Tag: Peace

Church Leader Signs on to Letters About Afghanistan, Medicaid Budget

Church of the Brethren general secretary Stan Noffsinger has added his signature to two letters from American religious leaders, one addressing the Afghanistan war, and the other on the Medicaid budget. On June 21 as President Obama prepared to announce the number of troops he planned to withdraw from Afghanistan, religious leaders sent him an open letter stating, “It is time to bring the US war in Afghanistan to an end.”

Lwanj pou Bondyé ak Lapè sou Latè: Mésaj nan Konvokasyon Ékumenik Entènasyonal ak Lapè

A Creole translation of the final message of the International Ecumenical Peace Convocation, held in Jamaica in May 2011. “M’ap mande Bondye pou li ban nou, dapre richès pouvwa li a, fòs ak kouraj nan kè nou, pa mwayen pouvwa Sentespri a, pou nou ka grandi nan karaktè nou, pou Kris la rete nan kè nou ak konfyans nou gen nan li a. M’ap mande Bondye pou nou pouse rasin, pou nou chita byen fèm nan renmen,”(Efez 3:16-17)

For the Peace of the City: International Day of Prayer for Peace 2011

On Earth Peace is kicking off its fifth annual campaign organizing community groups and church congregations to participate in the International Day of Prayer for Peace (IDPP) on Sept. 21. The scripture theme for the 2011 campaign is “Seek the peace of the city–for in its peace, you will find peace” (Jeremiah 29). The IDPP is an initiative of the World Council of Churches, related to the United Nations observance of an international day of peace.

Convocation Final Message Rejects War in Favor of ‘Just Peace’

“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.

Journal from Jamaica – May 21, 2011

It can’t be easy to take care of almost a thousand international guests, with so many different needs and expectations. Even at the most chaotic times, such as yesterday afternoon when hundreds of people were trying to get their sack lunches for the Peace Concert, and the cafeteria staff were trying to make sure the right people got the right lunch boxes, no one was taking their stress or anxiety out on anyone else. The attendant at the women’s restroom tent exemplifies this attitude. She keeps 10-plus porta potties clean, maintain the hand washing station, soap, and towels, and even watches our belongings when we come in loaded with bags and umbrellas. And she’s always cheerful and friendly.

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.