Stories

The gospel with two hands: physical and spiritual development

Malawi “I am Yao,” says Madalistso Blessings Kaputa. That people group is regarded to be Muslim in Malawi. “Someone has reached me.” Chewa, Yao, Lome (major people groups in Malawi): they can all be part and parcel of this family of God, he says. As... Lees meer

Desire for renewal leads to split

Canada The Mennonite Brethren church began in the midst of significant change among Mennonites in what was then South Russia. It was in 1860 that some members in the Gnadenfeld Mennonite congregation in the Molotschna settlement petitioned their... Lees meer

Dealing with difference

Indonesia The churches of GITJ (Gereja Injili di Tanah Jawa – Evangelical Church in the Land of Java), Indonesia, had been in conflict for some 22 years. This was largely because one group (with 24 member churches) was recognized by the Indonesian... Lees meer

How I envy you!

Some years ago, in my local congregation in Colombia, a friend said to me: “Oh! César, how I envy you!” Why? I asked her. “I work in a multinational company. I deal with a lot of stress because of ongoing conflicts and broken relationships with my... Lees meer

Prayer for unity

Switzerland In recent years, the Mennonite theological school Bienenberg Training Centre in Switzerland has offered a “Hot Topics” course, which gives voice to opposing perspectives on current hot topics in the churches. As they hear points they... Lees meer

“We need one another”

Meet Vikal Rao, Rajnandgaon, India. Member of the Deacons Commission . How do you serve MWC? I am serving officially as a member of the Deacons Commission (2018-2025). My journey with MWC started in 1997: I was a youth steward in the Global Church... Lees meer

Conflict in the church: Lessons from Acts 15

I grew up in a Mennonite congregation in Argentina. I remember the preaching and teaching on forgiveness and reconciliation both within the church family and also in relating with those outside the faith community. I also remember situations... Lees meer

Deep faith fills Bowls of Hope

When I think about hope, I am very thankful to have quite a long list to choose from where I see it. Here I will focus on how I see hope in my church through the community outreach and the youth – and how they intertwine.Lees meer

“If we do not give up…”

Acouple of years ago as we were swimming upstream against COVID-19, hope seemed to be hard to come by. I don’t know about your churches, but we were forced to dive into the deep end of the modern digital age – or rather bellyflop into it.Lees meer

Serving “the least significant of the brothers and sisters of Jesus”

Established in 1962, the Fellowship of Mennonite Churches in Taiwan (FOMCIT) is a conference of 24 congregations in Taipei, Taoyuan, Taichung and Hualien. It is a branch of Anabaptism, and a member of Asia Mennonite Conference and Mennonite World... Lees meer

Living everyday is a miracle

Ethiopia is a country located in the Horn of Africa. We’re unique in some ways but the same with the rest of African countries in some other ways. We’re a very poor country with a population of around 110 million.Lees meer

Meet MWC vice-president Lisa Carr-Pries

I am grateful for the global church. For many, it has years broadened my understanding of the world beyond my local context and has helped me raise my children to be globally conscious human beings. It definitely changed the course of my life and... Lees meer

Hope was never lost

From the smallest to the biggest, they all wanted to help in different ways. All the conferences had a role to help what is going on in Ukraine. Some send funds, all pray, of course, and some even take initiative to bring relief supplies directly to... Lees meer

We are peace-loving Mennonites

Dear MWC and Mennonite Church Canada, you are the angels sent by God to Myanmar. You fed us when we were hungry. When we are down, you comfort us. You help us when we are refugees. You bring us a ray of hope when we are hopeless.Lees meer

Hope takes action in despair

Yes, it’s been 77 years since Korea was divided into North and South Korea. The deep-rooted fear that comes from a history of war and the insecurity that comes from that fear have created a lot of different forms of despairLees meer

Universally appealing core values

Meet Hiro Katano of Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan Member of the Faith & Life Commission. How do you serve MWC? I have been a General Council member, representing Nihon Menonaito Kirisuto Kyokai Kyogikai (Japan Mennonite Christian Church Conference),... Lees meer

Renewal

In 2017, Mennonite World Conference began a series of events called Renewal . The original vision was organized with a view toward the 500th anniversary of the beginning of the Anabaptist movement in Zurich, Switzerland, in 2025. It included several... Lees meer

Renewal: the core of the gospel

Over the past 100 years, the world has changed immensely and at the same time, not so very much, says Henk Stenvers; both then and now, there is nationalism and polarization in church and society, and even war in Ukraine. As we prepare to mark 100... Lees meer

A spirit of repentance and Renewal

“That they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” (John 17:21) With these words from the Gospel of John 17:21, we warmly greet the sisters and brothers... Lees meer

Lessons enter through different doors

After last summer, you can’t deny it. It’s here. It was the driest year in France and it’s been like that for several years. So you can see people are becoming more aware of climate change. Now it is beginning to affect them. And yet there is still... Lees meer