I had the honor of participating in the Mennonite Church Canada Gathering 2025, held from July 2–5 in Kitchener, Ontario, on the traditional territory of the Haudenosaunee, Anishinaabe, and Neutral Peoples. This national event brought together over 600 delegates and participants under the theme “Each Has a Gift.” I felt truly blessed, inspired, and energized by the spirit of communal worship, intercultural dialogue, and a shared commitment to justice and renewal. The Gathering was a vibrant space for discernment, storytelling, and relationship-building among diverse congregations and cultural communities across Canada. Each day focused on themes such as healing, justice, and belonging, creating a rhythm of spiritual depth and practical engagement. As part of the program, I presented my reflection, “Creating Spaces as Companions,” which explored the decolonization of Christian relationships through the lens of biblical koinonia and Indigenous-rooted companionship. My presentation contributed to the ongoing conversation about how the church can move from transactional partnerships to covenantal, Spirit-led companionships. I emphasized the importance of listening to Indigenous voices, honoring local contexts, and nurturing organic growth within the Body of Christ.
Header Photo: Ruth Bergen Braun, Mennonite Church Alberta Communications
From July 2 to 5, 2025, I had the privilege of participating in the Mennonite Church Canada (MC Canada) Gathering 2025, held at Rockway Mennonite Collegiate in Kitchener, Ontario. This national assembly brought together over 600 delegates, young adults, youth, and church leaders from across Canada to discern the direction of the church under the theme, “Each Has a Gift,” drawn from 1 Peter 4:10. It was a Spirit-filled time of communal worship, honest dialogue, and a shared longing to become a more just, inclusive, and intercultural church in the 21st century.
As I stood on the land of the Haudenosaunee, Anishinaabe, and Neutral (Attawandaron) Peoples, I felt a deep sense of reverence. I acknowledged with gratitude that this sacred gathering took place on the traditional territory and treaty lands of these First Nations. Their ongoing presence and contributions remind us that the decolonization of Christian institutions must begin with recognizing whose land we occupy and honoring Indigenous sovereignty and wisdom.
A Shared Table, A Shared Future
The Gathering unfolded through three interwoven tracks: the Main Gathering for congregational delegates, the U30 Young Adult Track (ages 18–30), and a dynamic Youth Gathering (Grades 6–12) hosted at the University of Waterloo. Each group explored the theme of giftedness, not as individual merit but as communal responsibility.
Keynote addresses from César García (General Secretary of Mennonite World Conference), Kelbessa Muleta Demena, Joon Park, and other global voices challenged us to embrace our differences as a gift and to reimagine leadership through the lens of humility, justice, and intercultural discipleship. Worship was enriched by drama (such as Spirit Acts by Arlyn Friesen Epp), poetry, visual art, and multivoiced preaching.
The program followed a daily rhythm that reflected the community’s growing depth:
- July 2 (Pre-Gathering Leadership Day): Focused on intercultural leadership, justice, and Indigenous-settler relationships.
- July 3 (“Visiting the Wounds”): A day of listening to stories of marginalization and exclusion in the church.
- July 4 (“Transforming Injustices”): Emphasized action rooted in truth-telling and solidarity.
- July 5 (“You Belong”): Celebrated belonging and the beauty of diverse congregational voices.
My Contribution: Creating Spaces as Companions
On July 4, I was deeply honored to present a theological and pastoral reflection titled “Creating Spaces as Companions: Redeeming Koinonia in the Life of Mennonite Church Canada.” This was part of what I considered Priority Two in the Gathering theme: deepening our commitment to authentic relationships across congregations and cultures.
Drawing from Latin and biblical roots, I shared that the word companion comes from com panis—“with bread”—evoking the sacred act of sharing life. This echoes the New Testament idea of koinonia, which I described not simply as fellowship, but as communion: Spirit-empowered participation in one another’s lives, marked by grace, interdependence, and mutual discernment.
I offered this theological lens as a pathway to decolonize Christian relationships, naming the need to move beyond the industrial-era habits of contract, transaction, and imposed organizational control. In contrast, I proposed a recovery of:
- Covenantal bonds rooted in long-term, Spirit-led trust.
- Relational depth through listening and co-discernment, especially with Indigenous, newcomer, and rural congregations.
- Organic growth that honors local context, theology, and leadership rather than importing pre-packaged ecclesial frameworks.
I also addressed the legacy of colonial missions and structural power imbalances in global church partnerships. My presentation called on MC Canada—and, by extension, our Christian institutions—to transform:
- Contracts into covenants guided by presence and prayer.
- Transactions into relationships of mutual storytelling and hospitality.
- Structures into flexible, Spirit-led frameworks responsive to local realities.
The feedback was humbling and encouraging. Participants shared how these insights resonated with their experiences in congregational life and cross-cultural ministry. It became clear that this movement toward decolonized companionship is already alive in the hearts of many, waiting for space to grow.
For My Inter-Faith and Inter-Cultural Companions in the Philippines
To my colleagues and companions in the Philippines—especially those involved in inter-faith dialogue, decolonizing theology, and Indigenous spiritual resurgence—I believe the experience of MC Canada Gathering 2025 offers meaningful parallels.
The Canadian church is undergoing a necessary and courageous process of truth-telling and transformation. Like many of us in the post-colonial Global South, Canadian churches are wrestling with how to move beyond Western ecclesiastical models to become more authentically Indigenous, intercultural, and community-rooted.
What inspired me most was the collective humility I witnessed. Leaders and participants were not just talking about change—they were practicing it: reimagining how we gather, how we listen, and how we embody the gospel in community. This Gathering served as a living witness that the Christian church can evolve—if it roots itself in justice, mutuality, and the radical companionship of Jesus.
Gratitude and Final Words
I offer my deepest appreciation to the organizers, particularly the teams at Mennonite Church Eastern Canada, MC Canada’s nationwide staff, and the many volunteers who created such a hospitable and thoughtful environment. The attention to intercultural hospitality, land acknowledgment, youth inclusion, and environmental sustainability reflected the very values we were discerning together.
I came away blessed, inspired, and energized—not only because of the beautiful fellowship and vibrant worship, but because I witnessed a church actively and honestly stepping into the work of renewal. I believe gatherings like this are seeds of transformation, not only for Canada, but for global communities of faith seeking healing from the wounds of colonization.
Let us walk as companions, break bread across cultures, and trust that the Spirit is already ahead of us—calling us to justice, communion, and peace.
