An Anabaptist Church Consultation on the National Commission on Military, National, and Public Service was held in Akron, Pa., on June 4, 2019, hosted by Mennonite Central Committee US (MCC). At the table were representatives from 13 Anabaptist bodies.
The day included a review of the commission, a presentation by Donald Kraybill, senior fellow emeritus of the Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies at Elizabethtown (Pa.) College, and time spent articulating responses to the commission’s interim recommendations.
The commission was established by Congress in 2017 with a mandate to review Selective Service registration, particularly whether women should be required to register for the draft, and to recommend ways to increase participation in military, national, and public service. The commission is expected to present final recommendations to Congress next spring.