Mennonite World Conference Assembly to meet July 21-26, 2015

North Americans to host PA 2015 

June 11, 2014 | Web First
Phyllis Pellman Good | Mennonite World Conference
Each day of the PA 2015 will begin and end with singing—by the thousands of attendees, as well as by international choirs. (Credit: Merle Good)

Mennonites, Mennonite Brethren, and Brethren in Christ of North America have invited sisters and brothers from around the world to come to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, in a little more than a year from now—July 21-26, 2015.

The event, Pennsylvania 2015, is Mennonite World Conference’s every-six-year Assembly, fondly known as a reunion of the worldwide Anabaptist-Mennonite family. It’s the first time the event will be held in the eastern U.S. in MWC’s 90-year history. The Assembly was last in the U.S. in 1978 in Wichita, KS.

Here are some basic facts so you can plan to join this exuberant event and prepare to offer hospitality to those who accept our invitation.

Who’s invited? Everyone who’s part of the family of 1.7 million souls (see the sidebar). Mennonite World Conference (MWC) staff are preparing for 6,000-10,000 people. Attending will be interested laypeople, leaders who represent their churches, families with young children, youth groups, and young adults.

When? Tuesday evening, July 21, through Sunday morning, July 26, 2015.

Where? The Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex and Expo Center in Harrisburg, Pa. This is close to the large Pennsylvania Mennonite and Brethren in Christ (BIC) communities of Lancaster, Grantham, Chambersburg, and Franconia.

What will happen at the Assembly?

  • ŸEach day will begin with singing, led by a multinational worship team, with music from all continents.
  • ŸEach morning one of MWC’s four Commissions (Faith and Life, Missions, Peace, and Deacons) will present, and a young adult, selected by the Young Anabaptist group, will respond.
  • ŸEveryone attending will join a small multicultural group of 15-20 people for fellowship and a deeper discussion on the morning theme. The same groups will continue to meet throughout the week—a great opportunity for visiting and discovering new relationships.
  • ŸAfternoons will be for workshops, service opportunities, local tours, sports activities, and performances and exhibits in the Global Church Village.
  • ŸEach continent will contribute to each worship service, which will include testimonies, singing, prayer, and times of encouragement.
  • The Assembly will include a children’s program. After morning singing, children will experience their own multicultural program all day, including lunch.
  • ŸThe Assembly will also include a youth program (ages 18 and under). After morning singing, youth will meet for their own presentations, discussions and service projects.   
  • ŸAn international young adult convention, the Global Youth Summit (ages 18+), will take place July 17-19, three days before the Assembly. It will be held at Messiah College, Mechanicsburg, Pa., just across the river from Harrisburg. Its theme is “Called to Share: My Gifts, Our Gifts.”

What is the theme for PA 2015? “Walking with God.” Speakers each morning and evening will work with biblical texts and our own stories and experiences of joy and grief, uncertainty and hope.

Why should you plan to attend?

  • ŸBecause this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience worship with our global Anabaptist family on our own continent. (If the MWC Assemblies continue to be held every six years, rotating among the five major continents, it will be another 30 years before the Assembly comes back to North America.)
  • ŸBecause it is relatively inexpensive to attend, compared to the next Assembly, scheduled for 2021 in Indonesia.
  • ŸBecause it will be global and colorful, full of character, stories, and inspiration!
  • ŸAnd mostly because worship with our sisters and brothers from all over the world will feed and nourish our souls and faith for years to come. This will be an experience of Jesus that we cannot fully replicate in our own congregations or denominations, a taste of heaven as we worship the Lamb of God in many languages and cultures.
  • ŸBecause all of us who are members of the Body of Christ will learn about how to be more faithful Christ-followers today, as we fellowship and worship together.
  • ŸBecause we will all be encouraged and have our hopes renewed by engaging with individuals from our global family.  

What if you speak only English? Or Spanish? Or French? The platform language will be English. There will be simultaneous translations for Spanish and French speakers.

How can you get updates about the PA 2015? Go to mwc-cmm.org/pa2015. And to be part of the ongoing conversation about the Assembly, go to Facebook.com/MennoniteWorldConference.

When and how do you register? Registration opens on August 20, 2014. Go to mwc-cmm.org/pa2015 for registration materials.

More about PA 2015

What is a Mennonite World Conference Assembly?

A reunion of the Anabaptist-Mennonite family worldwide, usually held every six years, meeting on one of the major five continents on a rotating basis. During the nearly week-long gathering, attendees engage in fellowship, worship, service, and witness.

In recent years, a Global Youth Summit has preceded the Assembly. Young adults (ages 18-30) gather to experience the global church and to develop a network of relationships, prayer partners, and co-workers in Christ.

What is Mennonite World Conference?

A communion of Anabaptist-related churches, linked to one another in a worldwide community of faith for fellowship, worship, service and witness.

Who is included in Mennonite World Conference?

  • Ÿ1.2 million baptized members of Mennonite and Brethren in Christ churches around the world. (There are a total of 1.7 million in the family, but not all are MWC members.)
  • Ÿ101 national conferences (about 9,500 congregations), located in 83 countries
  • Ÿ78 percent of baptized believers in MWC member churches are African, Asian, or Latin American.

A special welcome from MWC’s leader

César García, MWC General Secretary, from Bogota, Colombia, says, “It isn’t possible to have real communion with those with whom we don’t communicate.  It isn’t possible to build a global community if we don’t talk with each other. It isn’t possible to rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep if we don’t know each other’s joys or sufferings.

“If we share our experiences, our resources, our gifts, and our fears and doubts, we will be strengthened and we will be more effective. Isn’t this what it means to be Christ’s church?

“Let’s come together in July 2015 in Harrisburg as a global family, an organic body that is interconnected and ‘intercommunicated,’ so that we’re more than just a network of institutions!”

--Posted June 11, 2014

If you wish to attend the Mennonite World Conference Assembly, you should communicate directly with the organizers of the event. You can send an email message to  pennsylvania2015@mwc-cmm.org or call 1-717-826-0909.

See also:

Six things you can to do prepare for PA 2015

Prayer Network launched for PA 2015 

MWC seeks vocalists for international ensemble 

Each day of the PA 2015 will begin and end with singing—by the thousands of attendees, as well as by international choirs. (Credit: Merle Good)

Opportunities for visiting will fill the days—from small discussion groups each morning, to mealtimes, to relaxing in the Global Church Village in the afternoons. (Credit: Merle Good)

Storytelling and meditations will be shared by speakers from all of the continents. (Credit: Merle Good)

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Comments

Both my husband and I are pastors in Chung-her Mennonite church, Taiwan. We would like to participate in the international choir if possible. We are both choir singers for decades in Taiwan also in New Zealand. Kindly advise how and who to contact with?

Sincerely yours,
Yahuei Chen
4, 6 Nung, 136 alley, section 2 chung-sun Road, New Taipei cith, Taiwan 23555
tel: 886 2 2248 7022

Good to hear of your interest in joining the international choir at the 2015 Assembly. Send a note to pennsylvania2015@mwc-cmm.org and your expression of interest will be forwarded to the persons planning the music and worship for the Assembly.

Beloveth,

I greet you and the entire body of Christ in Canada, May his grace abides with you.....

Having the privilege to touch base with you through the website is a great blessing, I want to encourage you to keep up with the messages on the website and may his grace abide with you continually.

I will also like to use this opportunity to inform you that we have some ministers who will be nominated to attend the forthcoming World conference coming up in your ministries in July 21st -26th, 2015 in order to enrich our soul.

Finally, we are sure of God divine visitation upon our visit in Canada, during the conference.

Thanks and God bless you all.

Hope to receive from you soon.

Yours in Christ,

Pastor James David Adeoti
General Overseer
Christ Pentecostal Evangelical Mission
Lagos-Nigeria.

Blessings to your and our church as you make plans to attend the World Conference Assembly.

Ginny Hostetler, Canadian Mennonite web editor

To,the president,
Mennonite churches.
USA.
Dear respected president, greetings you mighty name.I thank god of good ministry mennonite.
I am founder& chairman ,senior pastor of comfort mission,glorious church india.this is indepentent mission
N.
I would like to attend ourmennonite2015 world conference onjully21_26,2015 at pennsilvaniya,USA.
Kindly let me know the details,invitations etc
I believe this conference will encourage my faith,unity.
I am much praying for our conference success.
Thanking you
Expecting your reply
Pastor.daniel victor.
Comfort mission,india
Ph#91_9841669108

Hello, Pastor Daniel.

If you wish to attend the Mennonite World Conference Assembly, you should communicate directly with the organizers of the event. You can send an email message to  pennsylvania2015@mwc-cmm.org.

Blessings on your ministry.

Web editor

Shalom dear co-labourers with Christ Jesus, I'm the President and Founder of Goshen Community Baptist Church in Ghana, an independent baptist church with souls of 500. I've interest to join your upcoming conference. My country Ghana isn't visa exermpt country. Therefore I may require invitation letter to attend the conference after the registration. May I know if the organizers could assist with the visa letter.
Kind regards

Greetings! We are not able to answer your question. Please contact the conference organizers directly by sending an email message to pennsylvania2015@mwc-cmm.org.

am grace birungi in uganda,i would like to attend the Mennonite world conference 2015.i need an invitation.
Thank you

To,the president,
Mennonite churches.
USA.
Dear respected president, greetings you mighty name.I thank god of good ministry mennonite.
I am founder& ,General Overseer/ pastor of SOGRevival Ministriesindia.this is indepentent mission
N.
I would like to attend your mennonite2015 world conference onjully21_26,2015 at pennsilvaniya,USA.
Kindly let me know the details,invitations etc
I believe this conference will encourage my faith,unity.
I am much praying for our conference success.
Thanking you
Expecting your reply
Your's In Christ,
Manuel S.Andrews

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