Tuesday, July 14

A procession of banners from congregations, conferences and other groups from around the world opened Mennonite World Conference (MWC) Assembly 15 on July 14, with more than 5,000 in attendance at the new building of the Centro Familiar de Adoración. Worship leader Werner Franz of Paraguay read from John’s vision in Revelation about the thousands around the throne of the Lamb and said, “This church is on the way.”

MWC general secretary Larry Miller welcomed the diverse throng and noted that MWC members come from 101 countries. He introduced guests from other Christian traditions, including the Anglican Church, the Baptist Alliance, the Catholic Church, the Lutheran World Federation, the Methodist Churches, African Independent Churches, the Salvation Army, the World Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, the World Council of Churches and the World Evangelical Alliance.

Representatives from nine language groups stated the conference theme— “Come Together in the Way of Jesus Christ”—in their own languages.

In her keynote address, outgoing MWC president Nancy Heisey of the United States modeled the diversity of MWC by beginning her talk in Spanish, then telling a story in French before proceeding in English. She noted that humans are made for community and celebration, and “this gathering is like one of the many celebrations we take part in.”

However, she said, noting the text of Philippians 2:1-11, having the mind of Jesus, who was killed, doesn’t sound like a typical celebration. “The way of Jesus Christ does not begin with us … but with God.” In order to have the mind of Christ, she said, we must experience the love of God.

Anabaptists are called “to put our history in question” and be willing to look at our flaws. Though we may be delighted by our diversity, Heisey said, experiencing people who are different can be hard. “We don’t experience Christ in the same way.” There is no resting place for expanding God’s love, short of God’s kingdom, she said.

But love turns sour when it clings to sameness. “Our love of church can be disruptive if it only seeks to protect our fences,” she said. “If a church fails to expand, it will perish.”

Our work as a church must be grounded in God’s love, Heisey concluded. She called people to celebrate but not cling to the blessings of these days. “Let us spread to the wind the blessings of this assembly,” she said.

Heisey then introduced Danisa Ndlovu of Zimbabwe as the incoming president of MWC and led a prayer of blessing on him for this work.

Gordon Houser is associate editor of The Mennonite.

Wednesday, July 15

moving gesture of reconciliation and strong preaching marked Assembly 15’s first full day, Wednesday, July 15.

Ishmael Noko, general secretary of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF), addressed the gathering with a “heavy heart,” he said, because of the “painful history” Lutherans and Mennonites share, especially the persecution—and execution—of Anabaptists in the 16th century.

“This history of condoning persecution,” he said, “is a spiritual wound we carry around in us.” He further described the condemnations of Anabaptists, contained in the “anathemas” of the Augsburg Confession, as “the poison of a scorpion.” The Anabaptists did not strike back, he said.

Mennonites and Lutherans have been in dialogue about these matters. At their next meeting, the LWF will be asked “to take action that will put us in a new position to the anathemas and express our deep repentance and regret.”

The assembled Mennonites stood and applauded, and MWC president Danisa Ndlovu said, “What we have heard will change our lives and perspectives.”

“We are witnessing the breaking of walls,” he continued. “We are ready to receive the words we have heard.” The two men then embraced.

These representatives of Anabaptists and Lutherans are both from Zimbabwe. In fact, Noko’s mother was a Brethren in Christ woman who married a Lutheran.

The way of Christ: If this exchange exhibited “the way of Jesus Christ”—the day’s theme—the Bible invited its exposition. Elfriede Verón, instructor at Instituto Biblico Asunción, went through Philippians 2:1-11, verse by verse, considering its exhortations to unity and Jesus’ way, as seen in his relinquishment, humility and obedience.

Nzuzi Mukawa, professor at the School of Missiology and pastor of a Mennonite Brethren church in Kinshasa, DR Congo, further developed the theme in a passionate sermon on Micah 6:1-8. “We follow Jesus Christ,” he said, “through the practice of social justice.”

Repeating the phrase “listen to me carefully,” Mukawa rolled out a range of issues in which the church is called to “live justice.”

Mukawa urged the church to ordain women, accept minority group leadership, “rise up and defend” children, support women suffering from sexual violence and act on behalf of poor countries by eliminating their international debt, granting more access to trade and by rich countries paying damages for pollution.

Six months by bicycle: Wilma Bailey of the United States talked about caring for God’s creation. “We think it’s all about us,” she said. “It’s not about us but for the pleasure of God.”

Sandra Rincon of Colombia reported on the activities of Christian Peacemaker Teams, reminding people that “nonviolence is a real option.”

Two young Americans, Lars Åckerson and Jon Spicher, who spent the past six months getting to Assembly 15 from Harrisonburg, Va., by bicycle, told the audience stories.

They discovered “incredible hospitality” and good everywhere they went, Åckerson and Spicher said. As they crossed the U.S.-Mexico border at “a highly volatile time,” a white van followed them slowly. Approaching them, the driver offered them a piece of pizza. The pizza was delicious, they said, and seemed to be “a sign from God” to give up their prejudices and fears.

Dora Dueck is acting editor of Mennonite Brethren Herald.

Thursday, July 16

Rejecting patriarchal models of church leadership and calling for more interdependence and dialogue in the Anabaptist community, three Latin American women theologians made a bold statement of solidarity with women leaders in the global Mennonite church in Thursday evening’s session, July 16.

“We base our actions on the liberating message of Jesus Christ,” said Ofelia Garcia Herandez, president of the Mennonite Church in Mexico and a member of the Mennonite World Conference (MWC) General Council, in a formal statement. “We affirm Anabaptist unity from a different perspective,” she said, hoping to become a prophetic voice that denounces leadership abuse and lifestyle choices that perpetrate male dominance.

At the same time, added Alix Lozano Forero, president of the Mennonite Church of Colombia and also a member of the General Council, “we want to walk together with our male counterparts in a spirit of discernment.” Joining them was Olga Piedrasonta, co-director of the Latin American Peace Network.

In his morning Bible study, Antonio González, a former Jesuit who teaches theology in Madrid, rejected the Greek understanding of “glory” in John 17 as “praise” and chose the Hebrew definition of receiving a significant gift from God.

“Glory has more to do with loyalty than with what we receive from each other,” he taught. It is what we give to others, as God gave it to Jesus so that the “Father would be glorified.” The purpose of this process, he said, is to build up unity in the body of Christ, his church. It is our challenge to make this glory known to our neighbors.

Continuing the theme of unity in Acts 2, Ditrich Pana, an Enlhet church leader from the Chaco active in radio evangelism, said in his evening address, “This gathering unites us with glad hearts.” The apostles showed us a high-level model of unity by sharing all their possessions because they didn’t think they owned anything, he said. He urged that model on Christians as we unite on a global scale.

Earlier, Claire Brenneman of Palmer Lake, Colo., recalled the building of the 250-mile Trans-Chaco road in the 1950s and ’60s. The five-year project enlisted the volunteer labor of 1,700 young men from 40 countries. The highway gave the isolated country a way for their farmers to get their food to market. Today more than half the population uses the road to get from north to south.

All this happened in the days before tight security measures, he said, and told of a Pax man from South Dakota who heard of all the good hunting in Paraguay. “He boarded the plane in Philadelphia with his shotgun and rifle,” Brenneman said.

Dick Benner is editor of Canadian Mennonite.

Friday, July 17

At the morning session on July 17, worship leader Werner Franz announced that a bomb had exploded in Jakarta, Indonesia, killing nine and injuring 80, including a Mennonite.

Representatives from AMIGOS reported to the assembly about the Global Youth Summit held July 10-12. A choir of young people sang a song composed at the summit. A choir from Switzerland also performed.

The focus of this day’s worship services was “Serving Like Christ.”

In her Bible study, Jenny Neme, who is director of a center for peace and justice in Bogotá, Colombia, and works with street children, focused on Isaiah 58:1-10. In this text, she said, God underlines the need to name injustices, to ask how these happened and who is responsible.

God invites Isaiah and us, she said, to “act in spite of our fears.” We often ignore the violence around us until it touches us. “Our relationship with God has to be transparent,” she said, and must show itself in actions.

Neme noted the huge gap between those who have and those who don’t and called people to close that gap. “Obeying God involves spirituality and action,” she said, and helps heal wounds.

In her sermon that evening, Elizabeth Soto, a member of Mennonite Church USA who grew up in Puerto Rico, noted that Mennonites do much service, and people talk about what Mennonites do. “But we haven’t matched Jesus’ beautiful service,” she said, as seen in Mark 10:35-45.

Before this text, she said, Jesus has talked about divorce, children and his death. Then these brothers come and ask to sit beside him in his kingdom. Jesus tells them they must walk the walk he walked, she said. “Jesus knows that serving means being in solidarity with those who are rejected and fallen.”

Soto described two experiences of being in solidarity. In 2000, she was visiting displaced churches in Colombia when an army surrounded the village. They felt the same terror that these villagers lived with each day.

She also described working in a women’s shelter in Elkhart, Ind., which took her “beyond her comfortable Mennonite world.” She learned it was not just women in the street who were suffering but women in the pews of our churches as well.

Soto mentioned Mennonite worker Susan Classen, who wrote about the spirituality of service that goes beyond doing to being. “The beginning point is not the task but our connection with God,” Soto said. We are to be an instrument in God’s hands and walk with those who suffer.
Jesus gave dignity to others, she said, and so should we.

When we serve, there’s a struggle for power. “Many of us want to be in the position of those who serve,” Soto said. We should ask ourselves what motivates us, she said.

God calls us to serve, she concluded, but with a spirituality that stops to evaluate. She prayed that we learn to walk humbly with others, as Jesus did.

Gordon Houser is associate editor of The Mennonite.

Saturday, July 18

Worshipers celebrated Communion and heard a call for unity, humility and selflessness by MWC’s new president.

Danisa Ndlovu, bishop of the Brethren in Christ Church in Zimbabwe, who began his term as president during the assembly, spoke on the conference’s theme text, Philippians 2:1-11.

Ndlovu said the church must banish selfishness to attain unity in Christ. It is easy to group ourselves by nationality, economic status, race or denomination and “without realizing it pursue selfish interests,” he said. “Let us therefore be warned and stand our guard against the enemy, the devil himself, the father of self-interests.”

He called selfishness a killer disease and humility the key to harmony. “Our conduct must reflect a change of thinking and attitude evidenced in how we relate to one another,” Ndlovu said. “This is a clarion call for mutual respect, acceptance and, above all, unity in the household of faith.”

After the sermon, worshipers shared bread and juice in observance of the Lord’s Supper.

In the Saturday morning worship service, an Anabaptist theologian from New Zealand said Christians who want to make peace need to start by putting their own house in order.

“We will never be credible as peacemakers in a violent world unless, within our own Christian congregations, communities and families, we make every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace,” said Chris Marshall, a professor at the University of Wellington.

Unity is the starting point for all the church’s witness to the world, said Marshall, who formerly was involved in leadership at London Mennonite Fellowship.

“The oneness of the church is every bit as essential to the Christian faith as the oneness of God and the Lordship of Jesus Christ,” he said.

Unfortunately, Marshall said, the church sometimes is as crippled by conflict as the rest of the world. Nothing is more damaging to the cause of Christ than a divided church.

“The unity of the church is not something we manufacture by being unusually nice to one another,” he said. “It is something that already exists. It is an objective reality, brought into being by the Spirit of God.”

Marshall said four qualities—humility, gentleness, patience and forbearance—make it possible to overcome every conflict.

Also that morning, Nguyen Quang Trung, president of the 8,000-member Vietnam Mennonite Church, told of the church receiving legal recognition from the government. An MWC delegation participated in a celebration of that milestone last November.

Paul Schrag is editor of Mennonite Weekly Review.

Sunday, July 19

In a moving symbolic peace gesture toward the indigenous Ayoreo people of the Chaco, Helmut Isaak read a statement of forgiveness to the son of the murderer of his brother, Kornelius Isaak, during the three-hour closing worship service on Sunday, July 19.

The Ayoreo man, now a chief of his tribe in the northern Chaco, came to the stage in his native dress, carrying the spear that killed Isaak in 1958, when a delegation of Mennonite missionaries were trying to win over the Ayoreos. As a young warrior, the father of the chief had speared Kornelius Isaak.

“More than 50 years ago, your clan and tribe were resisting us,” said Helmut Isaak, in a statement of forgiveness, “but now we aren’t enemies anymore but brothers in Christ,” he said to the applause of some 8,500 worshipers, the largest gathering of the five-day assembly.

In his closing message to the assembly, Alfred Neufeld, a Mennonite theologian and author born in Paraguay, said, “Jesus needs you to love.” Christians are not only members of the church of Christ,” he said, “we need to be lovers of the church of Christ.”

He warned against trusting ideologies and politics rather than Jesus Christ, to whom God has given all authority in heaven and earth. But we have to “work out our salvation with fear and trembling.” This process is not magical, or a given, he said, but an act of obedience, a labor of love that reaches out, like Jesus did, to the “most marginalized of our society.”

He said to attach “working out one’s personal salvation” to a congregation, a place of safety and from which the Christian can draw strength. “The world will know us by our helping of one another inside this community of faith,” he said.

A delegate from Siberia brought greetings from a small 100-member Mennonite group located in a small Russian village where they converse in Low German.

“Arriving by way of Canada,” he said, “I never knew there were so many Mennonites.”

Swelling the numbers of those attending the morning worship were local Mennonites who came to the morning worship rather than conduct their own Sunday services.

The event was originally planned to be an outdoor service, but the threat of inclement weather kept the service inside the 10,000 capacity assembly hall.

Dick Benner is editor of Canadian Mennonite.
Music: Grupo Ebenezer, one of many groups performing at Mennonite World Conference Assembly 15. Photo by Lowell Brown for Meetinghouse.