A Just Peace Church
Information
from the UCC Website
A Just Peace Church
The Just Peace Church vision is a hallmark of United Church of Christ theological
identity.
For nearly two decades, the Just Peace Church program has been a grassroots
movement of UCC congregations committed to corporately naming and boldly proclaiming
a public identity as a justice-doing, peace-seeking church.
The movement traces its history to the 1985 General Synod, when a Just Peace
Church Pronouncement called upon all settings of the UCC to be a Just Peace
Church, underscoring the words of Dr. Robert V. Moss, the second president of
the UCC, who wrote in 1971, "We now need to put as much effort into defining
a just peace as we have done in the past in defining a just war."
The General Synod defined "just peace" as the interrelation of friendship,
justice, and common security from violence. The pronouncement called the church
to a vision of shalom rooted in peace with justice and placed the UCC General
Synod in opposition to the institution of war.
Over the years, the Just Peace Church identity has become an important symbol
for many of our congregations, as both a means of shaping congregational identity
and as a theological framework for doing justice-based theological reflection.
For many Just Peace congregations, this identity has helped to underscore their
ministries of direct service, legislative advocacy, and courageous witness.
The approach has differed from place to place: Some became immersed in anti-war
and anti-militarism issues, while some focused their energies on U.S. policies
affecting central America. Others strengthened their multi-racial,
multi-cultural witness. Some developed neighborhood ministries, while others
translated their just-peace identity to be a fitting starting place for eventually
becoming "Open and Affirming" or "Whole Earth" churches.
Justice and Witness Ministries is committed to a revitalized Just Peace Church
movement, wherein congregations will be empowered and resourced to create an
even stronger justice and peace witness for decades to come.
In coming months, we hope you will be hearing more about the Just Peace movement
in the UCC—as conversations expand and deepen in various settings around
our church.
What does it mean to be a Just Peace Church in times like these? This is the
question we have been asking ourselves and others. Your responses are most helpful
in shaping the new directions of our collective movement.
Does your church consider itself to be a Just Peace congregation? Do you have
thoughts to share about the direction of the
Just Peace Church program? Contact the Rev. Loey Powell at 216-736-3715 or poiwelli@ucc.org.
Patriotism, Nationalism and the Christian Life is a resource for UCC congregations
which suggests appropriate Christian responses during times of war.
http://www.ucc.org/justice/issues/peacemaking/a-just-peace-church-l. html?log-event=sp2f-... 8/6/2007