Mennonite Central Committee Collected Records

Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) was formed when representatives of various Mennonite conferences met July 27-28, 1920, in Elkhart (Indiana), and pledged to aid hungry people, including Mennonites, in Russia and Ukraine. The first three MCC workers, Orie O. Miller, Clayton Kratz and Arthur Slagel, delivered aid in Russia, Ukraine and Turkey. Kratz disappeared and was believed killed. Miller and Slagel returned. Since then, more than 13,000 people have served one-, two-, three- and five-year assignments with MCC worldwide on relief, peace and development projects. Thousands of others have volunteered in thrift shops, at relief sales and in other ways. Its vision statement states: "Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), a worldwide ministry of Anabaptist churches, shares God's love and compassion for all in the name of Christ by responding to basic human needs and working for peace and justice. MCC envisions communities worldwide in right relationship with God, one another and creation." More may be learned at http://mcc.org/about/welcome. The Mennonite Central Committee Washington Office (see http://washington.mcc.org/) opened in July 1968, upon the recommendations of Mennonite denominational bodies and conference peace committees, after a decade of study and discernment concerning Mennonite witness to government. From its beginning, the Washington Office has been a listening and interpreting post for MCC constituents and a bridge between MCC constituent concerns and the U.S. government. MCC also has an United Nations Laision Office.