Beloved sisters and brothers
The Apostle Paul entreated the church to make “every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3 NRSV). These words speak deeply to Mennonite World Conference today.
Maintaining the unity of the Spirit has never been easy for the church – not in the past, and not now, when technology can intensify the forces of division and polarization. Like many global Christian denominations, MWC faces serious challenges as we seek to preserve this unity amid divisive viewpoints on same-sex relationships. We have seen how social media can spread rumours, deepen mistrust and create unhealthy communication among our members, especially around this topic. These dynamics threaten the unity of the Spirit within MWC. And yet we remain a worldwide communion in the Anabaptist tradition, called to follow Jesus together.
You may remember that after extensive consultations in the early 2000s, MWC member churches clarified two important commitments. First, that the self-governance of each national church matters. Second, that our global church relationships must be strengthened. Our worldwide communion therefore must take shape among a fellowship of self-governing churches.
MWC acknowledges and respects the authority and diversity of local and national church structures. At the same time, member churches have pledged to move beyond independence and to participate in fellowship with one another. We understand this call to interdependence and communion as a faithful response to God’s intention expressed in Jesus’ prayer in the Gospel of John, “that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me” (John 17:23 NRSV).
This hope for stronger, interdependent relationships is reflected in the MWC Shared Convictions: seven beliefs common to and embraced by all MWC members. Adopted by the General Council 20 years ago, these convictions articulate our mutual commitment to follow Jesus, centre our lives on Scripture and rely on the Holy Spirit as we seek to live faithfully.
Yet even then, one difficult question remained: How should we handle convictions we may not share – convictions shaped by our diverse cultures, histories, experiences and interpretations of Scripture?
Human sexuality and marriage was one topic identified as a source of deep disagreement among our members. In particular, viewpoints regarding same-sex relationships have for many years contributed to fragmentation within some member churches. In preparation for the 2015 global Assembly in the United States, it became clear that MWC needed to define how we would respond to the reality of ‘unshared,’ or disparate, convictions within our worldwide communion.
At the General Council in 2018, our Faith and Life Commission proposed a process to help us discern areas of disagreement. The goal was to respect the self-governance of each national church while strengthening global church relationships. Unfortunately, that proposal was not accepted.
As the topic of same-sex relationships continues to strain our global family, MWC leadership continues to explore faithful ways to respond. The Faith and Life Commission, together with the Executive Committee, is working on a new proposal to be introduced to the General Council in 2028, and on an internal agreement regarding ‘disparate convictions’ and criteria for hiring and appointing leaders, to be ratified by the Executive Committee in 2027.
At this time, regarding the specific topic of same-sex relationships, we want to clearly communicate three things.
- There is no consensus among MWC churches on same-sex relationships. We have agreed together to uphold our Shared Convictions, but same-sex relationships are not addressed in those convictions. Among our 110 member churches and conferences, some have created space for local congregations to determine their own positions on same-sex relationships. Some of these local congregations are “open and affirming”; some are non-affirming.
- MWC has not taken a position on same-sex relationships. MWC does not endorse either an affirming position or a non-affirming position. And we want to be very clear that MWC has not been pressured to support a specific agenda on same-sex relationships.
- When we disagree, we seek to discern God’s will together. For more than 12 years, we have prayerfully sought the best way forward amid disagreement, misunderstanding and unverified rumours about how MWC is addressing this topic. Through it all, one principle has guided us: when churches face disagreement, we are called by God to enter into dialogue and to discern God’s will together. We see this model in Acts 15, where the church listened, spoke honestly and sought the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Like the early church, we take seriously our call to make every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Ephesians 4:3).
Divisive topics often create fear and tension. In response to disagreement, societies may fragment, separating into groups of people who already think alike. But Jesus calls us to a different path. Guided by Jesus and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we are called to live as a countercultural community: people who pursue unity, engage differences with love, seek God’s guidance together and continue walking with God as one body whose head is Jesus Christ. We do this “until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ” (Ephesians 4:13, NRSV).
We remain ready to speak with MWC members who have questions, concerns or a desire for deeper conversation. Please keep MWC in your prayers as we seek to bear witness to God’s new creation, discern God’s will together and respond faithfully to our call to follow Jesus as a global communion, maintaining the unity of the Spirit.
Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
In the name of Jesus, Prince of Peace, amen.
César García
General Secretary
Mennonite World Conference