{"id":6426,"date":"2014-11-26T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2014-11-26T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mwc-cmm.org\/partnership-solution-developed-to-make-pa-2015-attendance-possible\/"},"modified":"2024-12-09T17:16:54","modified_gmt":"2024-12-09T17:16:54","slug":"partnership-solution-developed-to-make-pa-2015-attendance-possible","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mwc-cmm.org\/en\/stories\/partnership-solution-developed-to-make-pa-2015-attendance-possible\/","title":{"rendered":"Partnership solution developed to make PA 2015 attendance possible"},"content":{"rendered":"

Harrisburg, PA, USA \u2013 \u201cWhat a sad irony it would be if we welcomed the world to PA 2015 but we failed to find a way for our U.S. and Canadian sisters and brothers who belong to immigrant congregations, and to congregations who need financial support, to attend MWC\u2019s Assembly next summer,\u201d reflects Lynn Roth, Mennonite World Conference\u2019s lead North American staff person.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a rich diversity of nationalities within our 1400-plus congregations in the U.S. We worship in at least 20 languages \u2013 Indonesian, Amharic, and Karen, to name just a few. Many of the members of these congregations are fairly recent immigrants. Many of them have limited incomes. They want very much to attend PA 2015. But many cannot afford the registration fee, nor can they afford to take time off from work to attend.<\/p>\n

\u201cYet we believe it is essential for people from these congregations to experience the global church and to be strongly represented at the Assembly to be held July 21-26, 2015 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.<\/p>\n

\u201cTheir presence at PA 2015 will help all<\/em> of us more fully grasp the wonderful variety within the North American church,\u201d says Roth.  \u201cAnd having had this experience, we won\u2019t be content to live so separately in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n

A partnership solution<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve put together a plan that shares responsibility for solving this dilemma,\u201d explains Roth. \u201cRegional and area conferences, together with local congregations and church organizations with resources to share, are invited to partner with Mennonite World Conference, and with these congregations with limited financial resources.\u201d (See sidebar for details.)<\/p>\n

\u201cWe urge all congregations and area conferences across North America to join us in this effort \u2013 both those who need financial support and those who have funds to share. Please keep this opportunity to \u2018care for those in our<\/em> household of faith\u2019 in mind as you plan your 2015 budget,\u201d suggests Roth.<\/p>\n

\u201cEmail registrations@mwc-cmm.org<\/a> for instructions about how a conference or congregation can become a partner by sending funds to MWC for their portion of the registration, and how the persons receiving the subsidy should register.\u201d<\/p>\n

A gift that keeps on giving<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThink of this as an investment in our ongoing life together as a North American church,\u201d says Roth. \u201cPA 2015 gives us a rare chance to learn to know our neighbouring churches \u2013 our sisters and brothers from other cultures and language groups, and with different economic status \u2013 as partners.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want to continue our shared life together when the last guest has gone home from PA 2015,\u201d reflects Roth. \u201cAs a North American church, we want to more fully experience being part of a global faith family as a result of preparing for and hosting the Assembly.\u201d<\/p>\n

Article by Phyllis Pellman Good, Lancaster, PA, a writer and editor for Mennonite World Conference.<\/em><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s how the partnership solution will work<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The registration fee for a North American adult for PA 2015 (including the full meal plan) is $575.<\/p>\n