MWC's General Council members gave themselves to matters of peace for half the mornings they were together in Guatemala City, and to matters of faith and life for the other half of the mornings. Anabaptists walking the path of peace found fellow travelers in Mennonite World Conference meetings July 17-23. The Peace Council and the Faith and Life Council tackled such issues as how to practice peace in a violent world and how to infuse 16th century Anabaptist principles into today's church. We are the eyes and hands of God.
Help has to be more practical in our churches.
In a Peace Council presentation, five panelists discussed the biblical and cultural foundations for peace and concrete practices of peace in their five continents. In the first Faith and Life Council session, Arnold Snyder of Canada introduced his book From Anabaptist Seed , which outlines the roots of Anabaptist doctrines, practices and discipleship. If we stand there admiring how beautiful the path is, we are not going to get on it and start walking. Anabaptism was not built at once in the 16th century, but rather it's being built in our midst day by day, by the power of the Holy Spirit. Peace Council recommendations include continuing to send delegations to churches suffering war or oppression, in an effort to express the global church's solidarity.