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Is Christian faithfulness possible without unity?
By all accounts, the 16th Mennonite World Conference Assembly 21–26 July 2015 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA, was a resounding success. Memories of worshiping with more than 8,000 people from 65 countries; unexpected encounters with old and new friends; the beautiful profusion of sights and sounds of a truly global church; workshops on challenging topics and…
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Walking in Autonomy and Community
How to be independent together In the beginning, man was alone. Even though God created all animals and brought them to man to be named, man was alone. And it didn’t suit him at all. God could see that, and so he whispered a deep, deep sleep unto man and while he slept, God took…
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World Fellowship Sunday materials available
Bogotá, Colombia – “Walking with God finds its total meaning in fellowship – in the breaking of bread, serving, and meeting the needs of others,” says César García, general secretary of Mennonite World Conference. “It does not mean the absence of challenges, but recognizing we are assured of victory with and through God.” World Fellowship…
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Mennonite Brethren leaders meet following MWC Assembly
Delegates reappoint Wiebe, discuss “global elders” Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, USA — Representatives from 21 national Mennonite Brethren conferences from around the globe met for the International Community of Mennonite Brethren (ICOMB) annual summit 26–29 July 2015 at Messiah College in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. The 2015 summit highlighted ways in which the 25-year-old organization has grown and is…
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A space to meet and exchange
Global Anabaptist Health Network envisioned by summit participants Harrisburg Pennsylvania, USA – More than 90 health care leaders from 18 countries met 19–20 July 2015, preceding PA 2015. They gathered to worship, learn from each other and think creatively about how Anabaptist-related health care organizations and those working in this field might cooperate more fully…
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Numbers convey unity despite diversity
Global Anabaptist Profile surveys and maps Mennonite World Conference GOSHEN, Indiana, USA — Sociological surveys may be uncommon evangelistic tools, but at a consultation celebrating the conclusion of the Global Anabaptist Project (GAP), Damien Pelende testified that the survey had drawn new people into his church. The GAP, a joint initiative of the Institute for…
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Like a tree planted
Anabaptist Educators from around the world gather for the Global Education Conference Lansdale, Pennsylvania, USA — Like a Tree Planted: Anabaptist Spirituality in Education, the Global Education Conference of Mennonite World Conference attracted more than 100 Anabaptist educators and leaders from 13 countries around the world. Anabaptist spirituality is “a pedagogy of transformation,” said John…
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We Cry (A prayer of lament)
We cry with those whose lands are ravaged from war. We cry with those who, because of war and violence, have already lost their home. We cry with those who leave behind what they know in search of a better life for their children and families. We cry with Abdullah, the father of Aylan and…
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First ever Anabaptist World Cup set for PA 2015
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania – The first ever Anabaptist World Cup will be played on the afternoons of July 22, 23, 24, and 25, as an optional recreational event during PA 2015, the Mennonite World Conference Assembly. The matches will take place at Logan Field, a community soccer field near Dillsburg, PA, about a 25-minute drive from…
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Dutch group awards MWC Deacons Commission chair
Anne Zernike was the first Mennonite woman ordained in the Netherlands, possibly in Europe and “even maybe in the world,” said Christien Duhoux-Rueb. She and Coot Winkler Prins, pastors from the Netherlands, highlighted Zernike at a workshop and with an award at PA 2015. Ordained at the Mennonite church in Bovenknijpe in 1911, Zernike was…
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Registration to stay open until Assembly; several options change after July 1
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA – Organizers for the 21-26 July Mennonite World Conference Assembly announced recently that registration will remain open until Assembly, but only the following options are available online beyond 1 July: full time/shared registration without the meal plan for clusters 1 and 2, and part time registration. After 1 July, online registration for…
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Blessings and challenges for the PA 2015 Visa process
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania – The need for many to get visitor’s visas to the USA, to attend the Pennsylvania 2015 MWC Assembly in Harrisburg, has long been a concern for many planners and participants. For more than a year, the MWC Visa Task Force (VTF) has been making preparations. Now that it is April 2015, and…
