ELKHART, Ind. (Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary/Mennonite Church Canada Witness/Mennonite Mission Network) — The editorial committee assigned to renew the 42-year-old Mission Focus journal is announcing the new name of the publication—Anabaptist Witness—and is preparing for the release of the first issue in October.
Editors Jamie Pitts of Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary and Jamie Ross of Mennonite Mission Network believe the new name sets a direction for the publication that matches its mission.
“We want to foster dialogue among Anabaptist Christians around the world who are committed to the church’s mission,” Pitts explained.
Ross added, “I think we have the only peer-reviewed journal dealing with missiology from a specific faith tradition. Others are from organizational or ecumenical perspectives.” However, while the journal exists for and about Anabaptists and Anabaptism, she noted that there are people in other faith traditions who value the commitment Anabaptists have made to long-term partnerships around the world. The journal will give opportunities for voices from some of these groups to join the conversation as well.
The audiences, Pitts said, are mission-minded pastors and lay people, mission agency staff, mission workers, and people interested in academic study and reflection on missiology. The editors believe their plan for the journal gives it flexibility to speak to these different audiences within the Anabaptist-Mennonite faith groups and to include contributors and readers from the wider church.
The first issue of Anabaptist Witness focuses on Anabaptist and Mennonite understandings of mission and the interchange among mission practice, missiology, and Anabaptist identity. It will reflect 10 different country and ethnic perspectives as well as different agency perspectives. Articles will vary from an interview to a sermon to more academic reflections. The fall issue contains an article in French with an English translation available online, and another article is intended to be available in both English and Spanish.
The editors have established a website, anabaptistwitness.org, where all content will be available to read online for no cost. Through Amazon CreateSpace services, the journal will be available for digital reading devices and in print. Anyone who wants to receive it in print will be able to place orders on the Anabaptist Witness website for $10 a copy plus shipping charges. Those who wish to have a traditional subscription may contact Pitts at jpitts@ambs.edu.
Currently, the Anabaptist Witness website offers the opportunity to sign up to receive updates when issues are available.
The editors also have extended a call for papers for the second issue, scheduled for spring 2015, on the theme of how our understanding of the Anabaptist faith leads us to engage with other religions. For more information, visit the web page of the previous Mission Focus journal.
Anabaptist Witness is a collaborative project of Mennonite Church Canada, Mennonite Mission Network, and Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary. An editorial committee works with the editors in guiding the content of the journal. Members of this committee are Malinda E. Berry, Elkhart, Ind.; Steve Heinrichs, Winnipeg, Man.; Matthew Krabill, Pasadena, Calif.; SaeJin Lee, Elkhart, Ind.; Gregory Rabus, Backnang, Germany; and Isaac Villegas, Chapel Hill, N.C.
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For immediate release
Mennonite Mission Network, the mission agency of Mennonite Church USA, leads, mobilizes and equips the church to participate in holistic witness to Jesus Christ in a broken world. Media may contact news@mennonitemission.net.
