“We understand peace and peacemaking as an indispensable part of our common faith,” states the opening sentence of a “final message” from the International Ecumenical Peace Convocation (IEPC). The message issued yesterday, May 24, 2011, in Jamaica on the last day of the IEPC, is not considered an official statement of the sponsoring body, the World Council of Churches. Instead it is intended to represent a sense of the meeting.
Ecumenical
Daily Themes Highlight Peace in the Community, Peace with the Earth
The four themes of the International Ecumenical Peace Convocation each are receiving a day’s worth of attention, with a morning plenary session and afternoon “innerstandings” seminar sessions.
Mennonite Ecumenical Leader Speaks About Peace Church Contribution to Decade to Overcome Violence
One of the results of the Decade to Overcome Violence (DOV) has been the full inclusion of peace churches in the ecumenical family of the World Council of Churches, asserts Fernando Enns. Interviewed in the Peace Convocation meeting tent after opening worship this morning, Enns reviewed the role of the Historic Peace Churches (Church of the Brethren, Mennonites, and Quakers) in the Decade, and commented on what he sees as a major shift in attitude toward the Gospel of Peace by many other churches.
Opening Worship and Plenary Features Strong Speakers on Peace
The International Ecumenical Peace Convocation opened the afternoon of May 18 with worship and a first plenary session. Highlights included the attendance of Jamaican Prime Minister Bruce Golding and the keynote address by Paul Oestreicher.