Focus

EMM’s discipleship coach, Dave Houser, has a photo hanging in his office. It’s one of his favorite pictures of himself. He’s riding a yak in front of a mountain. Traveling to that remote area was a dream in Dave’s heart. He had heard it was one of the most unreached places in the world, and he began to pray for the people there to know Jesus. When Dave got the opportunity to go, he started telling...

Finding the lost sheep, coins, or children is so critical to God that he will go out of his way to find them. We are invited into this mission to join God in his work of reconciling all of creation to himself. This is why sharing the good news of Jesus with the least-reached people of the world is so critical to EMM’s work.

When Skip and Carol Tobin and André and Karen Provost and their families first moved to Det Udom in the spring of 1995, there were no known Isaan believers in the region. From the beginning, the team was committed to a contextualized house church planting approach among the rural villages of this primarily rice farming community.

In October of 1990, a group of townspeople and religious leaders voiced their opposition to the first baptism of believers in Lucre, Peru, by resorting to stone-throwing and threats. Surprisingly, two of the initial stone throwers later joined the first Mennonite church in Peru.

After 1979, EMM connected to a Mennonite church in Metapan, northern El Salvador, which was home to displaced individuals who had become Mennonites while residing in Honduras. In the 1960s, hundreds of thousands of Salvadorans migrated to Honduras as their homeland's arable land was taken over for sugar plantations.

By sending James Sauder to lead mobile Bible schools in Haiti several times a year, EMM aimed to promote unity within the body of Christ by empowering Haitians to serve their community. Over time, James spearheaded this initiative, teaching Bible classes and working with a Haitian partner to develop educational materials in Creole. The teaching ministry expanded to the Dominican Republic as per th...

In 1971, missionaries from EMM were called to the Philippines by Francesco A. Arreola, a former Catholic on a quest for a church aligned with Biblical teachings. Arreola embarked on his journey by baptizing himself and six others in Manila, dissatisfied with existing Protestant sects and striving for a foundation based on Biblical principles. The group dispersed, with many settling in Ilocos Sur,...

A few weeks ago, we talked about the Honduras Mennonite Church, but we’re looking at another movement that EMM helped to start in Honduras. Tegucigalpa served as a vibrant hub for a youth ministry initiative. Ed and Gloria King, former literacy advocates, initiated an informal drop-in center that drew in twenty to thirty young individuals four evenings a week. Additionally, a bilingual coffeehouse...

Jacob E. Brubaker's vision of establishing a Mennonite mission in Guatemala came to fruition in 1967, with efforts concentrated in the Alta Verapaz Province and Guatemala City. The mission, a collaborative effort between the EMM and the Washington-Franklin County Conference, aimed to address the spiritual needs of the Kekchi Mayans, who lacked gospel access. Initial investigation highlighted t...

In Western Kenya, the growth of the Mennonite Church was closely linked to local needs and culture, engaging meaningfully across borders. Early influences from Tanzania paved the way for a strong religious presence in the Suna area, driven by African Christian missionaries like Zedikia Kisare. Despite initial resistance from the Kenyan government in 1945, persistent advocacy by individuals such as...

In 1960, EMM began work in British Honduras, now Belize, to assist German-speaking Mennonite colonies from Mexico. This Mennonite group had migrated from Russia to Canada in the 1870s and then to Mexico in the 1920s. In Belize, they settled in areas like Spanish Lookout and Blue Creek, facing challenges such as land clearing and lack of medical facilities. EMM, in collaboration with MCC, provided...

Recognizing a receptive environment for humanitarian aid during the refugee crisis, MCC began relief efforts in Vietnam in 1955, providing clothing, food, and medical assistance. This laid the foundation for future Mennonite missions and service programs.

Jacob E. Brubaker, a Lancaster preacher intrigued by banana boats in New York, envisioned a mission in Guatemala, starting a discussion among his congregation in Lancaster. This curiosity led to an exploration of Central America, after a 1948 mission conference sponsored by East Chestnut Street Mennonite Church.

In the early 1930s, as the EMM launched its mission in Tanganyika, Ethiopia became a parallel interest. Struggling under Italian occupation from 1935, Ethiopia saw Emperor Haile Selassie I flee in 1936, only to return five years later to continue modernization efforts. Post-World War II, the Mennonite Church initiated a relief program in Nazareth, Ethiopia, marked by the establishment of the Haile...

Eastern Mennonite Missions has sent many missionaries worldwide, ministering in over 100 countries. Through God's faithfulness, we've helped start over 20 mission movements, reaching least-reached people. Now, we ask, "Will God do it again?" We believe He will, calling us to share the good news with some of the 3 billion least-reached people globally. From April to June, we'r...

Today is the day of Holy Week in which we reflect on the hopelessness that so many of Jesus’ followers had after his death. Did they know he would be raised from the dead, or were they broken and distraught?

Jesus said, “Go and make disciples of all nations...” (Mt 28:18) But, like many people, Mark has often answered, “I’m not an evangelist...it’s not my gift.” Mark Schoenhals' gift in making disciples is in mentoring one-on-one or teaching in small groups. So, he has often responded to Jesus’ Great Commission by focusing on the teaching and mentoring part of discipleship and he has seen beautifu...

Last month, EMM workers Steve Horst and Bethany Tobin and their family attend the EMM annual team retreat in southeast Asia. It was a time with a small group of like-minded people who they have known and worked with for over ten years, sharing deeply, receiving prayer, playing, and enjoying life together for a few days.

Is it time to move forward? Do you have a feeling of holy discontent? Well, we want to invite you to come to a time set aside for reflection and discernment as we revisit a sense of call and invite God's Spirit to fan the embers into flame. This event, "Called: reignite the call" will be held March 22–23 in Akron, Pennsylvania. Register now at emm.org/called .

This past summer, Andres Prins had no idea that a recreational hike through the High Atlas mountains would lead to an opportunity to respond to the earthquake that would devastate the region just months later. In June, a Moroccan friend, who is a mountain trekking guide, agreed to lead Andres and a group of local believers on a trip that had them leave their car at the end of the road in a village...

Every business owner eventually starts to contemplate the future and what is to become of their hard work. It is never too early to anticipate and plan for a leadership transition. If this topic interests you, you're invited to the EMM business leaders’ breakfast on Tuesday, March 12 from 7 to 8:45 am at Hub 450, which is 450 N Prince St in Lancaster City. Register at emm.org/breakfast .

In September 2023, as Alan and Carol Wert's small group continued to grow to 13 or 14 people and packed out their living rooms, they made the decision to multiply the group into two, allowing space for others to join.

Matthew Baugher is participating in Advance Global, a 9-month, international discipleship and service opportunity. He is currently doing his outreach ministry in Halle, Germany. Today’s story is a summary of some of Matthew’s reflections about his time in Germany so far.

Four people in a rural village in Thailand were be baptized by having buckets of water from the ponds poured over them. Given the considerable distance from any of the other churches in the province, a decision was made to empower them to conduct their own church services. In one day, Andre and other church leaders witnessed the birth of a church. God gave them a window to see what is possible whe...

The Czech Republic has the fifth-highest incarceration rate in the European Union (out of 27 EU member states) and the ninth-highest of all the 46 European countries. It is often argued that the Czech Republic is among the most secular countries in the world. Yet, a rich spiritual heritage is part of Czech history, including Jan Hus, a reformer who inspired Martin Luther, and the Moravian Brethren...