Stories

Vaccines and care at MB hospitals

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, lack of vaccination is a problem. Even before COVID-19, a measles outbreak took more than 40 children in 2019 in Kikwit, a city of some 500,000 people, and host to a growing number of internally displaced persons... more/más/suite

What’s happening in Assembly worship services?

Everyone can travel to Indonesia for this year’s Mennonite World Conference hybrid Assembly . Around 1250 will do so in person, while thousands of others will visit Indonesia through screens. Through a daily “Panorama Indonesia” presentation,... more/más/suite

Assembly participants on-site nearly doubled

The Indonesian Assembly just got a little bit larger. The National Advisory Committee for Assembly 17 and the executive committee of MWC have decided to raise attendance numbers for the gathering in Indonesia to 1250. COVID-19 cases in Indonesia... more/más/suite

Support for maternal health leads to vaccination openness

Millicent conceived in March 2020, just when Kenya reported the first case of COVID-19. The resident of Mathare, a poor district, was very fearful. Her neighbour Sophie, a care group volunteer with Centre for Peace and Nationhood (CPN), reached out... more/más/suite

Sharing a new and unified language

“We come together throughout the world to sing and to make music together,” says Benjamin Bergey, Assembly 17 music coordinator. With attendees from the Americas, Europe, Africa and Asia, “What we have [at Assembly] is an opportunity to reframe what... more/más/suite

Learning together and apart

Nobody anticipated the pandemic barrier that would challenge Assembly plans when they chose the theme “Following Jesus together across barriers”. One year later than the original date, the 17th Assembly of Mennonite World Conference takes place 5-10... more/más/suite

Morning coffee – or evening tea

Assembly plenaries set YABs and Commissions in conversation “It’s remarkable that I can share,” says Ebenezer Mondez, YABs (Young AnaBaptist) committee representative for Asia. “I come from a very small church with no more than 1 000 members... more/más/suite

Connect with local congregations during Assembly online

How is the gospel being shared in Indonesia, a country with the largest Muslim population in the world? Find out as you worship together with four local congregations that will host the evening worship sessions during MWC’s Assembly 17: in Jepara,... more/más/suite

Join the MWC Assembly – together – online!

“The Mennonite World Conference Assembly is a space to learn more about our brothers and sisters from different parts of the world. Everyone, regardless of budget or vacation time, will have the opportunity to gather online to worship, fellowship... more/más/suite

Praising God together across barriers

“I can see one family with a lot of members, worshipping the same Father,” says Natacha Kyendrebeogo from Burkina Faso. She is one of four young people serving through YAMEN on the Mennonite World Conference (MWC) Assembly team in Indonesia. YAMEN (... more/más/suite

Ministry partner update: ICOMB – April 2022

Transformed by the Spirit The filling of God’s Spirit in our lives is reflected through both the continual maturing process by the Spirit to reflect God’s character and by the Spirit’s filling that results in boldness to proclaim Christ and... more/más/suite

“They didn’t want to leave”

Virtual education series explores peace theology At the end of the first evening of the virtual educational series, “From Chaos to Shalom: Exploring Peace Theology Together,” Andios Santoso and Joe Sawatzky struggled to wrap up the Zoom session. The... more/más/suite

How should Mennonite World Conference engage the church with creation care?

This series of stories on the creation care survey has illuminated the importance of issues like climate change in the lives of Anabaptists around the world. We now come to the last question: what should Mennonite World Conference do in response?... more/más/suite

How Assembly food waste will end up as fertilizer

In Indonesia, a country where sorting and proper treatment of trash is rare, how do we run the Assembly sustainably? In 2019, Bangun P. Nugroho, a member of Jemaat Kristen Indonesia (JKI church) Holy Stadium in Semarang, Central Java, realized that... more/más/suite

A golden opportunity to strengthen health systems

“Not on my watch!” The math wasn’t good enough for Sara Hildebrand. The COVAX plan to bring 1 billion doses of vaccine to people in the developing world would reach less than 20 percent of world’s poorest people in 2021. “The world needs people of... more/más/suite

Anabaptists around the world care for creation

Stories from around the world teach how we respond as faith communities to the challenges of climate change. The 353 responses to the Creation Care Task Force survey contained many stories of churches caring for creation. This month, we highlight... more/más/suite

Ministry partner update: ICOMB – March 2022

God’s Spirit gives us hope (Romans 15:13)! The presence of God’s Spirit in our hearts bears witness that we are adopted as children of God and heirs to his promises (Ephesians 1:5-6; Romans 8:14-17; Galatians 4:4-7). The Spirit is described as a... more/más/suite

Prayers beat swords into plowshares

"Hope that results from faith in Jesus may be defined as ability to see a new reality. To long for a different world and behave as if we were already in it. Waiting on Christ is never passive, never simply a feeling." Mennonite World Conference... more/más/suite

Indonesia 2022: less on-site, more creative options

How will we gather for Assembly 17? The Executive Committee has opted for limited on-site attendees and many options for online attendees at the hybrid Assembly 17. MWC Assembly is hosted by the three Indonesian Anabaptist-Mennonite synods in... more/más/suite

Indonesia Assembly surmounts barriers

Will there be Assembly this summer? Absolutely! Who will attend in Indonesia? Watch for upcoming news. In their February online meeting, the Executive Committee are deciding on the attendance model for Assembly, based on the most current public... more/más/suite