Prayers of gratitude and intercession

  • “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19–20)

    At Renewal 2027 – Transformed by the Word: Reading Scripture in Anabaptist Perspectives in Augsburg, Germany 12 February 2017, the YABs committee (Young AnaBaptists) reflected on Matthew 28:19–20 from their local perspectives. The columns in this section have been adapted from their presentations.

    I grew up in a small village in the Philippines far from cities, close to mountains, lakes and farms. I live in a close-knit community with a modest lifestyle.

    We are relationship-oriented people. We share our things with our neighbours, expecting that someday you can ask for their help when you need them too. Sometimes several generations live under one roof. We tend to be emotional: Filipino has words for different intensities of feelings which other languages may not have.

    In a poor community like ours, when we are in need of certain things, we ask the Lord for it. When a child is suffering from a disease, we pray for healing because it is our only option. When you have nothing, you experience miracles, and you appreciate every small act of God’s grace.

    We have pastors who have barely finished high school, and only few of our church leaders were able to get a formal education. None of them graduated from a Mennonite seminary. I have a dream for our young people to be more exposed internationally, to be properly trained and to be more united in theology.

    That brings me to our text: Jesus’ instructions to his disciples at the end of his time on earth.

    The first step of discipleship is letting Christ own you. Being completely dependent on his will, a boat without a paddle, fully dependent on the wind. Nurturing a heart that is willing to sell all possessions and give it to the poor just to follow Christ – that’s the heart of a disciple. Just like the early Mennonites, willing to die for their faith, willing to leave everything behind to live a peaceful life in other parts of the world.

    The second step of discipleship is about training, a process of learning to follow Christ. One does not immediately become a mature disciple after baptism.  

    Thirdly, being a disciple means you are responsible to make disciples. Discipleship is a mandate to every single believer, not just the pastors. It’s your destiny as a follower of Christ. Jesus intentionally looked for disciples, asking them to follow him, teaching them, taking care of them – and afterward, asking them to do the same and make more disciples. It’s not a gift that only few have, it’s everybody’s responsibility.

    The passion for discipleship comes from our deep understanding and full experience of God’s power and grace.

    Mentoring or teaching others should be undertaken with a systematic approach.

    In our Mennonite youth organization in the Philippines, we realized young people were leaving, so we created a system. In the past few months, it has doubled the number of our youth attendees and created a lot of leaders. The concept is a cycle of mentoring and teaching that promotes relationships and accountability with each other.

    We select a few young people who are involved in ministry. We start training them how to be a good leader, how to teach, how to take care of new believers and how to handle a small group. As they are equipped and encouraged, they start taking care of each other, inviting friends, conducting their own Bible studies, reaching their parents, siblings and their friends, making more disciples for Christ.

    My hope is that we can have a culture that encourages everyone to mentor and to have accountability to one another. And I ask those who are graduates from seminary, those who are theologians, those who have more experience – would you please share your knowledge?

    If we really want to stay relevant in this world to be the voice and ambassadors for peace in this world, we need to be more intentional on our approach in obedience to Christ’s command! We must deeply soak ourselves in the love of Christ to discover unspeakable passion for discipleship. We Asians multiply by birth, but as a church, we multiply through discipleship.

    —Ebenezer G. Mondez is a member of the YABs committee (Young AnaBaptists). He is from Lumban Mennonite Bible Church in the Philippines.

    This article first appeared in Courier/Correo/Courrier October 2017

     

  • “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19–20)

    At Renewal 2027 – Transformed by the Word: Reading Scripture in Anabaptist Perspectives in Augsburg, Germany 12 February 2017, the YABs committee (Young AnaBaptists) reflected on Matthew 28:19–20 from their local perspectives. The columns in this section have been adapted from their presentations.

    As we are approaching 500 years of Anabaptism, it seems fitting that we should address the Great Commission with renewed vision and zeal. After all, this commission was central to the life and mission of the early Anabaptists during the Reformation. From the beginning, evangelistic preaching was a strength of Anabaptism, along with practical and applicable discipleship and a strong emphasis on community.

    In the USA, Christianity has fallen asleep in Christ’s call to “make disciples of all nations.” Christians from the Global South are coming to evangelize the West, white Christians are no longer the majority and people who have never heard the gospel are coming to areas that are regarded as “Christian” instead of missionaries going to the unreached.

    Today, without leaving their own cities, all believers can love and serve immigrants and international students who may have never heard the gospel.

    Threats to faith

    Two of the biggest threats to American Christianity, in my opinion, are pluralism and materialism. Is Jesus the only way? Is Jesus more valuable than anything in this world? Living in a comparatively wealthy, comfortable, individualistic and materialistic society, I have struggled with my answers. But I think the more our hearts say “yes,” the more we will be drawn to mission with joy.

    In a pluralist, multicultural and secular society, we have become more sensitive to proselytization, and tend to regard faith as personal and private. People think that individual beliefs can be simultaneously correct and different – as long as they don’t infringe on the well being of others. “Missions” has become taboo for my generation, almost synonymous with imperialism and Western colonization.

    All of us have limited beliefs about God and about how to live a holy life. My Mennonite upbringing has been challenged and stretched over the years as I have interacted with Christians from other backgrounds, and also with Muslims, Hindus and atheists. There are some things that people from other cultures understand better about God than we do. Yet despite our differences, Jesus’ message remains the same: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).

    How can we claim to know absolute truth? The answer to this question lies in our relationship with a person, and not in a system of thought or morality. We must present Jesus humbly without reducing his message to our own cultural traditions and baggage.

    Together on the journey

    What has encouraged me most is Jesus’ promise to be with us on the journey. We are not able to fulfill his call on our own. “No one can come to me unless drawn by the Father who sent me,” Jesus said (John 6:44). Sharing the gospel with others in word and in deed comes down to the reality of whether we believe Jesus is who he says he is. Do we believe that he is the Son of God, the fullness of life on earth and for eternity? Do we believe that the gift of knowing him is greater than anything else?

    It is the work of the Holy Spirit to move in people’s hearts and convict them, drawing them to the Father. Our job, as ambassadors of Christ, is to be faithful to his calling. We may have grown complacent in our faith, but our sovereign God continues to draw people to himself. Will we heed Paul’s reminder: “…But how are they to call on one in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in one of whom they have never heard?…” (Romans 10:13–15)

    God continues to reveal himself to those who are truly seeking (Jeremiah 29:13). God doesn’t need us, but works through us if we are willing. Our choice is to allow him to use us to bring people into his glorious kingdom.

    —Larissa Swartz is a member of the YABs committee (Young AnaBaptists). She is from London Christian Fellowship, a Conservative Mennonite Conference church in Ohio, USA.

    This article first appeared in Courier/Correo/Courrier October 2017

  • “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

    At Renewal 2027 – Transformed by the Word: Reading Scripture in Anabaptist Perspectives in Augsburg, Germany 12 February 2017, the YABs committee (Young AnaBaptists) reflected on Matthew 28:19–20 from their local perspectives. The columns in this section have been adapted from their presentations.

    I grew up in Zimbabwe, in Southern Africa, where Christianity was brought to my ancestors along with civilization and commerce. In that context, I never felt obliged to pass on the message of Christ to anyone.

    The Great Commission was for the elite – those who were ‘‘called’’ to do so. As a member of the body of Christ, I simply had to do away with sin, read the Bible, pray and wait to get into heaven. Spreading the message was the obligation of those who brought Christianity to our churches in Zimbabwe. A missionary was someone whose skin was lighter skin than mine; who spoke in a language that was regarded as superior to mine because it had no clicks; who had come from a place far way. I never thought there would be any need for a black man or woman to even think about being a missionary.

    A command to follow

    Today, I realize that once you have repented, you have an obligation to fulfill, a command to adhere to, and that is to tell others about Jesus Christ.

    As Christians, once we begin to follow in Jesus Christ’s footsteps, we also desire to love like him, to live like him, and above all, to share about the kingdom of God just as he did when he walked this earth. Our duty is to help the lost by introducing them to Jesus, so that he can save them.  

    My understanding of Matthew 28:19 is centred on the fact that the Great Commission is a command to every follower of Jesus Christ. And this command is instrumental in the expansion of the kingdom of God.

    Making disciples

    Making disciples is an action process that calls us out of our usual routine. It involves stepping out of your comfort zone. Sometimes you will have to approach strangers and tell them about Jesus Christ. In my country, the reception varies. If you attempt a one-on-one form of sharing the message of Christ, you may be mistaken for a thief or someone who has nothing important to do. In my context, you might share the message of Christ at crusades or outreach programs where the response is usually positive.

    Making disciples also means that followers of Christ are not selective about whom we share with. The gospel is for everyone. There is no segregation when it comes to the message of Christ, neither those sharing it nor those receiving it: Jesus Christ instructed us to go and make disciples of all nations. Regardless of race, tribe, language, gender or age, you are never too young or too old to tell someone about Christ.

    Our perception of others and our view of their world should never affect our decision whether they are worthy to receive the message of Christ. You can never be either good enough or too bad to receive God’s grace – it is a gift. The Holy Spirit will transform each person as they walk their journey of faith.

    As you walk on the face of this Earth, are you adhering to Christ’s command? Once we all understand that this is a matter of eternal life and eternal punishment, we will be vigorous in our quest of making disciples, with the goal to tell as many people as we can about Jesus Christ. If you are being selective as to whom or where you will preach the message of Christ, think carefully and pray, because the kingdom of God is open to everyone!

    —Makadunyiswe Ngulube is a member of the YABs committee (Young AnaBaptists). She is from Mount Pleasant Brethren In Christ Church, a congregation of Ibandla Labazalwane kuKristu eZimbabwe in Harare in Zimbabwe.

    This article first appeared in Courier/Correo/Courrier October 2017

  • In the 16th century, some of the greatest theological minds of that era began to read the Bible in new ways. The text itself hadn’t changed, but because of their experience in the Roman Catholic church, their own study of Scripture and the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives, they began to develop a new understanding of God’s grace and free offer of salvation.

    Among those who were committed to reforming the church were those who wanted a more radical reform of theology and practice and who longed to restore the kinds of communities described in the New Testament. These were the men and women who became known as the Anabaptists. Many of them lost their lives because of their witness to a new way.

    Disciples of Jesus

    Early Anabaptists were radical Bible readers at the core. They understood the reign of God to be centred in the church rather than the state, and believed that the body of Christ was to give visible witness to its proper citizenship. They saw themselves as present-day disciples of Jesus and because of that, they gave special weight to Jesus’s teaching – to his invitation to live generous lives, to his call for love of enemies, to his encouragement to participate in God’s work of healing and justice and hope. They formed voluntary churches based on an adult confession of faith. They practiced mutual aid. They practiced church discipline.

    As spiritual descendants of those early radicals, these ideas have informed our theological tradition and our church practices. But, nearly 500 years later, we live in a very different context. Separation between church and state has morphed from a theological idea about proper allegiances, to, in my American context, a political idea embedded in a constitution.

    Old enemies, church bodies that persecuted early Anabaptists, are now brothers and sisters in common endeavors such as mission enterprises, community development projects, health and human service ministries and educational programs.

    We continue to witness the demise of Christendom, a political and cultural reality that privileged Christianity, but also invited – indeed, welcomed – compromise. In its place is an increasingly secularized society and an increasingly secularized church.

    Radical Bible reading again

    Nevertheless, our day also calls for radical Bible reading in the spirit of the early Anabaptists. The text hasn’t changed, but the times we live in have. They call us to re-engage with God’s Word and with our own theological tradition to see how it can offer us wisdom for living as Christians in our world and for engaging in mission that invites all people to become followers of Jesus and children of God.

    Active imagination and courage to lead

    Anabaptism is as needed in the 21st century as it was in the 16th century. The question of allegiance – to God or to the state – has not gone away. For those of us living in the USA, with its strong military power, the temptation is especially strong to rely on the state for protection.

    We have grown used to our privileges. In my context, we struggle with an increasingly secularized society and its impact on the church. We have grown comfortable in the world. It is sometimes difficult for us to resist the lure of a consumer society – to live lives of simplicity and generosity. Sadly, even in our own tradition we find ourselves fighting over theological differences rather than joining together to proclaim the message that Jesus does indeed save, and that through him, people and communities can be transformed.

    We need active imaginations that can envision ways for our congregations to live out their calling to be the body of Christ and we need the courage to lead. The Bible still speaks to these things.

    De-centring Anabaptism

    Something else has changed. For centuries, Anabaptism as a theological movement was primarily lodged within the historic Mennonite and Anabaptist church traditions. Today, however, Anabaptism is being embraced by a diverse group of Christians who are linking together in networks rather than denominations and who are discovering each other through publications and websites. Christians around the globe have discovered the biblical ideas that gave birth to the early Anabaptist movement and are trying to live them out in their own faith communities.

    These neo-Anabaptists, or “naked” Anabaptists to use Stuart Murray’s term, often remain embedded in their own church traditions, but are drawn to the theological orientation and practices that have long characterized Anabaptist communities. It is exciting to live in a time when “old” and “new” Anabaptists are coming together to explore, to study, to learn from each other and to spur each other on to love and good deeds. This gives me hope for the church and for the world.

    It is important, I think, to read the Bible through the lens of Anabaptist thought and practice not simply to recover the past, or to honour our spiritual ancestors, but so that we might live faithfully as 21st-century followers of Jesus. May God grant us the courage of those early radical reformers.

    —Valerie G. Rempel is a professor at Fresno Pacific Biblical Seminary, Fresno, Cal., USA, and a member of College Community Church.

    This article first appeared in Courier/Correo/Courrier October 2017

  • Iglesia Evangélica Menonita Argentina (1917–2019)

    We, the members of the Iglesia Evangélica Menonita Argentina (IEMA), are celebrating the 100th anniversary of the arrival of the first missionaries [from USA], Joseph Shank and his wife Emma E. Shank; and Tobias Hershey and his wife Mae E. Hershey, whose work would change forever the lives of many people. The current presence of 50 congregations, with 3600 members in different provinces of the country, is a living testimony of their work.  

    They arrived on the morning of September 11, 1917, at the Port of Buenos Aires, after a four weeks’ journey by ship. They were welcomed by Methodist and Baptist representatives, as well as the Christian and Missionary Alliance, and the Argentine Bible Society, who served as God’s instruments in counselling and guiding them as they took their first steps, and eventually when they established themselves to begin their work in the city of Pehuajó, Province of Buenos Aires.

    Their first year and a half was devoted to learning about the country, the people and their customs, the Spanish language, making visits and field trips to discern their permanent place of residency. Furthermore, Joseph and Emma Shank drew strength and confidence from God as they rose to his challenge, according to Revelation 3:8, “He has placed before you an open door that no one can shut.”

    Also, Tobias and Mae Hershey demonstrated such enthusiasm and faith, showing the same willingness as the Apostle Paul expressed in Romans 1:15: “That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you.” This phrase characterized the first missionaries at the outset of their work, for they were relentless servants who with boundless determination travelled the country on their task.

    All of this influenced the other missionaries that came afterwards to work with the Argentine pastors. The first ones were Albano and Querubina Luayza, faithful exponents of the Protestants (called evangélicos in Argentina) originally from the Christian Alliance, who bravely proclaimed in streets and squares that Christ meant hope for a new and true life.  

    Firstly, we are grateful to God, and to the members of the [Mennonite] church in the United States, and later Canada, for their interest in extending missionary work to South America.

    Celebrating the 100th anniversary

    Thus on 16 September 2017, a commemorative event was held outdoors at the same place where the ship had arrived, now a beautiful neighborhood called Puerto Madero in the capital city. Present at the event were MWC president J. Nelson Kraybill, John Lapp, Madeline Maldonado and Linda Shelly of the Mennonite Mission Network, together with other representatives of the local Iglesia Evangélica Menonita; furthermore, several Buenos Aires city government officials also attended, as well as Mennonite delegates from neighbouring countries, representatives from 18 congregations, Mennonite members, and the pastors who had organized this special event.

    That evening, we also shared a commemorative meal with a large group of national pastors, visitors and dignitaries. On 17 September 2017, in appreciation for the presence of representatives from the mother church, a missionary conference was held in the modern facilities provided by Mr. Nardini, mayor of Malvinas Argentinas. We thank the Lord and those brothers for their goodness. They inspire us to continue serving the Lord with the same love, sacrifice and courage of the early Christians and our XVI century Anabaptist forebears. We proclaim the gospel of hope in Christ and his kingdom until the second coming of the Lord to the earth.

    A church gathering in Morón in 1996. Photo courtesy of the centennial anniversary committee for Iglesia Evangélica Menonita Argentina (IEMA).

    Origins of the work in Pehuajó (1919)

    On the recommendation of the Bible Society, it was decided that the work should begin in the city of Pehuajó; its literature evangelists, who traveled throughout the country to spread the Word of God, knew that there wasn’t any evangelistic work in the western area of the Province of Buenos Aires. The first missionaries arrived there 21 January 1919. Thus it was on 26 January 1919 that they sang joyfully and with gratitude, “Nearer, my God, to Thee” in the first worship service, as Ernesto Suárez recounts in his book on the 50th Anniversary [of the Argentine Mennonite Church]. We note with joy and gratitude that we personally knew the first converts; among them, some members of the Cavadore family, especially Pablo, Anita, María and Santina, and Grandma [Nicolasa] Fattone (a relative of ours). These are people who believed and continued to be faithful all their lives, serving the Lord with all their strength.

    Moving on toward the western towns  

    Later the gospel was brought to Trenque Lauquen, Carlos Casares, Tres Lomas, Bragado and many other small towns, where churches were planted, small groups of Christ’s disciples. Furthermore, kindergartens were opened, as well as first aid centres, a children’s home, and, years later, a print shop.

    Also, a Bible School was established in Pehuajó, and was later moved to the city of Bragado. Eventually, it was moved to Montevideo, Uruguay, and became known as the Seminario Evangélico Menonita de Teología, with students joining from the Mennonite colonies and conferences in Uruguay, Brazil and Paraguay. This meant a significant effort, carried out under the direction of missionary Nelson Litwiller, our brother and visionary leader, who was also closely involved in the settlement of those escaping from [World War II in Europe]. These settlers disembarked in Montevideo, Uruguay, to establish three colonies in our neighbouring country, with whom we have been blessed with fraternal ties up to the present.

    In a very useful study, professor Delbert Erb prepared a synthesis of the four stages in the history of the Mennonite Church in Argentina, explaining its development in the following way: Mario Snyder, Sara Buhlman, David Dutra and Delfin Soto. Photos courtesy of the centennial anniversary committee for Iglesia Evangélica Menonita Argentina (IEMA).

    1. First stage: The mission and its missionaries  (1919–1954)

    2. Second stage: The transition (1954–1989). This period led to the end of the [US] mission, during which foreigners and Argentines worked together. The Mission introduced new principles to be followed:

    (a) self-governance; b) self-financing; and c) outreach.

    Then the following missionary projects were developed:

    (i) the Patagonian Project; (ii) the Northern Argentine Project (PROMINOA); (iii) the Central Region Project (VEMZO); (iv) the Church of Córdoba Project (EMIDOCOR).

    3. Third stage: National organization

    Missionaries Frank and Anna Byler and family.

    4. Fourth stage: The reorganization of IEMA into four regions (1989–2019), each one with its own organization, leadership, meetings and activities (see map).

    During this last year, we have been evaluating these changes and progress, considering and praying how we could improve and advance so as to reach what still needs to be attained, “and to the end of the earth.”

    Who we are and what we believe

    We humbly and sincerely confess that the emphasis of missionaries and the church has always been essentially “evangelistic”: namely, that men and women are God’s children, brothers and sisters; we are all members together. The Mennonite church appeared as such in the official documents but without Anabaptist characteristics, although these were imbued in the walk of the faithful brothers before us. Rather than convey and establish another denomination, we have defined ourselves as Christians.  

    But we do hold a Confession of Faith from an Anabaptist Perspective that guides us, and which we must strengthen in knowledge and practice. We also have the problems common to all conferences, and some very serious conflict situations with our brothers that need to be solved. Therefore, we request the prayers of our world fellowship.  

    ‚ÄîMario O. Snyder, Pablo Snyder, Billy Nuesch and Heriberto Bueno comprise the centennial anniversary committee for Iglesia Evangélica Menonita Argentina (IEMA), the largest Mennonite-affiliated conference in Argentina and the only national member church of Mennonite World Conference. See chart (page 16).

    This article first appeared in Courier/Correo/Courrier October 2017

     

    Argentina

    Name  Alianza Evangélica Menonita
    Total baptized members 33
    Total congregations 1
    Presiding officer  Esteban Alejandro Memetow
    Name  Alkolonier Mennonitengemeinde (Colonia Las Delicias, Pampa de los Guanacos, El Algarrobal, Nueva Esperanza) 
    Total baptized members 292 + 376+ 14 + 67= 1354
    Presiding officer Omar Onischuk
    Name  Eastern Pennsylvania Mennonite Church (Argentina)
    Total baptized members 7
    Total congregations 1
    Presiding officer David Weaver
    Name  Iglesia Hermanos en Cristo, Argentina
    Total baptized members 75
    Total congregations  2
    Contact María Caridad Perdomo
    Name  *Iglesia Evangélica Menonita Argentina 
    Total baptized members 3650
    Total congregations 79
    Contact  Juan Sieber
    * indicates membership with MWC

    Source: Global Statistics – 2015 Directory

     

     

  • There is a saying that you don’t know what you have until you lose it. I would add “or until you see the real and present danger that you could lose it.”

    Something similar happened to our natural resources. For a long time, we had accessible clean water, pure air to breathe and clean and beautiful surroundings. However, when our city began to grow, we started to see garbage lying around; air quality became poor; and we were told that the rivers and streams (where our increasingly scarce water comes from) were endangered by concessions the government granted to companies to mine gold at the headwaters.

    We began to get worried.

    Our responsibility for the environment

    This led us to take looking after the natural environment seriously, and we joined forces with many people who have a deep love for nature, including those who don’t necessarily consider themselves Christian. Concretely, we believed that it was our responsibility to involve our church in the struggle against the grave environmental consequences of gold exploitation in the Cajamarca region.

    This was how we began to participate in multiple “Carnival Marches” in favour of life, water and land sovereignty for our region.

    In addition to the ecological and social implications, it had political repercussions because it led to public deliberation processes in which people could decide whether they wanted mining operations in their communities that affected their natural environment or not. These public processes contradict the laws that argue that our government owns the ground below our feet and as such can decide what to do with it without prior consultation and consent. These large protests and the negativity expressed by the communities during the consultations have led to the suspension and withdrawal of the mining company from Cajamarca for now, and we hope for ever.

    Environmental consciousness in the church

    At the same time, we came to understand that our church communities did not know much about the environment and certainly did not have an environmental consciousness. For this reason, we started a Sunday school series about the environment for adolescents, youth and adults which we call Eco-theology. A number of us shared about the topic in order to understand the reasons why God our Father and Creator of everything that exists calls us to take care of creation.

    The topic has garnered a lot of interest in our community and we have begun to see clear commitments and initiatives on the part of our members. Some of these appear futile at an individual level, but when seen together, add up to have an effect.

    For example, we realized that we should recycle, so we set up an ecological station at church where we separate our garbage to facilitate recycling. Our members began to collect the plastic lids from beverage containers which we put together and donate to “lids for healing”, an organization that uses the proceeds from recycling them to care for children with cancer.

    Once we spoke about the negative impact of batteries and cell phone batteries, some members began to bring those to church too and now we need to get an adequate container to collect them and later take them to a depot that knows what to do with them.

    Another woman from the church realized that we could project the order of service onto the wall rather than print it out and in this way save some trees.

    As such, small acts like picking up garbage, walking, biking, not using disposable plates and other little things have become important to all of us.

    Creation care was the focus of the teaching at our church for a whole year. We believe that now we are a community that expresses a high regard for and commitment to the environment.

    —Jose Antonio Vaca Bello is a member of Iglesia Cristiana Menonita Ibagué in Tolima, Colombia.

    This article first appeared in Courier/Correo/Courrier April 2018.

     

  • My name is Eileen. I am 22 years-old and live in Switzerland. When I was asked if I could share a short testimony on the theme “Called to be free…faith across boundaries,” I immediately remembered this experience.

    A little more than two years ago, I had the opportunity to travel to Cape Town, South Africa, and volunteer for eight months in an orphanage supported by the Swiss Mennonite Mission. During this time I lived in Mitchells Plain, one of the largest townships of Cape Town. I experienced many new, valuable, beautiful and funny things, but also sad and difficult things, and was challenged again and again to leave my comfort zone. One of these challenges was the question of security.

    In Switzerland, I am used to being able to walk around by myself at all times. In Mitchells Plain however, I was told I should not walk by myself because of the high rate of crime, especially as a young woman. In the beginning, this was difficult for me. I wanted to move freely on the streets, and struggled with having to walk in groups, not being able to be outside once it got dark, not being able to talk to strangers, and having to hide my valuables.

    Eileen Hofer (Switzerland)

    The orphanage I worked in consisted of several houses, and we volunteers were designated each to one of the houses. Since the houses were apart from each other, we could not actually walk as a group at all times. Thus, I walked to the house I worked in by myself each morning. And each morning I walked past two women talking with each other and mustering me critically. I felt a little uncomfortable walking past them, but I always greeted them and then walked on.

    One day, as I was walking past them, they called me towards them. First, I was not sure how to react, since I had been told not to talk to strangers. I gathered my courage and walked over to them. The two women gave me a concerned look and then asked me: “Mag ons vir u bid?” (Can we pray for you?)

    I had expected a lot of different things, but not that they would want to pray for me! They told me they were good friends – one Christian and one Muslim – and that they met each morning to pray for their neighbourhood and for the whole township. They told me they had been watching me for a while now and did not approve of me walking all by myself, since it was dangerous. So, the two of them had prayed for God’s protection over me since they had first seen me walk to work.

    After this, I met up with the women every day on my way to work. We prayed together and got to know each other better. I was deeply touched by this experience which showed me how faith and prayer can overcome the boundaries of language, culture and even religion.

    –A Mennonite World Conference release by Eileen Hofer (Switzerland)

    This testimony is part of the YABs Fellowship Week worship resource for 2018. Click here to see more: mwc-cmm.org/yabsfellowshipweek

  • Renewal 2027 testimony: historical profile

    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.

    More than half the rural churches in BICC Zimbabwe Conference are led by women pastors. Many of the women who plant BIC churches do so because they settle in a place where there is no congregation they are used to and they hunger for fellowship with other believers. They start having home fellowship meetings. Sometimes a woman is identified to lead because of her spiritual maturity and knowledge of the Word. Many of the BICC women preachers are women who are highly respected in their areas.

    One of the earliest Brethren in Christ (BIC) women in Zimbabwe who was involved in church planting work and in preaching the gospel in the early years was Sitshokuphi Sibanda.

    She was already a teenager when the first missionaries settled at Matopo in Zimbabwe in 1898.

    She was one of the early converts who then got some book education from the mission. There Sitshokuphi gave her life to God, and never looked back.

    On the home front, Sitshokuphi faced immense challenges from hostile villagers who highly relished traditional beliefs and were steeped in ancestral worship.

    She also faced opposition and ridicule from even her family, neighbours and peers. What did she think she was doing trying to take away helping hands from the fields?

    There was a time when she provoked the wrath of all her people by accompanying some missionaries to a shrine where rain-making ceremonies were conducted.

    This was a risky undertaking as not just anyone was permitted to visit the sacred shrine. When rains did not fall for years after that, blame was heaped upon her. But, that did not deter her from evangelising.

    In her later life, she lived at Mtshabezi Hospital for a long time.

    Being old and unable to travel did not deter her from her call. The hospital became a new mission field for her.

    On 4 November 1971, Sitshokuphi passed on. She had run her race well, leaving a wonderful heritage of faith in God.

    A poignant statement on Sitshokuphi’s work is her statement that, “It is good to work full-time for the Lord, but it is not good to work full-time for the church.”

    Sitshokuphi was laid to rest at Matopo Mission at a place reserved for some of the most honoured servants of God.

    —A Mennonite World Conference release by Barbara Nkala, gleaned from Doris Dube’s Silent Labourers. Barbara is the MWC regional representative for Southern Africa. She presented on Pioneers in the Early Years of BICC in Zimbabwe (1900–1950s) at Crossing the Line: Women of Anabaptist Traditions Encounter Borders and Boundaries, a conference at Eastern Mennonite University, Harrisburg, Virginia, USA.

    Read more Renewal 2027 testimonies here

  • “The Lord’s work is one of great responsibility and being careful with the blessings that come,” says a church leader from a flooded region in Peru.

    With 11 churches a region affected by extreme rains and flooding, the Conferencia Peruana Hermanos Menonitas (CPHM) responded with assistance from Mennonite Central Committee, MB Mission, Mennonite World Conference (MWC) and International Community of Mennonite Brethren (ICOMB).

    “Far more than providing material aid, what sisters and brothers from abroad have done is to communicate that they care,” says MWC regional representative Pablo Stucky. A Deacons delegation from Mennonite World Conference visited the Piura province 8–15 October 2017 to walk with the church, listen to stories, pray and show that the global church family’s concern.

    “We saw repairs at work and fields replanted. But we also saw the great symbolic importance of the sharing,” says Stucky. “As men expressed their gratitude, their eyes filled with tears and they became choked up.”

    Henk Stenvers

    Faustina Valencia (blue shirt), a member of Iglesia Hermanos Menonitas Nuevo Paraíso (New Paradise Mennonite Brethren church) who was suffering with breast cancer, had her house washed away. Yet, the day the delegation met in her village with the local congregation, she offered food in her home.

    “I wondered how in such poverty she was managing the expenses of her treatment and rebuilding of her house,” says Elisabeth Kunjam, member of MWC Deacons Commission. “In such scarcity she offered to cook for us. I remember struggling to hide my face to dry my watery eyes. To me that was true hospitality because hospitality involves sacrifice.”

    “[The Lord’s work] calls for living a life which gives good testimony and it calls for sharing of what we have with those that have not,” says a church leader. At Iglesia Jesuchristo Es El Camino (Jesus Christ is the Way church) in Vachayal, member Karina Falla Chunga of had no resources to rebuild her home. The church is working to aid the widow and mother in rebuilding her house.

    Henk Stenvers

    The delegation presented workshops with practical skills, biblical reflection and time for prayer.

    Reflecting on Psalm 13, Fany García García from Iglesia Jesus es el Camino la Verdad y la Vida (Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life church) in Sullana, wrote this personal psalm about finding strength in God:

    Lord, hear my plea.
    Do not hide from me.

    Señor, escucha mi clamor
    No te escondas de mi

    My soul is afflicted.
    I need you.

    Mi alma esta afligida
    Te necesito.

    My God, have mercy on me.
    Fill me with your light.

    Mi Dios, ten Misericordia de mi.
    Lléname de tu luz.

    I have placed my hope in you;
    you are the God of my salvation.

    En ti he puesto toda mi esperanza.
    Tu eres el Dios de mi salvación.

    I will praise you,
    I will bless your holy and blessed name.

    Te alabare,
    te bendeciré tu santo bendito nombre.

    —Mennonite World Conference release 

     

    Delegation:

    Elisabeth Kunjam (Deacons Commission, India)

    Pablo Stucky (Regional Repesentative, Colombia)

    Antony Sanchez (MCC response project coordinator, Colombia)

    Henk Stenvers (Deacons Commission secretary, The Netherlands)

    Joanna Chapa (MB Mission, USA)

    Rosalí Atarama (Iglesia Cristiana Hermanos Menonitas de Miraflores, Peru)

  • “It is my wish that [during our gathering], we meet with God in the fullness of his Spirit, in the communion of his people, and the gift of unity in the midst of the theological and cultural diversity of our global church,” says general secretary César García. The triennial Mennonite World Conference meetings of the General Council (delegates sent from each national member church) are 23–26 April 2018 in Nairobi, Kenya, preceded by meetings of MWC committees and networks. Additionally, delegates and local Mennonites will celebrate Renewal 2027 “The Holy Spirit Transforming Us” in Kisumu, Kenya, 21 April 2018.

    The members of MWC’s Executive Committee, Regional Representatives, Commissions (Faith & Life, Peace, Mission, Deacons), Young Anabaptists (YABs) Committee, Global Anabaptist Service Network and Global Mission Fellowship, and steering committee of the emerging Global Anabaptist Peace Network will enjoy face-to-face meetings at this time.

    Staff, commissions and networks will give reports on their work. The General Council decides upon the MWC program plan and strategic goals (live out anabaptist identity, interdependent relationships, reconciliation and hope) for 2018–2021, reviews the finances including the Fair Share contributions for 2018–2021. New members will be appointed to the Executive Committee and Commissions, and the positions of president and vice president elect.

    The Commissions will introduce three documents for General Council action: a guideline on responding to controversial issues, a statement of solidarity with Indigenous peoples, a teaching resource “Identity and Ecumenicity: A Theology of Interchurch Hospitality and Denominational Identity.”

    “I enjoy the General Council Meetings because of the way we allow divergent views,” says Executive Committee Africa representative Thuma Hamukang’andu. Through the decision making process, “We build each other’s faith.”

    As at the General Council meetings in 2015, delegates will also have opportunity to attend equipping workshops to resource church leaders on subjects like church growth, leading through conflict, spiritual leadership and strategic planning.

    “This meeting is indispensable, not just because of the business decisions, but also because of the common learning experiences,…of the whole body,” says Executive Committee Europe representative Rainer Burkart.

    “The General Council is the visible global church in its most intense way.”

    —Mennonite World Conference release

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  • Christian parents have long encouraged their sons and daughters to find a life partner at church activities. They have also encouraged their young adults to meet the global church through international experiences. Sometimes those situations overlap.

    Theology students Benni and Rianna Isaak-Krauss will celebrate their one-year wedding anniversary this summer, three years after the Mennonite World Conference Global Youth Summit (GYS) and Assembly where they first met.

    Radical movement of God

    “I had a gut feeling it would be a really cool experience,” says dual-citizen Canadian/American Rianna Isaak, but as director of a summer camping ministry, attending a conference in the middle of July seemed impossible.

    Providentially, she received permission to leave with barely a month to spare. She was able to fill the vacant role of Mennonite Brethren delegate for Canada, and quickly compiled a survey of her national church’s young people.

    “Getting two weeks off work was a pretty radical part of God moving things,” Rianna says.

    Transformative experience of church

    German Benni Krauss, selected two years in advance to represent his national church, co-organized group of 12 more participants from Germany and Switzerland to attend GYS.

    It was his second time at GYS. He spent half a year in Paraguay, studying, learning Spanish, gaining context to understand the global and local aspects of the worldwide assembly in Asuncion in 2009.

    “Paraguay was pretty transformative,” he says.

    With his co-leader for 2015, he planned an extended program for their group that would aim to “contextualize the experience” for the German-speaking young people. They took extra time in the USA before the MWC event to learn about the challenges threatening to split MC USA fracturing with youth. They visited affirming and non-affirming churches.

    Benni recommends that participants start planning long before the event. “Make space to build friendships.”

    Delegates take ownership

    The role of delegate to GYS is not tightly defined, says Benni, but most took ownership of the responsibility in their own ways. “It moved people further into leadership and awareness of the scope of the church,” he says.

    As a young person, Rianna says being selected as a delegate sends a message from the church: “We need you; you are important.”

    “I felt validated as a leader and contributor, not just a recipient,” says Benni.

    At the halfway point between Assemblies, that assessment bears true: 2015 North American GYS delegates are pursing graduate and post-graduate studies in theology (including Rianna at Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary, Elkhart, Indiana, USA), or serving the church as pastors and YABs committee chair.

    There’s a feeling of a youth camp at GYS, says Benni. “It’s fun, it’s participatory,… [but] the delegates were also aware of problems and cared about them.” 

    For example, one delegate from Latin America approached Rianna to discuss perspectives on sexuality. The respectful conversation they exchanged formed “a sacred space of curiosity and care,” says Rianna. “And we were able to bring the conversation back to our continent groups. It was a very humbling and shaping experience for me.”

    GYS and Assembly are of course a gathering of the global church. “There is a profound love for the church, not just my own project even if that works really well,” says Benni. Participants realize “the global church isn’t just a dream.”

    He left with some experiences and more questions. “How do we realize our diversity and start building relationships?”

    Personal impact

    On a personal level, Benni and Rianna built their own relationship despite diverse backgrounds. The spark of interest lit between the two Anabaptist nonconformists at Assembly fanned into flames of love over the next year. Benni visited Rianna’s home and community in Canada after Assembly; Rianna relocated to Benni’s parents’ community in Germany for several months.

    This allowed her to act out another assembly lesson: learn a new language.

    “Knowing only one language can be marginalizing,” she says, recognizing how not understanding any language but English locked her out of conversations. But it also had the opposite danger: “It wields power in an unhealthy way.”

    Yet, everyone at GYS has two things in common, says Benni: unique, contextualized personal identities and a shared Anabaptist identity. Out of that, friendship, partnership, mentorship (perhaps even a bit of romance) can grow.

    “There’s what you can do and then you have to lean on the Holy Spirit,” says Benni.

    —a Mennonite World Conference release by Karla Braun

  • This year, we will celebrate our third annual YABs Fellowship Week June 17–24, 2018. The theme is “Called to be Free,” centred on Galatians 5:13–15. We encourage each everyone to choose and adapt these materials in a way that will be useful to your context, translate them where necessary, share and distribute them to all your local congregations.

    We’re looking forward to a time of virtual global fellowship and local physical fellowship as we gather to remember and celebrate our international family!

    Resources for celebrating YABs Fellowship Week are available at www.mwc-cmm.org/yabsfellowshipweek.

    —Mennonite World Conference release by the YABs Committee