Art above, by Fabio Gomez, Lancelot Armstrong, and Richard Knight, is from the Death Row Support Project exhibit
The Church of the Brethren Office of Peacebuilding and Policy works in Washington, DC to advocate for Brethren values like peace and simplicity in the context of U.S. policy.
In Romans 12, we see the call to be personally transformed and bear witness to the peace we have received. The Office of Peacebuilding and Policy seeks to live the peace of Jesus publicly by educating on issues and peace theology, organizing Church of the Brethren members and congregations to take action, and advocating in Washington, DC around issues of concern for the denomination.
Our denomination’s 1989 annual conference statement on Church and State says that “Christians and the church are called at times to speak a prophetic word to the state. When the state is doing things that negate and deny God’s will as revealed in Jesus Christ and the Bible, Christians must speak out, doing so in love and respect for those engaged in wrongdoing and those being wronged (Eph. 4:15). When the state is doing things which move in the general direction of God’s will and way (human well-being, justice and peace), Christians can give support and commendation.”
We take the Biblical call to use our voices to speak out for justice seriously. We amplify the voices of Nigerians impacted by Boko Haram violence, call for an end to drone warfare, raise awareness of the importance of creation care, and advocate on a variety of other peace-related issues.
Our office also coordinates with a wide variety of faith-based organizations that work on peace issues, in line with the 2018 annual conference statement on ecumenism. These organizations include:
- Center on Conscience and War
- National Religious Campaign Against Torture
- Creation Justice Ministries
- Interfaith Network on Drone Warfare
- Churches for Middle East Peace
- Christian Peacemaker Teams
Peace News
- Church of the Brethren general secretary signs letter from Christian leaders to President Biden
In a Nov. 9 letter to President Biden, Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) and 30 American Christian leaders including Church of the Brethren general secretary David Steele called on President Biden and his administration to support an immediate ceasefire in Israel and Palestine, de-escalation, and restraint by all involved.
- ‘Prayer Vigil: Ceasefire Now!’ will pray for peace in Israel and Palestine
The Church of the Brethren’s Office of Peacebuilding and Policy is among the sponsors of a time of prayer for peace in Israel and Palestine to be held in-person in the nation’s capital this coming Monday.
- Churches for Middle East Peace offers resources on Israel and Palestine conflict
The ecumenical organization Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP), of which the Church of the Brethren is a member denomination, is offering a variety of resources for acting and praying for peace in Israel and Palestine, and for gaining a better understanding of the conflict there.
- Buscando la paz en Israel y Palestina: Declaración de la Junta de Misión y Ministerio
La Junta de Misión y Ministerio de la Iglesia de los Hermanos adoptó el 21 de octubre una declaración sobre “Buscar la paz en Israel y Palestina”. La acción se tomó durante las reuniones de la junta de otoño de 2023 en las oficinas generales de la denominación en Elgin, Illinois.
- Seeking peace in Israel and Palestine: A Mission and Ministry Board statement
The Church of the Brethren Mission and Ministry Board on Oct. 21 adopted a statement on “Seeking Peace in Israel and Palestine.” The action was taken during the board’s fall 2023 meetings at the denomination’s General Offices in Elgin, Ill.
- Church of the Brethren and the Office of Peacebuilding and Policy join ecumenical and interfaith calls for ceasefire in Israel and Palestine
The Church of the Brethren has joined more than 20 Christian churches and organizations in the United States in sending a letter to the United States Congress mourning the loss of life in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories and calling for a ceasefire and the release of all hostages. The denomination’s Office of Peacebuilding and Policy signed an interfaith letter to the Biden administration and Congress, dated Oct. 16, also calling for a ceasefire.
- New book emerges from new international Anabaptist peace network
A new book titled A Pilgrimage of Justice and Peace: Global Mennonite Perspectives on Peacebuilding and Nonviolence, edited by Fernando Enns, Nina Schroeder-van ’t Schip, and Andrés Pacheco-Lozano, is related to the emergence of the new Global Anabaptist Peace Network.
- The Holy Spirit is the first firefly
This year I caught a glimpse of the first firefly next to a pile of refuse near our back gate, blinking beautifully and hopefully in an abandoned place. When we celebrate Pentecost we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit. The disciples gathered in prayer, hidden in a room, in fear. While there may have been hope and expectation, it was likely tentative. I imagine it felt like an abandoned place. Into that place of fear and disorientation came a blinking light. A flicker of flames amidst a rush of wind.
- The new NFWM Harvest of Justice: Studying farmworkers and racism
The Office of Peacebuilding and Policy encourages congregational study of the situation of farmworkers, with new resources provided by its long-standing partner the National Farm Worker Ministry (NFWM).
- Chidinma Chidoka begins as fellow at Office of Peacebuilding and Policy
Chidinma (Chidi) Chidoka has begun as a fellow at the Church of the Brethren’s Office of Peacebuilding and Policy in Washington, D.C.
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Office of Peacebuilding and Policy blog posts
- ASAP
The Arms Sales and Accountability Project website shows how to hold members of congress accountable when votes for arms sales come up in congress. Continue reading →
- What Would Jesus Do…with $813 Billion?
Barring political complications, by the end of the summer Congress will have discussed, marked up, and voted on a spending package to fund the government through the upcoming fiscal year. More specifically, this process will determine how much discretionary spending … Continue reading →
- Ecological Injustice in Lagos, Nigeria
One of the more visible effects of global warming is flooding, and coastal cities -like Lagos, Nigeria- are seeing a rise in sea levels, due to melting polar icecaps. As one of the most populous cities on the continent of … Continue reading →
- The Saudi-Arabia-Iran Cold War and the Looming Nuclear Arms Race in the Middle East
by Angelo Olayvar “While recognizing our limitations in fully perceiving the complexities and ambiguities pertinent to the Middle East conflict, we feel compelled to articulate our concerns on matters which are critical in modifying tensions in the area and moving … Continue reading →
- US Militarism and Climate Change
by Angelo Olayvar Earth Day is an annual one-day event on April 22 that seeks to show support for the protection of the environment. According to the official website, the 2021 Earth Day theme is ‘Restore Our Earth’, which focuses … Continue reading →
- The war on terrorism and the erosion of human rights
By Angelo Olayvar It is exactly one month before the impending May 1 deadline to pull out all US troops in Afghanistan. The destruction brought by the wars waged by the United States in the Middle East against terrorism along … Continue reading →