Prayers of gratitude and intercession

“He will cover you with his pinions,
    and under his wings you will find refuge;
    his faithfulness is a shield and defense.”

Psalm 91:4

Beloved brothers and sisters

The council of elders (Consejo de Ancianos) of Iglesia Hermanos Menonitas de Colombia calls on the global Anabaptist Mennonite family to support them in prayer.

In mid-May, approximately 300 people took shelter in the village of La Toma, Suarez Cauca, Colombia. These people abandoned their farms and animals as a result of the crossfire between illegal groups and the Army.

The Mennonite Brethren congregation (La Samaritana) located in La Toma welcomed them in the church building with food, mattresses and messages of encouragement.

“It is our desire that the global Anabaptist community learn about and support us in prayer for the difficult situation of the people of northern Cauca, Colombia,” write church leaders from Colombia.

“We ask for your prayerful support for the end of this armed conflict, that the families may return to their homes in peace and security, and for God’s blessing on the congregation in La Toma, which is manifesting God’s mercy to those who need it so much.”

“We also thank God for the prompt response of the Mennonite Central Committee in sending support to help with the maintenance of the people in refuge in La Toma.”

Pray for the farming families who fear for their livelihoods and their lives. May they be able to safely return to their land.

Pray for the peace processes that continue to struggle to take root in all corners of Colombian society. May patience and nonviolence prevail.

Pray for the people of La Samaritana. May they receive an outpouring of the Holy Spirit, so they can act with courage and love to transform violence into justice, truthtelling and shalom.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.
In the name of Jesus, Prince of Peace, amen.

Henk Stenvers, president, Mennonite World Conference

In December 2023, the Integrated Mennonite Church (IMC) of the Philippines’ Mission Services Department sent a team of pastors for a one-month learning tour in Indonesia with Gereja Injili Tanah Jawa (GITJ) and Gereja Kristen Muria Indonesia (GKMI) churches. 

“We’ve had a partnership with GITJ Mission Commission and PIPKA* (the mission agency) of GKMI since 2005,” said Richard A. Rancap, IMC mission services department director. “We collaborate in training young people for mission and discipleship.  

“As this training partnership continued, the leaders felt the need to also prepare pastors and church leaders who have never had the experience in another country to expand their perspective.” 

In 2017 and 2018, GITJ sent three pastors to the Philippines, where they preached, taught, visited and prayed for the sick, and participated in school ministries and sharing their testimonies. “They also cooked us Indonesian food!” said Richard Rancap. 

Visiting the Philippines broadened their perspective about faith, life and the mission of the church, the pastors say. There haven’t been any other visits since then (due to the pandemic) until December 2023 when a group of four pastors from IMC visited GITJ and GKMI churches in Indonesia, visiting both Jakarta and some towns in Central Java. 

Christ-like character 

In Jakarta, they stayed at the house of GKMI moderator Agus Mayanto, who is also MWC’s regional representative for Southeast Asia.  

“We saw how he and his wife fostered many university students from outside of Jakarta, discipling them and training them up as missional leaders while they were studying for their chosen career,” Richard Rancap said.  

“We also met with PIPKA leaders, who stated that discipleship is not a program, but a continuous commitment to building relationships and mentoring others where we embody Christ-like character. This was a new perspective for us.” 

The power of hospitality 

From Jakarta, the team journeyed on to Central Java, where they were hosted by several GITJ families. “It was nearing Christmas day when we got there, and the weather was very hot. But the hospitality of our GITJ hosts was so refreshing. In Central Java, we really saw the impact of GITJ’s hospitality, humanity and commitment to relationships on their communities,” Braian Carasco said. 

To begin with, Bishop Jomedes Eusebio noticed the Christmas celebrations were open to people of all faiths. “Sometimes the Christmas event was held outside of the church to cater for more people.” 

“In one instance, a community elder who doesn’t usually talk or greet the Christian minority was invited to the church to light a peace candle during a Christmas event. He showed up and participated, and afterwards he said to the church pastor that he was happy to have participated in an event filled with songs, dances, delicious food and sermon. That night, everyone went home with a joyful heart,” said Richard Rancap. 

“We felt that GITJ’s relationship with their neighbours is an example of Jesus’  prayer, ‘that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me’ (John 17:21),” said Bishop Rufino Mateo. 

He says the life of the church extends beyond the church building and into the community. “They live their lives with humility, in harmony with others.” 

Partnership is the way forward 

Upon the return, Richard Rancap commented, “We realize we are a small church conference. But we have a role in fulfilling the Great Commission – we have a gift, and other churches have different gifts. The best way to move forward is in partnership with others, as in Romans 1:12 (ESV), ‘that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.’ In walking with others, we learn each other’s best practices and our burdens become lighter.” 

“We also learn by visiting other churches that God works in so many ways. We learn to put aside our pride and listen to new ideas. Both GITJ and GKMI showed us that as followers of Christ, they humbled themselves and serve others in their communities, just like Jesus washed the feet of his disciples. It was a moving experience,” said Richard Rancap. 

* PIPKA (Pekabaran Injil dan Pelayanan Kasih) 

*Today, there are three Anabaptist-Mennonite groups in Indonesia: 

• Gereja Injili di Tanah Jawa (GITJ –Evangelical Church in the Land of Java) 
• Gereja Kristen Muria Indonesia (GKMI –Muria Christian Church of Indonesia) 
• Jemaat Kristen Indonesia (JKI –Indonesian Christian Congregation) 

“The more a congregation gathers all kinds of readers to study and interpret Scripture together, the more equipped its members will be to identify their common values and mission,” says Malinda Berry.  

She is developing “Anabaptist Thriving Congregations” a five-year program designed to equip Mennonite congregations in the U.S. and Canada to read and interpret both the Bible and their sociocultural context for the purpose of being witnesses to the gospel in their local community.  

Malinda Elizabeth Berry, director of Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary’s (AMBS) Faith Formation Collaborative (FFC), notes that a core belief of Anabaptism is that faith communities consisting of ordinary people can read and interpret Scripture together under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  

However, in North America, the practice of studying Scripture together on a regular basis has diminished over time among Mennonites.  

 “Gathering ‘professional readers’ like my colleagues who can read the Bible in Greek and Hebrew, and ‘everyday readers’ like me who read Scripture in translation” is central to this Bible study,” says Malinda Berry.  

“When we bring together the realities of ordinary living with the insights of biblical scholarship, something special begins to happen,” Malinda Berry says. “Scripture has power to be a vital dialogue partner with us as we adapt to the changing cultural and social contexts where our congregations find themselves.  

The idea for the project emerged from a listening process that AMBS conducted in 2021 with leaders in the seminary’s sponsoring denominations, Mennonite Church USA and Mennonite Church Canada. In response to the question, “What is the most meaningful thing AMBS can do to support current and future congregational leaders?” many leaders asked for help in understanding their social contexts, leading congregational discernment processes and teaching biblical stories to engage the present context.  

The new program addresses these specific needs through the practice of Confessional Bible Study, an approach developed at AMBS, Berry said.  

Each year, “Seminary Sages” (AMBS Teaching Faculty members and other professionals) will train and accompany teams of three to five “Congregational Guides” (including a pastor) to lead their congregations in a structured learning process. They’ll study their social and cultural contexts and learn to lead Confessional Bible Study. Then they’ll reflect together on what they’re learning, how it’s shaping their congregation’s values and mission, and how it will help them embody the good news of God’s love in their community. 

“Recent discussions among pastors in the New York City Council of Mennonite Churches reflect a growing interest in communal discernment that engages the Bible as a sacred conversation partner,” says Ruth Yoder Wenger, pastor of North Bronx (New York) Mennonite Church and conference minister for the New York City congregations of Atlantic Coast Conference of Mennonite Church USA. 

Berry expects that when the program concludes in 2028, it will have generated many resources for ongoing use by the seminary.  

—News release by Annette Brill Bergstresser for Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary

Continues shaping networks, adding membership and supporting learning and action in member churches 

Funding for theological education and carbon tax small grants was passed at the annual meeting of Mennonite World Conference’s Executive Committee meeting, 8-11 April 2024 in Curitiba, Brazil.  

Two new funds 

For many years, MWC member churches have called for more opportunities for Anabaptist-rooted theological training. “Now that the majority of our Anabaptist membership is in the Global South, we have a huge need to do theology, forming an Anabaptist identity in each context. We need to develop strong Anabaptist identities, focused on the centrality of Christ,” said César García, MWC general secretary. 

The Theological Education Fund will offer scholarships for theological training for pastors and other church leaders in places where Anabaptist theological education is difficult to find, specifically in the Global South. “We hope this will help leadership in our global communion more closely reflect the vision of Revelation 7 of a great multitude from every nation and people and language,” said César García. 

The Executive Committee also approved the creation of Carbon Tax Small Grant Fund. Since 2010, MWC has set aside a carbon tax surcharge on all organizational air travel. The funds collected over the years will now be available to national member churches in the Global South to implement creation care projects with direct relevance to reducing carbon emissions. 

“The intent of the surcharge is to 1) acknowledge the impact of air travel in a concrete way, 2) publicly demonstrate MWC’s commitment to taking care of God’s creation,” says Doug Graber Neufeld, Creation Care Task Force chair, who joined the meetings in Brazil via Zoom. “We’re pleased to offer a way to use the funds for an activity that in some way offsets the impact of flying.” 

Strengthening networks, expanding membership 

Over the last decade, MWC Executive Committee approved the placement of several emerging networks in MWC: Global Anabaptist Education Networks (GAEN), Global Anabaptist Health Network (GAHN), and Global Anabaptist Peace Network (GAPN). At these meetings, they approved a revised Terms of Reference (TOR) that explains how the networks interact with Commissions. The new TOR includes a different fee structure and provides greater clarity on the composition and organizational structure of the Networks. 

The revised TOR will also apply to existing networks Global Mission Fellowship (GMF) and the Global Anabaptist Service Network (GASN), part of the Mission Commission. The revised TOR will be considered by the General Council in 2025 before implementation. 

The Executive Committee also affirmed a proposal for constitutional change that will make room for Young Anabaptist (YABs) delegates to become members of the General Council, which will be tabled at next year’s General Council meeting. Saskia Horsch of Germany was confirmed as YABs representative for Europe as Gaëlle Oesch stepped down in 2023. 

Two new membership applications were also accepted: the Association of Christian Mennonite Brethren Churches of Ukraine (AMBCU) and Kanisa La Mennonite La Kiinjili Tanzania (KMKT – Evangelical Church of Tanzania). This brings MWC’s worldwide membership to 110 member churches in more than 10,000 congregations in 60 countries, with over 1.5 million baptized members. 

Ecumenical relations 

In preparation for the 500th anniversary commemoration events, the Executive Committee approved a joint statement with the World Communion of Reformed Churches. An international team of five theologians from each communion drafted “a common statement of confession, gratitude and commitment” to be presented at the event 29 May 2025. 

The Executive Committee approved the 2023 financial report and 2024 budget. It also considered proposals with the potential to redefine aspects of membership in MWC. 

In addition to decision-making sessions, the Executive Committee also had equipping sessions. Faith and Life Commission chair Thomas R. Yoder Neufeld gave three sessions on the new tagline: following Jesus, living out unity, building peace. Conflict, change and leadership consultant Betty Pries of Canada facilitated strategic planning for 2025-2031. 

Jeremiah Choi, MWC regional representative for North Asia, retired as lead pastor of Agape Mennonite Church in Hong Kong in November 2023. Elina Ciptadi (MWC Interim Chief Communications Officer) sat down with him at the Executive Committee meetings in Curitiba, Brazil, in April 2024, to gather his reflections on this transition period. 

“The calling has to come first. One shouldn’t be a pastor if not called and passionate about it,” says Jeremiah Choi.  

Being a pastor is more a calling than a profession. So how does one retire? 

“Pastors need to look at our limitations as we get older. We need to evaluate our health, cognitive ability, physical strength. I have to admit that I don’t remember as many details as I was able to in the past. I don’t want the church to be disadvantaged because of that,” he says.  

“This is why a succession plan is important and should be included in the church regulation.” 

“Even if the church feels they still need you and want to keep you longer, it should be reviewed on a yearly basis. It should not be a given that one person will stay as lead pastor for life. Every church must plan for succession,” he says. 

What Jeremiah Choi found gratifying in preparing for retirement was the ability to mentor his successor.  

“We still meet regularly in a mentor-mentee relationship. He is the lead pastor as well as the youth pastor. (The church is small and can only afford one pastor.) It’s time for him to lead.” 

Although no longer senior pastor at Agape Mennonite, Jeremiah Choi continues to serve as consultant pastor on a voluntary basis. He also represents the congregation to the other two Mennonite churches in Hong Kong.  

“This is probably one day a week of my time. What’s different is that I no longer have responsibility to care for all church members, being in charge of everything. As one of two voluntary pastors in the church, I now focus on the senior citizen ministry of the church while the other volunteer works more on women’s ministry,” he says. 

Within his capacity as representative to the three Mennonite churches in Hong Kong, Jeremiah Choi hopes to grow the Mennonite church as a denomination in Hong Kong. “Every lead pastor of the three churches is focused on the work of their local church, and I’m happy to be able to help on how the three churches can collaborate on growing the denomination.” 

Besides his roles in his local and national church, Jeremiah Choi serves as the MWC North Asia regional representative, covering Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan and South Korea.  

“Being connected to MWC makes us realize that we are not alone. We have brothers and sisters around the world who pray for us, stand with us in solidarity, and also support us in practical ways when we are in need,” he says. 

That solidarity was shown by a delegation visit from the Peace and Deacons Commissions in 2019 at a time of political protests. 

“Our church remembers this visit very fondly,” says Jeremiah Choi. 

“MWC’s work in promoting connection between churches and shaping our Anabaptist identity have greatly benefited our church. Many small churches like ours don’t have the resources for this, but we know we can rely on MWC or other churches to use existing materials. I look forward to continuing to serve with MWC.” 

When we are in need: Burkina Faso’s gift to Hong Kong 

Those connections between churches produced a gift that touches his heart still.  

Among the first to introduce measures against infections from COVID-19, Hong Kong had a shortage of masks in early 2020. Jeremiah Choi put out a call for masks to the global church.  

West Africa regional representative Siaka Traoré was the first to respond.  

“Siaka had to walk far to the city to buy those masks and send them to us. Then brothers and sisters in India also sent us masks.  

“The care extended to us really touched the church members,” he said. 

About MWC national member church: the Conference of Mennonite Churches in Hong Kong 

The Conference of Mennonite Churches in Hong Kong consists of three Mennonite congregations in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China that is home to 7 million people. Following Mennonite Central Committee relief work with mainland Chinese refugees in the 1950s and North America mission workers starting in the 1960s, the church was officially established in 1985.