The Global Church Sharing Fund was established in 1997 at the Mennonite World Conference assembly in Calcutta. MWC member and associate member churches in Africa, Asia, and Latin America/Caribbean receive Global Church Sharing funds for ministries that advance the life and mission of their churches.

The Anabaptist family has spread around the world into more than 86 countries.

Global Anabaptists comprise 2.13 million baptized believers in 15 000 local churches and about 240 national conferences of churches.

About two-thirds of the baptized believers are African, Asian or Latin American.

MWC represents 109 national churches with 1.47 million members. These sisters and brothers give us many gifts, renewing the life of the global Church while extending God’s kingdom. They are the ones who will lead in determining what it means to live as Anabaptist Christians in the 21st century.

Sadly, deepening economic disparity accompanies this wonderful global transformation. Most numerical growth in the worldwide family of faith is taking place among people who are financially poor. Seventy three percent of our wealth remains in the hands of North Americans (43%) and Europeans (30%).

Inspired by the biblical teaching of “Jubilee” (in Leviticus 25, for example), Mennonite World Conference set up the Global Church Sharing Fund. The aim is to put into action the Apostle Paul’s words to the Corinthians:

• “There is no question of relieving others at the cost of hardship to yourselves; it is a question of equality. At the moment your surplus meets their need, but one day your need may be met from their surplus. The aim is equality; as scripture has it, ‘Those who gathered more did not have too much, and those who gathered less did not have too little’” (2 Corinthians 8:13–15).

MWC member and associate member churches in Africa, Asia and Latin America/Caribbean receive Global Church Sharing funds through a “fair share” allotment to be spent to advance the life and mission of their churches. MWC staff administers the fund and monitors its use, under the supervision of the MWC Executive Committee, which is accountable to the MWC General Council.

Both the gift and the power to decide how to use the gift are given to those who receive Global Church Sharing funds. Mennonite World Conference believes that the churches in Africa, Asia, and Latin America/Caribbean can best determine how the gift will further God’s mission in their circumstances.

The churches of the Global South have so far used Global Church Sharing funds in a great variety of ways, including:

• translation and publication of materials;
• scholarships for students;
• upgrading computer systems;
• church supplies;
• bicycles for evangelists;
• vehicles for church supervision and administration;
• payment of membership dues to mission and church organizations;
• transportation costs;
• evangelism and leadership training;
• buying land;
• construction and repair of church facilities;
• promotion of Anabaptist identity and belonging;
• pastoral salaries and retreats, and
• retired pastors endowment fund.

Also the fund has been used for supporting the churches with relief actions when there is a natural disaster in their region.

Share

You can contribute to the Global Church Sharing Fund by sending your gift to any MWC office.

Checks should be made out to Mennonite World Conference and clearly designated to the Global Church Sharing Fund.

Or you can contribute online in Canadian or U.S. dollars by clicking here. Be sure to designate your donation for Global Church Sharing Fund.