Aim

The aim of ICAME is based in common prayer which promotes justice and peace-building as inspired by the life of Jesus.

History

The history of ICEM goes back to Henry Klassen, one of the first Mennonite missionaries to come to Ecuador. The missionaries began work in 1980 on the Ecuadorian coast, mainly in the cities of Guayaquil and Manta with Rosedale Mennonite Missions (now Rosedale International). In the wake of the floods in Ecuador, Rosedale and the Mennonite Central Committee (CCM) joined forces and helped affected families with the provision of humanitarian aid, the distribution of food donations and the construction of houses. Ecuador has a long history of independent indigenous Evangelical churches, but as some of the congregations developed a deeper understanding of Anabaptist theology, they decided to officially identify themselves as Mennonites and expand their fellowship with a global body. Talks began with the Anabaptist Mennonite Christian Church of Ecuador (ICAME) but progress was slow due to legal regulations in Ecuador.