(Mennonite Church USA) — MennoCon21, the upcoming Mennonite Church USA convention, will take place July 6-10, 2021, at the Duke Energy Convention Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. This schedule overlaps with the Mennonite World Conference (MWC) assembly in Semarang, Indonesia, on July 6-11.
Conversation about this scheduling conflict began early in the planning process between MC USA’s convention planners and MWC, since both select sites several years in advance of the events, said Scott Hartman, director of Event Planning for MC USA. Convention planners considered a variety of alternative dates in several cities for MennoCon21 but found either no availability or significantly higher rates. MC USA has held its convention, which takes place every two years, close to the July 4 weekend for several years to increase accessibility. The holiday offers participants lower registration and lodging costs and the possibility of using less vacation time. The MWC assembly consists of several parts (Assembly Gathered, Assembly Scattered and Global Youth Summit) that take place over an extended period. MWC also found this date as their only option because the host churches in Indonesia indicated this was the best time for the MWC Assembly Gathered in their country.
“We apologize to those who would have liked to attend both events,” Hartman said. “They are important gatherings within the Mennonite community, and we hope that each will provide a meaningful time of worship and fellowship.”