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Strasbourg, France
MWC seeks to expand its activity worldwide


The Executive Committee of the Mennonite World Conference looks for projects and linkages that increase worldwide exchange between its member churches. Meeting Aug. 19-25 in central Java, Indonesia, the 14-member committee representing anabaptist-related fellowships around the world unanimously endorsed the need to expand MWC’s activity.

Projects

Some of the major projects involving MWC:

A Global Anabaptist Missions Consultation, co-sponsored by the Council of International Ministries, to be held July 12-15, 2000 in Latin America. Two possible sites are being considered. Representatives from churches in Africa, Asia, Latin America, Europe and North America involved in international missions will explore ways of working together. Four other global meetings will occur conjointly in July 2000: MWC’s General Council, Peace Council, Faith and Life Council and the International Committee of Mennonite Brethren. The Global Gifts Sharing Project is an inventory of resources found in MWC member churches to be used by other member churches. The inventory will likely include praying, worship leading, working with young people, teaching and serving the local community. The Global Church Sharing Fund is a fund that may be used by member churches. A portion of the fund ($1 million US) is being distributed to churches in Asia, Africa and Latin America. In Tanzania, the church built an investment house; in Congo, bicycles for evangelists were bought. The Global Mennonite and Brethren in Christ History Project is a multi-volume effort with each continent providing writers for its own book. Latin America’s volume is being researched; three of Asia’s four writers have been assigned; and Africa’s writers are still being sought. The Global Anabaptist Peace and Justice Network, begun in Latin America, is gaining strength there as a prayer and action connector. Elsewhere, the network has been slow to develop due to the lack of translation and practical communication links.

Indonesia Mennonite Conferences
Synod	Number of members	Number of churches
Gereja Injili di Tanah Jawa (GITJ)	65,000	85
Persatuan Gereja-Gereja Kristen Muria Indonesia (GKMI)	13,300	34
Sinode Jemaat Kristen (JKI)	6,000	36
TOTAL	84,300	155

Ongoing projects

The publication of the study booklet From Anabaptist Seed by C. Arnold Snyder tries to articulate a common historical Anabaptist-Mennonite identity. World Fellowship Sunday is scheduled for Jan. 23, 2000. The Latin American churches have prepared the materials this year, to be distributed by MWC member churches. The theme is “Celebrating hope.” An occasional newsletter links theological educators on five continents. Readership of the quarterly magazines Courier (English) and Correo (Spanish) continues to grow. A French publication is being considered in response to French-speaking churches in Congo (now numbering 186,000 members). Also, a special edition of Courier/Correo in 2000 will highlight the 75th anniversary of the first MWC assembly held in 1925 in Basel, Switzerland.

Interdenominational meetings

MWC sent a representative to this summer’s General Council of the Baptist World Alliance. Plans are developing for a joint MWC-BWA conference on “The mission and peace witness of the church.” Also, a representative will attend a Forum of Christian Churches and Ecumenical Organizations, a gathering including Evangelicals, Pentecostals and Roman Catholics. A second Mennonite-Catholic Dialogue will be held Oct. 12-18, 1999.

Next general assembly

The General Council is considering various locations for the next MWC General Assembly in August 2003. Possible locations include Zimbabwe and Ethiopia. A decision will be made at the General Council’s meeting in July 2000.

Appointments

Pakisa Tshimika, program director for Africa and director for social ministries with MBMS International, has been appointed on a half-time basis for one year as coordinator of the Global Sharing Projects. He is a member of the MB church in Congo and is currently residing in Fresno, Calif.

Ray and Margie Brubacher have been appointed for one year to work on special projects. Previously, he was director of Mennonite Central Committee’s international program in Akron, Pa. They will spend four months at Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary in Elkhart, Ind., then in January, will move to France for eight months. Margie will serve part-time as an administrative assistant; Ray will work full-time. An associate executive secretary to assist with special projects will be hired from Africa, Asia or Latin America in a year.

Indonesian Mennonites gather

The three Indonesian Mennonite synods (GITJ, GKMI and JKI) held a joint conference July 20-22 on the theme, “The church: A community of peace-building,” in Semarang, Indonesia.

Present were 45 pastors, seminary students and community workers mostly from Java. Several came from Irian Jaya and Sumatra (see sidebar).

The goal of the conference was to encourage the peace-building efforts of the churches in response to violent social conflicts.

Presentations included testimonies, a biblical reflection by MWC President Mesach Krisetya, and a lecture on “Mennonite peacemaking and non-violence in a violent world” by Charles Christano, a former MWC president. Mikha Joedhiswara, who attended Eastern Mennonite University’s Summer Peace-Building Institute, presented a lecture titled “Anatomy of violent conflict in Indonesia.” Dave Worth, director of MCC Ontario, presented two workshops on “Introduction to conflict transformation.”

Participants felt that developing common understandings on a relevant Christian peace-building agenda will be urgent for Indonesia in the next decade. The church faces continuing pressures, including an ongoing economic crisis, rapid political change and discontent over cultural, religious, ethnic and economic differences.

Some Javanese participants said their languages did not have a word for justice and see justice as a Western concept. They are more concerned with maintaining harmonious relationships in community, more closely related to the Hebrew concept of shalom than to justice and truth. A discussion of the concept of justice and its relationship to the peace-building agenda revealed large cultural gaps among participants.

In a brainstorming session, participants raised some ideas for action. The group decided to work together on conflict transformation education and training. The planning group will present its ideas to the participating Mennonite synods for approval. However, ideas for further action on interracial, religious and ethnic conflict were rejected.

The convention closed with a foot-washing service, new for some participants.  – from reports by Phyllis Pellman, Eleanor Miller

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Last modified October 13, 1999.

© 1999 Mennonite Brethren Herald.
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