Stories

Congolese Mennonites celebrate 100 years of God’s faithfulness and partnership

In 100 years, the Communauté Mennonite au Congo has thrived, growing to include 110,000 members, 798 congregations, 95 schools and seven hospitals. Tshikapa, Democratic Republic of Congo—Fifty-some young musicians walked nearly 160... Lees meer

Global Anabaptism: an X-ray of the body

In collaboration with Mennonite World Conference, the Institute for the Study of Global Anabaptism at Goshen (Indiana, USA) College is launching a two-part research initiative. Combining data and personal stories, organizers hope to develop a more... Lees meer

European Mennonites inspired to reach across borders at ninth Regional Conference

Sumiswald, Switzerland – Every six years, Mennonites in Europe gather for their regional assembly known as the Mennonite European Regional Conference (MERK). This year’s meeting, held from May 17 to 20, preceded the meetings of the Mennonite World... Lees meer

200,000 newly displaced by conflict in eastern Congo

Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo – Rukimba Furaha fled her home and fields in the village of Kabuya in North Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), out of fear for the safety of her eight children. Her husband had left... Lees meer

Congolese Football and Song

Nyanga, Democratic Republic of Congo – When a Belgian school inspector needed to recruit singers for the 1958 World’s Fair in Brussels, he entrusted the task to two missionary women, one of whom was Lodema Short. Short served from 1947–1981with... Lees meer

Growth of women’s theological networks celebrated

“Like an infectious laugh that spreads throughout a room full of people, one after another, theological networks have been formed by Anabaptist women in Africa, South America, Asia and Europe,” reports Ruth Guengerich, co-director of Mennonite Women... Lees meer

Advisory council prepares for privilege of hosting world assembly; approves $850,000 fundraising goal for 2015 event

Lancaster, PA—Both the welcome anticipation and the challenges of hosting the next Mennonite World Conference Assembly were evident in the meeting of the National Advisory Council held here March 22-23. Council members, who represent the four... Lees meer

MWC General Council sets stage to deepen global relations and strengthen Anabaptist identity

Bettingen, Switzerland —Swiss Mennonite historian Hanspeter Jecker stood on the bank of the Limmat River in Zurich, Switzerland, near the site where Anabaptist martyr Felix Manz was drowned. He was speaking passionately to a group of international... Lees meer

Regional workshops lay foundation for MWC Africa Caucus

Kinshasa, DR Congo—Two separate meetings of Mennonite World Conference (MWC) Africa representatives occurred on successive weekends at the end of October and early November 2011 in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo. Together they marked the “... Lees meer

Honduran pastor murdered; church asks for prayer

On Sunday, January 22, Rafael Erasmo Arevalo, a Mennonite pastor in Honduras, was attacked and killed after leading an evening worship service. Arevalo, from Santa Rosa de Copán, drove about 20 kilometres north to Veracruz, where he had led worship... Lees meer

Well attended women’s conference in Zimbabwe spawns a wider network

Mtshabezi, Zimbabwe—A women’s conference held here in April 2011 attracted more than 1,300 women and resulted in the formation of an “interlink” committee to carry forward the vision of the organizers. The purpose of the gathering was to “link and... Lees meer

Bert Lobe to retire in December; will assist with MWC transitions

St. Jacobs, Ont., Canada—Bert Lobe of St. Jacobs, Ontario has announced that he will retire from his work with Mennonite World Conference (MWC) at the end of 2012. He has served with MWC since 2008. During this year he will assist the new General... Lees meer

Nelson Kraybill chosen as President-elect of Mennonite World Conference

After the General Council selected J. Nelson Kraybill (second from left) as MWC President-elect, the MWC officers—President Danisa Ndlovu (left) and Vice-president Janet Plenert (right), along with representatives from North American MWC churches... Lees meer

Operations Team appointed in new MWC structure

Bogotá, Colombia—In January, Mennonite World Conference (MWC) General Secretary César García unveiled a new staff structure developed with the assistance of consultants James and Karen Klassen Harder of Bluffton, Ohio. The growth and maturity of MWC... Lees meer

No longer foolish and small

Sukodono, Indonesia--In 2008 I went to Cairo, Egypt, under YAMEN! to work at the Anaphora Retreat Centre of the Coptic Orthodox church. I used my limited English language as a basis for learning Arabic. After a month and a half, however, just as I... Lees meer

Brethren in Christ Church in South Africa celebrates conference status

Energetic music, lively dance, and passion for the church they belonged to was apparent to those who came, both church delegates and visitors, to the conference held just outside of Johannesburg from April 15-17, 2011. A second celebration was then... Lees meer

Church in India celebrates centennial

Dhamtari, India — The Mennonite Church in India celebrated its 100th anniversary Oct. 27-30 with a gathering of about 1,000 people at Sunderganj Mennonite Church. The MCI is one of eight MWC member churches in India. The MCI traces its origins to a... Lees meer

Europeans plan to hire coordinator; seek to be ‘a place of blessing’

Madrid, Spain—At their annual gathering, held here in November 2011, leaders of European Mennonite conferences decided to hire a coordinator to serve as their liaison to Mennonite World Conference (MWC) and to fulfill some coordination tasks for the... Lees meer

Straddling Lao PDR and Zimbabwe

Vientiane, Lao PDR -- Godswill Muzarabani grew up straddling two cultures in Zimbabwe. His father was from the majority ethnic group, Shona, and his mother was Ndebele, the minority ethnic group – classifications that have led to violence between... Lees meer

MWC Asia Caucus strengthens identity and looks to future

Kolkata, India—Strengthening Anabaptist identity, learning more about Mennonite World Conference (MWC) and their responsibilities and proposing priorities for the future were the main issues that engaged Asian members of the MWC General Council at a... Lees meer