Jan. 9, 2025: This article has been updated to include details about events planned by Fresno Pacific University and Fresno Pacific Biblical Seminary and Tabor College and a USMB LEAD Cohort.
In May, Mennonite Brethren will join guests from around the world in Zurich, Switzerland, to commemorate 500 years of the Anabaptist movement.
A day-long celebration, “The Courage to Love: Anabaptism@500” hosted by Mennonite World Conference (MWC), is planned for May 29, in Zurich’s Old Town. The schedule includes workshops, concerts, a panel discussion, self-guided historical walking tours and a worship service at Grossmünster Cathedral.
“The commemoration is an opportunity to nurture our identity, reflect on our history and project ourselves toward the future with a spirit of hope and mission,” says MWC general secretary César García.
MWC is preparing for hundreds of guests from the five regions it serves: Latin America, Europe, Africa, Asia and North America.
Tim Geddert, U.S. Board of Faith and Life member from Fresno, Calif., is one of several Mennonite Brethren planning to attend.
“I’ve read about our history as Anabaptists, even taught about it,” says Geddert, who served as professor of New Testament at Fresno Pacific Biblical Seminary prior to his retirement in May 2023. “The stories are inspiring, especially the courageous steps taken by the first people who risked their lives to follow Jesus faithfully. To be able to celebrate all that God has brought about as a result with hundreds or thousands of others—and to do it on location where it all began—well that is just too good an opportunity to miss.”
A renewal movement
The Anabaptist movement began as part of a renewal movement within the Catholic Church in Europe and was shaped by Martin Luther and the Reformation movement. On Jan. 21, 1525, a small group of Christians gathered in Zurich. Rejecting infant baptism, they agreed to baptize each other as adults.
Anabaptists—meaning re-baptizers—faced persecution and death for practicing believers baptism, which was considered an act of treason against the state and the church. Some early Anabaptists were drowned in the river in which they had been baptized. Others were burned at the stake.
According to Geddert, unique Anabaptist emphases highlight the life and teaching of Jesus in addition to his death and resurrection; the importance of community in church decision-making, Bible interpretation and mission; and peace-making and reconciliation.
Today, the Anabaptist movement has more than 2 million members in more than 80 countries and includes groups like the Amish, Hutterites, Mennonites and Mennonite Brethren.
“Some of the important emphases in early Anabaptism have become shared convictions of many Christians around the world, especially of other evangelicals,” Geddert says. “Believers baptism, a strong focus on evangelism, separation of church and state, a call for committed discipleship—these were uniquely Anabaptist emphases back then. They are core values of many other groups today.”
A commemorative event
Events in Zurich on May 29 are slated to start in the morning. Registration is not required, and a schedule may be viewed online. (www.anabaptism500.ch).
USMB National Director Aaron Box will attend the anniversary events in Zurich.
“To stand along the banks of the Limmat River and to be in some of the places the Anabaptist story began will be a real joy for me, as a first-generation Mennonite Brethren, deepening my own connection with our history and the legacy of those who went before us,” Box says. “This is an incredible opportunity to meet Mennonite Brethren from around the world, and I look forward to making new connections and seeing first-hand the breadth of our family of faith.”
Sebastian Mireles, youth pastor at Bethesda Church in Huron, South Dakota, will attend the 500th anniversary events in Zurich, then serve as a USMB delegate at the MWC Global Youth Summit in Germany.
“I am excited to be with believers from around the world and celebrate God’s faithfulness and goodness,” Mireles says. “I am grateful for the opportunity to represent USMB in these events and learn more about how we can shepherd the youth that we have under our care.”
The final worship service will include participation from Lutheran World Federation, World Communion of Reformed Churches and the Roman Catholic Church. MWC’s intent, according to Zurich 2025 project coordinator John D. Roth, is to both acknowledge the pain of the past and move forward with a shared witness. The service, conducted in English and translated into French, Spanish and German, will mention steps taken toward reconciliation with these churches and will be live streamed.
Other activities will be filmed and sharing online after the event.
Gerald Hildebrand, MWC North American regional representative, is excited to gather with the global faith family.
“I am coming to realize that our spiritual well-being is inextricably tied to the well-being of Christ’s body everywhere,” Hildebrand says. “We suffer and rejoice together. We need the witness of our global sisters and brothers to help us better understand what it means to be a devoted follower of Jesus.”
Historical tours are being planned in conjunction with the anniversary, as are other regional events worldwide.
View a map showing the global Anabaptist community: https://mwc-cmm.org/en/membership-map-and-statistics
USMB colleges, cohort commemorate anniversary
The two U.S. Mennonite Brethren colleges are hosting commemorative activities and USMB is also observing the anniversary.
Anabaptist Essentials cohort
Joanna Chapa, Multiply Regional Mission Mobilizer, will facilitate a USMB LEAD Cohort titled, “Anabaptist Essentials: Jesus. Community. Reconciliation.” beginning Feb. 3 at 7 p.m. CST. Conversation will center on Palmer Becker’s book, Anabaptist Essentials.
“While growing up, I remember being asked what being Mennonite Brethren meant and to explain how it was different from other churches or denominations,” Chapa says. “This concise, informative and insightful book gave me tangible and applicable language and understanding about our Anabaptist roots as Mennonite Brethren and also why and how we can ‘live out a more radical commitment to Jesus’ today.”
LEAD Cohorts are free, online meeting spaces for anyone interested in learning about a specific topic. Cohorts typically last three months and meet online every two weeks for about an hour.
The cohort is free, but participants will need to purchase the book, Anabaptist Essentials.
“This cohort is for anyone who wants to ‘come to the table’ around the conversation (and implications) of our Anabaptist roots as MBs, especially as the Anabaptist movement commemorates its 500th anniversary in 2025, and all for the sake of his kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven,” Chapa says.
To learn more or to register, visit usmb.org/lead-cohorts.
Fresno Pacific chapel and community luncheon
Fresno Pacific University and Fresno Pacific Biblical Seminary are planning two events on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025, to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Anabaptism.
“A commemoration such as this allows those whose faith has been shaped by Anabaptism to celebrate the gifts it has offered us,” says Cheryl Dueck Smith, director of the Center for Anabaptist Studies at FPU. “It provides an opportunity to consider correctives as well as explore the relevance of an Anabaptist lens for today’s churches.”
A 10 a.m. College Hour chapel service geared toward traditional undergraduate students will focus on the relevance of Anabaptism for today’s context. Brian Schultz, professor of biblical and theological studies, will serve as speaker. The free event will be held in the Lyles Main Theater in the Warkentine Culture and Arts Center. No ticket is required.
FPBS will host an Anabaptist Community Luncheon in collaboration with the Council of Senior Professionals and the Center for Anabaptist Studies.
Valerie Rempel, director of accreditation for the Association of Theological Schools, will serve as guest speaker. Prior to accepting her role at ATS, Rempel most recently served as vice president and dean of Fresno Pacific Biblical Seminary at Fresno Pacific University. She joined the seminary faculty in 1996, was appointed dean in 2014, and became vice president in 2019.
Rempel also served at Fresno as associate professor and J.B. Toews Chair of History and Theology, and she was a past director of the Center for Anabaptist Studies. Rempel earned a masters degree from MB Biblical Seminary (now Fresno Pacific Biblical Seminary), and a masters and doctorate from Vanderbilt University.
The free event is open to local church and community members, but registration is required by Jan. 17. The luncheon will begin at 11:30 a.m. and conclude at 1:30 p.m. in the BC Lounge. Register at fpu.edu/anabaptism500.
Tabor College European tour
Two Tabor College professors are leading a European tour for current students May 20-June 4, including stops in Amsterdam, Munich, Zurich, Strasbourg and Paris.
“One purpose of the trip is to get students comfortable traveling and engaging with cultures outside of their own, so we’ll navigate by public transportation and visit many of the traditional cultural sites in those cities,” says Derek Hamm, professor of graphic design, who will lead the trip with Ryan Loewen, assistant professor of theology. “But we also want to help students connect with these places through a more specific lens, so we’ll emphasize experiences that connect to the founding of Anabaptism 500 years ago and what the movement looks like today.”
Several of the students have signed up for the “Anabaptist History and Theology” course Loewen is teaching in the spring.
“Students who take this course right before going on the trip will learn about the background of the movement and then visit some of the locations we talk about,” Loewen says. “This will hopefully enhance their experience as they reflect on notable figures and events that took place in these cities, especially Amsterdam, Zurich and Strasbourg.”
Participants will be present in Zurich for the Anabaptism at 500 events on May 29.
“Some students come to Tabor because of its Mennonite Brethren affiliation, and some are completely unaware of it, but both groups can benefit from understanding themselves and their faith through a tradition that spans across time and continents,” Hamm says. “Visiting new places can be exciting and eye-opening, but it’s often the human connections that make it truly meaningful on a personal level.”
Janae Rempel Shafer is the Christian Leader associate editor. She joined the CL staff in September 2017 with six years of experience as a professional journalist. Shafer is an award-winning writer, having received three 2016 Kansas Press Association Awards of Excellence and an Evangelical Press Association Higher Goals award in 2022. Shafer graduated from Tabor College in 2010 with a bachelor of arts in Communications/Journalism and Biblical/Religious Studies. She and her husband, Austin, attend Ridgepoint Church in Wichita, Kansas.
