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International Choir Helped Build Global Unity

BULAWAYO, Zimbabwe — It didn't matter that Ammeral Johnson didn't read music or know the Ndebele language of Zimbabwe. The International Choir member said she felt the heartbeat of global songs wrap around Mennonite World Conference worship like a prayer that everyone knew.

Johnson, an African-American from Hampton, Virginia (USA), and the other 17 choir members from around the world helped lead worship for nearly 7,000 MWC participants from Mennonite/Brethren in Christ churches during MWC Assembly Gathered in Bulawayo Aug. 11-17.

"Coming together with so many different cultures, so many different styles, so many different backgrounds was a foretaste of heaven for me," said Johnson. Music is a common denominator, she added, and didn't need translation. "Even if we didn't understand the words fully, we got the meaning."

Absorbing the meaning in many languages and musical scores was what the choir did every day beginning two weeks prior to the Assembly, said Marilyn Houser Hamm, a musician from Winnipeg, Manitoba (Canada), who was the key choir leader.

The 18 choir members, fluent in a total of 16 languages, brought riches to the treasure chest of daily worship from their lands -- Asia, Europe, Latin America, North America and Africa. These riches included many songs from Africa -- including a section, "Gifts from Zimbabwe," at the beginning of the MWC Assembly songbook. The book contained about 90 songs in 20 languages, including their original language and English, French and Spanish translations.

The African song, "Hakuna Akaita Sa Jesu," or "There Is No One Like Jesus," wasn't even in the songbook, but it topped the worship charts. Reserved Europeans and expressive Africans alike danced and raised their arms in praise to the words: There is no one like Jesus/There is no one like him/We ran and ran everywhere/We went round and round everywhere/We searched and searched everywhere/No one is like him.

"The expression of the Assembly theme —- 'Sharing gifts in suffering and in joy' — happened in many powerful ways," Hamm noted. "We found ways with music to name and share our pain that transcended our differences and brought an amazing joy and celebration in God's Spirit.

"The language of music in our worship is one of the most significant languages we have. Mennonites have always known how important it is to sing together. It's our songs that create a mutual sensitivity and blending that connects us to each other and to God."

To help MWC participants connect as God's family, the choir first had to be formed into a musical family.

"[It] happened so quickly - even within the first two days, " said Hamm. "There was an amazing openness to one another from the very beginning... and a strong willingness to enter into the space of another person who taught us his or her music in their language and brought us into their culture."

Hamm gives most credit for this family togetherness to the grace of the Holy Spirit. "We would have made no headway if we hadn't prepared ourselves spiritually," she said. "We began each day with prayer and Scripture.... And the way music is, it gives back energy, and constantly renewed us, along with the support given to us from the whole assembly."

The family included the music committee: Hamm from North America, co-chair with Eunice Khanye, Africa; Agus Setianto, Asia; Jan Marten de Vries, Europe; and Mauricio Medina Benavides, Central and South America. Ken Nafziger of North America, who wasn't in Africa, helped with early planning.

Other choir members were Johnson and Bryan Moyer Suderman, North America; Raema Mintash, I. Matsung Ozukum, Asia; Deusiline Martins Milhomen and Amos Lopez, Latin America; Florent Malu-Malu Lungungu, Apeku Leticia Amasika, Nyamisy Steven Mangana, Herbert Mwaanga Nkaso, Lwazi Sibanda, Ndumiso Mlilo, Africa; and Anita Hein-Horsch, Europe.

"One of the best ways to maintain our worldwide community in the interim between our assemblies are the songs we give each other," said Hamm. "The idea of a global church can be very obscure.... But music gives us practical handles on this and transcends time and space and binds us together."