, and listened to each other around the theme “The Church as an Agent of Hope in the Socio-Political Context of Latin America.” José Rutilio Rivas, member of the Mennonite World Conference (MWC) Mission Commission, preached in the opening session.

    “Once again we learned that to follow Jesus has to do with our daily lives: with our needs, and also with the needs of others,” said Santiago Espitia from Iglesia Hermandad en Cristo (Brethren in Christ church) in Colombia.

    Through teaching sessions, workshops and group discussions, the participants analyzed their current realities which include refugees and displaced people, corruption, natural disaster and political crises, divisions and polarization, economic challenges and violence; exploring the face of hope and the crucial role of church in a world that feels hopeless.

    Ramon Guevara, from Iglesia Cristiana Menonita del Ecuador (Christian Mennonite church of Ecuador), was impacted by testimonies about the ways the Colombian churches work for peace in a society still affected by the 60-year civil war. “This meeting is life-changing,” he said.

    The ongoing humanitarian crisis precipitated by political instability and economic collapse in Venezuela came up repeatedly. Leaders shared about how churches in Colombia and Ecuador are responding to Venezuelan refugees. Venezuelan participants shared how they are supporting those suffering in their communities from unemployment, food shortages and hyperinflation.

    Pastor María de Melo of Iglesia Cristiana Menonita de Riohacha displays a quilt into which Venezuelan refugees have sewed their migration story to process their trauma. Photo: Linda Shelly.On the last evening of the gathering, leaders from the different countries discussed an Anabaptist response that makes faith visible by calling for peace and justice in the midst of rising tension and possible military intervention. All Andean Anabaptist Encounter attendees affirmed the document that emphasizes “the God-given dignity of all people, including Venezuelan migrants; the insistence on a non-violent solution to the crisis; and the responsibility of the Venezuelan state to respect and guarantee the rights of its citizens,” according to MCC representative for Colombia-Ecuador Elizabeth Miller.

    Despite harsh realities, the source of hope remains in Jesus Christ, the leaders expressed repeated through the meetings. “When we put our hope in the political systems, whether it be right or left, we become hopeless.” said Erwin Mirabel, from Iglesias Evangélicas Menonitas de Oriente (Evangelical Mennonite churches of the East) in Venezuela.

    Pablo Stucky, MWC regional representative for the Andean countries, closed the encounter by recounting signs of hope he had observed in his work connecting with churches. He highlighted how the different national churches work together in Colombia in children’s projects and through MCC, and that the three national churches in Ecuador met together for the first time. In Peru, churches shared with those affected by flooding and in Venezuela, neighbours who aren’t church members bring food to support the churches’ ministry to feed children in the neighbourhood.

    The three MWC national member churches of Colombia (Iglesia Hermandad en Cristo, Iglesia Cristiana Menonita de Colombia and Iglesias Hermanos Menonitas de Colombia) hosted and planned the event.

    Click here to read the Statement on Venezuela, from the Andean Anabaptist Encounter in English and Spanish.

    —a Mennonite World Conference release by Kristina Toews

  • The International Brethren in Christ Association (IBICA) is the common network for all national conferences of the Brethren in Christ church with the aim to facilitate communication, build trust and cooperation within our global community, and to establish common and mutual understanding through our set of core values. An associate member of MWC, IBICA has some 190 000 attendees in over 30 countries around the world representing dozens of national churches.

    Looking to the interests of others

    In the midst of hyperinflation, political and social unrest and food shortages, members of our Venezuelan Anabaptist church family quietly serve one another and their neighbours. At a time when the most natural tendency would be to hoard food and other resources, Venezuelan church members are putting into practise Jesus’ example to look not only to their own interests, but also to the interests of others (Philippians 2:4).

    The Brethren in Christ congregation “Pueblo de Dios” (People of God) has initiated a ministry called “Joyful Blessing” that provides love and support for 40 needy families in the community. The program includes helpful workshops, discipleship in God’s Word and hearty meals, responding in a holistic way to both spiritual and physical needs. The church leaders work hard to find food for those in need.

    As an extended and united Anabaptist church family, let’s raise our voices in fervent prayer for our brothers and sisters in Venezuela, asking God to supply for all their needs according to his riches in Jesus Christ (Philippians 4:19). Let’s also ask God to help us not only be concerned for our own needs, but also for the needs of others. In the same way, pray for Pastor Pablo Ortega and his wife Lesbia Prieto who lead this ministry with their church.

    —Trevor Main, Global Area Director – Central & South America, Be In Christ, Canada

  • At Renewal 2027 – The Holy Spirit Transforming Us in Kisumu, Kenya, 21 April 2018, several people shared a testimony of experiencing the Spirit’s work changing people in the church. The columns in this section have been adapted from their presentations.

    I remember the moment when my family arrived at the Mennonite church in Ibagué for the first time. Two brothers received us with a big hug as if they already knew us. Being greeted as though we were part of the family made us feel comfortable. So we went again the next Sunday, and the next.

    Over the past 12 years, my family gradually became involved in the kitchen, as Sunday school teachers, in other ministries and even in leadership of the church.

    This all happened because God sent a very special person to help us know the transforming power of the Holy Spirit.

    My parents were about to separate. Every night, there were loud arguments. My mother was thinking of leaving our home, but after a few weeks, my father found his courage and took action to restore the marriage.

    At this painful time of family crisis, this Holy-Spirit-sent person invited us to church.

    I clearly remember the Saturday night my father sent us to bed early because we would go to church the next day. “You are going to a church?!” I laughed.

    My father lowered his head and repeated the command.

    A place of acceptance

    At church, I learned many things.

    In Sunday school, they taught that we are all equally valued. “You are as important as the adults who are preaching.” This resonated a lot with me. In school, I felt rejected, maybe because of my low self-esteem. As a child of 11, hearing that I had the same value as others reinforced my decision to remain in the church.

    Before attending church, I had dreamed of being in the air force. In Colombia, military service is mandatory for all young people when they reach the age of 18. I talked with my friends at school about our “duty” as citizens. But the more I knew Jesus, the more the Holy Spirit transformed those dreams.

    So, when I heard about Conscientious Objection to compulsory military service for the first time at age 14, I was very moved by the position of the church on issues of violence and conflict.

    Thanks to the work of Justapaz, I began to think more about conscientious objection. (JUSTAPAZ is an organization of the Mennonite church in Colombia that works on following Jesus Christ for a peaceful society with nonviolent actions).

    Though it is not easy to be a conscientious objector, the support of my congregation strengthened my resolve. This challenge has brought my family, my church and the community together.

    A place for leadership

    The church has also given me the opportunity to participate in seminars on leadership, conscientious objection and Anabaptism.

    The Holy Spirit has transformed my way of thinking as I volunteered in a project in Combeima, a very needy neighbourhood.

    First, I went to help with the music before the Bible study. A year later, we had the idea of creating a music school so that the children could occupy their free time in a good way, different from their context, which includes a lot sex work, theft, and drugs.

    We taught music on two broken guitars, a small keyboard (keyboard) and a homemade drum set.

    In the teaching of music, I saw an opportunity for social transformation. Thanks to this experience I started studying music so that I could work professionally in projects like this.

    In 2013, my classmates and I created a group called JARIS to make music for God and teach in vulnerable communities. Later, we won a grant from the IOM (International Organization for Migration) and the Colombian Ministry of Health to work on projects for the prevention of teenage pregnancies.

    Now, we had four guitars in good condition, three keyboards and a real drums.

    When that project came to an end, the church offered me other opportunities to serve.

    We are always carrying out campaigns with people living on the streets, offering them a shower, clothing, food, a hairdressing day and a time to listen to their stories and share the love of Jesus.

    The Holy Spirit moves us as a community to serve those who need it.

    Today, I have the opportunity to be in international settings like this, learning and serving in another way. I’m honoured to work together with the YABs Committee to connect young people from all continents and to share service experiences that encourage others.

    From these experiences, I have learned that it is the Holy Spirit who moves us to serve. It is the movement of the Spirit in our community that encourages us to leave the walls of our homes and churches to bring the love of God to those who need it – not only offering words of encouragement, but also examples and action.

    As some brothers and sisters in my church say – this is “prayer-action” – Ora-acción / Oración – praying and acting for the needs of our communities and contexts.

    —Oscar Suárez is the Latin America representative on the YABs Committee. He is a member of Iglesia Cristiana Menonita Ibague, Colombia.

    This article first appeared in Courier/Correo/Courrier October 2018.

  • Mennonite pastor Jürg Bräker stopped at Messenger Fountain [Läuferbrunnen] in his home city of Bern, Switzerland. He wet his hands in the flowing spout, and declared, “This water turned blood-red on the day Hans Haslibacher was beheaded in 1571.”

    Today, Amish still sing from the Ausbund [hymnal] about Haslibacher, the last Anabaptist executed in Bern.

    Haslibacher had foretold that his severed head would laugh when it fell from the executioner’s sword: “The sun will, like my blood, be red,… the town well likewise blood will shed.”

    All three predictions came to pass.

    I am not certain I believe all details of that story, but the symbolism rings true: when there is war or corrupt government, messengers of hope sometimes die. The light of truth turns dim, and waters that should give life turn red with blood.

    I am grateful for the courageous witness of our 16th-century forebears. We should honour them, but then get on with the day-to-day task of laying down our lives in living sacrifice for others in the name of Jesus.

    Anabaptists today can collaborate with Christians of other traditions to include peacemaking as part of inviting others to know and follow our Lord.

    While in Switzerland, I represented Mennonite World Conference at World Council of Churches (WCC) meetings. In that global body representing 500 million Christians, Mennonite Fernando Enns has been a messenger of hope as a leader in the WCC Pilgrimage of Justice and Peace.

    “At the end of the Decade to Overcome Violence (2001-2011) initiated by Historic Peace Churches within the WCC, we had built up a consensus on the understanding of Just Peace within the WCC,” says Enns. “The Pilgrimage of Justice and Peace builds on this consensus, adding the spiritual dimension to the churches’ engagement in peace with justice. As we walk together within the ecumenical family, we realize how important it is that Just Peace is rooted in our Christian confession of faith, in our prayers, in our spiritual lives. It is much more than a political strategy.

    “The pilgrimage metaphor teaches us that unless Just Peace becomes an identity marker of our discipleship, our witness – as individuals, local communities, and a global Christian family – will hardly be credible.”

    This project helps Christians of many traditions follow Jesus toward “just peace” in the world.

    —J. Nelson Kraybill, MWC president (2015–2021), lives in Indiana, USA.

    This article first appeared in Courier/Correo/Courrier October 2018.

  • Strengthened by emergency food, 700 families displaced by violence in the Kasai region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) are preparing to plant crops and to raise pigs to support themselves.

    In partnership with Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) and other partners, three Mennonite World Conference member churches in DR Congo (Communauté des Eglises de Frères Mennonites au Congo [CEFMC], Communauté Evangélique Mennonite [CEM], Communauté Mennonite au Congo [CMCo]) have provided tools for farming, trauma healing, and school.

    Displaced families living in the cities of Kikwit and Tshikapa and the Kabwela area of DR Congo are among more than 1.4 million people who were forced from their homes.

    The fighting between local militia group Kamuina Nsapu and national security forces, which began in August 2016, subsided after a year and the death of about 5,000 people, according to Reuters news agency.

    However, existing ethnic hostilities have caused ongoing bloodshed in parts of the region.

    About half of the displaced people have been able to return home, according to United Nations reports. Others cannot go back because it’s not safe or because their homes no longer exist, said Mulanda Juma, MCC representative in DR Congo.

    Monthly food distributions

    MCC has been helping Congolese churches reach out to the displaced people in their communities. Today, 1,180 households are receiving monthly food distributions.

    Petronie Lusamba, a mother of four whose husband was killed in the violence, said the food has made a big difference.

    “My health and my children’s health is so good because of the food. I thank MCC a lot,” she said.

    Bolstering unity

    Learning to distribute food fairly and to plan for future projects has been beneficial for church relief committee members, said Mulanda Juma. As members worked together to decide where to distribute food, they had to face their own biases against other ethnic groups.

    “The food assistance has created some kind of unity,” Mulanda Juma said.

    Back in school

    All three churches are helping displaced children move on with their lives by making sure they have uniforms and school supplies.

    In February 2018, Kanku Ngalamulume told Mulanda Juma that he saw his parents and siblings being beheaded. He escaped to Tshikapa with some neighbours.

    “I have no hope for [any[ reason,” he said. (See photo.)

    “I am alone here,” said Kanku Ngalamulume eight months ago. After receiving regular food, school supplies and being taken in as part of a family, a smile has returned to his face. MCC photos/Mulanda Juma and Matthieu Abwe Luhanglea.Today, Kanku Ngalamulume is living with one of the relief committee members in Tshikapa. He has regular food and goes to school.

    “He’s healthy and smiling,” says Matthieu Abwe Luhanglea, MCC’s program manager in DR Congo.

    Moving forward

    Small changes encourage Mulanda Juma as he works with the churches to address ongoing needs.

    In addition to MCC, organizations supporting the churches’ ministry to displaced people include Africa Inter-Mennonite Mission; Caisse de Secours, International Community of Mennonite Brethren (ICOMB); MB Mission/Multiply; Mennonite Church Canada Witness; Mennonite Mission Network; Mennonite World Conference; and Konferenz der Mennoniten der Schweiz (Alttäufer)/Conférence Mennonite Suisse (Anabaptiste).

    “It’s making a difference,” says Mulanda Juma.

    —Linda Espenshade is news coordinator for MCC U.S.

  • “The earth is the LORD’s and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it; for he has founded it on the seas, and established it on the rivers” (Psalm 24:1–2).

    “Climate change”: these two words often generate anxiety concerning the future of not only humanity, but the entire planet.

    The effects of climate change have undoubtedly become more evident. Scientific studies in the last 100 years show that if global temperatures increased beyond 1.5º Celsius, there will be negative impacts on ecosystems all over the world.

    This small change causes rainfall patterns to shift, temperatures to change, and a higher risk of heatwaves, flooding, melting ice sheets and glaciers resulting in sea level rise.

    Climate change poses a risk to human societies and natural ecosystems. A disruption in the ecosystem equilibrium is already measured in plant and animal species that are changing physiologically. With effects such as a decreased crop yield, climate change will cause higher rates of poverty.

    While scientific evidence presents many negatives, the church can highlight positives. As a Christian, currently studying environmental science, I believe we can look to science for solutions and still exalt God for his greatness because he created the world and bestowed us with the desire to understand it. 

    The engagement of the church is vital. Here, I offer action points using the acronym CHANGE.

    Change

    Many of us need to change our mindset, perspective and attitude about climate change. This is not a problem solely for politicians, scientists and experts. It is everyone’s problem, including the global church.

    Although we hope for eternal life through Jesus Christ, while we walk on the earth we are its custodians. Genesis 2:15 says, “The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it.” God instructed people to look after his creation.

    How to…

    The issue is not whether climate change is a true phenomenon or not, but how we as members of the global church are involved in adapting our communities to the changes. It is a global issue, one that should be tackled by joint effort rather than individually.

    The global church, fostering a spirit of togetherness and community engagement can help bring people closer to Christ, and steer their communities in a positive direction.

    Action and Awareness

    As the church, we can be a place where people look for accurate information on what climate change is, who it impacts, and how to adapt and mitigate its effects.

    The global church could help not only financially but also spiritually to understand the dynamic between developed and developing countries. Inhabitants of developing countries will suffer the impacts of climate change more than those of developed nations. As a global body, we could be a conduit for region-specific information.

    Local congregations could promote conservation strategies that start at community level. The church could offer resources on improving efficiency in both energy and food systems, building green infrastructure and nurturing green spaces in urban and rural areas.

    Nature

    Take time to appreciate nature and see God’s greatness in it. Remember that as the climate changes, so will certain aspects of it.

    God

    We must keep God as the centre. Where scientific evidence disappoints us, God’s Word remains a true guide. Prayer is a powerful tool that connects us to God and each other.

    Expect anything.

    We are living in a world full of turmoil. Scientists rely on evidence and projections to predict future scenarios, but it can never be 100 percent accurate. However, as believers, our consolation resides in God as our peace in a time of chaos and uncertainty.

    Our lives are rooted in Christ. Whatever happens, God is always with us. This is not an excuse to sit back and watch the chaos unfold, rather, it is a time to CHANGE. As the global church, we can embrace this opportunity to reach out to those who are lost.

    —Makadunyiswe Ngulube is YABs Representative for Africa. She is a member of Mount Pleasant BIC Church Zimbabwe. She is studying environmental science at Saint Mary’s University, Nova Scotia, Canada.

     

     

    Sources used (in English):

    Global warming of 1.5ºC. An IPCC Special Report, https://www.ipcc.ch/sr15/

    D. Lobell, M. Burke, C. Tebaldi, M. Mastrandrea, W. Falcon, and R. Naylor. “Prioritizing climate change adaptation needs for food security in 2030” in Science (2008).

    Terry L. Root, Jeff T. Price, Kimberly R. Hall, Stephen H. Schneider, Cynthia Rosenzweig, & J. Alan Pounds. “Fingerprints of global warming on wild animals and plants” in Nature (2003).

  • L’Église Évangélique Mennonite du Burkina Faso (EEMBF) a soufflé ses 40 bougies les 23, 24 et 25 novembre 2018 à Orodara, dans la province du Kénédougou. Récit haut en couleur !

    Cette célébration est intervenue dans un contexte sécuritaire difficile pour le Burkina Faso. Un appel à la prière avait été lancé à toutes les églises. Nous avons fait appel aux forces de sécurité nationale, mais nous avons fait confiance à l’éternel qui combattra pour nous (Exode 14/14).

    Au matin du 23 novembre 2018, l’ambiance est inhabituelle. Le nouveau temple se dresse fièrement, paré de ses plus belles robes de décoration multicolores, l’œuvre des femmes mennonites. Les jeunes volontaires s’affairent pour les derniers réglages. Partout, on observe de la propreté, des arbres peints en blanc, des fleurs ! Tout est beau ce matin.

    À 9 h, le maître de cérémonie, Paul Ouédraogo, annonce le programme dans une église archi-comble.

    Puis, le président de l’EEMBF, le pasteur Abdias Coulibaly, précise le sens et les objectifs du quarantenaire avec ses quatre temps forts : la cérémonie d’ouverture ; la marche à travers la ville d’Orodara ; les conférences ; la cérémonie de clôture.

    Séance inaugurale

    L’exécution de l’hymne du quarantenaire est un moment de grande émotion qui a contribué au succès du quarantenaire. Tel un symbole d’unité,l’ensemble des représentants des 19 églises locales mennonites du Burkina Faso, réunis en un seul lieu, entonnent ce cantique avec solennité en l’honneur du Seigneur Jésus-Christ !

    Personne n’avait imaginé un tel scénario 40 ans auparavant ! « L’Éternel a fait pour nous de grandes choses, nous sommes dans la joie ! » (Psaume 126/3).

    La marche à travers la ville

    Une marche en tenue d’apparat en plein jour de marché d’Orodara à la manière de l’Armée du Salut : du jamais vu à Orodara !

    Environ 600 personnes défilent au son de la fanfare venue spécialement de Ouagadougou. Chaque église locale avait délégué 30 participants.

    Au-delà du spectacle festif, cette marche constituait un témoignage public qui a dissipé la peur au regard du contexte d’insécurité. La marche terminée sans incident est la preuve de l’exaucement de la prière adressée au Seigneur par son peuple. Cette assurance de l’exaucement a galvanisé l’ardeur et la ferveur des organisateurs.

    Les conférences

    Rod Hollinger-Janzen présente un exposé sur l’histoire et la doctrine mennonites. Rod rappelle :« Les mennonites sont une branche sur le grand arbre de l’église universelle. »

    Il conclut :« Nous célébrons ce week-end l’arrivée au Burkina Faso de l’Église mennonite anabaptiste et son enracinement dans le sol burkinabé. Vous faites partie de cette branche de l’arbre, et vous portez des fruits, beaucoup de fruits, parce que vous êtes enracinés en Dieu, en Jésus-Christ, et en l’Esprit Saint, et c’est dans votre nature d’en porter. »

    Siaka Traoré rappelle ensuite que, de 1978 à 2018, ce sont 50 missionnaires qui ont investi le Kénédougou pour annoncer l’Évangile parmi les peuples senoufo, siamu, samogho, etc. Ils ont concentré leurs efforts sur la traduction en langues locales. L’orateur souligne l’importance du rôle de la femme et des jeunes au sein de l’EEMBF.Il conclut par un appel lancé à la jeunesse : soyez meilleurs que vos prédécesseurs1 !

    La cérémonie de clôture

    Le succès de l’événement dépendait de deux choses essentielles : l’accueil et la restauration. La commission restauration était présidée par la très dynamique sœur Dakuo Justine. On s’attendait à une abondante nourriture servie dans de grandes marmites, autour desquelles plusieurs personnes œuvreraient pour se régaler à l’africaine.

    Mais Justine et son équipe surprennent tous les invités en nous servant un repas dans des kits individuels ! Plus de 1 000 kits sont servis ! L’équipe de Justine passe même la nuit à la cuisine, afin d’offrir des repas de qualité aux convives.

    Lorsque l’ordre est donné de servir les convives, Justine et ses amazones demandent à chacun de rester à sa place. Elles font manger tout le monde, et il en restera dans des corbeilles, à la manière de Jésus (Matthieu 15/37).

    Ce dîner offert par Justine et son équipe préfigure les noces de l’Agneau. Alors félicitations à la commission restauration avec sa tête, Maman Justine Dakuo ! Salut les amazones du quarantenaire !

    Cette prouesse a été observée par un des photographes qui nous a fait cette remarque :« Votre service était propre, pas de distinction entre les grands et les petits. Tous ont mangé la même quantité et qualité de nourriture. Chez vous, il y a de l’amour. »

    —Paul Ouédraogo, cofondateur et ancien de l’Église mennonite d’Orodara, Burkina Faso

    Note 1. Un article paru dans Christ Seul, février 2019, p. 14–15, a donné plus de détails sur l’histoire et les activités des Églises mennonites du Burkina Faso

     

    Cet article et le Réseau mennonite francophone Cet article est publié dans le cadre du Réseau mennonite francophone et paraît aussi dans Le Lien (Québec) et sur le site de la Conférence Mennonite Mondiale (www.mwc-cmm.org). Coordination de la publication des articles : Jean-Paul Pelsy.

  • Text: Lukas 4:18-21 (Neue Zürcher)

    L: Der Geist des Herrn ruht auf mir, weil ermich gesalbt hat, Armen Gute Nachricht zu verkündigen.

    Alle: Vergib uns, Herr, wenn unsere Taten nicht dem entsprachen, was Gute Nachricht für die Verletzlichsten ist.

    L: Er hat mich gesandt, Gefangenen Freiheit

    Alle: Vergib uns, Herr, wenn wir uns nicht um die in Not, die am Rande und die im Exil gekümmert haben, weil es uns an Liebe mangelte und an Hingabe an dein Wort.

    L: und Blinden das Augenlicht zu verkündigen.

    Alle: Vergib uns, Herr, wenn unsere Taten nicht von der Liebe angeregt waren.

    L: Geknechtete in die Freiheit zu entlassen

    Alle: Vergib uns Herr, wenn wir nicht auf der Seite deiner Gerechtigkeit und Wahrheit standen für die im Weggewiesenen und Ausgestoßenen.

    L: zu verkünden ein Gnadenjahr des Herrn

    Alle: Hilf uns, Herr, dein Wort in Tat umzusetzen, die Gute Nachricht denen zu bringen, die in einem fremden Land leiden.

    L: Und er tat das Buch zu, gab es dem Diener zurück und setze sich. Und aller Augen in der Synagoge waren auf ihn gerichtet.

    Alle: Herr, wir verpflichten uns, sicherzustellen, dass die Predigt deines Wortes in unserem täglichen Leben Wirklichkeit wird, durch das Zeugnis unserer Taten zugunsten derer, die Vertrieben wurden durch Gewalt und soziale Ungerechtigkeit.

    L: Da begann er, zu ihnen zu sprechen: Heute ist dieses Schriftwort erfüllt – ihr habt es gehört.

    Alle: Herr, wir verpflichten uns, deine Gute Nachricht denen zu bringen, die Schmerz und Verlust durch Vertreibung erleiden. Halleluja, dein ist die Herrlichkeit und die Ehre für immer und ewig! Amen.

    — Luz Amanda Valencia, Pastor der Ibagué Mennoniten-Gemeinde in Kolumbien

  • As we looked back at 2018, we gathered Mennonite World Conference’s most popular news stories based on website views. In case you missed them the first time, here are the most visited stories from the global Anabaptist family in 2018.

    1. Benni & Rianna: a GYS love story

    Christian parents have long encouraged their sons and daughters to find a life partner at church activities. They have also encouraged their young adults to meet the global church through international experiences. Sometimes those situations overlap.

    Click here to read more

    2. Generous love amid war in Democratic Republic of Congo

    In December 2017, survivors of civil war there told a delegation from the Mennonite World Conference Deacons Commission of surprise attacks on their villages from marauding militia. With guns or knives, such groups slaughter men and boys and those associated in any way with the government.

    Click here to read more

    3. Mennonites speak against nationalism

    “Nationalism is on the rise in many parts of the world,” says Juerg Braeker, general secretary of Konferenz der Mennoniten der Schweiz/Conférence mennonite suisse.

    Click here to read more

    4. Transmission of love and peace at European Mennonite gathering

    “We can’t keep our story. We must share.” That’s the message Danang Kristiawan brought home after attending MERK, the European Mennonite Conference (EMC, CME 2018) 10–13 May, 2018.

    Click here to read more

    5. Welcoming my enemy

    The new church was a gathering of soft hearts, and we became very focused on Jesus’ teaching of forgiveness and loving our enemies. Our message was simple: because God loves us, we must love one another.

    Click here to read more

    6. Retired pastor still learning about Jesus and his people

    “We have to go to school [with] Jesus,” says Erwin Cornelsen. The nearly 100-year-old retired pastor reads the Bible every day: “I’m still learning what Jesus has to teach me.”

    Click here to read more

    7. Nepal church celebrates growth

    In 2000, the Brethren in Christ (BIC) church board of Nepal sent Bhagan Chaunde to Surunga, Jhapa, Nepal, to plant churches. Starting with one new believer, Surunga Church has grown to 120 baptized members and planted three daughter congregations with 40–50 baptized members each.

    Click here to read more

    8. “I need to go to school”: Mennonite relief in DRC

    Ten-yea-old Kanku Ngalamulume fled from his home in the village of Senge after armed groups beheaded his mother and father and his siblings too. He was among 1.4 million people in the Kasai region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo who have been forced from their homes as violence erupted in August 2016.

    Click here to read more

    9. Mennonite witness amid suffering and hope in Ukraine

    In a region of Ukraine that thousands of Mennonites left generations ago, two dozen of today’s Mennonite leaders from across Europe gathered for three days of fellowship in October 2018.

    Click here to read more

    10. Called to be free… faith across boundaries

    My name is Eileen. I am 22 years-old and live in Switzerland. When I was asked if I could share a short testimony on the theme “Called to be free…faith across boundaries,” I immediately remembered this experience.

    Click here to read more

  • Migration is shifting populations around the globe. Motives are diverse, from meeting basic needs, to fleeing violence and seeking opportunities. People balance the hope of a better life for their children against the challenges of dangerous passage, cultural adjustment, and government regulations. Churches are affected as they lose members to migration and gain opportunities to live out the gospel among people on the move.

    One movement within the Americas, a “caravan” from Honduras heading for the United States, has drawn attention and polarized opinions.

    Citing an average of 250 people emigrating from Honduras daily, Iglesia Evangélica Menonita Hondureña made an official statement to civic authorities, churches, and the general public.

    They ask civic authorities and politicians to “make serious promises to curb corruption and create transparent mechanisms for managing resources” and “to not use the current situation as a platform for party politics since their commitment is to serve [the public]”.

    To the general public, the statement appeals to “keep vigilant in order to protect our citizenship rights; be united against things that lead to death, and promote life-giving values that create hope for our beloved nation.”

    They call all churches to “reflect deeply on the need to review the role of the church from a Biblical rather than a political perspective, without any specific agenda. Consequently, we urge the church to program times of prayer, vigils, fasts, community solidarity campaigns, and anything else that the Spirit of Christ motives us to do in order to provide hope and light to a people that, now more than ever, needs a church that demonstrates and shares the grace of Christ.”

    “This document outlines our conviction of the right to migrate and our demand that the integrity of each and every person be respected,” says José Fernandez pastor and president of Iglesia Evangélica Menonita Hondureña. Since the statement’s October release, there has been increased public awareness of people in need in Honduras, and an awakening to Anabaptist identity in the Mennonite churches of Honduras. “We feel united and backed by the Spirit of the Lord,” says José Fernandez.

    Click here to read more in Spanish.

    —Mennonite World Conference release

  • Text: Luke 4:18-21 (NRSV)

    Leader: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor;

    All: Forgive us, Lord, for the times our actions have not been consistent with the message of Good News to the most vulnerable.

    Leader: He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives,

    All: Forgive us, Lord, for the times we have not looked after the needy, the marginalized and the exiled due to our lack of love and lack of commitment to your Word.

    Leader: and recovery of sight to the blind,

    All: Forgive us, Lord, for the times our works have not been motivated by your love.

    Leader: to let the oppressed go free,

    All: Forgive us, Lord, for the times we have not stood on the side of your justice and truth on behalf of the exiled and the outcasts,

    Leader: to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. 

    All: Help us, Lord, to put your Word into action, taking the Good News to all who suffer in a foreign land.

    Leader: And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him.

    All: Lord, we commit to ensuring that the preaching of your Word becomes a reality in our daily life, through the witness of our actions on behalf of those who suffer displacement due to violence and social injustice.

    Leader: Then he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

    All: Lord, we commit to taking the Good News to all who suffer the pain and loss of displacement. Hallelujah, yours is the Glory and Honor forever and ever! Amen. 

    — Luz Amanda Valencia, pastor of the Ibagué Mennonite Church in Colombia

    This prayer is part of the World Fellowship Sunday worship resource for 2019. Click here to see more: mwc-cmm.org/awfs

  • Bishop Joseph Kamau of Happy Church, Nakuru, Kenya. Photo: Len Rempel“In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams” (Acts 2:17).

    Bishop Kisare was sitting by the great tree where the first Mennonite missionaries had embarked by dhow 70 years ago.

    I asked the dear bishop brother, “What happened here at Katuru Hill those many years ago?”

    A couple tears trickled down his cheeks as he responded, “You are referring to the day the fire of God fell on Katuru Hill.

    “That day God touched me and began his transforming work in my soul. My calling as a minister of the gospel began that day. That was a day I shall never forget.

    “Jesus touched me and transformed me. People bypassed Katuru Hill for the word in the villages was that all who will come near will be burned for the fire of God is burning on Katuru Hill.”

    Child evangelists

    That was 1942. On that August Sunday the fire of God fell upon the newly developing Mennonite church at Katuru hill in Shirati.

    The congregation experienced the convicting fire of God as people wept in repentance throughout the day and into the evening hours. Wilson Ogwada and Nikanor Dhaje, 12-year–old students at the Shirati elementary school, experienced such compassion for those who didn’t know Jesus that they left school to preach the gospel.

    They became the first African Mennonite missionaries as they travelled from community to community to proclaim the Word of God. They pressed onward even though beaten at least once. They preached along the Kenya-Tanzania borderlands.

    Speed–walking revivalist

    In the providence of God, Rebeka Kizinza “Speedy” opened her home on the Kenya border for the Tanzanian emissaries of the gospel. Twenty–four kilometers a day by foot was her normal speed to serve the Lord uninhibited. Through her speed walking, she knit together a relationship between the Kenyan and Tanzanian revivalists.

    There is a mystery in the ministry of the Holy Spirit. “The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit” (John 3:8), Jesus said. So it was within the East Africa revival fellowship.

    Repenting teacher

    Those among us who want to know dates and places will probably trace the beginnings of the revival to a high school teacher in Rwanda, Blasio Kigozi, who invested 12 days in prayer and fasting for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the students, staff and faculty.

    Blasio came from his room, a transformed man, first asking his wife forgiveness and then convened a meeting of all faculty and staff to announce that the Lord has revealed the need for repentance. The whole school was convicted. The Anglican bishops in Kampala invited Blasio to meet with the bishops and they also were touched with a deep need for repentance. Within six weeks Blasio took ill and died. But his message across East Africa has never ceased.

    Eighteen Maasai women from a Mennonite fellowship slept the night on the grounds to attend Renewal 2027 and perform a traditional dance. Photo: Wilhelm UngerFruit of the revival

    The Mennonites were not passed by as the convicting power of the Holy Spirit moved.

    The revival moved as a people who loved Jesus and who loved one another. Early on, the leaders gave attention to continuing the revival. In various ways, all the countries of eastern Africa were touched by the revival that still continues today.

    1. The revival is centred in Jesus Christ. Regular fellowship meetings are centred in Jesus. Everyone knew that the revivalists loved Jesus. Whether gathering as thousands or only a few, revivalists meet in Jesus’ name and there Jesus meets the fellowship of believers.

    2. The confession of sin, repentance and walking in the light of Jesus is paramount. Every gathering includes the confession of sin and the celebration of the cleansing blood of Jesus. 1 John 1:7 summarizes the central commitments of the revival fellowship: “If we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.”

    3. The revivalists ministered with fervency. They were nicknamed the people inflamed with passion for Jesus, Balokole.

    4. The fellowships are communities of joy. They encompass people from tribes and nations all across east Africa, resembling the picture of the church from Acts 2:5‚Äì6: “Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each.”

    The movement became the most authentic intertribal community in East Africa. Their spirit of inter–community relationship was a key development in encouraging peaceful efforts for healing the political strife in Kenya. They also modelled the principle of receiving and sharing counsel.

    Revival works reconciliation

    Small teams of Balokole travelled occasionally to South Africa urging a peaceful political resolution. It is amazing how the revival that began with students enlarged its embrace to invite reconciliation even within the most difficult challenges to the way of peace.

    As the fellowship grew, many in the West including the USA were profoundly touched by the grace of Christ that was proclaimed by the fellowship. The legalism of Mennonites in the 1930s and 40s was destructive; the grace–filled messages of the East Africa Mennonites was life giving. Fellowships of revivalists spread into several North American communities, bringing encouragement and new life.

    People of the Lamb

    The East Africa revival fellowship resisted becoming a denominational fellowship. They stayed within the established churches. But that did not mean that the revivalists did not have an identity.

    In the midst of the political turmoil in the region of East Africa, the Balokole were recognized as people of peace. They were called the People of the Lamb, people who laid down their lives in their commitment to Jesus.

    Very early on in the movement in Kenya and Uganda as well as Burundi and Rwanda, there was turmoil from tribal or international conflict. The revivalists refused to participate in these violent conflicts. Hundreds died bearing witness that Jesus is the Lamb of God.

    Several times in Kenya’s tumultuous post–independence history, the Mennonites have stood boldly with the People of the Lamb, declaring that they are committed to the healing of the nations, not the destruction of the nations.

    —David W. Shenk is a globalist whose commitment to bearing faithful witness to Christ in our pluralist world has taken him to more than a hundred countries and regions. David is an author, missionary, teacher, preacher, and leader who with his wife Grace have invested especially in peacemaking with Muslims. He was born in East Africa and is a member of Mountville Mennonite Church in Pennsylvania, USA.

    He spoke at Renewal 2027 – The Holy Spirit Transforming Us – in Kisumu, Kenya, 21 April 2018. This paper been adapted from his presentation.

    This article first appeared in Courier/Correo/Courrier October 2018.