How do you stay in relationship in a diverse global communion comprised of 110 national member churches scattered across 61 countries, with vastly different economic circumstances and political and cultural contexts, speaking more than 30 different languages?
“Mennonite World Conference is an organic community and not a bureaucratic institution. As a global church, we are committed to serving people rather than building an infrastructure to maintain our institution,” says César García, MWC general secretary.
Bringing the breadth of geographic, theological, gender and age diversity within the global church to the table is an ever-present challenge that drives discernment. There are a variety of ways leaders come to the table in the global Anabaptist communion.
General Council
The banquet table for the MWC communion is the General Council. Each member church appoints their own General Council delegate (up to three for national churches of 25 000+ members).
Through the triennial General Council meetings, these delegates govern the life, work, and organization of MWC. Gathering at tables, they participate in discussions and decision-making.
Executive Committee
For continuity between these gatherings, the Executive Committee meets at least annually. The five continental caucuses of the General Council each select two persons from within their respective groups to serve.
At this table, the Executive Committee develops long-range plans according to the mission and vision, authorizes programs, appoints task forces, approves committees and approves budgets.
The Officers
The Executive Committee is led by Officers: the General Secretary (a staff role), a treasurer (appointed by the Executive Committee), a president and vice president who are elected by the General Council. A fifth non-voting officer has been added to ensure that someone from each continent has a seat at the Officers’ table.
An officer must be a member of an MWC member church, and must be approved by his/her member church, but need not be a General Council member at the time of election or appointment.
The Officers meet monthly in a video call, twice a year face-to-face.
While these members tend to the vision and governance of the communion, another set of representatives gather at the table with a focus on living out the mission of the communion.
Commissions, CCTF, YABs
Another round table in which members are selected in different ways but with a keen eye for geographical and denominational diversity: Commissions, Creation Care Task Force (CCTF), YABs (Young AnaBaptists) Committee and YABs delegates. Each MWC member is invited to appoint a YABs delegate for their triennial meetings.
Read more about YABs here
The selection of these representatives is a dance of diversity. Potential servants must be affirmed by their church. In addition, aptitude and interest, geography, denominational identity and gender are also considered. And in the end, availability to serve also affects who sits at the table.
Regional Representatives
Our broad network of churches is not only held together by Shared Convictions and historical linkages but by relationship. Representing MWC to the member churches, 13 regional representatives facilitate these connections by building relationships with church leaders.
Although most serve as volunteers, this is considered a staff role. Member churches nominate potential candidates, and a process of discernment leads to a single candidate being recommended to the member churches in the region. An affirmation process, not unlike consensus building, then occurs with member churches in the region.
These part-time volunteers are responsible to develop and support relationships with MWC member, associate-member and potential-member churches, local congregations and MWC-related agencies and partners. They are a connector between the global communion and the members of a region. Serving as liaisons, they carry the joys and concerns from the churches to MWC and explain and share the resources and opportunities of the global communion with local churches.
Two regional representatives are coming to the table in December 2025: Vikal Pravin Rao, representing nine national member churches in two countries in South Asia (read more here) and Rosalina Vasco Santana, who will co-represent the Southern Cone region of Latin America with 18 national member churches in six countries.
Rosalina Vasco Santana is from the AEM (Aliança Evangélica Menonita) church in Brazil. She is a pastor of the Samambaia Mennonite Church near Brasilia, Brazil. Rosalina has served as a regional church president and national church president and has been an MWC General Council member.
“Rosalina brings a pastoral heart and love for the church to her role,” says Janet Plenert, regional representatives coordinator.