Mennonite World Conference: Peace Commission and Global Anabaptist Peace Network Meetings in Germany
The ACRPJ team has also been actively involved in the Mennonite World Conference (MWC) through the involvement of Andrés Pacheco Lozano in the Peace Commission and Fernando Enns in the Global Anabaptist Peace Network.
Peace Commission
In May 2025, as part of the 500th anniversary of the Anabaptist movement, MWC’s various commissions (Mission, Diaconia, Faith and Life, and Peace) gathered in Schönblick, Germany. As the Peace Commission, an important goal is to revitalize the peace mandate and support the witness of peace in the life of MWC and its member churches. This takes various forms, from compiling liturgical materials for the annual Peace Sunday to solidarity visits to churches in conflict areas, support through urgent prayer requests and pastoral letters, to the drafting of statements (e.g., on solidarity with indigenous peoples and conscientious objection). Among other things, the Peace Commission is currently working on a draft statement on freedom of religion and belief. The Global Anabaptist Peace Network (see below) is linked to the Peace Commission (which focuses more on the life and witness of churches).
Global Anabaptist Peace Network 2025
Parallel to the MWC Commission meetings, the Global Anabaptist Peace Network (GAPN) also gathered in southern Germany. The network brings together peace organizations, academic institutions, and activists with peace church backgrounds from around the world under the umbrella of MWC, aiming to foster closer cooperation and mutual learning.
The ACRPJ, through its ongoing collaboration with the Peace Churches Theology Research Center (ATF), plays an active role in this network. Fernando Enns currently represents European organizations in the international steering group, while Marie Anne Subklew represents the ATF. Four working groups have been formed to deepen collaboration on specific topics, including growing militarism and conscientious objection—an area in which ACRPJ and ATF are working closely together.
