Stories

Ongoing conflict cuts off congregations

“MKC has been trying to help MKC members who were seriously affected in parts of Ethiopia that are not currently under the Tigray People’s Liberation Front,” says Desalegn Abebe, president of the Mennonite church in Ethiopia, Meserete Kristos Church... more/más/suite

More than greeters

Training begins for Indonesia 2022 volunteers With only ten more months to prepare and gathering limitations still in place, Assembly’s national planning committee presses on training volunteers virtually. In May 2021, the committee coached 60... more/más/suite

How do environmental problems make people feel?

(...and why does that matter?) “It makes me so sad to see the consequences of environmental damage all across the globe. We have not been good stewards of God 's creation; we have destroyed it rather. It makes me feel guilty to be part of the... more/más/suite

MWC launches “Ambassador Kit” for churches to promote Indonesia 2022

NEW materials 2022-03 As the COVID-19 pandemic has changed how we travel, Mennonite World Conference representatives and Assembly team seek new ways to bring awareness and excitement for Indonesia 2022, which will be MWC’s first hybrid global... more/más/suite

Safe space in light of COVID-19

*These suggestions come from a North American pastor; in other cultural contexts, variations on practices will exist. See below for comments from around the world. On a cold wintry night in the middle of February around a decade ago, I arranged five... more/más/suite

Only God could turn disaster into ministry

Thousands stream into Holy Stadium: Mennonite congregation sponsors vaccination clinic more/más/suite

Ministry partner update: ICOMB – September 2021

Introducing the Global Family Bund evangelischer Freikirchen (Taufgesinnte Gemeinden) – Germany Member Conference The Bund evangelischer Freikirchen (Taufgesinnte Gemeinden) , is a growing working group of independent churches. The Conference was... more/más/suite

In Memoriam: Ambrocio Ladiana Porcincula (1939-2021)

Ambrocio Porcincula, general council delegate to Mennonite World Conference, died 8 August 2021 at 82 after suffering a stroke. He served MWC as a representative of Asia on the Executive Committee in the late 1990s and represented Integrated... more/más/suite

How environmental crises impact church communities

“These repercussions had a negative impact in my personal life and that of other members of our congregation, because they accentuated the already existing level of poverty in the church. The explosion in the price of food products disrupted... more/más/suite

MWC update

The relationships in Mennonite World Conference are always growing. From the member churches that make up MWC to the emerging networks linking church-supported agencies, MWC facilitates connections between Anabaptist organizations. The Executive... more/más/suite

Assembly team drawing lessons from the Olympics

Despite grave concerns, the Tokyo 2020 Olympics took place in 2021 and gave the world memorable stories of togetherness. From high jumpers Mutaz Essa Barshim (Qatar) and Gianmarco Tamberi (Italy) agreeing to end the jump-off and share the gold medal... more/más/suite

Love neighbours: share vaccines

In Tanzania – home to 66 744 baptized members of Kanisa la Mennonite Tanzania – less than one percent of the population has received vaccination protection against COVID-19. Mennonite World Conference is calling on its members around the world to... more/más/suite

Bimonthly prayer unites across language and location

Despite a two-day headache and recovery from a COVID-19 infection, Madhur Lakra logged on at 19:30 local time to pray. He not only participated in but led a Hindi prayer room for MWC’s bimonthly online prayer hour in July. After a large group... more/más/suite

Politics matters

What Is God’s Kingdom and What Does Citizenship Look Like? A book on Anabaptism and politics by Mennonite World Conference general secretary César García. more/más/suite

7 ways to worship without singing

What can services look like without music? Mennonites express their unity and diversity through singing together. The coronavirus pandemic silenced many voices for the sake of public safety. As congregations cautiously welcome more people back into... more/más/suite

Revival in lockdown

“People in Africa have responded favourably to the gospel of Jesus and have always turned to God in the midst of adversity,” says Samukeliso Ndebele, a lay preacher, church elder and secretary of the BICC Harare District. Although COVID-19... more/más/suite

Anabaptist dialogues unite Latin America

As the pandemic closed church activities among others, three friends in three different countries started discussing and dreaming of ways to bring Anabaptists together while physically apart. Víctor Rey (from Chile, living in Ecuador), María Elena... more/más/suite

Mennonites in Myanmar face desperate situation

Amid mass protests, lethal military response and UN warnings of Myanmar becoming a “new Syria,” one Mennonite source in the country said. “We are in darkness, full of fear and with no hope for the future.” This story does not use the source’s name... more/más/suite

Worship that transcends physical boundaries

The auditorium, filled with thouands of worshippers, tuned in intently as Debora Prabu broke the silence with an a cappella solo of Oh, Prince of Peace , a pentatonic hymn in the Javanese language written by Saptojoadi of Gereja Injili di Tanah Jawa... more/más/suite

4 rituals to mark the pandemic year

“Worship is a series of actions: gathering, praising, reconciling, praying,” says Katie Graber, co-director of Anabaptist Worship Network. Music, bodily movements, lighting candles, writing prayers can be used as part of rituals for worship to help... more/más/suite