International Community of Mennonite Brethren

The International Community of Mennonite Brethren – commonly referred to as ICOMB – is the global family of Mennonite Brethren national churches (conferences). ICOMB exists to facilitate relationships and ministries to enhance the witness and discipleship of its member national churches – connecting, strengthening and expanding. It was conceived at “Despertar,” an international mission convention held in Curitiba, Brazil in 1988. Officially launched in 1990 at the Mennonite World Conference Assembly in Winnipeg, Canada, under the name “International Committee of Mennonite Brethren,” it provided leaders of national churches a place to relate to one another as peers rather than as mission churches under the structure of Multiply (the North American mission agency formerly “MB Mission.”) The term “Committee” reflected the position of authority that the mission agency held over ICOMB at the time.

The role of ICOMB has been to develop the global Mennonite Brethren identity, to connect national church leaders through an annual assembly of leaders, and to strengthen national churches by coaching leaders through challenges they face (structural, developmental, conflict, lack of resources, etc.).

ICOMB has an executive committee, elected from national church representatives.

Historical highlights

• 1990: Founding meeting in Winnipeg, Canada. Edmund Janzen ex officio Chair of ICOMB was elected chair of the General Conference of the Mennonite Brethren Church of North America.
• 1992: Regional consultation in Paraguay. Representation shifted from continentally based to one member per national church.
• 1999: Mission consultation in Buhler, USA sponsored by ICOMB, facilitated by the mission agency. Global relief fund established for national churches in emergencies (floods, earthquakes, etc.)
• 2000: Funding formula established for each member to contribute a percentage of their budget, intended to make ICOMB self-sustaining.
• 2001: International task force led by Heinrich Klassen (Germany, BTG) commissioned to write the International Confession of Faith. Approved in 2004.
• 2005: Victor Wall of Asuncion, Paraguay appointed as first Executive Secretary (half time) at ICOMB Annual Assembly in Osaka, Japan. Name was changed from “Committee” to “Community”.
• 2007: Appointment of Dalton Reimer of Fresno, USA as ICOMB Education Facilitator. First Global Higher Education Consultation was led by Dalton Reimer, held at Fresno Pacific University, Fresno, USA, and attended by approximately 40 representatives from higher education institutions operated (at least in part) by Mennonite Brethren national churches.
• 2009: Primary/Secondary Education Consultation within Democratic Republic of Congo, led by Dalton Reimer and Pakisa Tshimika, to address the deteriorated condition of over 300 Mennonite owned and operated schools in DRC. Ten action points accepted included the commissioning of a curriculum to teach Anabaptist principles for children Grades 1-12.
• 2010: Celebrations of the 150th anniversary of the Mennonite Brethren movement. Major celebration held at Brake Bible School in Lemgo, Germany. History of MB conferences published: “Celebrating 150 Years: The Mennonite Brethren Church Around the World” written by leaders within each conference. Global Scholarship Fund established. A Memorandum of Understanding with MB Mission assigned administration of the Fund to ICOMB, with money held by MB Mission.
• 2011: Second Higher Education Consultation, held at Canadian Mennonite University, Winnipeg, Canada, attended by approximately 50 representatives. David Wiebe appointed to serve as full time Executive Director at the annual ICOMB Assembly in Winnipeg, Canada.
• 2012: Victor Wall appointed as Education Facilitator. Pakisa Tshimika and DRCongo Curriculum Committee chair Muaku Kinana launched “Programme de Cours de Religion” – the Anabaptist Principles Curriculum for Grades 1-12 in the Mennonite school system.
• 2017: “Thailand 2017” – ICOMB Global Mission Consultation held in cooperation with MB Mission in Chon Buri, Thailand, attended by 230 leaders from ICOMB members and emerging national church conferences. Missiology compendium called “The Church in Mission” jointly published with the mission agency for this event.
• 2018: Rudi Plett of Asuncion, Paraguay was appointed as Executive Director of ICOMB at the annual ICOMB Assembly in Vienna, Austria.

Confession of Faith

The writing of the ICOMB International Confession of Faith established ICOMB’s identity apart from the mission agency (a program of Canada and USA MB churches), and simultaneously established ICOMB as the emerging international authority for its national church members. All members reviewed and unanimously accepted the Confession. The International Confession is compatible and complementary to all national churches’ Confessions. It reflects both the narrative communication style characteristic of the global south and the more punctiliar approach of the global north. The International Confession was made available to all new members as their confession, “as is” or as a template for those who wish to write their own. It has been translated into approximately 20 languages.

Funding

At the beginning, the mission agency funded all ICOMB meetings. Funding by the mission agency was ended by 2014. In 2020 a budget of approximately $200,000 USD was used to fund the travel costs to assembly, the salary of the Executive Director, and a few programs.

Global Scholarship Fund

This ICOMB program provides annual tuition grants to leaders in less-resourced member churches. Recipients are expected to return to their conference settings to serve in leadership development roles. The Fund is a key tool for strengthening national churches.

Authority

The authority of ICOMB is a work in progress. Several national churches have required intervention due to major leadership problems. All cases require significant consultation to balance the power of the Executive Director, the executive committee, the ICOMB assembly of leaders, and the autonomy of the national church in question. Multiply (the mission agency) does not necessarily participate unless it is sponsoring onsite workers. The shift from the mission agency to ICOMB is a significant transition for national church leaders.

Bibliography

Dueck, Abe J., ed. The Mennonite Brethren Church Around the World: Celebrating 150 Years. Kitchener, ON: Pandora Press, 2010. Available in full electronic text in English, German and Spanish.

Archival Records

Center for Mennonite Brethren Studies, Fresno Pacific University, Fresno, California.

Additional Information

Website: https://www.icomb.org/

ICOMB Leadership

Chair of Executive

Name	Years served
Edmund Janzen (USMB USA)	1990-1999
Alexander Neufeld (AMBD Germany)	2000-2004
Ernesto Wiens (COBIM Brazil)	2005-2011
Rudi Plett (German MB Conference Paraguay)	2012-2016
Heinrich Klassen (BTG Germany)	2017-2018
Emerson Cardoso (COBIM Brazil)	2018-2021

Executive Director

Name	Years served
Victor Wall (half-time)	2005-2011
David Wiebe	2011-2018
Rudi Plett	2018-

ICOMB Membership

ICOMB members are national associations of Mennonite Brethren churches, also known as conferences. Names of members, listed by continent, are in English; acronyms occasionally reflect names in official languages.

Caption text

Country	National Association / Church / Conference
Africa
Angola	Evangelical Church of the Mennonite Brethren of Angola – IEIMA
Congo	Community of the Churches of the Mennonite Brethren of Congo – CEFMC
Malawi	Mennonite Brethren Church of Malawi - MBCM
Asia
India	Conference of the Mennonite Brethren Church of India – CMBI
Japan	Japan Mennonite Brethren Conference – JMBC
Northern Thailand and Laos	Khmu Mission (KM)
Europe
Austria	Mennonite Free Church of Austria – MFO
Bavaria	Mennonite Brethren Church of Bavaria – VMBB
Germany	Bund Taufgesinnter Gemeinden (Germany) – BTG
Germany	Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches in Germany
Lithuania	Lithuania Free Christian Church – LLKB
Portugal	Association of the Mennonite Brethren of Portugal – AIMP
Latin America
Brazil	Brazilian Convention of Evangelical Mennonite Brethren Churches – COBIMe
Colombia	Association of the Mennonite Brethren Church of Colombia – AIHMC
Mexico	Christian Peace Church of Mexico – ICPM
Panama	United Evangelical Church of Mennonite Brethren in Panama – IEUHM
Paraguay	Evangelical Convention of Paraguayan Mennonite Brethren Churches (Spanish) – CEIPHM
Paraguay	Paraguayan Mennonite Brethren Conference (German) – AHM
Peru	Mennonite Brethren Evangelical Church of Peru – IEHM
Uruguay	Council of the Mennonite Brethren Churches of Uruguay – CCHMU
English North America
Canada	Canadian Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches – CCMBC
United States of America	United States Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches – USCMBC

Author(s)	David Wiebe
Date Published	April 2021

Cite This Article

MLA style

Wiebe, David. "International Community of Mennonite Brethren." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. April 2021. Web. 22 Nov 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=International_Community_of_Mennonite_Brethren&oldid=171267.

APA style

Wiebe, David. (April 2021). International Community of Mennonite Brethren. Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 22 November 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=International_Community_of_Mennonite_Brethren&oldid=171267.

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