Mandate
¶ 1006.18 of the Book of Discipline 1992 gives the General Council on Ministries the responsibility of recommendiÎe Special Programs for the whole church. "A Special Program is a quadrennial emphasis approved by the General Conference and assigned to a general agency, designed in response to a district opportunity or need in God's world which is evidenced by research or other supportive data, and proposes achievable goals within the quadrennium" (¶ 803.10).
@Recommendation
The General Council on Ministries recommends Peace with Justice, a special program of the General Board of Church and Society for the 1997-2000 quadrennium, and that this special program be assigned to such Board for implementation during the quadrennium.
Purpose
The purpose of the Peace with Justice Program is to provide opportunities for United Methodists to understand God's claim on creation and God's mandate for shalom; to motivate the community, through deeper Biblical knowledge, spiritual growth, and Christian discipleship and stewardship, to live lives which bring them into participation in bringing about shalom, through involvement in the local church, community, nation, and world. This is a corporate effort--the General Board of Church and Society Peace with Justice Program working hand-in-hand within annual conferences, districts, and local churches. The Program mission states: The mission of the Peace with Justice [Program] is to assist the General Board of Church and Society of The United Methodist Church in its work to help establish on earth a society and world which understands the whole meaning of God's peace. We are called to embrace Jesus' special concern for the poor and oppressed. We are called to advocate human rights for all, thereby promoting the peace of shalom---a peace which goes beyond the absence of war to promote justice among nations, classes, ethnic groups, and individuals. We are specifically called to implement sections of the Social Principles, and other policy statements of the General Conference and General Board of Church and Society that relate to issues of global justice, peace and economy, and administer the Peace with Justice Special Program.
Rationale
The 1992 General Conference mandate for Peace with Justice afforded growth among grassroots United Methodists to live out God's call for peace and reconciliation through a wide variety of creative ministries. Understanding the seminal link between Christian discipleship and justice ministries has become an underlying thrust of the program, providing opportunities for United Methodists to witness to their faith. Through traditional and innovative forms of Christian witness, worship experiences, Christian education, music, art and spiritual growth opportunities, members of our denomination are both following in John Wesley's footsteps of social holiness and providing leadership in local communities, our nation, and world.
From coordinating gun turn-ins, to using art to help young people from wartime situations express themselves, to turning nuclear weapon production sites into nature preserves, United Methodists are active in creating a more peaceful and just world. In many annual conferences and local churches, special emphasis has been placed on teaching children and youth non-violent conflict resolution skills. A stronger understanding of the role the media plays in the level of violence in our world has come about. Momentum is building, with growth in the number of people in the national Peace with Justice Network, Covenant Congregations, and the Peace with Justice Special Sunday Offering. The special program mandate has enabled peace and justice ministries to be established where, without it, they would have been opposed.
The Peace with Justice Special Program provides resources to assist in understanding some of the reasons for the growing violence in the United States and around the world. While the General Board of Church and Society devotes a major portion of its work to peace with justice issues, the designation of Peace with Justice as a church-wide special program will raise awareness that peace with justice is the mission of all persons in the church.
New understanding is growing about the systems which create human suffering, and which bring about suffering to all God's creation, along with our individual complicity as part of those systems. New solutions, reaching into our Biblical, theological, and historical roots as United Methodist Christians, are springing forth.
There is no other program throughout United Methodism which so specifically focuses on peace and justice--Biblical shalom; where the wholeness of all aspects of life is affirmed for all creation, and where both the systems which disrupt God's will for peace and justice in creation and the individual acts in complicity are revealed. United Methodists are working resolutely, through love, on creating God's shalom community, on creating just structures in churches, communities, our nation and the world.
The United States is the number one provider of arms around the world ("The Defense Monitor", Vol. XXII, Number 9, Center for Defense Information). Here at home, violence in general, and particularly gun violence, is escalating. The need for economic stability, both for individuals and as a nation, must be addressed --jobs are needed, but not those based on militarism or destruction of God's earth. The movement of God's people urging that basic human needs and rights be guaranteed to all people is surging toward the vision of shalom--where not only will these basic needs of shelter, nourishment, health, peace and justice be the rule, but where life will be enjoyed by all God's creation. "...The peace which is shalom is not merely the absence of hostility, not merely being in right relationship. Shalom at its highest is enjoyment of one's relationships...To dwell in shalom is to enjoy living before God, to enjoy living in one's physical surroundings, to enjoy living with one's fellows, to enjoy life with oneself." (Until Justice and Peace Embrace, Nicholas Wolterstorff, 1983 by Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.)
Components of the Peace with Justice Special Program
The following components of the General Board of Church and Society Peace with Justice Special Program provide opportunities for individuals, local churches, and annual conferences to be involved in peace and justice ministries. Through several aspects of these separate components, the General Board of Church and Society works cooperatively with other program boards.
Peace with Justice Coordinators in each annual conference provide coordination of peace and justice ministries, working closely with the Conference Board of Church and Society. They serve as the principal contacts with the General Board of Church and Society Peace with Justice Special Program. The General Board of Church and Society Peace with Justice Special Program office is in regular contact with these coordinators, by telephone, mail, and through visits. Coordinators also keep the General Board of Church and Society Peace with Justice Special Program up-to-date on activities in the annual conferences. Peace with Justice Coordinators are both lay and clergypersons. Annual briefings, retreats, issue-related events, regular newsletters, and activities at the annual conference meetings are among some of the many activities coordinated by these dedicated people.
Peace with Justice Educators are General Board of Global Ministries missionaries on home leave for six months to two years and are placed in an annual conference to interpret peace and justice issues and serve as peace and justice resource people. Their global mission background provides theological and experiential validity to their Unites States based peace and justice work. Working directly with the annual conference leadership, the educators travel throughout the annual conference speaking in local churches in worship, church school classes, at special events, and to United Methodist Youth Fellowship, United Methodist Women's and United Methodist Men's groups. Educators also provide leadership at a number of district and conference-wide events. This program has been very successful, including raising Peace with Justice Offering receipts in the annual conferences which have hosted an educator.
Peace Advocates are individuals who have distinguished themselves as Peace with Justice resource people for their local churches and communities. There are over 1,300 Peace Advocates around the country. The Peace Advocate Program was initiated by the General Board of Discipleship, but is now resourced cooperatively with the General Board of Church and Society Peace with Justice Special Program.
Covenant Congregations are local churches who have publicly proclaimed their desire for peace with justice. These congregations have incorporated peace and justice into the whole life of the church through worship, prayer, study, and action. Currently there are 46 Covenant Congregations around the United States.
The Peace with Justice Network incorporates the above mentioned components, in addition to other United Methodists around the country who subscribe to our quarterly Peace with Justice Newsletter produced by the General Board of Church and Society Peace with Justice Special Program. Membership in the network now numbers over 2,700.
Peace with Justice Certification is under development. The goal is to offer certification for both Diaconal Ministers and lay church members. Certification for Diaconal Ministers is being developed collaboratively with the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry. Discussions have occurred with several United Methodist seminaries about the possible required coursework for Peace with Justice certification. Upon completing certification criteria, individuals will serve in local churches and communities, districts, and annual conferences.
Peace with Justice Sunday is the one General Conference mandated date in United Methodism when congregations lift up peace and justice ministries and concerns. This celebration continues to grow, with orders for materials from United Methodist Communications (which provides most of the printed resources) increasing, as well as the offering. Receipts have gone up an average of 7.25% every year, providing funding for both the annual conference Peace with Justice Special Program, which retains 50% of the receipts, and that of the General Board of Church and Society. The General Board of Church and Society Peace with Justice Special Program also provides resources for this Special Sunday celebration.
Peace with Justice Week continues to be an ecumenical celebration with widespread United Methodist participation. Coordination of United Methodist participation is handled jointly through the Peace with Justice Week office in New York and the General Board of Church and Society Peace with Justice Special Program.
The Role and Mandate of the General Board of Church and Society
Implementation of the United Methodist Social Principles and policy statements in The Book of Resolutions is the responsibility of the General Board of Church and Society. As a result, the Peace with Justice Special Program fits well within this mission of acting on these expressions of social concern. The Book of Discipline states: The board shall develop, promote, and distribute resources and conduct programs to inform, motivate, train, organize, and build networks for action toward social justice throughout society, particularly on the specific social issues prioritized by the board. Special attention shall be given to nurturing the active constituency of the board by encouraging any exchange of ideas on strategy and methodology for social change and enabling church members through conferences, districts, coalitions, and networks to identify and respond to critical social issues at the community, state and regional level. (¶ 1104, page 483, The Book of Discipline, 1992)
Funding
Funding for the program comes primarily from the Peace with Justice Special Sundav Offering, with the General Board of Church and Society and other program agencies contributing some funds as well.
Impact on Other Programs
As described above, the impact on other programs of the General Board of Church and Society if this proposal is approved, will only be to enhance and strengthen the Board's work revolving around the Social Principles and other policy statements.
Relationship of the Proposed Special to Annual Conferences and Local Churches
The Peace with Justice Special Program of the General Board of Church and Society is inextricably linked with that of the annual conferences and local churches. One of the primary reasons for the existence of this program is to resource the annual conferences and local churches. The extent of these relationships has been described above in more detail.
Administration
The administration of the Peace with Justice Special Program is incorporated into the structure of the General Board of Church and Society, with the Board providing and paying the salary of the staff director, secretarial support and additional staff support as needed. The Peace with Justice Special Program Director works hand-in-hand with other General Board of Church and Society staff, with staff from other program agencies, and with annual conference contacts to fully coordinate the Peace with Justice Special Program.
Achievements
Achievements of the Peace with Justice Special Program will include more frequent and diverse annual conference programming, more local church involvement, and continued increases in the number of churches celebrating Peace with Justice Sunday, resulting in continued increases in the Offering. Members of the United Methodist Church will better understand how working for shalom--Peace with Justice--is a responsibility for all Christians.
Part III
Reports from the General Council on Ministries to the 1996 General Conference
This portion of the report of the General Council on Ministries presents a series of reports by GCOM relating to work done under its responsibilities in The Book of Discipline, 1992 and/or from special assignments by the 1992 General Conference. The items reported here require no General Conference action, but are presented to be received by the General Conference as reports of specifically assigned work of the GCOM.
General Conference Webmaster: Susan Brumbaugh
PETS Creator: John Brawn
Petition Text: 21686-GJ-NonDis-O
1996 United Methodist General Conference