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A spirited evangelist
Renewal 2027 testimony: Anabaptists today Renewal 2027 is a 10-year series of events organized by Mennonite World Conference’s Faith and Life Commission to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the beginnings of the Anabaptist movement. This series highlights leaders in the movement from history to the present. He is quiet and unassuming, gentle and humble in…
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World Fellowship Sunday: a communion of 500 years
Every year on the Sunday closest to 21 January, Mennonite World Conference invites its 107 member churches to join in a celebration of World Fellowship Sunday. The worship themes vary from year to year, but the rationale for the timing of the event has remained constant – on 21 January 1525, a small group of…
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YAMEN ambassador of peace amid violence
Damaris Guaza Sandoval says her year of service in La Ceiba, Honduras, was about equipping young people to be God’s ambassadors of peace where violence is common. The 26-year-old from Cali, Colombia, worked as a social worker with Proyecto Paz y Justicia (PPyJ; Peace and Justice Project), a ministry of MWC member church Iglesia Evangélica…
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Education equips leader to serve
Renewal 2027 testimony: Anabaptists today Renewal 2027 is a 10-year series of events to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the beginnings of the Anabaptist movement. This series highlights leaders in the movement from history to the present. “With the grace of God, I escaped many deaths throughout my journey in Christ,” says Tigist Alamirew. Born…
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Learning global Anabaptist faith through MWC’s Shared Convictions
A quiz on global Christianity and Anabaptism (including MWC statistics) prepared participants from Nihon Menonaito Kirisuto Kyokai Kyogikai (Japan Mennonite Christian Church Conference) for a discussion of the Shared Convictions of Global Anabaptists. For the annual Peace Missions Centre seminar 15–16 July 2018 at Fukuzumi Mennonite Center in Sapporo, Japan, the group from Japan Mennonite…
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GAPN creates space for relationship
Coffee breaks at the triennial Mennonite World Conference (MWC) General Council, Commissions and networks meetings in Kenya April 2018, allowed Colombia peacebuilder and human rights lawyer Ricardo Esquivia to share with an old friend his desire for the Global Anabaptist Peace Network (GAPN) to build networks to support peacebuilders in the field and to communicate…
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Let God do the sorting
From a boat on the Sea of Galilee, a fisherman demonstrates the ancient art of casting a circular net. Weights along the outer edge sink rapidly, pulling the web around any living thing below. Waters next to Jesus’ ministry base at Capernaum teemed with tilapia, carp, and sardines when his first disciples plied their trade.…
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Vers une formation théologique anabaptiste en ligne
Le comité de pilotage du projet de formation théologique anabaptiste en ligne s’est rencontré à Abidjan, Côte D’Ivoire, les 14–15 septembre 2018. Le point sur l’état d’avancement du projet. Ce programme a pour but de développer et de mettre à disposition des formations en ligne liées à la théologie anabaptiste, et particulièrement aux thèmes de…
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Joy in the Spirit
Songs, testimonies and biblical reflection celebrate the Holy Spirit at Renewal 2027 As a local band played “You are the most high God,” international guests from the global Anabaptist family swayed and sang at this year’s Renewal 2027 “The Holy Spirit transforming us” event at Nyamasaria Primary School’s auditorium in Kisumu, Kenya, and headquarters of…
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A transforming Spirit of peace
Like the chambers of a heart, the four MWC commissions serve the global community of Anabaptist-related churches, in the areas of deacons, faith and life, peace, mission. Commissions prepare materials for consideration by the General Council, give guidance and propose resources to member churches, and facilitate MWC-related networks or fellowships working together on matters of…
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A supportive space: General Council fosters relationships
“Stand up if you are weary, worn down by the cares of ministry.” From Portuguese-speaking countries on either side of the ocean, a Brazilian pastor crossed to embrace an Angolan pastor who stood in response to the Deacons Commission’s calls to prayer during the evening devotional time at the Mennonite World Conference (MWC) General Council…
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How it works: Emergency food distribution
In many parts of the area near Kibwezi, Kenya, I see corn that has dried up. Driving around, it’s hard to find any corn that people will be able to harvest this season. In February 2018, MCC’s partner Utooni Development Organization (UDO), which I volunteer with, started a food relief project in one of the…
