Left to right, General Secretary John M. Sean of KMKT and General Secretary Emmanuel Hagai, General Secretary of KMT.
Photo: Liesa Unger
MWC Assembly stays in Eastern Africa
“Together building the body of Christ and strengthening global fellowship [is the vision for hosting the global Anabaptist church]”, says Bishop Nelson Kisare, Kanisa la Mennonite Tanzania.
The Executive Committee of Mennonite World Conference accepted the invitation from the member churches of Tanzania to host the global Assembly 18 in 2028. The five-day gathering of Anabaptists from around the world will take place in the first two weeks of June. The theme is being finalized.
There are more than 46 000 Mennonites in Tanzania in two MWC member churches: Kanisa la Mennonite Tanzania (KMT) and Kanisa La Mennonite La Kiinjili Tanzania (Evangelical Mennonite church of Tanzania).
“We expect approximately 1 500–2 000 participants from outside of the continent and 500–1 000 from other countries within Africa,” says Liesa Unger, manager of international events. “Tanzanian church leaders expect more than 2 500 local participants to join the entire Assembly and another 200 for the closing mass worship service on Saturday.”
KMT is the oldest national Mennonite church in East Africa, established in the 1930s. Waves of revival moved through Tanzania from the 1940s to 1960s. Tanzania evangelists from Mennonite churches carried the gospel into Kenya, establishing the Mennonite church there.
In 1971, the national church’s name was changed from English to Swahili, reflecting the African leadership of the church which had begun with the appointment of pastors Ezekiel Muganda and Andrea Mabeba in 1950 and the appointment of Bishop Zedekiah Kisare in 1964. Currently, Emmanuel Hagai serves as general secretary and Nelson Kisare serves as presiding bishop.
KMKT was formed in 1988 as an outgrowth of KMT. In 2005, they were recognized as a church by their national government. Their mission is focused on sharing the gospel, engaging youth in following Jesus and participating in church activities and in serving the community through voluntary blood donation and helping the poor. Currently, John Sean serves as general secretary and Lameck Manji as presiding bishop.
Mennonites in Tanzania run a number of schools from primary to post-secondary and several hospitals or health centres.
“Our Africa caucus supports this invitation for our worldwide Anabaptist family to come to Tanzania,” says Samson Omondi, Executive Committee representative for Africa and bishop in Kenya Mennonite Church.
Choirs are part of Sunday morning services in KMT congregations, like this one in Arusha.
Photo: Liesa Unger
“We hope to have Assembly Scattered options not only in Tanzania, but also other parts of East Africa,” says Nelson Martínez, logistics coordinator. (Assembly Scattered are tours before and after Assembly Gathered that allow smaller groups to experience the region and worship with local congregations.)
The new venue for Assembly had to be selected with only a two-year lead time before the event after intended host, MKC in Ethiopia withdrew the invitation.
“For years, it has been our dream to hold Assembly 18 in Africa. This draws to a close our decade of Renewal, marking 500 years of Anabaptism with a celebration on the continent where Anabaptism is growing the fastest,” says César García, MWC general secretary. “We look forward to this opportunity to build relationships and deepen our understanding of brothers and sisters in Tanzania as we participate in mutual gift sharing through this mass gathering.”
“Despite some anticipated challenges, we think that holding the Assembly in Arusha will be a unique and positive experience. The fact that it is happening in a relatively small place will help us to come closer together. The engagement of the churches will bring joy and many helping hands to the Assembly,” says Liesa Unger.