About 130 Anabaptists from nine conferences in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela gathered to explore themes of reconciliation Feb. 18-21 in Quito, Ecuador.
The Andean regional gathering was originally planned for November 2020, two years after a previous event in Cali, Colombia, but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Meetings prior to the full gathering included Red Latinoamericana de Estudios Anabautistas (RELEA, Latin American Network of Anabaptist Studies) and Movimiento de Mujeres Anabautistas Haciendo Teología desde América Latina (MTAL, Movement of Anabaptist Women Doing Theology from Latin America) focusing on gender violence, and a meeting with representatives of each conference to discern possibilities for theological education from an Anabaptist perspective.
Mennonite World Conference general secretary César García led Bible studies and reflections with an emphasis on working together in unity while recognizing distinctive gifts, challenges and perspectives of each conference.
Workshops focused on Anabaptist identity, creation care, mission and church planting, spirituality of peace, migration and hospitality, and including people with disabilities in communities of faith.
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