Mennonite World Conference

The Mennonite World Conference (MWC) is a global community of Christian churches that facilitates community between Anabaptist-related churches and relates to other Christian world communions and organizations.

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Dirk Willems (picture) saves his pursuer. This act of mercy led to his recapture, after which he was burned at the stake near Asperen (etching from Jan Luyken in the 1685 edition of Martyrs Mirror
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History

The first Mennonite World Conference was held in Basel in 1925.[1] Its main purpose was to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Anabaptism. An assembly is convened approximately every six or seven years.

Christian Neff (1863–1946), a Mennonite minister in Germany, is often called the "father" of the Mennonite World Conference. Neff, through the Conference of Mennonites in South Germany, issued the call for the first gathering in 1925, and personally proposed the following meetings in 1930 and 1936.

As of 2009, the MWC represents 99 Mennonite and Brethren in Christ national church conferences in 56 countries. The MWC prints a quarterly news publication in three languages—Spanish (as Correo), English (Courier), and French (Courrier.) This project began in 1986. The Mennonite World Conference considers that its mission is to (1) be a global community of faith in the Anabaptist-tradition, (2) facilitate relationships between Anabaptist-related churches worldwide, and (3) relate to other Christian world communions and organizations.

The official repository of Mennonite World Conference is the Mennonite Church USA Archives.

Conferences
YearLocationConference Focus
1925 Basel, Switzerland400th anniversary of Anabaptism
1930 Free City of DanzigMennonite Relief Efforts
1936 Amsterdam and Elspeet, Netherlands400th anniversary of Menno Simons' conversion
1948 Goshen, Indiana, and North Newton, Kansas, United StatesRelief, Nonconformity to the World, Faith and Life, Missions, Young People's Work, A Young People's Program, the Peace Testimony, Colonization, Institutions and Mennonite Life, and Christian Education[2]
1952 Bettingen, SwitzerlandThe Church of Christ and Her Commission
1957 Karlsruhe, West GermanyThe Gospel of Jesus Christ in the World
1962 Kitchener, Ontario, CanadaThe Lordship of Christ
1967 Amsterdam, NetherlandsThe Witness of the Holy Spirit
1972 Curitiba, BrazilJesus Christ Reconciles
1978 Wichita, Kansas, United StatesThe Kingdom of God in a Changing World
1984 Strasbourg, FranceGod's People Serve in Hope
1990 Winnipeg, Manitoba, CanadaWitnessing to Christ in Today's World
1997 Calcutta, IndiaHear what the Spirit is Saying to the Churches
2003 Bulawayo, ZimbabweSharing Gifts in Suffering and in Joy
2009 Asunción, ParaguayCome together in the way of Jesus Christ[3]
2015 Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, United StatesWalking with God

Notes
  1. J. Gordon Melton, Martin Baumann, Religions of the World: A Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Beliefs and Practices, ABC-CLIO, USA, 2010, p. 1859
  2. Mennonite World Conference in Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online
  3. "Mennonite World Conference Assembly 15 theme chosen". MWC. 2008-01-30. Archived from the original on 2011-06-06. Retrieved 2008-07-05.

References
  • Mennonite Encyclopedia, Harold S. Bender, Cornelius J. Dyck, Dennis D. Martin, et al., editors
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