More than 600 Mennonites from Europe and beyond gathered May 14-17 in Amersfoort, Netherlands, to fellowship in God’s promise articulated in Luke 24’s story of meeting a stranger on the road to Emmaus during CMERK, a regional gathering for European Mennonites.

Plenary speaker Marius van Hoogstraten of Germany spoke on the Luke 24 text. Being a witness is not only about declaring God’s victory but also about walking with people who don’t recognize the divine presence yet — just like Jesus walked with those two disciples.

The workshop “Mennonite Responses to Militarization” shared how:
— A Ukrainian struggles to live out his convictions. He was studying in Lithuania in 2022 when the war broke out, and he chose pacifism;
— Young people in the Netherlands explore what peace means in conversations at events called peace meals;
— U.S. churches respond to the reintroduction of automatic draft registration;
— Colombian churches mobilize to support conscientious objectors.

In the workshop “Creating a Safe Church,” participants shared ways churches have responded to abuse, lamented incidents that were not managed appropriately and brainstormed what more could be done.

In a workshop on climate justice, a group of young theologians in Europe brought awareness on the need to protect communities from industrial and farming practices that destroy ecosystems predominantly in the Global South.

Other interactions and group activities included building a LEGO church, dances and collaborative art projects, group meditation and prayers and packing relief kits for Ukraine.

Article adapted from “CMERK 2026: Blijf bij ons, in de stroom” from Doopsgezinden.nl, written by Kalle Brüsewitz, with files from Marius van Hoogstraten, Franka Riesmeijer and Iris Speckmann.