The Mennonite Brethren Free Church of Austria (Mennonitische Freikirche Österreich or MFÖ) is a small conference with about 400 baptized members.
With six locations in Vienna, Linz, Wels, Steyr and Gmunden, each MFÖ congregation has between 50 and 130 members. 
One of the congregations is made up of two Bruderhof communities. This Anabaptist-rooted community of Christians are known for their communal living and sharing of monetary and material possessions, as inspired by the early church.
In 2017, MFÖ first connected with those in Bruderhof, and by the work of the Lord and some miracles, the Austrian Bruderhof community joined MFÖ and set up their first community in Retz, Lower Austria, in 2019.
Today, 30 people are located in the Retz Bruderhof community, and another 40 live in Stein, which is also in Lower Austria.
The Bruderhof communities appear different from other congregations in MFÖ. They dress differently, speak English as their primary language (although most quickly and seriously have learned German) and focus on a community-based way of life.
Andreas Ortner, head of the MFÖ Board, shared in an email that MFÖ congregations get along well with their Bruderhof brothers and sisters.
“When we have meetings at one of the Bruderhof sites, I always love to watch them eat together, sing together, pray together or work together,” Ornter says. “There are many aspects in their way of life that I find much closer to the Bible’s teachings in the Gospel and especially in Acts.”
Ortner also shared that MFÖ lives “unity in diversity.”
Ortner says: “As reconciliation is one of our main values as Anabaptists, we are glad to practice this gift from the Holy Spirit and are very thankful for that. Praise be to the Lord.”
Prayer requests
- Please pray for MFÖ to keep unity and wholeness among their congregations, recognizing that each congregation differs in their structure and certain theological teaching.
Facts about Austria
- The world’s oldest functioning zoo is Tiergarten Schönbrunn located in Vienna.
- Austria has produced many famous composers, including Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Joseph Haydn, Franz Schubert and Johann Strauss II.
- Austria is home to Europe’s tallest waterfall (Krimml Falls).
This article has been posted by Christian Leader staff. The Christian Leader is the magazine of U.S. Mennonite Brethren.
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