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What does it mean to be a Peace Church?
Peace Sunday 2025 – Testimony A story of the church in Myanmar What does it mean to be a Historic Peace Church – or, rather, a church dedicated to the ways of Christ’s peace? This is the question that the Mennonite church in Myanmar wrestles with as the ongoing conflict there continues to affect many…
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Redrawing our relationships of proximity
Peace Sunday 2025 – Teaching Resource Sermon on Matthew 22:34–40 “Vecino” or “vecina” (neighbour). This is one of the ways we refer to the different people around us in Bogota, Colombia, whether they live in our building, the house next door, or we meet them in a store or other shared and public places. We…
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No one was left behind
The General Council is the decision-making body of Mennonite World Conference. Using consensus decision making, they discern strategy, policy and statements that guide the global Anabaptist family. Out of 106 General Council delegates who were present at the triennial meetings in Germany in 2025, more than 60 were representing their church for the first time. (As…
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Young Anabaptists eager to encounter the global family
During the Global Youth Summit (GYS) in 2015 in Pennsylvania, USA, Mennonite World Conference (MWC) general secretary César García said, “If you want a revolution, ask someone young to lead.” This year’s GYS was the latest step in MWC’s journey of walking with young leaders in following Jesus together. From the creation of the GYS…
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Terms renewed and specialists appointed
As Mennonite World Conference’s Executive Committee and General Council delegates gather for worship, fellowship and discernment, there are farewells and hellos. Members of the Executive Committee and the Commission serve six-year terms. The terms are staggered to ensure continuity. Executive Committee The Executive Committee is elected from the General Council (GC) and meets annually. Two…
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Living in a new era
César García (right) interviewed church leaders from other traditions who were present throughout General Council meetings in May 2025. (l-r) Paul Tché, Tim Gee, Neil Vigers, Hanns Lessing (with microphone), Samuel van der Maas, Anne-Cathy Graber (MWC secretary for ecumenical relations). “Reconciliation is central to our faith as Anabaptists,” said César García, Mennonite World Conference…
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The beating heart of MWC
Deacons The responsibilities of the Deacons Commission include overseeing the Global Church Sharing Fund (GCSF), fostering prayer within the Anabaptist communion (sending the Prayer Network email, hosting Online Prayer Hour and collaborating with the president on pastoral letters), and deacon visits. From 2022 to the end of 2024, the Deacons Commission approved 20 GCSF proposals…
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Rosedale Network of Churches in the USA
Courier: Perspectives North America: USA Anabaptist church beginnings: A snapshot On a cold, Thanksgiving Day in November 1910, a group of five ordained ministers gathered with other guests at the Pigeon River Conservative Amish Mennonite meetinghouse in Huron County, Michigan, USA, for the purpose of working together to further the mission of the church. Out…
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Convención Evangélica Hermanos Menonitas Nivaclé in Paraguay
Courier: Perspectives Latin America: Paraguay Anabaptist church beginnings: A snapshot At no time did we hear the word leaders, but instead we spoke of the missionaries. The first leaders of the church were Mennonite Brethren: Jakob Franz in the 1930s and later Gerhard Hein. The people left, but they sowed the Word in the community. First…
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A movement that has been diverse and international
The bells rang out across the city that full of Anabaptists. An estimated 3 500 or more people filled the streets of old Zurich on Ascension Day 29 May 2025 to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Anabaptism. “Today, as Mennonites in Switzerland we are a small community,” said Gladys Geiser & Lukas Amstutz, co-presidents, Konferenz der…
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MWC at 100: “We come together and share”
“He has done marvellous things!” An international ensemble with members from the USA, Germany, Colombia and Indonesia led the congregation in singing these words to open the fundraising celebration of 100 years of Mennonite World Conference. One of those marvellous things is 110 national churches* agreeing to walk together through MWC. César García preached from…
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A role model for others
Glory Michael Sunday is from Akwa Ibom state in Nigeria where she attends Ikot Ekang Itam Assembly, a congregation of MWC member church Mennonite Church Nigeria. She’s currently nearing the end of her term with YAMEN (Young Anabaptist Mennonite Exchange Network) serving as a teacher at P4T Nursery and Primary School in Kyangwali Refugee Camp…
