-
Read your way to PA 2015
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA – “We should be well informed hosts,” said Richard Thomas recently about PA 2015, the Mennonite World Conference Assembly, to be held next July 21-26 in Harrisburg, PA. Thomas, who chairs the National Advisory Council for the event, is urging all North American Mennonites, Mennonite Brethren, and Brethren in Christ to honour…
-
First Vietnamese Mennonite pastor dies
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA – Quang Xuan Tran, the first Vietnamese Mennonite pastor, died in Philadelphia on 20 September at the age of 84. Quang came to the United States in March 1975 to attend the annual missions meeting of Eastern Mennonite Missions (EMM). As South Vietnam was overrun by military forces from the north in…
-
Global Youth Summit to precede PA 2015 Assembly
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA – An international group of young Anabaptists – called the YABs Committee for short – are deep into planning the next Global Youth Summit (GYS), which will immediately precede the upcoming Mennonite World Conference Assembly. As the official MWC youth committee, they are putting together a mix of worship – with each…
-
Prayer Network launched for PA 2015
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA – Mennonite World Conference is establishing a Prayer Network, recognizing the importance of prayer as preparations are made for PA 2015, the global Assembly being planned for July 21-26, 2015, in Harrisburg, PA. “We are confident that the Assembly will be a wonderful time of worship, celebration, and engagement next summer,” Lynn…
-
MWC President meets with ecumenical leaders
Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA – On November 8, a dozen religious leaders from the greater Lancaster and Harrisburg, PA area met for breakfast to converse with MWC President Danisa Ndlovu. The focus was leader-to-leader visiting, sharing joys and concerns about their own churches and parishes. The session was chaired by Kate Good, Executive Director of Parish…
-
In Memoriam: Cornelius J. Dyck (1921-2014)
Mennonite World Conference mourns the passing of Cornelius J. (C.J.) Dyck, Mennonite historian and church leader, in Normal, Illinois, USA, on 10 January 2014. Dyck served as Executive Secretary of MWC from 1961-1973. Born in Russia on 20 August 1921, Dyck grew up in Kansas (USA). He served for several years with Mennonite Central Committee…
-
MWC recruits new staff members
Bogotá, Colombia – Mennonite World Conference has appointed four new staff members: two regional representatives for Africa, a regional representative for Europe and an executive assistant to the general secretary. The staff members will begin their new roles September 1. In announcing the appointment of these new staff members, MWC general secretary César García said,…
-
Mennonite connections in Canada lead to ordination in Cambodia
Phnom Penh, Cambodia – The growth of Vietnamese Mennonite churches in British Columbia, Canada, has led to closer ministry connections in Cambodia. In early June 2014, Mennonite Church British Columbia (MCBC) sent three representatives to the Mennonite Cambodia Church to ordain Pastor Tran Dinh Khanh. The Sunday morning worship service included dynamic worship singing, scriptures…
-
Young adults offer imaginative support to MWC Assembly
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada – A group of young adults in Manitoba are producing “bread cloths” and then selling them to raise both money and awareness for the July 2015 Mennonite World Conference Assembly and Global Youth Summit. “Since we are the host continent for this upcoming Assembly, and for the Global Youth Summit which immediately…
-
Commissions advance MWC mission in rare face-to-face meetings
Schoorl, Netherlands – From 19-24 March, leaders and members of the four Mennonite World Conference Commissions met together for a time of face-to-face discussion, reflection, worship and strategic planning to advance the mission of MWC. It was only the second such meeting of the four Commissions since their formation in 2009. They last met face-to-face…
-
Colombian peace group lends support to South Korean conscientious objector
Bogotá, Colombia – For Jenny Neme, director of Colombian Mennonite organization Justapaz (Just Peace), recent support for South Korean conscientious objector San-Ming Lee was a natural occurrence. It sprung out, she said, of an attempt to “seek solidarity and mutual support, based in the prophetic role of the churches to engage in political advocacy in the…
-
Police attack Mennonite church gathering in Vietnam
Vietnam—Security police assaulted a large group of pastors and theological students gathered in their church center at a provincial town just north of Ho Chi Minh City on the eve of a renewal conference and graduation ceremonies for students of the theological training program. The Evangelical Mennonite Church, a church not officially registered in Vietnam,…
