AMSTERDAM, Netherlands - The Dutch Mennonites celebrated the 75th anniversary of the Mennorode Retreat Center in the wooded Elspeet area of the Netherlands by holding a large national meeting ("Landdag") at that site on September 17. An estimated 1,450 members of the national Mennonite conference (the Algemene Doopsgezinde Societeit) attended. This was one of the largest turnouts ever at a national meeting.

The Algemene Doopsgezinde Societeit (ADS) has approximately 12,000 members. They worship in 125 congregations. The theme of the meeting at the Mennorode Retreat Center was, "Building the Future of the Congregations." Ed van Straten, who serves as the Mennonite World Conference's editor for Europe and who has worked in Indonesia extensively, headed up the planning for this special event.

The planning committee wanted this celebration to have a long-term impact on the participating churches," said van Straten. "In mid-1999 we invited all the congregations to create a project which would reflect on the theme of the meeting. A panel of judges would decide which was the the best project. The winning congregation would earn a free congregational weekend at the Mennorode retreat center."

Thirty congregations entered the competition. They had about a year to work on it. Then they submitted their projects (or descriptions and pictures) to Mennorode so that the panel of judges could have a look at them. The panel was impressed with the quality, creativity and diversity of the entries. Some congregations had drawn up plans for new activities and priorities. Some asked all their groups and members to contribute to a congregational web site. Some made paintings that inspired thinking about personal faith and congregational goals. One congregation made a large model of its church and the surrounding landscape; it included information about what their church should be and do in the setting in which it is located. There were also videos, slide presentations, songs, a dance, and other presentations. The judges named the Wageningen congregation the winner.

The all-day meeting also included times of worship, workshops, a marketplace, guided tours, a concert of light classical music and a musical in a tent entitled, "From Church Rat to Computer Mouse."

After the musical, and prior to the closing worship, the new ADS General Council was introduced.

Another project Mennorode undertook on its 75th anniversary was to work with Habitat for Humanity in the construction of 75 homes in a township in South Africa.

* Larry Kehler, MWC News Editor