Mennonite World Review

GRANTHAM, Pa. — The National Coordinating Council for Mennonite World Conference’s Assembly 16 has decided dates for the Harrisburg gathering: July 21-26, 2015.

Members of Grupo Ebenezer from Paraguay’s Chaco region play zampona flutes and guitars at the MWC assembly in 2009 in Paraguay. — Photo by Lowell Brown/Meetinghouse

The 10-member council met with MWC officers and staff Aug. 1-2 at Messiah College.

The council also considered having the assembly Aug. 4-9, but Brethren in Christ churches have a national event scheduled for those dates.

Council members represented all four MWC member and associate-member churches in the United States — Brethren in Christ General Conference, Conservative Mennonite Conference (associate member), Mennonite Church USA and U.S. Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches. These four churches originally invited MWC to hold the 2015 assembly in Pennsylvania.

The council also affirmed:

• Forming an Assembly Planning Group in addition to the National Coordinating Council.

• Hiring an MWC general secretary representative or international coordinator to ensure the global character of Assembly 16, and hiring a Pennsylvania-based assembly planning coordinator to work on the national and local focus of the event.

• Having Assembly Scattered locations for assembly participants to visit and learn about Anabaptist witness in North America.

• Holding the Global Youth Summit in the U.S. in conjunction with Assembly 16.

The council acknowledged that it can be difficult for people from the global South, particularly youth, to secure U.S. visas. Representatives from each denomination agreed to advocate for young people who want to attend the Global Youth Summit. This event is for people under age 30.

Council members also agreed to raise financial support within their denominations for the assembly.

On the council, Warren Hoffman, Don McNiven and Chris Sharp represented the Brethren in Christ; Lowell Bender and David Kochsmeier represented Conservative Mennonite Conference; Sheldon C. Good, Elizabeth Soto Albrecht and Richard Thomas represented Mennonite Church USA; and Dennis Becker and Lynn Jost represented Mennonite Brethren.