helping everyday disciples live on mission

Partnering in Mutuality Around the World

By Bruce Enns, General Director

Every disciple who lives on mission must learn to work in healthy partnership with other disciples.

I recently returned home from the gathering in Malawi of the International Community of Mennonite Brethren (ICOMB). A few things stand out to me after being together with various mission leaders from around the world, but one value stands above them all—the importance of good relationships in our global partnerships. 

While I was bouncing up and down on a loud bus ride in Malawi, I was talking with Juliet Akirambudde, one of our key national partners in Uganda. She is an amazing woman who provides leadership and administrative support to so many ministries. As we yelled above the noise of the bus, one of the things she communicated very clearly to me was her appreciation for our global workers, Kyle and Danae Schmidt from Kansas. Juliet talked specifically about their servant hearts and how valuable they have become in their work with the King’s Kid Home and School. My heart was encouraged as I thought about our foundational value of partnering in mutuality. 

On another occasion in Malawi, I found myself in a workshop with Robert Mponye, also one of our key national partners in Uganda. It wasn’t long into our conversation when he freely offered glowing reports about our global workers, Sean and Amy Hildebrand from Canada, who recently spent three months in Uganda and are currently preparing to return long term. He specifically said how humble the Hildebrands were as they began to learn a new culture and to serve among the people of Uganda. Once again, my heart was warmed as I thought about how critical these attitudes are in healthy partnerships. 

These encounters in Malawi also reminded me of meetings I had just weeks prior in Europe with Gedas and Kristina Dailyde, our national partners in Lithuania. I so much enjoyed getting to know these committed and vibrant church leaders who serve in a difficult context. In my meetings with them, they made a point of telling me how much they appreciate Rick and Karen Sawatzky, our recently launched global workers from Canada who are serving alongside MB churches in Lithuania. Again, I loved hearing about healthy relationships between national leaders and foreign missionaries. 

As Multiply is embracing the key strategies of sending missionaries and partnering with national leaders, we are very aware that effective partnerships are entirely dependent on good relationships and this value of partnering in mutuality. Good relationships require a posture and willingness to both give and receive. Of course, we could say that the need for healthy relationships is also critical for our third strategy of helping everyday disciples multiply.

How healthy are the relationships that you have with your ministry partners? Is God’s mission strengthened by those relationships, or weakened?

PRAY

• Thank God for the recent ICOMB gatherings in Malawi, where church leaders were encouraged and global partnerships were strengthened. 
• Pray for servant hearts and good attitudes among our global workers who serve alongside national leaders around the world. 
• Pray for good relationships and stronger mission partnerships within your own church family and community network.