The International Community of Mennonite Brethren recently welcomed three conferences into regional membership in Europe, Africa and Asia following seasons of relationship building and joint assessments.
The Association of Mennonite Brethren Churches of Ukraine consists of 13 churches and five church plants with 1,000 attenders. They celebrated 27 baptisms in 2025. Conference ministries include humanitarian aid centers for war relief, church planting and biannual gatherings for pastors and leaders. AMBCU is led by president Roman Rakhuba.
“Ukraine has been, and remains, spiritually vital and rich in hope,” says Johann Matthies, Multiply’s regional team leader for Europe and Central Asia, in the August ICOMB newsletter. “I believe we are about to witness the creation of a new European people and country. This achievement comes at the price of much blood and many tears. I invite everyone to continue to pray.”
The Shammah Temple Fellowship of Burundi consists of seven churches and 796 members. The conference celebrated 41 baptisms in 2025. Conference ministries include quarterly prayer meetings, an annual elders and leaders retreat, training, educational partnerships and pastoral internships. Shammah Temple Fellowship of Burundi is led by president Onesphore Manirakiza and founder Alexis Muzuri.
“I continue to be challenged by their attention to strong theology and shared, accountable leadership, as well as a commitment to accomplishing God’s mission here on earth,” says Doug Hiebert, Multiply’s regional team leader for Sub-Saharan Africa, in the newsletter. “Shammah will be a blessing to the wider MB family.”
The third conference of churches to be welcomed into membership is in a Central Asian country unnamed for security reasons. This conference consists of five churches and four church plants with 97 members and 200 attenders. They celebrated 12 baptisms in 2025. Ministries include pandemic relief, a rehabilitation center, youth work and ministry to people who are blind.
Janae Rempel Shafer is the Christian Leader associate editor and joined the CL staff in 2017. Shafer is an award-winning writer, receiving multiple awards from the Kansas Press Association and Evangelical Press Association. A Tabor graduate with a degree in communications and religious studies, she and her husband, Austin, attend Ridgepoint Church in Wichita, Kansas.
