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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…
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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,…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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,…
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Church and community hall a place for district gatherings
Nuagaon, Odisha, India – In early May 2013, the Brethren in Christ Church in the state of Odisha, India, reported the completion of construction of a church and community hall and pastor’s quarter in the village of Nuagaon. The new facility, which can accommodate at least 500 people on the floor, will be used to…
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On the way to PA 2015: Congregation creatively raises funds
Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA – Habecker Mennonite Church never anticipated a call to refugee resettlement. But the will of God became apparent, slowly at first, and then with increasing demand. The refugees from Burma/ Myanmar all need transportation, jobs, social services and help learning the English language. All seek friendship and relationships. Habecker has developed a…
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Delegation recommends supports for Angolan churches
Angola – “Come and visit us,” urged representatives of Angolan Mennonite churches during the May 2012 Mennonite World Conference (MWC) General Council meeting in Switzerland. They said they felt isolated and abandoned following the end of Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) programming a decade ago, and after some leadership struggles in their churches. The MWC Africa Caucus, together with Mennonite Central…
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Mennonite World Conference Heads Into Visa Issue
Recognizing that visitors to the U.S. from the Southern Hemisphere often find it difficult to get visas, Mennonite World Conference (MWC) is taking steps to try to keep the situation from limiting attendance at its global Assembly next summer. “When we invited the global church to the U.S. for the Assembly, we knew that difficulty…
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A Hard Question
Some months ago I had the privilege of visiting our churches in Malawi. There we were, along with delegates of several local Brethren in Christ (BIC) congregations, gathered under a tree in order to worship God and speak about our global communion. After a vibrant time of worship I had the opportunity of speaking about…
