Have pandemic limitations got you feeling like you’re “Living in Exile?”  For some of us this is a new awakening.  For others, it’s all too familiar.  What can these times help us to discover about mission?  About God’s love for the exile?  About God’s call to us today?

We will gather for this year’s Assembly virtually August 1-2.  We’ll meet through various online media platforms such as Zoom, Facebook Live, and YouTube.  One of the gifts of a virtual Assembly is that people who could not afford to travel to Assembly can join us this year.  We look forward to a diverse group of delegates and friends. If you’ve never joined us for Assembly, we invite you!  We are also looking forward to seeing old friends online.  Of course we will miss the handshakes and hugs among old and new friends, but we seek well-being for all, so we will gather online.

Another joy of meeting virtually is that friends from all over Mennonite Church USA are willing to offer their passion for and knowledge about Anabaptist-Christian faith with us.

  • Sue Park-Hur, Mennonite Church USA leader from Pasadena, California, will share her family’s experience as migrants and her own reflections on what it means to live as exiles and sojourners, and to be the light of Christ in these complicated times.
  • Jessica Schrock-Ringenberg, Hesston College, will host an online conversation about what missional lessons we’ve learned lately.
  • Several friends from Mennonite Central Committee will share videos about creation care, immigration justice, and other ways to engage the world through faith today.
  • Our own Resource Librarian, Jennie Wintermote, is eager to tell you all about our library resources about faith formation available at a distance, digitally and otherwise.
  • Our keynote speaker, Danny Carroll R, Wheaton College professor and author of the new book, The Bible and Borders: Hearing God’s Word on Immigration, will engage us in thoughtful conversation about God’s people and their migration in biblical times and today. Want a taste of his gentle reflection?  Go to:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3441Cajdz4.

No registration fee!  One more advantage of meeting virtually is the cost savings.  This Assembly will cost less than recent on-site mass gatherings.  The savings may allow many of us to be generous.  To cover Assembly costs, we invite congregations who have an “Assembly Delegate” line item in their budgets to still send in that amount, as you are able.  Once reduced costs are covered, all other individual and congregational donations will go into the WDC Hope Fund to assist our WDC brothers and sisters and their congregations who are experiencing their own sense of exile at this time.

Join us August 1 and 2 as we explore what it means to follow Jesus into this very challenging time that is also ripe with missional possibility!

More information and  delegate registration at:  https://mennowdc.org/2020-wdc-annual-assembly/