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

Dear Pastor,
Its amazing to join this conference which will make a great turning point in the Ministry at India.Iam the president of Horeb Bible Ministries.Please let me Know the details earlier to attend.
Yours in His Service
Rev.John Rathina Singh

i will like to attend the conference with my personal assistance

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ i have been sending emails to pennsylvania2015@mwc,cmm,org and experiencing failure to send my email i wish to attend the Mennonite World Conference

I am called Ivan Sembatya, Ugandan; male, I am youth minister at centre of grace church, I completed O levels and a levels, and certificate in computer repairing, I have worked as volunteer at the lodge trust (under care force in 2003-2004) for one year my duties ware to help people with learning and physical disability during day services. And in 2008-09 I went back to UK to work as an international hospitality team at Rock adventure centers.
i want to attend the conference. please can you send me more information on how to register.

Yours faithfully
Ivan
PS i am currently live in Uganda

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