In August, I attended our Latin America Summit, meeting face to face with all of our global workers in that region. I was reminded that there’s nothing like being together in person. Although we have all learned to appreciate various online platforms that have allowed us to meet differently and efficiently with people around the world, it’s still not the same as being physically present with others. More than anything, that’s what strengthens relationships and partnerships.
At the gathering in Latin America, we ate meals together, laughed, cried, and prayed together. Even though our work together is inevitably mixed with pain and disappointment, we thanked God for his goodness to us and we celebrated the hope of the Gospel in each of our lives and in our partnerships.
I identified with Paul’s desire to be with the believers in Rome, when he wrote, “For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you—that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine” (Romans 1:11-12).
The mutual encouragement that Paul talked about happens when we bring our gifts to share with others. We need a posture of humility to receive the gifts that others have for us. This is the heart of one of Multiply’s core values—partnering in mutuality. We continually need this kind of posture as we work with our key global partners, recognizing that we have as much to learn as we have to offer.
We all need encouragement and strengthening in our faith. As Mennonite Brethren, we do our mission work in the context of a global MB family. We work closely with the International Community of MBs (ICOMB), which exists to connect, strengthen, and expand MB conferences around the world through collaboration.
One example of the richness of partnerships within our global MB family is a recent trip to the Amazon jungles by some key members of our Indigenous ministries in North America. In August, John Johnstone, Billie Jo Isaac, and Derek Parenteau responded to an invitation from our Regional Team Leader in Latin America, Emerson Cardoso, to visit an emerging network of churches among Indigenous peoples along the Amazon River in Brazil. This is a very new connection, and there is no formal partnership yet, but a friendship has begun. The two groups bonded with one another as First Peoples. They were encouraged by each other’s stories, and they began to dream about their role in bringing the Gospel to more First Peoples throughout the world. I believe this is another beautiful story of partnership yet to be told.
In our worldwide ministry, we need to keep asking
two questions: 1) What strengthens global
partnerships? And 2) What can unintentionally undermine these partnerships?
As North Americans, we need to be careful not to insist on our vision as we enter a global context, especially in situations when we are bringing in financial resources. Sometimes, our efforts actually undermine the role and authority of the local leaders, and it can have long-term consequences that we don’t intend. This is one of the ongoing challenges of global mission—the role and impact of money and power. It takes a posture of humility and service within deep relationships developed over time to learn best practices from one another and to truly share openly in a healthy partnership.
I admire the effort that our workers have poured into partnerships in different parts of the world. I think about Johann Matthies, our Regional Team Leader in Europe and Central Asia, who has come alongside church leaders in Ukraine in a time of crisis. He has set an example of the vital importance of presence. Despite the war, he has made numerous trips into Ukraine to be with the people there, to bring them gifts and supplies, to pray with them, and to encourage their hearts.
In the New Testament, we see Paul emphasizing this again and again, that the strengthening of our faith happens in relationship with real people. That’s why his letters so often included greetings and comments about people that he lived and worked with. When writing to the church in Corinth, he spoke about how God strengthened him through people when going through hard times:
“For when we came into Macedonia, we had no rest, but we were harassed at every turn—conflicts on the outside, fears within. But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, and not only by his coming but also by the comfort you had given him. He told us about your longing for me, your deep sorrow, your ardent concern for me, so that my joy was greater than ever” (2 Corinthians 7:5-7).
In North America, we are offering Church Partnership Workshops as a way to resource churches for greater mission collaboration. Recently in southern Texas, two of our Mission Mobilizers, Joanna Chapa and Stephen Humber, were joined by long-term workers in Portugal, Jonathan and Joanna Gutierrez, to host one of these workshops with five MB churches in the region. According to Humber, “Something good is stirring in southern Texas.” The workshop was well received and the interaction among the churches was very positive, laying a good foundation for partnership.
We are excited about where God is leading us as a global MB family, and our team at Multiply is grateful for the partnership that we enjoy with churches. As we work together, may we continue to learn together how to become better partners in global mission. Whether it is through mission training programs, church partnership workshops, or through various other engagements with you, we look forward to more and more opportunities to work together that the world may know Jesus.
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