Mennonite World Conference
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The Mennonite World Conference (MWC) is a body that attempts to bring fellowship and communication to diverse Anabaptist bodies across the world.
The first Mennonite World Conference was held in Basel in 1925. 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.
Currently (2003), the MWC represents 87 Mennonite and Brethren in Christ national church conferences in 48 countries. The MWC prints a quarterly news publication (Correo, Courier, and Courrier) in 3 languages - Spanish, English, and French. This project began in 1986. The Mennonite World Conference considers that its main purpose is to provide "fellowship, communication, and facilitation." In partial fulfillment of this goal, the MWC has organized a General Council, the Faith and Life Council and the Peace Council.
[edit] Mennonite World Conferences
| Year | Location | Conference Focus |
|---|---|---|
| 1925 | Basel, Switzerland | 400th anniversary of Anabaptism |
| 1930 | Free City of Danzig | Mennonite Relief Efforts |
| 1936 | Amsterdam and Elspeet, the Netherlands | 400th anniversary of Menno Simons' conversion |
| 1948 | Goshen, Indiana, and North Newton, Kansas | ??? |
| 1952 | St. Chrischona, Switzerland | The Church of Christ and Her Commission |
| 1957 | Karlsruhe, Germany | The Gospel of Jesus Christ in the World |
| 1962 | Kitchener, Ontario, Canada | The Lordship of Christ |
| 1967 | Amsterdam, the Netherlands | The Witness of the Holy Spirit |
| 1972 | Curitiba, Brazil | Jesus Christ Reconciles |
| 1978 | Wichita, Kansas, USA | The Kingdom of God in a Changing World |
| 1984 | Strasbourg, France | God's People Serve in Hope |
| 1990 | Winnipeg, Canada | Witnessing to Christ in Today's World |
| 1997 | Calcutta, India | Hear what the Spirit is Saying to the Churches |
| 2003 | Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, Africa | Sharing Gifts in Suffering and in Joy |
[edit] Reference
- Mennonite Encyclopedia, Harold S. Bender, Cornelius J. Dyck, Dennis D. Martin, et al., editors
[edit] External links
- Mennonite World Conference — Official web site.
- Mennonite World Conference in Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online
