Vereinigung der Mennonitengemeinden, Paraguay (Association of Mennonite Churches)
From 4 July 1930 to May 1932, ca. 2,000 people came to Paraguay to form Fernheim Colony in the heart of the Chaco region. In 1937 ca. one-third of these moved to the east side of the Paraguay River and founded Friesland Colony. This temporary separation was soon bridged through conferences and mutual visitation. The two groups were strengthened in 1947 with the coming of additional refugees to found Volendam and Neuland colonies.
In 1948 these congregations joined the General Conference Mennonite Church of North America and received both spiritual and financial help from it. In 1950 a congregation was founded in Asunción. On 10 January 1967 leaders of these congregations met to found the Conference of Mennonite Congregations in Paraguay. Peter Wiens of Fernheim was elected president, Johann Regehr of Friesland was chosen vice-chairman, and Dietrich Klassen of Neuland became secretary. The conference adopted the "Mennonite confession of faith" as its foundation. The original annual meetings of the conference were later changed to biennial meetings.
The purpose of the conference was (1) to promote and deepen the Christian faith in life and work; ( 2) to promote among Mennonites biblical knowledge concerning doctrine and practice, including baptism, nonresistance and holiness; and (3) to coordinate work in mission, evangelism, education, the production of literature, peace teaching, and Christian service. (4) A particular concern of the new conference was to promote missionary activity among the Indians in the Chaco and in east Paraguay. This also involved cooperation with other Mennonite conferences. Inter-Mennonite cooperation was also evident in continuing support for the Centro Evangélico Menonita de Teologia, Asunción (CEMTA), a Bible institute and seminary.
Bibliography
Handbook of Information, General Conference Mennonite Church. Newton, KS (1988): 39-40.
Kraybill, Paul N., ed. Mennonite World Handbook. Lombard, IL: Mennonite World Conference, 1978: 258-260.
Mennonite World Handbook Supplement. Strasbourg, France, and Lombard, IL: Mennonite World Conference, 1984: 99.
Additional Information
Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Scottdale, Pennsylvania, and Waterloo, Ontario, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 5, pp. 910-911. All rights reserved. For information on ordering the encyclopedia visit the Herald Press website.
©1996-2008 by the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. All rights reserved.
To cite this page:
MLA style: Wiens, Peter. "Vereinigung der Mennonitengemeinden, Paraguay (Association of Mennonite Churches)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1989. Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 13 May 2008 <http://www.gameo.org/encyclopedia/contents/V4715.html>
APA style: Wiens, Peter. (1989). "Vereinigung der Mennonitengemeinden, Paraguay (Association of Mennonite Churches)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 13 May 2008 <http://www.gameo.org/encyclopedia/contents/V4715.html>
