Anabaptism Today

Today, the Anabaptist movement has around 2.13 million members in more than 80 countries. After its emergence in the 16th century, the movement first spread in Europe and later all over the world.   

As of 2024, Some 1.5 million members belong to one of 110 national member churches that form Mennonite World Conference (MWC). The organization was founded as an international gathering of Mennonite leaders in 1925.  

The term "Mennonite" derives from the name of an early Anabaptist leader, Menno Simons, who was active in what is now the Netherlands and northern Germany in the 1500s. Today, “Mennonite” is also used for groups in the Anabaptist movement that may not have a direct connection to the emergence of the church in the Netherlands.   

In addition to groups identified as Mennonites, MWC today includes the Brethren in Christ and other national associations. About two-thirds of the baptized believers are found in Africa, Asia or Latin America. The Meserete Kristos Church in Ethiopia, for example, is the largest national MWC member church today, with nearly 500,000 baptized members.  

The interactive map shows the current distribution of MWC churches.