Anabaptist Witness

A global Anabaptist and Mennonite dialogue on key issues facing the church in mission

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Mission and Peace in Ethiopia

The articles in this issue are organized in two large sections. The first focuses on mission and peace efforts in the broader context of the Ethiopian nation, and the second focuses more specifically on Meserete Kristos Church (MKC) history and perspectives. The editors hope that this collection of essays and book reviews will contribute to the sharing of gifts for mutual growth among Anabaptist/Mennonite churches across the globe, especially in the lead up to the 2028 Mennonite World Conference Assembly in Ethiopia.

Please click "read this issue" above for a special invitation from guest editor Henok T. Mekonin to support the work of the Meserete Kristos Church by purchasing the print edition of this issue. The online version will be freely available from November 2024.

Editorial by Henok T. Mekonin, James R. Krabill

Editorial—available now!

Book review by James R. Krabill

Review of Ethiopian Church Art: Painters, Patrons, Purveyors, Tsehai, Los Angeles, California by Raymond Silverman and Neal Sobania

Book review by Nebeyou Alemu Terefe

Review of Perception and Identity: A Study of the Relationship between the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and Evangelical Churches in Ethiopia by Daniel Seblewengel

Book review by Joel Horst Nofziger

Review of Into Abyssinia: The Odyssey of a Family by Carl E. Hansen

Academic article by Henok T. Mekonin

Prayer, Evangelism, and Justice Entwined

From the blog

By H. J. Recinos Posted on March 4, 2024

Decolonial Faith

I wonder how often God sees us laughing about disobeying the foolish thoughts of white theologians that find nothing more than faults with the faith of invisible people in barrios they never visit.  I would like to know whether Jesus took the time to pray for the Boricua boy shot in the back last week […]

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By Anonymous Posted on January 24, 2024

Acting on Gaza from Germany

How do people in Germany act in the face of apartheid and massive violence in Israel-Palestine, recognizing the weight of German history? As a US-American international worker with a peace organization in Germany, it has surprisingly felt more comfortable to engage in advocacy and work on Israel-Palestine here than in the US. This is perhaps […]

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By Urbane Peachey Posted on September 29, 2023

The Church as Sacrament for the Working World

Most people who attend church on Sunday mornings are employed in so-called “secular” professions and public institutions like hospitals and schools during the week. Younger people are under pressure from school or academic life. They all come to worship on Sunday mornings with lived realities of work, home, neighborhood and personal journey on their minds. […]

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By Wil LaVeist Posted on April 10, 2023

South African peace leaders determined to be nation’s light

Front: Rev. Shiela Hlobelo, Mama Eulanda Mabusela, Mama Phinah Phokanoka, Rev.Nicky Motsepe, Steve Wiebe-Johnson. Back: Toto Nzamo, Moora Letsoalo, Amukelani Mkwanazi, Pastor Lwazi Macingwane, Oscar Siwali, Mulalo Mahori, Pastor Gosiame, and Bishop Mtshali. Mennonite Mission Network — The four-hour power outage that occurred just seconds before the conflict mediator training session began added irony that illuminated the […]

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By Henok T. Mekonin Posted on March 7, 2023

Caring for People above All Else: Integrating Prayer, Relief, and Peace to Build God’s Church

  Two recent events emphasized the ways that the power of prayer combined with relief and peacemaking work are energizing the mission of God in the Ethiopian context. The first of these was a Zoom conference on February 15th featuring President Desalegn Abebe of the Meserete Kristos Church (MKC), an Anabaptist denomination in Ethiopia with […]

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