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Tanzanian Mennonites invite the world to Arusha
The Executive Committee of Mennonite World Conference accepted the invitation from the member churches of Tanzania to host the global Assembly 18 in 2028. The five-day gathering of Anabaptists from around the world will take place in the first two weeks of June. The theme is being finalized.
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Unity you can hear
Worshipping together, particularly singing together, is often cited as a highlight of Mennonite World Conference Assemblies. After all, there is nothing quite like singing in a gathering of several thousand people as siblings in Christ. Even when not everyone speaks the same language, music has a way of unifying that other experiences do not.
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A blessing, not a burden
“Attending an Assembly is a wonderful experience. There’s an opportunity to see another part of the world, and to meet so many people. We learn new ways of working together; we adjust for things we hadn’t planned for; and most importantly, we build relationships,” says César García, MWC general secretary. When the leaders of Meserete Kristos
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Assembly 18 postponed
The Mennonite World Conference Assembly in Ethiopia is postponed to a different date and country. Due to an internal crisis of unity, Meserete Kristos Church (MKC) has sorrowfully withdrawn their invitation to host the MWC Assembly. Their need to focus on internal unity makes it difficult to dedicate the attention needed to prepare for global
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Assembly 18 theme revealed: Christ unites us
“If you come to the next Assembly, you can also have a shirt like mine!” said Kelbessa Demana, General Council delegate for Meserete Kristos Church (MKC). Dressed in a traditional, crisp white shirt with intricate embroidery, he was part of a delegation that invited the General Council to the upcoming Assembly 18 in Ethiopia. Held
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MKC promises memorable and inspirational Assembly
The MWC Assembly in Ethiopia in 2028 takes its first steps toward celebration with the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) and appointment of a national advisory council. From 11-17 January 2024, MWC leaders Liesa Unger (Chief International Events Officer), Sunoko Lin (treasurer), Lisa Carr-Pries (vice president) and Henk Stenvers (president) visited Ethiopia. They
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Assembly financial update
As the year draws to a close, MWC is finalizing the numbers on the Assembly in Indonesia. “We are very pleased to report that, as of publication time, we met the financial goal of breaking even,” says Chief Operating Officer Jeanette Bissoon. This was MWC’s first time hosting a hybrid event with in-person and online
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Assembly tours and service projects
Assembly activities Connecting with people is at the heart of MWC Assemblies. Participating in local tourism and serving with local ministries provided another chance to connect. “I get a lot of value and joy out of helping people,” says Daniel Beachy, who signed up for a service activity. “It was a lot of fun planting
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“We felt the connection”
“I think this type of ‘hybrid’ connectedness has great potential for strengthening the communion of Mennonite-related churches around the world,” says Ray Brubacher.
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Assembly small but full of joy
With its national motto of “unity in diversity,” Indonesia proved a fitting host for the 17th Assembly of Mennonite World Conference – downsized by COVID-19 restrictions but full of joy, beauty and fellowship. In an outdoor venue at a Mennonite Bible college (JKI) on a mountaintop in the city of Salatiga on the island of
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Masks on; Assembly begins!
Assembly in Indonesia 2022 is about to begin on 5 July 2022 with strict health protocols in place, as mandated by the local health authority. “As per government protocols, we mandate mask-wearing in all indoor spaces and crowded outdoor spaces. Seats are arranged for social distancing, and compliance to mask-wearing is checked at entrances and
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How the Assembly Hub crosses barriers of space
“It’s not the planned things that change us; it’s the encounters,” says Benjamin Isaak-Krauß, a two-time Assembly participant from Germany. Online participants find space for those barrier-crossing encounter at Mennonite World Conference’s event in the Assembly Hub. Event programs can be inspiring; however, the moments that make life change are often spontaneous connections over food
