Paraguay chosen for 2009 Mennonite World Conference

The next Mennonite World Conference (MWC) global gathering, Assembly 15, scheduled for mid-July 2009, will be held in Paraguay. The MWC Executive Committee reached unanimous agreement on the site at its annual meeting here July 29–August 4.

The committee also adopted a new style of making decisions, learned about new developments in global gift sharing, and prayed for suffering brothers and sisters.

Committee members considered two strong invitations to host Assembly 15. One came from eight Mennonite conferences in Paraguay with a mix of members from Spanish-speaking, German-speaking and indigenous language groups.

The second invitation, to host the assembly in Eastern Pennsylvania, came from the Brethren in Christ General Conference, Mennonite Church USA and the US Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches.

Larry Miller, MWC executive secretary, and Ray Brubacher, associate secretary for events and administration, studied both locations in May. They reported that a global gathering in either country was feasible. Leaders in both places were enthusiastic and offered convincing arguments why they needed the assembly.

Many factors in the two invitations balanced each other, but neither site was free of concerns. The Paraguayans have no history of working together to host an event of such magnitude and no one facility there has everything needed to host an assembly.

A broad-based group in Pennsylvania, which had spent several years doing research, brought documentation on everything from facilities to staffing to visions and goals. The difficulty of getting a visa to enter the USA, particularly for people from the global South, repeatedly raised the question: would there be enough participation from the South to make Assembly 15 in the USA a truly global event?

Latin America’s turn

After much discussion, reflection and prayer, the factor that tipped the balance in favour of Paraguay was that it seemed it was Latin America’s turn. The last assembly in the region was in Brazil in 1972.

The executive committee encouraged the US member conferences and the Pennsylvania group to offer an invitation for Assembly 16 in 2015.

Mennonites in Europe have suggested an assembly be held in Europe in 2025, the 100th anniversary of the first MWC gathering and the 500th of the first Anabaptist baptism. Both events happened in Europe.

To consider that request, dates for assemblies between 2009 and 2025 would need to be adjusted, since the global gatherings are normally held every six years.

The executive made the decision on the Assembly 15 site by consensus, a change from traditional voting. Nancy R. Heisey, MWC president, introduced the concept and process of consensus early on the first meeting day. She noted the importance of “getting the sense of the meeting.”

“What fits with the community/communion model of church life [that MWC has adopted]?” asked Larry Miller. Some early Anabaptists appear to have made decisions by consensus while many Mennonites later moved to voting by majority, which tends to build adversarial camps, he said.

Led by Heisey and vice-president Danisa Ndlovu (Zimbabwe) interest in the new model grew with discussion, and executive members agreed to try it. All subsequent decisions in the week-long meeting were made by consensus.

Church-to-church relationships

Sharing gifts in the global Mennonite and Brethren in Christ family continued to be a strong theme, with new emphasis on church-to-church relationships.

Pakisa Tshimika, associate secretary for networks and projects, reported that links between two Congolese Mennonite conferences and Mennonite Church USA, initiated in Zimbabwe last August, have moved forward. Members of the three groups met at an AIMM convened mission consultation in June (see News).

In the discussion on sharing gifts, the executive agreed to continue distributing funds from the Global Church Sharing Fund to new member churches from the global South. A new decision requires that they send delegates to two General Council meetings before the funds are released.

Despite gloomy financial projections a year ago, particularly with so many uncertainties around the assembly in Zimbabwe, treasurer Paul Quiring reported that 2003 ended with a surplus and that 2004 accounts will balance.

The executive spent time in prayer for MWC-related churches in difficult situations around the world. They also sent a letter of concern and support to the church in Vietnam where six of its leaders have been imprisoned.

Ironically, the day the executive decided to hold Assembly 15 in Paraguay, came the shocking news of a tragic explosion in an Asunción supermarket where Mennonites regularly shop. Immediate reports did not name Mennonite victims but extended family members and friends were among the dead. A letter of condolence was sent to the Mennonite churches in Paraguay.

In other business, the executive endorsed nominees from each continental region for a new Youth Continuation Committee (YCC). They will make decisions on implementing actions from the first Global Youth Summit in Zimbabwe.

—Ferne Burkhardt, MWC