{"id":6555,"date":"2016-05-19T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2016-05-19T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mwc-cmm.org\/what-i-found-at-pa-2015-and-will-take-home-with-me\/"},"modified":"2026-04-29T23:28:04","modified_gmt":"2026-04-29T23:28:04","slug":"what-i-found-at-pa-2015-and-will-take-home-with-me","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mwc-cmm.org\/en\/stories\/what-i-found-at-pa-2015-and-will-take-home-with-me\/","title":{"rendered":"What I found at PA 2015 and will take home with me"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

PA 2015<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Paulus Hartono, Indonesia <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
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Paulus Hartono<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Being a part of the throngs at PA 2015 made Paulus Hartono of Indonesia reflect on his early life and how unlikely it is that he found his way to this place. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now a Mennonite pastor and highly active in peace work in Solo (Surakarta) Central Java, Indonesia, with its strong Muslim community, Hartono grew up in a Buddhist family. \u201cIn elementary school, I learned about Islam. My friends went to the mosque, so I went, too, and eventually I became an imam. I realize now that I was feeling the call to be a pastor, but I didn\u2019t know Jesus.\u201d When he became a Christian and was baptized in 1984, \u201cI took the name \u2018Paulus.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Commitment to peace<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

From the beginning of his life as a pastor, Hartono\u2019s commitment has been clear. \u201cWe started our congregation in 1994 with 40 members and the vision of being a peace church.\u201d Several North American Mennonite agencies gave him inspiration for putting his vision into practice. \u201cIn 1997, I learned about Mennonite Central Committee\u2019s relief, service, and development work. And at the same time, I was influenced by Eastern Mennonite Missions\u2019 cultivation of witness and global missions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn 2002, I learned about Mennonite Disaster Service. In 2005, soon after the tsunami hit Indonesia, we started Indonesia MDS: Mennonite Diakonia Service. We combine witness, relief, development and conflict transformation in that work by our church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn 2007, I attended Eastern Mennonite University\u2019s Conflict Transformation and Trauma Healing trainings. We\u2019ve adapted those ideas for Indonesia and combined them with our witness and development efforts.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Writing the gospel with our lives<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNow in 2015, we have two Mennonite churches in Solo, with a total of 400 members. Our Mennonite churches are actively helping to bring reconciliation between Muslims and Christians. We have many relationships with our Muslim neighbours, including a radical Muslim group who are participating in a special class we\u2019re offering on conflict transformation and disaster relief.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe President of Indonesia is right now seeking reconciliation with Papua, a part of our country where the Mennonites have a program for conflict transformation and trauma healing. He has asked our help in working with Papua in peaceful ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI believe that the church must make relationships with Muslims so they can read the gospel from our lives.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paulus led two workshops during PA 2015: \u201cWalking in Tragedy: The Global Church in Disaster Response\u201d and \u201cInterfaith Peace Dialogue and Practice in Indonesia.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBeing here with many pastors and in this atmosphere of spirituality has given me much courage,\u201d Hartono reflected quietly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Barbara Hege-Galle, Germany <\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Barbara Hege-Galle of Bammental, Germany, first attended a Mennonite World Conference (MWC) Assembly in 1984 in Strasbourg, France, where she led the children\u2019s program. But she was so tied up with her duties that she got only a small taste of the adult part of the global event.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI decided to go to the next Assembly in 1990 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, so I could participate \u2013 and after that, I knew it would not be the last MWC Assembly for me!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since then, Hege-Galle has been part of MWC in many ways: as a member of the General Council, of the Deacons Commission, of the coordination committee of the Service Network, and now as a member of the Missions Commission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In her day job, Hege-Galle is the executive director of Christliche Dienst, the Mennonite Voluntary Service program sponsored by the Mennonite churches in Germany. And she is on the leadership team of the Bammental Mennonite Church, where she is ordained as a lay preacher.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A view beyond congregations<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Why does she not want to miss an MWC Assembly? \u201cBecause this global get-together gives us a view beyond the little space of a Mennonite congregation. This gathering motivates me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI got really inspired to focus on our Anabaptist specifics this time. Not because of any of our particular traditions, but because of what we believe. We have a strong sense of peace in Jesus. If Jesus gives people like Paulus Hartono strength and courage, we can each do more than just be part of a quiet, peaceful congregation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn my work, I now have partners in other countries \u2013 and I meet them here. We in Germany are working with these sisters and brothers as I assign 18\u201320-year-olds to service projects in their countries.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Communal spirituality<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

What will Hege-Galle take home with her from PA 2015? \u201cWhen I have a sermon to give, my experiences here will be part of it in some way. I\u2019m not sure how yet. We have teachings in our congregation, and this will be part of them, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOne of our leaders is very deeply committed to practicing and teaching meditation, with a focus on what God is telling you. But some say that\u2019s too individualistic an approach, that we need something more communal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHere at PA 2015, I\u2019m beginning to glimpse some of what we might need. It\u2019s just an idea at this point, and not fully formed. I like this emphasis on meditation, but it\u2019s not the only way of spirituality. I was reminded of that here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mthokozisi Ncube and Morgen Moyo, Zimbabwe<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Two Brethren in Christ high school administrators from Zimbabwe were first-time MWC Assembly-goers at PA 2015.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Mthokozisi Ncube, from the Eiluphileni Bible School, came for \u201cfellowship and to learn what others are doing. I\u2019m not only Zimbabwean,\u201d he commented. \u201cI\u2019m an Anabaptist and part of an international family. I wanted to sit down with my brothers and sisters and learn about their experiences and how God is working in their lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Friendship Groups [which met every day following the morning worship service] are a good way to learn to know people. We\u2019ve made friends. We\u2019ve exchanged email addresses. We\u2019re hoping to extend this fellowship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been encouraged to become more involved in mission, and to be at peace with myself and my family, the people I live with. That\u2019s what I\u2019m taking home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh, and I\u2019ve been reminded that doubt is not always negative. It can be healthy.\u201d [Walking in doubt and conviction was the theme on 22 July 2015.]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Interacting and learning<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Morgen Moyo is the principal of Mtshabezi High School. He\u2019s been deeply blessed by the singing at PA 2015. \u201cI\u2019ve had a desire to find out how other people worship. I want to learn from them. I\u2019ve had that opportunity here in our Friendship Group. I\u2019m interacting and learning.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Said Ncube, \u201cAnd I have really appreciated the young speakers during the morning and evening worship services. We will take that idea home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oneness of spirit<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI discovered something else. When we walked the streets in Harrisburg, no one greeted us. But whenever we walked into the dining area at PA 2015, people always looked up, smiled and welcomed us. Always. I never felt different. There is a oneness here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn fact, one thing I haven\u2019t liked is walking into the restrooms here at the Farm Show Complex and seeing myself in the big mirrors. Then I see that I am different. I hadn\u2019t felt it otherwise!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Celebrate differences<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Moyo has a suggestion for future Assemblies. \u201cWhy not offer food from different cultures throughout the week? On Africa Day have African food, and so on. It might be hard to do, but why not?!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere\u2019s been lots of good planning and organization for this event. We especially like the lack of emphasis on glamour.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But then the world\u2019s inequities surfaced for Ncube as he thought of returning to the realities of home. \u201cOf course, emails often don\u2019t reach us. Not all communication gets through. Out in the countryside, it\u2019s hard to get messages. We hope our new friendships and connections endure anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Todd Friesen, USA <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Todd Friesen is pastor of East Chestnut Street Mennonite Church in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, USA. A month after PA 2015, he reflected on the experience of attending the Assembly for a full week.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat would our churches \u2013 and our youth \u2013 be like without these glimpses of the global body of Christ, and the experience of being part of something much larger than just our local congregation?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA week like this breaks our provincialism and our sense of American exceptionalism. This event is kind of an immunization against those attitudes, although we\u2019re still susceptible to them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Impact on youth<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe can\u2019t minimize the huge formational impact of these Assemblies on our young people. I attended the Assembly in Strasbourg in 1984 as a 20-year-old. The singing and worship left a major impression on me. I am so grateful that our congregation made the investment to have our youth group participate in PA 2015. It was such a positive experience for them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A brush with eternal realities<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI love how we travelled from continent to continent through the morning and evening worship services. Heaven will be more rich and more diverse than we imagine. We got brushed by eternal realities through this experience with the global church.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFor those of us who went to Kansas City [site of the 2015 Mennonite Church USA Assembly], too, why did PA 2015 feel so different? At PA 2015, the focus was on worship, our shared stories, fellowship, and service. We were there simply to be together around our centre in Christ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd I learned that in the middle of our great diversity, it\u2019s probably best to start by worshipping God together, serving others and telling our stories rather than focusing on our differences or debating the things we disagree about.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ongoing echoes in the mind<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe voices of the young speakers in the morning worship services will stay with me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI heard new and rich insights into particular passages of Scripture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe were so blessed to welcome international guests into our congregation on Sunday, the final day of PA 2015. Then we all \u2013including those who hadn\u2019t attended Assembly Gathered \u2013 could experience that every believer has precious insights to share and serious blind spots to overcome.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An enduring gift<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy fellowship with these global believers has made them my spiritual and emotional conversation partners, even though I\u2019m not talking with them. I often have a sense of what they think, of what they would say or do, and I can draw upon that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Phyllis Pellman Good is a writer and editor for Mennonite World Conference.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Photos of Paulus, Barbara, Mthokozisi and Morgen by Merle Good. Photo of Todd Friesen by Marilyn High.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This article first appeared in Courier\/Correo\/Courrier October 2015<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n
Assembly<\/a>, <\/span>PA2015<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Being a part of the throngs at PA 2015 made Paulus Hartono of Indonesia reflect on his early life and how unlikely it is that he found his way to this place. Now a Mennonite pastor and highly active in peace work in Solo (Surakarta) Central Java, Indonesia, with its strong Muslim community, Hartono grew up in a Buddhist family. \u201cIn elementary school, I learned about Islam. My friends went to the mosque, so I went, too, and eventually I became an imam. I realize now that I was feeling the call to be a pastor, but I didn\u2019t know Jesus.\u201d When he became a Christian and was baptized in 1984, \u201cI took the name \u2018Paulus.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":127362,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[189,1718],"network":[302],"eventcategory":[299],"class_list":["post-6555","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-assembly","tag-pa2015","network-courier","eventcategory-assembly"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nWhat I found at PA 2015 and will take home with me - Mennonite World Conference<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/mwc-cmm.org\/en\/stories\/what-i-found-at-pa-2015-and-will-take-home-with-me\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What I found at PA 2015 and will take home with me - Mennonite World Conference\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Being a part of the throngs at PA 2015 made Paulus Hartono of Indonesia reflect on his early life and how unlikely it is that he found his way to this place. 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Now a Mennonite pastor and highly active in peace work in Solo (Surakarta) Central Java, Indonesia, with its strong Muslim community, Hartono grew up in a Buddhist family. \u201cIn elementary school, I learned about Islam. My friends went to the mosque, so I went, too, and eventually I became an imam. I realize now that I was feeling the call to be a pastor, but I didn\u2019t know Jesus.\u201d When he became a Christian and was baptized in 1984, \u201cI took the name \u2018Paulus.\u2019\u201d","og_url":"https:\/\/mwc-cmm.org\/en\/stories\/what-i-found-at-pa-2015-and-will-take-home-with-me\/","og_site_name":"Mennonite World Conference","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/MennoniteWorldConference","article_published_time":"2016-05-19T00:00:00+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-04-29T23:28:04+00:00","og_image":[{"width":397,"height":397,"url":"https:\/\/mwc-cmm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/image.jpeg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"mennworldcon","schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/mwc-cmm.org\/en\/stories\/what-i-found-at-pa-2015-and-will-take-home-with-me\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/mwc-cmm.org\/en\/stories\/what-i-found-at-pa-2015-and-will-take-home-with-me\/"},"author":{"name":"mennworldcon","@id":"https:\/\/mwc-cmm.org\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/11f6ae0d7d1868ba20a1cc27f067c836"},"headline":"What I found at PA 2015 and will take home with me","datePublished":"2016-05-19T00:00:00+00:00","dateModified":"2026-04-29T23:28:04+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/mwc-cmm.org\/en\/stories\/what-i-found-at-pa-2015-and-will-take-home-with-me\/"},"wordCount":1766,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/mwc-cmm.org\/en\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/mwc-cmm.org\/en\/stories\/what-i-found-at-pa-2015-and-will-take-home-with-me\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/mwc-cmm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/image.jpeg","keywords":["Assembly","PA2015"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/mwc-cmm.org\/en\/stories\/what-i-found-at-pa-2015-and-will-take-home-with-me\/","url":"https:\/\/mwc-cmm.org\/en\/stories\/what-i-found-at-pa-2015-and-will-take-home-with-me\/","name":"What I found at PA 2015 and will take home with me - 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