| Africa | |
|---|---|
 Africa: Wikimedia Commons, 2008 | |
|
Countries with Anabaptist-Related Groups Formally Associated with MWC (2009) |
21
|
In Africa there are (2006) 21 countries with Anabaptist-related groups officially associated with Mennonite World Conference.[1] The Anabaptist presence in Africa is largely the result of North American Mennonite missionary efforts in the continent that began as early as the 1890s, and in the 20th century grew at an astounding rate. Before 1900 only one Anabaptist congregation existed in Africa with only several dozen members.[2] In 2000 the Anabaptist population in Africa had risen to 405,979.[3] The number of Mennonite and Brethren in Christ Churches grew to 529,703 by 2006,[4], and increased to 592,106 by 2009.[5] Mennonites are also strengthening relationships with African Initiated Churches, a growing Christian indigenous phenomenon in the continent. The Mennonite and Brethren in Christ Churches in Africa will continue to grow in coming years as the global Anabaptist fellowship continues to become more centralized in the global south.
Countries with Anabaptist-Related Groups
* In 2009 one unified conference, the Mennonite Church West Africa, operated in these three countries with 45 total members.[6]
Other Regions
Click on the links below to learn about Anabaptist-related groups in other parts of the world:
- Asia and Pacific
- Caribbean, Central and South America
- Europe
- North America (United States and Canada)
Electronic Resources
- 2009 Mennonite and Brethren in Christ World Membership
- 2009 Mennonite World Conference Directory for Africa
Annotated Bibliography
- Gingerich, Melvin, Enns-Rempel, Kevin Enns-Rempel and Bertsche, James E. Bertsche. "Africa." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1987. http://www.gameo.org/encyclopedia/contents/A35.html (accessed 3 July 2009).
- This encyclopedic article on the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online gives a brief overview of the Anabaptist presence in Africa. While dated, the article outlines some of the early North American missionary efforts in Africa and the growth of Africa Anabaptist congregations and conferences.
- Lapp, John A. and Snyder, C. Arnold. "Anabaptist Songs in African Hearts." Intercourse, PA: Good Books, 2006.
- Anabaptist Songs in African Hearts is part of Mennonite World Conference's Global Mennonite History Project and is a compilation of articles about several different Anabaptist-related groups in Africa. The book is organized geographically and has chapters on Central, Eastern, Southern, and Western Africa. In addition, this volume of the Global Mennonite History Project contains a chapter on the African context and a brief introduction to Mennonite and Brethren in Christ Churches in Africa.
Archives and Libraries
- The MHL is a research level library located on Goshen College's campus in Goshen, Indiana that collects bibliographies, texts and images on topics related to the Radical Reformation, the Anabaptists, Hutterites, Mennonites, Amish and various related groups. The MHL has many resources on Mennonite groups in the Caribbean, Central and South America. To contact the MHL email mhl@goshen.edu or call (574) 535-7418.
- There are many archives and libraries throughout Africa relating to specific countries or Anabaptist related groups. To learn more about these archives and libraries click on the country links above.
External Links
Africa on Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online
Citations
- ↑ "2009 Mennonite World Conference Directory for Africa," Mennonite World Conference. http://www.mwc-cmm.org/en15/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=13&Itemid=16 (accessed 20 February 2010).
- ↑ Lapp, John A. and Snyder, C. Arnold, Anabaptist Songs in African Hearts (Intercourse, PA: Good Books, 2006), vii.
- ↑ "2000 Mennonite & Brethren in Christ World Membership," Mennonite World Conference, http://www.mwc-cmm.org/en15/PDF-PPT/2000mbictotal.html (accessed 22 June 2009),
- ↑ "2006 Mennonite & Brethren in Christ World Membership," Mennonite World Conference, http://www.mwc-cmm.org/en15/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=13&Itemid=16 (accessed 22 June 2009).
- ↑ "2009 Mennonite & Brethren in Christ World Membership," Mennonite World Conference, http://www.mwc-cmm.org/en15/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=13&Itemid=16 (accessed 20 February 2010).
- ↑ "2009 Mennonite World Conference Directory for Africa," Mennonite World Conference, http://www.mwc-cmm.org/en15/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=13&Itemid=16 (accessed 20 February 2010).
