On 24 October 2024, Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary (AMBS) celebrated the successful conclusion of their Forming Leaders Together campaign with an event on their Elkhart, Indiana, USA, campus. Mennonite World Conference has partnered with AMBS in this initiative and Bruce Campbell-Janz, MWC Chief Development Officer, participated in the celebration event.  

Forming Leaders together was a multiyear fundraising campaign for AMBS’s core work.  

“Both MWC and AMBS are dedicated to strengthening the life and ministry of the churches we serve and to cultivating our rich heritage as Anabaptist organizations,” says Bruce Campbell-Janz. “Partnership is a way to join MWC’s and AMBS’s gifts in building up the church and its ministries together.”  

In 2020, MWC and AMBS signed an agreement acknowledging that both MWC and AMBS “are products of and accountable to national churches”. Together, MWC and AMBS understand the church to be God’s primary vehicle for redemption of the human community.  

MWC has been partnering with AMBS to strengthen Anabaptist identity across MWC’s 110 national member churches in 61 countries. A close relationship is in part a response to the exhortation to share gifts among MWC member churches. A strong focus on nurturing and strengthening Anabaptist identity will continue to be central.  

“These educational opportunities will equip new leaders in the global church with more awareness of the tradition to which they belong and with the capacity to enrich other traditions with our distinctives while also receiving from others,” says César García, MWC General Secretary.  

During the October event, Bruce Campbell-Janz reflected on the dynamic engagement which both MWC and AMBS bring to this collaborative work. Quoting Hebrews 10:24, he called for “Holy provocation – the good kind of challenging each other – to bring our best to our work and share God’s distinct gifts poured out on each of us; pushing us forward together in our common call to be a worldwide communion of Anabaptist-related churches linked to one another in a worldwide community of faith.”  

“MWC insists that all of God’s creation is gifted, that all persons have a role to play and gifts to give to the whole body, the global church,” says Bruce Campbell-Janz. “A gift MWC brings to the relationship with AMBS is the opportunity to expand our understanding of Anabaptist identity today.” 

The joint agreement opens the door for MWC to “identify professors across the globe that could potentially be appointed by AMBS as teaching faculty”. Highlighting and amplifying the perspectives of Anabaptists around the world brings a more global nature to the development of Anabaptist theology and reminds that all members of the body have gifts to share.  

Invoking MWC’s tagline – following Jesus, living out unity, and building peace – Bruce Campbell-Janz spoke the blessing from Psalm 90:17 -- “Let the favour of the Lord our God be upon us, and prosper for us the work of our hands – O prosper the work of our hands!”  

Other agencies that partnered in the campaign were Mennonite Mission Network, Mennonite Church Eastern Canada, Mennonite Church USA and Mennonite Church Canada International Witness. The gathering was intended to celebrate effective collaboration through encouragement, financial support, creativity, hard work, and lasting partnership.