STRASBOURG, France -- An open conference titled Evangelism and the Peace Witness of the Church, sponsored by Mennonite World Conference and the Baptist World Alliance, will be held in Philadelphia, January 10-12, 2002. The conference, for peace workers, church and mission leaders and all other interested persons, continues conversations begun in 1989 seeking new areas of agreement and cooperation by exploring each other's theology, history and faith.

Key papers, with responses, will define who are the Baptists and the Mennonites at the beginning of the 21st century, the Mennonite focus on the peace witness and the Baptist focus on mission and evangelism. Other topics include each denomination's historical and contemporary attitude toward the other faith group's focus and the relationship between evangelism and the peace witness.

A closing session question, “Where do we go from here?” will seek direction for future learning and interactivity.

Mennonite presenters include: Larry Miller, MWC executive secretary; Nancy Heisey, MWC president-elect; Judy Zimmerman Herr, Peace Council associate secretary; John A. Lapp, coordinator of the Global Mennonite History Project; John Rempel, MCC United Nations liaison; Stanley Green, executive director, Mennonite Mission Network (USA); Myron Augsburger, Eastern Mennonite University president emeritus; and Donald Kraybill, Messiah College professor.

The conference begins on Thursday evening, January 7 at the Sheraton Parkridge Hotel and continues through Saturday noon at Eastern College. For more details and registration material, contact Mennonite World Conference, 8 rue du Fossé des Treize, 67000 Strasbourg, France; e-mail: Strasbourg@mwc-cmm.org or the Baptist World Alliance, 405 North Washington Street, Falls Church, VA 22046, USA; e-mail: bwa@bwanet.org

-- Ferne Burkhardt, News Editor