Is Zimbabwe safe? Questions about the Mennonite assembly

Is Zimbabwe safe? Should Mennonite World Conference (MWC) hold an assembly in a region facing serious food shortages and political problems? With two-thirds of MWC members now living in Africa, Asia and Latin America, MWC leaders face questions such as these as they prepare world gatherings. While MWC reaffirms its decision to hold the assembly in Africa for the first time in 2003, it takes seriously the questions that arise.

1. Should MWC hold a large international gathering in a part of the world facing serious food shortages?

Food shortages currently face much of southern Africa, not just Zimbabwe, where Assembly Gathered is scheduled. Poverty and hunger are constant …