Global gathering of young people for quincentenary
Global Youth Summit (GYS): a time for worshipping together, reflecting on faith across cultures, learning about the local culture, and growing understanding through relevant workshops – and love. The local GYS planning committee meets for the first time in Schwäbisch Gmünd, Germany, 31 May to 1 June 2024 to lay down the foundation of the 2025 event: “Empowered by love” (1 John 4:11).
Young adults aged 18-30 are the target audience, but youth groups accompanied by a supervising adult may also register to participate.
Traditionally, GYS – the international gathering of Young AnaBaptists (YABs) – has taken place every six years alongside the Mennonite World Conference global Assembly.
But in 2024, the Executive Committee approved a proposal from the YABs Committee to increase the frequency to every three years, coinciding with General Council meetings.
This means the next GYS will happen in Germany from 30 May to 1 June 2025.
“GYS 2025 is a special event! This will be a perfect opportunity for young people to immerse themselves to our heritage and the origins of the Anabaptist movement while also having fun and making connections with young people from all over the world,” says Ebenezer Mondez, YABs mentor.
Young adults who attend this event will also have opportunity to join the Zurich event (29 May 2025) which will commemorate the 500th anniversary of Anabaptism.
“Changing the frequency of GYS to every three years gives more young adults a chance to participate and facilitates selection of new YABs Committee members at the half-way point,” says Elina Ciptadi, interim chief communications officer. She was the Asia representative on the original YABs Committee, then called AMIGOS.
Young adults are in a time of many transitions. Almost each iteration of the YABs Committee has had one member move on before completing the full six-year terms.
“A lot of change can happen in six years. They may start their term as a university student but end their term as a working adult, spouse and parent,” says Elina Ciptadi.
The GYS planning group invites volunteers from MWC-related conferences across Europe to be part of the team who will make this event possible. More information about the GYS will be released in September 2024.
Click here to sign up for updates about YABs activities and the GYS.
Click here to volunteer or learn more about Zurich 2025.
GYS planning committee, pictured above (from left to right):
- Noa Fechner (Arbeitsgemeinschaft Mennonitischer Gemeinden in Deutschland – AMG; GYS delegate, Indonesia 2022),
- Leonard Hangen (AMG; GYS participant, Asuncion 2009, PA 2015);
- Rianna Isaak-Krauß (AMG; CCMBC GYS delegate, PA 2015; workshop coordinator, Indonesia 2022), Liesa Unger (MWC chief international events officer),
- Christopher Damm (Arbeitsgemeinschaft Mennonitischer Brüdergemeinden in Deutschland – AMBD);
- Ebenezer Mondez (GYS delegate, PA 2015; YABs Committee 2015-2022; MWC YABs mentor).