Three young adults who serve with Mennonite Central Committee in Bolivia attended the 500th anniversary of Anabaptism in Cusco, Peru, in January. Andrew Smucker, Vilma Pop and Yuri De Araújo Silva shared their experiences in MCC Bolivia’s newsletter.

Andrew Smucker, of Goshen, Ind., is a SALT participant serving with a children’s home in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. Vilma Pop is a YAMEN participant from Alta Verapaz, Guatemala. She serves in a daycare for under-resourced families in Santa Cruz, Bolivia.  Yuri De Araújo Silva is a YAMEN participant working with children and youth in two community centers in Montero, Bolivia. He is from Recife, Brazil.

1. What was the most significant part of the 500th anniversary celebration for you?

Andrew: At the 500th anniversary of Anabaptism celebration, there were many churches represented from all over South America and the Caribbean. I enjoyed getting to know people from all over, learning more about their cultures, and making connections. I had the chance to have conversations with people from Peru, Paraguay, Brazil, Argentina, and Colombia.

Vilma: For me, personally, being in the celebration of the 500th anniversary of Anabaptism was very special, since I had the honor of participating in it, the other thing is because behind those 500 years there is a difficult history, there were people who suffered because of the Gospel but that did not prevent the word of God from filling the void.

Yuri: For me, the most meaningful thing was to bring together people from different cultures to remember the beginning of everything and learn about the changes that have occurred over time, bringing to light problems, solutions and, above all, reflections on important issues for our community life, always based on our Anabaptist principles.

2. What does being Anabaptist mean to you now? How did your understanding of Anabaptism change during the gathering?

Andrew: Going into this meeting, my understanding of being Anabaptist had the basics. I believed in the aspects of being peacemakers and baptized as an adult. My belief of what an Anabaptist is didn’t change much, rather I got more information on how diverse Anabaptists can be. I also learned more about this through presentations about the work of the churches in South America.

Vilma: Being Anabaptist is a personal and unique journey, a deeper connection to my faith, by choosing a baptism as an adult, it is to make a decision to follow Christ, a call to service: purpose and meaning can be found in serving others.

Yuri: My understanding about Anabaptism was reinforced by the reaffirmation of the principles of peace, sharing, harmony among siblings, and a non-individual vision of the kingdom of God, with the notion that God unites the plurality of cultures and ideas to establish his kingdom, including primarily a South American perspective of what the kingdom of God is and how to bring it about effectively.

3. What hopes do you have for Anabaptist young people in the future?

Andrew: I hope that young Anabaptists can have spaces like I had here to discuss what church is. Places where there’s diversity of people, coming from many countries, but there still can be discussion. I found this time to be meaningful in hearing more about visions for the future of the churches. How they plan to move forward with the church and projects in the community. All in all, this time was nice to connect with others in many countries in South America. It was unique to learn more about cultures: Peru – with Quechua/ Spanish; Paraguay – a dish called 8sopa9 that is a dessert. I am grateful for this time to make friends from around the world.

Vilma: My hope is that young Anabaptists can keep the history and teachings of their community alive, adapting them to the challenges and opportunities of the modern world, they can find creative ways to express their faith and serve their community, without losing sight of the core values of Anabaptism. It’s important to highlight that the future of young Anabaptists is in their own hands, and with their commitment, creativity, and faith, they can build a hope-filled future for themselves and their community.

Yuri: We are going through a complicated time with all the young people, sometimes not knowing how to draw them, sometimes not knowing how to get them to stay in churches through discipleship to make disciples of Christ. Some of the discussions focused on how to attract more young people to the Mennonite conference and ensure their participation. We were also inspired through the women’s work with Sister Care ministry for young people to grow in wisdom, participation, and belonging. A few important principles for future changes and current strengthening were emphasized: knowledge, boldness, fear of the Lord, discipleship, and accompaniment, all through the pursuit of greater intimacy with Christ.

Originally published in the February 2025 issue of Koinonia, MCC Bolivia’s newsletter. Used with permission.