Initiatives

The Institute for the Study of Global Anabaptism manages numerous initiatives designed to connect global church members to each other and to relevant scholarship.

• The Anabaptist History Today (AHT) website is a groundbreaking collaborative storytelling project. The ISGA, along with 15 other Anabaptist-Mennonite organizations, is calling on Anabaptist-Mennonite groups to share their experiences during the remarkable historical, biological and social events of 2020. Created by Mennonite Church USA (MC USA) Archives and Lancaster Mennonite Historical Society, AHT is the first large-scale, collaborative digital project of its kind in the Anabaptist community. The ISGA invites individuals, congregations, schools and organizations to tell their stories of living during these changing times. Contributors may share their experiences through a variety of media, including videos, audio recordings, photos, journal entries, artwork, poetry and personal reflections. 
• La Biblioteca Digital Anabautista les ofrece a estudiantes y pastores de la identidad anabautista en Latinoamérica y Norteamérica unos recursos electrónicos de los siguientes temas: Anabautismo, Análisis del Contexto, Estudios Bíblicos, Historia, Ministerios Cristianos, Paz y Justicia, y Teologia. English translation: The Anabaptist Digital Library offers students and pastors of Anabaptist identity in Latin America and North America electronic resources on the following topics: Anabaptism, Context Analysis, Biblical Studies, History, Christian Ministries, Peace and Justice, and Theology.
• The Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online provides reliable and freely-available information on Anabaptist-related congregations, denominations, conferences, institutions, and significant individuals, as well as historical and theological topics. Secular Articles from an Anabaptist perspective and full-text source documents are also included. GAMEO is overseen by the ISGA, and the institute’s director, John D. Roth, serves as the project’s general editor.
• The Global Anabaptist Wiki is a user-generated global archives where church members can post information about their group in the language of choice with space for photos, articles, curriculum, and other resources.
• The Bearing Witness Stories Project is a collaborative, web-based effort to gather stories of faithful witness to Christ in the face of persecution and suffering. The project, which counts on participation from at least five different Anabaptist traditions, may be thought of as a “Martyrs’ Mirror for the 21st Century.” Visit the Bearing Witness Stories Project website to learn more about the project and to read excerpts from the current collection.
• Texts in Translation is an effort to make creative theological and historical work from outside North America accessible to new readers, in recognition of the careful, creative reflection on matters of faith and identity that is happening around the world.
• The Mennonite World Conference Global Anabaptist Profile is a survey of faith and practices (along with basic demographic information) of 25 selected groups, based on the MWC “Shared Convictions” and supported by a series of interviews. The project, completed in the summer of 2015, is the first systematic study of MWC member churches.