Interchurch Peace Initiatives
The Decade to Overcome Violence is an initiative of the World Council of Churches. Rich Meyer (cptcsd@bnin.net) represents Mennonite Church USA on the US DOV Committee. Mennonite Church USA recently submitted a response to the DOV “Initial Statement Towards an Ecumenical Declaration on Just Peace” in preparation for an International Ecumenical Peace Convocation to be held in Kingston, Jamaica in May 2011.
An article from the March 30, 2010 issue of The Mennonite reports further on Mennonite involvement in the DOV.
As part of the Decade to Overcome Violence, Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary, with support from Mennonite Church USA, is hosting “Peace Among the Peoples: An Ecumenical Peace Conference on Overcoming the Spirit, Logic and Practice of Violence,” July 28-31, 2010 in Elkhart, Indiana.
Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) arose from a call at Mennonite World Conference in 1984 for Christians to devote the same discipline and self-sacrifice to nonviolent peacemaking that armies devote to war. Initiated by Mennonites, Brethren and Quakers with broad ecumenical participation, CPT’s ministry of Biblically-based and spiritually-centered peacemaking emphasizes creative public witness, nonviolent direct action and protection of human rights. Mennonite Church USA is one of several officially-endorsing denominations and groups. Susan Mark Landis, Mennonite Church USA Denominational Minister for Peace and Justice, is on the CPT board.
Joining hands with a network of denominational peace fellowships and Christian peace groups, the Peace and Justice Support Network of Mennonite Church USA has been a sponsoring organization of Christian Peace Witness. CPWI has organized national and regional events incorporating worship, prophetic direct action and public advocacy. Spencer Bradford, pastor of Durham Mennonite Church, serves on the CPW steering committee.
Historic Peace Church Initiatives
Mennonites, Friends (Quakers) and Church of the Brethren are sometimes referred to as “Historic Peace Churches” and share a long history of working together seeking Jesus’ way of peace and healing the ravages of war. Mennonite Church USA co-sponsored “Heeding God’s Call: A Gathering on Peace” held in Philadelphia in January 2009 which most recently brought together representatives of these traditions and other Christian peacemakers for worship, study and action (www.peacegathering2009.org). At present Mennonite Church USA is represented through Mennonite Central Committee in the Historic Peace Church Continuation Committee.
“Following Jesus in nonviolent struggle for justice and peace, we love our neighbors and enemies as God loves us, becoming a peace church to share in God’s work to save the world.” This is the vision statement of ECAPC, which is broad ecumenical network that grew out of New Call to Peacemaking, an effort of Friends, Mennonites and Church of the Brethren to reinvigorate the church’s peace witness. Through ECAPC, Mennonites join with other Christian peacemakers in peace witness and inviting the church to reclaim its call to be peace church.