Administrative History

Mennonite World Conference (MWC) represents the majority of the global family of Christian churches rooted in the 16th-century Radical Reformation in Europe, particularly in the Anabaptist movement.

MWC membership in 2015 included one international association and 102 Mennonite and Brethren in Christ national churches from 56 countries, with around 1.4 million baptized believers in close to 10,000 congregations. About 81% of baptized believers in MWC member churches are African, Asian or Latin American, and 19% are located in Europe and North America.

Mennonite World Conference is called to be a communion (Koinonia) of Anabaptist-related churches linked to one another in a worldwide community of faith for fellowship, worship, service, and witness.

MWC exists to (1) be a global community of faith in the Anabaptist-tradition, (2) facilitate relationships between Anabaptist-related churches worldwide, and (3) relate to other Christian world communions and organizations.

The first gathering of MWC took place in 1925 in Basel, Switzerland, and typically meets every six years.

The conference is basically an inspirational and discussion conference, with no jurisdiction whatsoever over its constituent groups, but responsive to their wishes. It has demonstrated a growing value and won increasing acceptance, and its sessions contribute much to the strengthening of worldwide Mennonitism and the effective discharge of its spiritual tasks.