Africa Mennonite and Brethren in Christ Fellowship
The first Africa-wide gathering of representatives of Mennonite and Brethren in Christ churches was sponsored by the Mennonite Central Committee in 1962 in Limuru, Kenya. Thanks to this meeting, church leaders from a variety of countries for the first time were able to meet their counterparts and to think together seriously about their common interests, problems, and witness as Anabaptist Christians in Africa. By formal action the Africa Mennonite and Brethren in Christ Fellowship (AMBCF) was organized and officers were elected. Plans were made for the next meeting to be held in 1965 in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe.
Estimated combined membership of Mennonite and Brethren in Christ conferences in Africa reached 450,000 in 2003, but the churches are widely separated by distance and national boundaries. Travel costs are high and visas sometimes not readily available. While the executive committee has been able to meet with some regularity, the general meetings of AMBCF have been sporadic. Sessions of the Mennonite World Conference (MWC) General Assembly and meetings of the MWC's General Council have served as vehicles for AMBCF meetings outside Africa (Wichita, 1978, and Strasbourg, 1984).
The fellowship has produced a significant peace statement (1979) and has formulated guidelines for the development of study materials with a clear Anabaptist orientation (1985) to he made available to all member churches for leadership training.
| Author(s) | James E Bertsche |
|---|---|
| Date Published | 1990 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Bertsche, James E. "Africa Mennonite and Brethren in Christ Fellowship." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1990. Web. 21 Nov 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Africa_Mennonite_and_Brethren_in_Christ_Fellowship&oldid=132446.
APA style
Bertsche, James E. (1990). Africa Mennonite and Brethren in Christ Fellowship. Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 21 November 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Africa_Mennonite_and_Brethren_in_Christ_Fellowship&oldid=132446.
Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 5, p. 8. All rights reserved.
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