A History of the Mennonite Brethren Church, Ja Toews

upon Himself the form of a servant, identifying Himself with us sinful men in all our need. By His life, His atoning COOPERATING WITH OTHER GROUPS 399 death, and His glorious resurrection He has reconciled us to God, redeemed us from our sin and its consequences, making us, by grace, new creatures and calling us to a life of holiness, disciples hip, and service. J " The Ninth Mennonite World Conference was held in July, 1972, in Curitiba, Brazil. For the first time in its history, the MWC met in a country of the Third World. The theme for the conference, "Jesus Christ Reconciles," was appropriate in view of the turbulent religious, social and political conditions of the present era. Since World War II the following brethren have been appointed by the M.B. Conference to serve on the Presidium of the MWC: P. C. Hiebert, C. F. Klassen, H. H. Janzen, J. B. Toews, B. J. Braun, J. A. Toews and Marvin Hein. The last two brethren are currently serving as members of the Presidium. In recent years "regional" inter-Mennonite conferences have been sponsored by the MWC Presidium on several continents. In 1966 such conferences were held in Paraguay and Brazil. In 1969 a similar conference was held in Kinshasa, the capital of the Congo (Africa) in connection with the meetings of the Presidium. In October, 1971, the representatives of the younger churches of the various Mennonite groups of southeast Asia met for fellowship and consultation in India. Thus the Mennonite World Conference has not only fostered a spirit of greater understanding and unity among the various Mennonite groups in North America and Europe, but also among the emerging churches in Asia, Africa, and South America. The objective of all MWC activity was aptly expressed in H. S. Bender's parting message to the worldwide brotherhood: "As God shows us the way, even in mutually facing our practical and doctrinal problems, let us work towards unity — not unification." 47 It is the desire of Mennonite Brethren that Christ's high-priestly prayer "that they may all be one" (John 17:21) may find greater realization in all their inter-church relationships — not only with other Mennonite groups, but also with all other Christians who belong to the company of committed followers of Christ. Chapter 23 Mennonite Brethren Around the World This history of the M.B. Church would be incomplete without a glimpse of Mennonite Brethren around the world. From a small German-speaking fellowship-group which met on January 6, 1860, in Elizabethtal, Molotschna, South Russia, to launch a new movement, the church has expanded into a multi-national and multi-lingual worldwide brotherhood of approximately 80,000 members. 2 These are scattered on five continents — North America, South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia; represent four major racial groups; and speak more than a dozen languages. What was said at one time of the British Empire is applicable to