Prayers of gratitude and intercession

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

    “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witness in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

    In the mid-1960s, there was a movement throughout Ethiopia among the youth in high schools and campuses. Believers who were committed to prayer, based on the Scripture, started witnessing in schools, offices and on the road.

    The major prayer request was the thirst for the filling by the Holy Spirit – the promise given by God the Father, as written in the Bible. These young people also had a strong passion for lost souls. Our faithful God answered these prayers and poured his Spirit on many of the believers.

    Meserete Christos Church (MKC), one of the largest Mennonite churches, had a membership of a little more than 5,000 when it went underground during the time of persecution in the Marxist military government. And it is during this time of persecution that the church flourished and started experiencing dramatic growth.

    Believers transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit were bold enough to witness Jesus Christ, share their faith and live a life of holiness that condemns sin and calls on sinners to repent.

    Though the Marxist government put many restrictions on Christians, the gospel of Jesus Christ could not be stopped. Many believers, including MKC church leaders, were imprisoned. The MKC statistics, after 17 years of persecution, showed a tenfold growth.

    As in the time of Israelites oppressed by Pharaoh, the more the Christians were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread. Local churches were planted by young believers who were committed and ignited by the transforming power of the Holy Spirit. Many home cells were formed for Bible study and prayer meetings. That growth has continued. Today, by the grace of God, MKC is growing with more than 20,000 believers added to the church by baptism every year.

    The disciples of Jesus Christ, in the book of Acts, filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, “turned the world upside down with their teachings.” Being transformed by the Holy Spirit, they spread the gospel boldly and many were converted to Christianity. The Holy Spirit transformed these people and also made them witnesses.

    The word witness in Greek is “martyrs”- which where we get the English word. Though it is used today as a designation of those who have suffered death in consequence of confessing Christ, “martyr” originally meant being a witness.

    When we think of being transformed by the Holy Spirit, it is a life that is transformed for the cause of the gospel – to be an instrument for the work of God’s kingdom. A martyr lives for the master, not for himself or herself or even for a group interest.

    We are transformed by the Holy Spirit to serve God by proclaiming the work of God, the good news of Jesus Christ for his glory.

    “But you are a chosen people, royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belong to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Peter 2:9). 

    —A Mennonite World Conference release by Tewodros Beyene (Ethiopia), a member of the Faith and Life Commission.

  • Loving the generous people of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is not difficult, but evil happening in the rural Kasaï region of that lush country is hard to comprehend.

    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.

    Victims die in front of their own families, in front of women and children who themselves might be assaulted or killed. Villages lie in ruins; thousands have fled on foot. Traumatized survivors have lost everything – property, family, community. Some bear scars of torture. Most will never go back to their birthplace.

    I was part of the delegation making that pastoral visit, and returned home with gratitude for Mennonites in DRC who received us with generosity and love despite their suffering.

    In a country with overwhelming economic and political challenges, Mennonites fill houses of worship with exuberant song and a hopeful message of reconciliation. We saw Mennonites at the cities of Kikwit and Kinshasa caring for displaced persons from any tribe in a nation where it is common to care only for your own kin.  

    One group of traumatized survivors met our delegation at Église Frères Mennonites Nouvelle Jerusalem in Kikwit. The agony of stories they told made me long for fulfilment of John’s vision: “God himself will be with them, he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more” (Revelation 21).

    Causes of the mayhem in parts of DRC include struggle to control diamond or gold mines, tribal rivalry, political rebellion, foreign intervention and criminal activity. Persons fleeing the upheaval frequently endure weeks or months of danger travelling hundreds of kilometers to Kikwit or other cities. Women give birth during the dangerous trek to safety.

    During our visit, I often thought of Michael J. Sharp, a Mennonite young adult from my home community in the United States, who was assassinated in the Kasaï region last year while on a peace mission with United Nations. Michael’s death touched me and many in MWC deeply. What are sisters and brothers in the DRC enduring with countless losses of their own?

    Mennonite Central Committee and other Anabaptist organizations are responding to crisis in DRC, and MWC helped coordinate conversation between the various agencies. In a project called Operation Good Samaritan, Mennonites of Kikwit who have little money to provide relief have opened their homes to take in survivors whom they often do not even know.

    We met an exhausted Congolese Mennonite medical doctor caring for displaced persons at Kikwit, who told how difficult or impossible it is to acquire essential medical supplies.

    There are more than 400 tribes in DRC, and this creates tension even for some Anabaptists. But the inclusive love we saw at Kikwit is a model for the global church. Francisca Ibanda of Kinshasa, MWC Regional Representative for West Africa, said, “It’s not a problem to have tribes, because in Christ, tribes can work together. We can love even those from tribes who are supposed to be our enemies.”

    —a Mennonite World Conference release by president J. Nelson Kraybill

  • Mennonite World Conference weaves a web of connections within the Anabaptist Mennonite family around the world through website, emails, social media, publishing and relations with other organizations. Here are some new connecting points.Gerald Hildebrand

    • Regional Representatives are often the national church’s first point of contact with MWC. Gerald Hildebrand, an experienced pastor and former MB Mission area director, and a member of River East Mennonite Brethren Church, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, begins as Regional Representative for North America in April 2018 when Lynn Roth completes his work in that role. “We’re grateful for Lynn’s service of connecting MWC with local and national churches in North America since 2013,” says Regional Representative coordinator Arli Klassen. “His network of connections and skills were a great asset, particularly in the lead-up to the Pennsylvania 2015 Assembly.”
    • A new book by the Mission Commission, God’s People in Mission: An Anabaptist Perspective brings together diverse voices and experiences from within the varied contexts of our MWC global family. A number of the manuscripts were written in the different languages spoken by members of MWC. God’s People in Mission is released in Kenya at the General Council meetings.
    • The triennial meetings of the MWC General Council (delegates sent from each national member church) are 23–26 April 2018 in Nairobi, Kenya, preceded by meetings of MWC committees and networks. Additionally, delegates and local Mennonites celebrated Renewal 2027 “The Holy Spirit Transforming Us” in Kisumu, Kenya, 21 April 2018. Watch for more news on these meetings next month.

    —Mennonite World Conference release

  • At the beginning of this third millennium, humanity confronts serious ecological problems that threaten human life and all of creation. The consequences of global warming are perceptible in every country of the world: polluted air and water, serious flooding, extreme heat, etc.

    In Africa, principally in sub-Saharan countries, populations are exposed to many diseases as a result of the deterioration of creation and conditions of life. Other parts of creation, both wild and domestic, such as fish and animals, birds, trees and rivers have not been spared. They are victims of human greed and foolishness. Yet, even as the Lord protects us, we must protect God’s creation by taking care of the earth and its inhabitants. This is the will of the creator.

    The Bible and creation care

    The Bible is not silent when it comes to the responsibility of human beings with regard to creation. It is so rich in lessons in this area that some have come to consider the Word of God as an ecological book, a manual that helps Christians live correctly on this earth, a manual that indicates “how to live on the earth in order not to be disoriented when arriving in heaven” (Dewitt).

    Old Testament foundation

    The Old Testament contains several passages that teach us about our responsibility toward creation. Nevertheless, the most eloquent passage is Genesis 2:15: “The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it.” This verse lays the biblical foundation for the protection of creation. It underlines the cultural mandate of the mission of God entrusted to human beings in the garden of Eden. This dual missionary mandate consists of tilling it and keeping it.

    Esther Martens

    Tilling it – àvàd 

    Etymologically, this word originates from the root word àvàd meaning till, serve, work. Throughout the Old Testament, àvàd has two meanings that come down to the same thing: honour and glorify God.

    In the first case, it is a question of offering an act of worship to God, to accomplish certain services of adoration. Secondly, it relates to the manual labour of humans to meet their own needs or the needs of the master in the case of servants. It is also a service provided to kings (Exodus 20:9; 30:16; Leviticus 25:39; Deuteronomy 28:23; Psalm 128:2; 24:1–2; Acts 20:35; 1 Corinthians 16:58; 2 Thessalonians 3:8–9, 11).

    From this perspective, the human person is not created to do nothing. Labour is a necessary part of human nature, something that develops intelligence, ingenuity and the forces of energy and will, as well as those of the body (Rochedieu). The human person is first called to work, because it is the condition sine qua non for all development. A human being continues the work of God through labour, because God wants the person to prosper. The apostle Paul even says “anyone unwilling to work should not eat” (2 Thessalonians 3:10).

    One should underline that in the beginning, manual labour was neither a curse nor the consequence of sin. It is a divine institution. Labour comes from God, because God worked and continues to work.

    The term àvàd, understood as a service to offer, brings us back to our responsibility to worship God. We know that true worship consists of putting oneself in the service of others for good (Isaiah 58:6–7; James 1:27); to till the soil means to obey the will of God. On this subject, Bible commentator Rochedieu says, “there is a close analogy between tilling, worship and culture. Putting the mission to good use results necessarily in service offered to God for God’s glory and honour and for the well-being and integrity of all creatures, asking God for bread while at the same time working to obtain it.”

    Yanto Bengadi

    Keeping it – shamar

    This verb means to keep, survey, watch over, protect, conserve, hold onto, conserve the memory, observe, notice, hold. This verb is used 126 times in the Pentateuch, 128 times in the Prophets, and 165 times elsewhere in Scripture. In the Genesis 2:15 passage, shamar takes on the sense of survey, preserve, care for. 

    From this perspective, the task of human beings is to protect the garden from an enemy of a completely different nature who aspires to become its master and will appear without delay. This task given to Adam with regard to the garden foresees the task of humanity with regard to the earth.

    The word shamar refers as much to shepherds watching over their flock as it does to the farmer who tends a garden as in Gen. 1:28 and 2:15. “Humanity was made responsible” (Roop).

    “The mission entrusted to us by God is not accomplished in the exploitation and destruction of flora and fauna,” writes ethics professor Jochem Douma. “On the contrary, the business of humans is not just about manipulating and deforming things according to their pleasure in order to enrich themselves, but about administering a function determined by God. It follows that humans must behave with other members of creation taking into account the characteristics attributed to each by God.”

    As administrators of great things, humans cannot presume to be owners. The world is God’s creation and not that of human beings. Humans are the managers of a creation that remains the property of God. Creation must be managed according to the norms of divine justice and not according to human desire for power.

    In our time, creation has been damaged on such a large scale that it cannot leave those of us who call ourselves disciples of Jesus Christ indifferent, because the survival of humanity today and generations to come depends on us.

    New Testament foundation AnnaMarjan Bosma

    Several New Testament passages speak of the cosmic dimension of the gospel. We will limit ourselves to examining the texts in Paul’s epistles to the Colossians (1:15–23) and Romans (8:18–22).

    Colossians 1:15–23 clearly affirms that in Christ, everything (panta in Greek) exists because “all things have been created through him and for him.” It describes the relationship that exists between the Christ of creation and the Christ of the cross. Christ is the one in whom all things are reconciled and rediscover harmony. Paul boldly declares that the beneficiaries of this rediscovered harmony are not just humans, but all things. This is an established principle for the present and the future.

    In Romans 8:18–22, Paul writes that all of creation suffers (humans and other creatures), and all await the redemption of the children of God. This suffering comes from human rebellion against the law of God. For God created a luxuriant and productive garden without weeds, a place of complete health and life, but sin brought sickness, death, thorns and thistles. Humans must work hard to make a living because this nourishing earth is cursed. In the span of two centuries (since the beginning of the industrial age), the human species has called into question the basic foundations of life.

    Bryan Diaz, Iglesia Cruising for Jesus in Cali, Colombia.

    Creation is suffering and groaning in labour pains as a result of human activity: the destruction of natural spaces and urbanization, the extinction of species, the deterioration of the soil, the transformation of natural resources, waste and dangerous products, pollution on a grand scale, the alteration of the planet’s equilibrium, human and cultural deterioration, global warming, the lack of sanitation in the large cities of developing countries, etc. These are serious illnesses that creation is suffering from.

    The mandate that God entrusted to human beings is to till and keep the garden. However, in reality, human beings are only exploiting the earth without paying attention to the second part of the cultural mandate to care for the gift of God, knowing that the true owner of the cosmos is God who created all things for God’s glory. If God granted us the good deeds of creation to enjoy, we must take care not to threaten its potential.

    If we act according to biblical teaching on this subject, we will live happily and offer a radiant future to coming generations.

    The benefits of following biblical teaching on creation care

    Biblical teaching on creation care has several benefits. It allows us to:

    • Banish ignorance in the face of our responsibility when it comes to protecting creation. The more we are informed on the damage and destruction inflicted on our Lord’s earth, the more we are obligated to revisit our responsibility as managers and administrators of our planet and its inhabitants. We understand that God is the creator of the entire universe (Genesis 1:1), which bears eloquent testimony to God (Psalm 19). All of creation belongs to God (Deuteronomy 10:14; Psalm 24:1; 1 Corinthians 10:26), who loves creation and takes care of it, giving water and nourishment to all creatures (Psalm 104; Acts 14:17), even as God gave Christ Jesus (John 3:16). We are assured that the Lord blesses and keeps us (Psalm 104; Numbers 6:24–26).
    • Grant a sabbatical rest, i.e., time for reestablishment and the enjoyment of the fruits of God’s creation (Exodus 20:23; Leviticus 25:26). Even as God provides for the needs of God’s creatures, we must also do so by permitting the rest of creation to be productive and multiply (Genesis 1:22; 9:1–7; 28:17), and not add “house upon house” (Isaiah 5:8).
    • Participate in efforts to stop the rapid deterioration of creation that threatens the world. The consequences of this deterioration are dramatic for the humans as well as other species.
    • Work toward sustainable development without compromising the development of future generations.

    Sandra Campos

    The costs of creation care

    On a planetary scale, world governments are divided on questions linked to the protection of the environment. Capitalist countries and the most industrialized countries of the world are the biggest polluters. They do not speak the same language on the question of global warming, which is a genuine threat to the future of the world. Last year (2017), the United States, one of the most industrialized countries of the world, pulled out of the Paris climate accords.

    The most industrialized states must set aside their egos and change their vision of the world to make way for the hope of changing the face of the world. It is then that the financial means can be mobilized to stop the damage to creation and its global consequences. Each state must be conscious of the serious ecological problems that threaten the very existence of creation.

    In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the environmental situation is dramatic. Indeed, since the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, thousands of armed refugees have devastated the fauna and flora in the eastern part of the country. Successive wars in this region have contributed to the destruction of the environment. Virunga and Garamba national parks have become hideouts for local and foreign armed groups that kill mountain gorillas, okapis, hippopotamuses, etc.

    In cities like Kinshasa, the environmental situation is tragic: Kinshasa, once called ‚ÄòKin la belle’ [Kinshasa the beautiful] is now described by the people of Kinshasa themselves as ‚ÄòKin la poubelle’ [Kinshasa the trash can] (Nzuzi). Unsanitary conditions reign everywhere. Plastic bottles are thrown out in gutters, streams and rivers. Erosion has washed away parts of certain neighbourhoods in the city.

    This lack of sanitation is at the root of deadly diseases such as typhoid, malaria, cholera, etc. Even as I write, a cholera epidemic is raging in one of the most populated and disadvantaged areas of Kinshasa named Camp Luka.

    Faced with this situation, both the federal government and the provincial government of Kinshasa are powerless. According to the governor of the city, the provincial government lacks the financial and material means to ensure daily clean up. Efforts agreed to by the government and people of good will are a drop in the ocean.

    Protecting creation demands significant financial resources and a change in people’s mentality.

    J. Nelson Kraybill.

    The contribution of Mennonite churches to the protection of creation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

    The damage done to creation in the DRC is closely tied to the cultures and food and economic needs of the populations of each province. For example, in the regions of Kasai and the southwestern part of Kwango, small scale diamond mining has completely modified the flora as well as water systems and certain species of animals have disappeared altogether.

    In such an environment, Mennonite leaders raise the awareness of their members and local populations toward a change in mentality; to see creation in the light of biblical teaching.

    Thanks to the Evangelism and Community Health program, pastors and even church members have been sensitized to work for their own development, but also for the protection of the environment and the struggle against unsanitary conditions. For example, we have asked all of the pastors in Kinshasa to clean up the immediate environment around their parishes, to install hygienic bathroom facilities and to plant trees in courtyards where space allows it. After visiting some of the different parishes, this work has already proven to be effective.

    In addition, young Mennonites have joined with other young people to work against unsanitary conditions and erosion in Kinshasa. This work is being done with the means people have at their disposal: sacks, shovels, etc. Thanks to the efforts of our young people in past years, the Lonzo parishes in Camp Luka of Ngaliema district and the Mfila parish in the Delvaux neighbourhood of the same district were saved from erosion that threatened their very existence.

    Shena Yoder

    Conclusion

    In the context of the DRC, Christian churches in general and Mennonite churches in particular bear a heavy responsibility with respect to the protection of creation. Christian leaders and the faithful in local churches need more teaching on the theme of creation care. They must also engage in concrete action that moves in the direction of protecting creation. Church leaders must play a prophetic role in calling out political leaders concerning the deterioration of the environment. 

    The context of our brothers and sisters of the North is different from that of the South. Nevertheless, the struggle against the deterioration of the environment is a shared one, because the consequences are not only local, but global. This is why the experience of those in the North can serve those in the South who are the most exposed to the harmful effects of the damage to God’s creation.

    Historically, Mennonites are attached to working the earth (tilling and keeping it) and our varied experiences can reinforce the bonds of fellowship and sharing. My dream is that an MWC Development and Creation Care Commission could make a permanent mark as a community of faith attached to the teachings of Christ.

    —Kukedila Ndunzi Muller is provincial representative of Communauté des Eglises de Frères Mennonites au Congo (CEFMC), the Mennonite Brethren church, in Kinshasa, teaches at the University Center of Missiology (Kinshasa), and is a doctoral candidate in holistic development.

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

    Bibliography

    Dewitt, C.B., L’environnement et le chr√©tien (Quebec: Ed. la clairi√®re), 1995 .

    Douma, Jochem, Bible et écologie (France: Kerygma), 1991.

    Rochedieu, Charles, Les trésors de la Genèse (Geneve: Emmaüs).

    Roop, Eugene F., Genesis, Believers Church Bible Commentary (Scottdale: Herald Press), 1987.

    Nzuzi, F. Lelo, Kinshasa, Ville et Environnement (Paris: L’Harmattan), 2009.

    Katalamu, Mobi, “Protection durable de l’environnement” (Kinshasa: CUM), 2016.

    Harimenshi, P.B., Mission et écologie (Kinshasa: CUM), 2002.

     

    Read also

    Churches together for climate justice

    At peace with the land

    Taking action for your neighbourhood

    A countercultural lifestyle

  • A testimony from Regional Representative Cynthia Peacock

    Boundaries, barriers, blocks, bridges and empowerment have been very real to me. Through the years, I have learned to face challenges and to grow stronger in mind and beliefs.

    The Christian community in India has played an important role in bringing opportunities for women to become educated and liberated from the bondage of the belief that women are without their own identity.

    But Anabaptist churches have much work to do to help both men and women join as co-workers, to extend the Kingdom of God among all people, using all their potential to contribute to society, family and the church.

    For the past nine years, I have been involved with MWC, first with the Deacons Commission and now as Regional Representative. I promote MWC so that all our churches, especially those in remote areas who often feel abandoned and lonely, know they are part of a worldwide body who cares, prays and loves.

    This role involves working with male leadership. It has been a long journey to bring an understanding that I am not a threat but a sister in Christ.

    Building a trusting relationship takes time, effort and patience to cross boundaries. In some cases, I feel I have failed, but continue to look for opportunities to negotiate. I keep up the faith and hope to see change.

    While serving with MCC for 38 years, I became involved with our Anabaptist churches and got to interact with women who were struggling to use their gifts and talents in the church.

    A few courageous women established the All India Mennonite Women’s Conference in the early 1970s. We are also working to establish the Theologically Trained Anabaptist Women of India for trained women who are not being used well enough in their churches.

    We persevere – despite barriers to acceptance for moral and financial support – trusting our labour will bear fruit someday.

    I have seen the women of Tollygunge Christian Fellowship, my own congregation, bring change.

    Women in this church have been made an impact spiritually and socially while growing to understand how to serve as a woman. It was a woman who started Sunday school with a handful of local children and now there are more than 100 attending. Women began to preach the Word in a culture that was still very male-dominated. Women lead in worship and all major church decisions are made along with women.

    Finally, I share my own story. My marriage began to breakdown as early as 10 days after I got married. With the teaching from my pious mother that the vows made in the church between husband and wife must be honoured, I humbly submitted for five long years of abuse.

    One night, when I faced death along with my children, I forgot all the condemnation and I left with just a set of clothes and milk for my son and my daughter on the way yet to be born.

    After many struggles, thanks to the support of close family and people at MCC who stood by me without judging me, I began to gain strength to understand what it means to be a Christian and move on. They taught me to overcome barriers and build bridges of love and understanding. I grew to be strong and stubborn, but also patient as I used my gifts.

    I was able to overcome fear, shyness and low self-esteem. I boldly told my story when asked, but very carefully, since I did not want my work with the churches to be jeopardized. “Apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5b) and “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13) have become part of me as I face barriers.

    Thanks be to God and to all who have given me courage, support, counsel, inspiration and stood by me in my darkest moments. I now have a responsibility to be and do the same in whatever ways I can.

    —Mennonite World Conference release by Cynthia Peacock

    At Assembly 16 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA, representatives of the Anne Zernike Fund, which supports women pursuing theological education, honoured Cynthia Peacock for her pioneering service, calling her “a source of inspiration for many.” Click here for that story.

  • “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 (the Swiss Mennonite church). “Mennonites, because of their view of the relationship between church and state, should be better equipped to point out the dangers of nationalism.”

    The Swiss Mennonite church held a public forum 18 November 2017 to equip attendees to better understand the complex issue as relates to an upcoming legislative change. There is a proposal to cancel a binding reference to the European Declaration of Human Rights in the Swiss constitution. Opponents are concerned the change will weaken commitment to human rights.

    The event organizer Anabaptist Forum for Justice and Peace, a working group of the Swiss Mennonite conference, invited speakers from Mennonite churches of Switzerland, from Reformed and Roman-Catholic church, and from political movements that fight against this initiative of national self-determination. The six speakers covered historical, ethical, theological and political aspects of human rights.

    Speakers examined “the relationship between Christian faith and human rights as a common base for ethical orientation for all humanity,” says Braeker.

    Some 50 people attended; half from Mennonite churches, the rest from other relevant Christian or political organizations.

    Theologian and mediator Dorothea Loosli said Mennonites have been crucial in the development of human rights processes. Their defense of religious freedom extends back to a treatise on human rights written in 1647 by Richard Overton who had connections to Waterlander Mennonites in the Netherlands.

    University of Zurich ethics professor Pierre Buehler said the ethical importance of rights is that they are not chosen or defined but inherent. Christian theology expresses this by considering humans as created beings, defined by God; so no ideology of a given group can limit these rights in an absolute way.

    Christians in Switzerland who resist the movement to national self-determination are concerned that it does not recognize “a final transcendence [God] to which life – in its political, legal and social dimensions – is referred, and which therefore sets limits to the range of human self-determination.”

    —Mennonite World Conference release

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  • Recipe: Ugali

    “Ugali is a maize-meal bread-like food mostly eaten alongside chicken or beef stew, Kenyan kale and cabbage or sometimes eggs fried with onions and tomatoes. All you need to make it is water and flour, though some people use salt to make it tasty. It’s consumed by almost everybody in Kenya: we call it energy-giving food.”

    Wyclif Ochieng of Kenya participated in Mennonite Central Committee’s International Visitor Exchange Program (IVEP) in Telford, Pennsylvania, USA, 2016–2017. When he made this comfort food for his host family, he discovered it is similar to “grits” his host mom grew up with in the southern state of Georgia.

    “Ugali is soft, but – unlike grits – you can grab it with you fingers, mould it in your hand and make something like a scoop from it for the stew or sauce you are eating. My host family liked it so much. After eating ugali for dinner, you feel very full and head to bed straight away; that would be the best night.”

    To make:

    Pour the same number of cups of water in a saucepan as the number of people to be served.

    Heat until the water reaches the boiling point.

    Add flour bit by bit in the boiling water and stir it make a porridge-like solution.

    Make sure the heat is moderated for a good result.

    Depending on how soft or hard you want it to be, that will determine the amount of flour you add.

    Let it cook for about 10 minutes.

    Now your ugali is ready to eat. Use your thumb to make a hole (we call it othonje) for scooping.

    —A Mennonite World Conference release. Wyclif Ochieng is a member of Kisumu East Diocese Songhor of the Kenya Mennonite Church. He was the Kenya Mennonite Church delegate at the Global Youth Summit 2015 and continues to support the work of the MWC YABs committee.

  • “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.”

    Mennonite World Conference (MWC) has always offered Cornelsen a view on the wider world. Now as a senior living Abbotsford, B.C., Canada, MWC’s newsletters are a portal to the world beyond his home.

    A young village boy in West Prussia (now Poland), he remembers the excitement around the beginning of MCC and MWC in the 1920s and 1930s as they responded to hardship in Ukraine: “Mennonites from the other end of the planet [America] were coming!”

    “That’s the time I became aware of the worldwide Mennonite church,” he says.

    Growing up, “God, congregation, Mennonites, were at the centre of my life,” says Cornelsen. Nevertheless, he volunteered for the German air force. Teaching in Mennonite churches was ambivalent about the peace position; for a poor farm boy, the promise of free education after 12 years of service silenced concerns about military participation.

    Serving during World War II, “I never had to shoot anyone,” Cornelsen says. Working with the Red Cross, his job was recovery: “We rescued everyone, regardless. I felt good as a Christian in this type of service.”

    His mother had expressed her desire for him to become a missionary. The man who became his father-in-law, a minister in the confessing church, decreed Cornelsen would teach Bible classes and soon had him preaching in pubs, just after the war.

    After his move to Canada, he had opportunity to take some courses the Mennonite Bible colleges in Winnipeg and Vancouver as he did his work as pastor of Sherbrook Mennonite Church, in Vancouver, B.C. “I tried to learn as much as I possibly could,” he says while taking care of the flock.

    Through attending four MWC Assemblies and subscribing to MWC’s written communications, “I am very happy to know about brothers and sisters in different countries who subscribe to the Anabaptist vision,” he says. “We shouldn’t be shy to say who we are.”

    A poignant memory from the Strasbourg Assembly is of his mother hugging two Japanese women; sharing a common faith and love despite their lack of shared words.

    Zimbabwe was his last major travel for MWC. “I wanted to live with the people,” so he took advantage of the homestay option. “I still have correspondence with them.”

    At his age, long trips are no longer in the picture, but “I had a hard time missing the last one [Assembly 16].”

    “I love to think about all the Mennonites in the world to be of one mind. It will take a lot of work, a lot of patience, a lot of understanding of other cultures,” says the old pastor. “We have to learn to get along with people who think differently.”

    Every day, he prays. “I don’t think only of my own congregation, but the worldwide challenge. Jesus has not expected his disciples to be practical, but to be faithful witnesses and leave the rest to God.”

    “Wherever I am, I want to be just like Jesus.”

    —An MWC release by Karla Braun

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  • When I was 12 years old, I was charged with the duty of secretary to our parish youths office. From that time on, I served the church, locally, nationally and internationally.

    My engagement with Mennonite World Conference (MWC) has shaped who I have become as a church leader, husband and father, so I share my story to bring a challenge to the youths of today.

    “I will pour out my spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,…your young men shall see visions” (Joel 2:28). 

    The prophet depicts a theme of teamwork for both spiritual and physical development in congregations. I challenge youths to bring their strength to help build the church. In turn, churches can incorporate interactive activities to keep the youths motivated to associate with the church.

    My election as national secretary of the youths for Kenya Mennonite Conference (KMC) led me to my first MWC trip, to Paraguay in 2009, for the second Global Youth Summit (GYS) where I represented the young adults of KMC.

    From these engagements, I gained skills in listening. I learned to offer guidance, a skill which placed me in a position to mediate on several youth courtship processes.

    At GYS, I was nominated to be the Africa representative on the youth task force MWC created to envision the Young AnaBaptists (YABs) Network. We worked together to create a blueprint for this worldwide movement for Anabaptist young people. It involved travelling to meetings which really improved my public relations skills and ability to work with other people with different backgrounds.

    Liesa Unger.

    I learnt a lot from listening to other people’s ideas – a lesson which has been very instrumental in my current church and community activities.

    The next challenge was my appointment as the first staff mentor for the first YABs committee. My position was charged with connecting the YABs with the entire MWC family. At times it was challenging, as I had to learn to accommodate everyone’s views to ensure smooth and productive meeting sessions. However, the fellowship in MWC gatherings is healthy: it is more of family get together that bridges the gap between young and old.

    Throughout my engagement with the YABs and wider MWC family, I learned that young people face almost the same challenges across the continents. We need a forum for sharing and horizontal learning. MWC creates this space for interaction. It has remained an asset to my work in church with the youths.

    Another instrumental skill I got from serving is event planning. Currently, I lead my diocese on planning various events. With the skills I gained, I was able to take the lead role on logistics for MWC’s Renewal 2027 event in Kenya 21 April 2018.

    Young people, I urge you to share your gifts. This will help you build your talents in the house of the Lord. We need to bear one other’s burdens and in this way fulfill the law of Christ (Galatians 6:2).

    —Ayub Omondi Awich is a member of Boya Church in Ahero Parish, Kenya Mennonite Conference. He is married to Dorothy Achieng Omondi for 10 years. They are blessed with two boys (Moses Adongo, John Terry) with a third child on the way.

  • Recipe: Huevos pericos (Colombian scrambled eggs)

    Although I’m not good at cooking, I organized a typical Colombian breakfast to share with my host family. Guided by recipes my parents sent from Colombia, I discovered that things made with love are delicious.

    My host family loved this simple meal of huevos pericos (scrambled eggs with onion and chopped tomato – my host mom’s favourite), fat pancakes made from my father’s secret recipe (a hit with my host sisters and brother), and arepas (made with wheat flour, butter and salt). Hot chocolate directly from Colombia accompanied the rest of this breakfast that transported us south.

    It was a perfect morning to share Colombian music while we ate, compare pancake recipes with my host mom, and, most importantly, to eat with the family around the table and enjoy each other’s stories.

    A little piece of Colombia came to visit us as we ate in pajamas, showing the trust that exists between family.

    —A Mennonite World Conference release. Natalia Vaca is a member of Iglesia Menonita Ibagué in Colombia. She participated in Mennonite Central Committee’s IVEP program in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, 2017–2018.

    Huevos Pericos (6 people):

    12 Eggs (2 per person)

    2 medium onions

    2 large tomatoes

    1 Tablespoon oil

    1 teaspoon salt

    1. Process the onions and tomatoes in a blender until they are well chopped.

    2. In a large pan, heat the oil and start to fry the stew that we just made with onions and tomatoes.

    3. In another bowl, beat the eggs and salt so that everything is well mixed.

    4. Once the stew is warm, put the eggs in the same pan and stir until they are set.

    5. Serve hot to enjoy better.

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

    At the inauguration service, the youth group of Surunga BIC Church led the worshippers in singing and praising God. Photo: Henk Stenvers

    Surunga BIC Church celebrated the inauguration of a long-awaited church building 10 December 2017. “It was an answer to the prayers of believers who eagerly awaited the day to worship the Lord in a newly constructed church building,” says BIC Nepal director Shemlal Hembrom.

    For years, the growing church body had been collecting funds to purchase land and construct a new building. With the help of BIC Nepal, Surunga Church purchased land. “When they received a grant from Global Church Sharing Fund, they were so excited to begin the work,” says Hembrom.

    Pastor Bhagan expressed the congregation’s gratitude to God for God’s provision and to the Mennonite World Conference Deacons Commission for offering prayers and giving financial assistance to construct the church building through the Global Church Sharing Fund.

    Deacons Commission secretary Henk Stenvers offered a dedication prayer, brought greetings from the worldwide Anabaptist church body, and shared from Scripture about the church as the body of Christ.

    All members need to be honoured and be responsible to care for each other, Stenvers said. Everyone in the body of Christ is called to build up the house of God, the place where they pray and praise God together and answer the call to increase God’s justice and peace in the neighbourhood and community.

    “The whole congregation is so grateful to have such provision where all believers can have enough room to gather together for regular worship services,” says Hembrom. “Please continue to uphold the congregation to carry out God’s mission through various activities of the church and reach out many more people in the area.”

    The church’s mission was lived out even during the worship service. A local family attended the dedication out of curiosity. After hearing the sermon, Hembrom reports, the family made a decision to follow Jesus and join the congregation.

    Rural Itahari BIC Church was damaged when the neighbouring stream overflowed. The congregation wants to raise money to buy a new plot and build a bigger building. Photo: Henk Stenvers.

    —Mennonite World Conference release

    Answered Prayers

    Praise God for the resilience of Nepali people who are rebuilding after severe flooding in September. Landless villagers are grateful to MCC and Brethren in Community Welfare Society that provided materials to rebuild, leased land to farm, facilitated a market to sell produce, and trains women in the seamstress trade. Uphold the local BIC congregations in prayer as they carry out God’s mission through various activities of the church and reach out many more people in the area.

  • Depuis 2013, Ernest Geiser est intercesseur au Palais fédéral à Berne. Que regroupe cette fonction. Il a répondu aux questions de PERSPECTIVE.

    En quoi consiste le travail d’un intercesseur fédéral ?

    Je suis à Berne durant les quatre sessions du Parlement de trois semaines chacune, soit douze semaines par année. L’intention est de cultiver « sur place » la prière en faveur des personnes élues. J’ai la possibilité de les saluer et d’échanger quelques mots, exprimer de la reconnaissance pour leur engagement, parfois écouter une difficulté ou évoquer la complexité des enjeux. Les choix des autorités politiques ont une influence directe sur les développements d’une nation. Paul écrit à Timothée : « Il faut prier pour les rois et ceux qui détiennent l’autorité, afin que nous puissions mener une vie tranquille, paisible, respectable, dans un parfait attachement à Dieu » (1 Timothée 2/2).

    Durant les sessions, beaucoup de personnes se trouvent au Palais, celles liées aux services de sécurité, des médias et des services parlementaires, sans parler des nombreux visiteurs. Comme je bénéficie d’une accréditation, j’ai l’occasion de me rendre dans la salle des pas perdus et les salles de travail des députés qui sont les endroits privilégiés pour les rencontres spontanées et les échanges informels. J’ai également accès aux tribunes des deux Chambres et aux espaces publics du bâtiment.

    En dehors des sessions je réponds à des invitations pour parler de cet engagement à des Églises, des groupes de jeunes ou d’ainés. C’est l’occasion d’encourager les personnes qui ont une vocation dans le domaine politique et de rappeler l’importance de la prière pour les autorités.

    Ton travail te permet-il de rencontrer des personnes de toutes les confessions ?

    Oui, je rencontre les personnes des différentes confessions, également celles sans confession. Notre présence est à la fois réelle et discrète, il n’est pas indiqué de s’imposer ! Sur le plan formel, nous les trois intercesseurs dépendons d’élus, membres du Groupe parlementaire « Politique chrétienne ». Ce groupe est formé par des personnes appartenant aux différentes formations politiques.

    Certains parlementaires abordent très volontiers des thèmes liés à la foi chrétienne, d’autres tout en appréciant notre présence souhaitent rester plus discrets. Nous prions également pour les personnes qui restent plus distantes par rapport à notre travail, elles sont appelées à exercer des responsabilités comme leurs collègues.

    Comment es-tu arrivé dans ce ministère ? Quel est ton parcours ?

    Trois éléments ont été déterminants pour répondre à cet appel.

    • Le premier remonte à mon enfance. Durant l’époque où mon père assurait un mandat politique sur le plan communal, à sa prière il intégrait des questions sociétales en demandant la sagesse à Dieu.
    • Le second est lié aux réconciliations vécues entre les anabaptistes et les autres Églises, parfois avec les autorités politiques. Ces démarches m’ont rendu attentif à notre héritage qui véhiculait une vision pessimiste du rôle de l’État. Alors que son rôle est nécessaire pour le bien commun, sa mission doit rester contenue. Jésus a évoqué cet enjeu : « Payez à l’empereur ce qui lui appartient, et à Dieu ce qui lui appartient » (Matthieu 22/21).
    • Avant le début de ma collaboration en 2013, j’ai été encouragé par la prophétie de différentes personnes. Leurs paroles orientaient mon attention vers ce service.

    Quelles sont les joies et les satisfactions ?

    Les échanges personnels sont passionnants. Les conversations traduisent souvent la recherche de meilleures solutions, avec des approches très variées ! Sur les tribunes j’apprécie assister aux débats qui s’orientent vers la recherche de consensus. Régulièrement je reçois des encouragements de personnes qui me remercient d’être intercesseur à Berne, souvent elles m’assurent de leur prière.

    Quels sont les difficultés et les défis ?

    Je ne connais pas de difficultés particulières. Parfois je dois rappeler aux chrétiens déçus par les choix politiques que le Parlement n’est pas une Église. Mais c’est bien le lieu où des hommes et des femmes de foi peuvent s’engager !

    —Ernest Geiser, intercesseur au Palais fédéral, ancien à l’Église évangélique mennonite de Tavannes
    Cet article vient de Suisse et s’inscrit dans le cadre des articles du Réseau francophone. Trois par an, les journaux mennonites PERSPECTIVE (Suisse), Christ Seul (France), Le Lien (Canada) et le site de la Conférence mennonite mondiale proposent un article commun.