Exploring our shared commitment to being a worldwide family

As Mennonite World Conference, we share a commitment to being a worldwide communion (koinonia) of faith and life. Together, we seek to be a fellowship that transcends boundaries of nationality, race, class, gender and language. Yet because of our diversity, each MWC member church brings a distinct understanding of the importance of global communion to its participation and investment in MWC.

Jesus with Skin On 

(Darrell Winger, Canada)

For Brethren in Christ (BIC) congregations in Canada, the Mennonite World Conference provides this embodiment of the important truth that we belong to a church family that spreads around the world. We know that followers of Jesus everywhere are made one through faith in him; however, we can experience this precious truth in a practical way since MWC puts “skin” on it for us. As MWC embodies the reality of our global fellowship in Christ, our BIC Canada congregations are strengthened in important ways.

A Glimpse of the Universal Church 

(Rainer W. Burkart, Germany)

At the same time, our congregation needs to realize that our Anabaptist-Mennonite family is larger that our local congregation. That expanded worldview comes through our involvement with Mennonite World Conference.

The Interdependent Existence 

(Rebecca Osiro, Kenya)

When thinking about the connection between the local congregation and the global church family, orudnu and puodho offer compelling symbols, offering clearly not only the necessity but also the essence of the global in relation to the local. Most importantly, the imagery speaks to the ways in which the global depends on the local, and vice versa – what I call the interdependent existence.

Strength in the Gathered 

(Cynthia Peacock, India)

Another goal – and perhaps the most important one – was to help each conference understand our global connectedness. We wanted them to understand that, through MWC, we are linked as brothers and sisters in Christ.