Anabaptism, living the gospel not different

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GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala—The 34th assembly of CAMCA (Consulta Anabautista Menonita Centroamericana) was held at the Casa Horeb Church here Nov. 28-30, 2007. Some 120 people attended, including delegates from every member conference and organization in Central America as well as people from Mennonite Church USA, Canada and the Andean and Southern Cone areas.

This followed two other events: the First Consultation of Anabaptist Hispanic Theological Institutions and the Second Gathering of Anabaptist Women Theologians of Central America.
Peter Stucky of Colombia, Mennonite World Conference Executive Committee member for Latin America, examined the assembly’s theme, “The Call to Mission, Reflections and Challenges from an Anabaptist Biblical Perspective.”

He described the experience of the Teusaquillo Mennonite Church in Bogotá, Colombia, where he is pastor. He said that “to live the gospel and to live Anabaptism are not two different things, but rather that Anabaptism provides a specific way of understanding what it means to follow Jesus. I do not say it is better or worse than the perspectives of other families of faith but that it is our own, that it enriches and orients us in the midst of the great tensions that we suffer in Latin America.”

Stucky also spoke of the falsity of the dichotomy that is sometimes presented between being Anabaptist or Mennonite, evangelizing and spreading the gospel or working for justice and peace, or praying and seeking the gifts of the Spirit. Such dichotomies disunite us and tear apart the fabric of the Body of the Lord, he said.

In a concluding statement, delegates said they felt called by the Holy Spirit to live and proclaim a gospel that “reveals anti-kingdom values in the world and offers a liberating and integrating message inspired by the Holy Spirit.” (For the full text, visit www.mwc-cmm.org).—MWC

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