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Jesus’ message of resilience and liberation
Reading: Matthew 5:3-20 In June 1981, our family moved to Cochabamba, Bolivia, where my parents were to teach in a Baptist seminary that wanted more Anabaptist input. We arrived at a particularly raucous point in Bolivian history. In July 1980, Luis García Meza, a commander of the Bolivian army, led a coup d’etat, initiating a…
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MWC is people-centred†
People are at the heart of the worldwide community of faith that is Mennonite World Conference. “Our global community is itself the message,” declares MWC’s Reference Notebook in section 7.2. “As a church, our overall administrative approach is pastoral and people-centred instead of institution-centred.” With the latest Assembly now in the realm of memory, there…
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Exuberance for the Spirit
Brazil For many Brazilian evangelicals, Pentecost is not a one-time event of the past. There is a clear awareness of the Spirit in daily life. About 70 percent of evangelical churches in Brazil are Pentecostal and the others are influenced by the Pentecostal movement. Factors that influence our view of Pentecost We don’t have a…
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Former des artisans de paix dans un monde en guerre
Émanation du Réseau Mennonite Francophone, le Centre de Formation à la Justice et à la Paix (CFJP) propose une formation anabaptiste francophone en ligne dans les domaines de la paix, de la justice et de la réconciliation. Officiellement hébergé à Université de l’Alliance Chrétienne d’Abidjan (UACA), le CFJP a été lancé en 2017 en lien…
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Executive servants take up the towel
“As a worldwide community of faith in the Anabaptist tradition, people in ministry are key to Mennonite World Conference,” says César García, MWC general secretary. After Assembly 17 and associated meetings, there are new people serving this global family of churches. The General Council selected new continental representatives for the Executive Committee for 2022–2028: Sindah…
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A new shepherd
“MWC – Continuing the work Jesus began through worship, service, mission, and evangalism” (sic). These words are inscribed upon a wooden shepherd’s staff that J. Nelson Kraybill gave to president-elect Henk Stenvers 8 July 2022 as a symbol of Mennonite World Conference servant leadership. During the Assembly 17 worship service at GITJ Margokerto, the presidency…
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Gracious welcome on building site
The GKMI synod office is “our home together” and a “house of prayer” for GKMI congregations. The GKMI synod had a longing: to invite the MWC executive committee, Commission secretaries, regional representatives, General Council, and MWC staff to “our home” for a welcome dinner. Since the beginning of June, we were preparing for this 4…
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Ministry partner update: ICOMB – August 2022
Introducing the Global Family: Conferencia Peruana Hermanos Menonitas – Peru ICOMB Member Conference The Peruvian Mennonite Brethren Conference has approximately 457 members and 631 attendees; it is made up of 9 established churches and a number of these have annexes. In line with the work plan of the Conference, this year visits were made to…
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Worshipping a living and active Spirit
Germany My church journey in and out of Mennonite and Pentecostal traditions begins before I was born. Because of a thoughtless and frankly embarrassing comment from the pulpit toward her at age 15, my mother left the Mennonite church at the age of 18. She and my father raised their children in evangelical churches until…
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Meet your Executive Committee
An Executive Committee is elected from the General Council and meets annually. Two members from each continental region are elected from the General Council; a president and vice-president are also elected by the General Council. A president-elect begins a term three years before the handover of responsibilities. The treasurer and general secretary are also members…
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Finding new ways to respond
Resilience in the face of the pandemic When we look back at what happened in the last two years all throughout the world, one could just offer a sigh. We were never prepared for this. Being locked down for several months in the Philippines forced us to reconfigure our social life. We tend to look…
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Living out the gospel as received
Vietnam History There are two expressions of Anabaptism in Vietnam: H·ªôi Thánh Mennonite Vi·ªát Nam (Vietnam Mennonite Church – VMC) was founded in 1964 by the Vietnam Mennonite Mission, a ministry of Eastern Mennonite Missions begun in 1957. After a time of inactivity following the change in government in 1975, it reconvened in the 1980s…
