Newsline: Historic Peace Churches plan conference in Latin America

[CoBNews <CoBNews@brethren.org>]

Newsline: Church of the Brethren News Service, News Director Cheryl
Brumbaugh-Cayford, 800-323-8039 ext. 260, cobnews@brethren.org

HISTORIC PEACE CHURCHES HOLD CONFERENCE ON 'HUNGER FOR PEACE' IN 
LATIN AMER ICA

(Oct. 28, 2010) Elgin, IL -- "Hunger for Peace: Faces, Paths, 
Cultures" is  the theme of a conference of the Historic Peace 
Churches in Latin America,  to held in Santo Domingo, the Dominican 
Republic, from Nov. 28-Dec. 2.

The Historic Peace Churches include the Church of the Brethren, 
Mennonites,  and the Society of Friends (Quakers). This is the fifth 
in a series of His toric Peace Church conferences that have taken 
place in Asia, Africa, Europ e, and North America. The series of 
conferences is part of the Decade to Ov ercome Violence (DOV), an 
initiative of the World Council of Churches.

The "Hunger for Peace" conference will combine personal storytelling, 
Bible  study, and theological reflection about the way that Christian 
faith addre sses the violence of human lives. Invited participants 
will come from Argen tina, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, 
Costa Rica, Cuba, the DR, E cuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, 
Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua , Paraguay, Puerto Rico, the US, 
and Venezuela.

In addition to presentations, worship, and sharing of experiences, 
particip ants will tour the Colonial Zone of Santo Domingo, 
reflecting on divergent  religious traditions expressed in the 
colonizing of the Americas where one  tradition legitimized 
exploitation while another raised a prophetic voice f or human 
rights. The latter will be celebrated in the 500th anniversary (15 
11-2011) of the sermon preached by the Dominican Friar Antonio 
Montesinos i n the Santo Domingo Cathedral calling for just and 
humane treatment of the  native Taino people.

Speakers at the conference will include Heredio Santos, a Quaker from 
Cuba;  Alexandre Gonçalves, a theologian and pastor in the Church of 
the Brethr en in Brazil, and a national coordinator of a nonprofit 
organization that w orks to sensitize and prevent the abuse of 
children; Elizabeth Soto, a Menn onite professor, pastor, and 
theologian from Puerto Rico, currently living  in the US, who also 
has served in churches and theological seminaries in Co lombia; and 
John Driver, Mennonite professor, theologian, and missiologist  from 
the US who has served in Latin American and Caribbean countries as 
wel l as in Spain, and has authored various books.

The opening and closing worship services will be open to the public. 
The op ening worship will be held Nov. 28 at 11 a.m. at Luz y Vida 
Evangelical Men nonite Church on Avenida Mexico in Santo Domingo, 
where the sermon given by  Alix Lozano, Mennonite pastor and leader 
from Colombia. The closing servic e will be Dec. 2 at 7:30 p.m. at 
Nueva Uncion Church of the Brethren on Cal le Regino Castro in 
Mendoza, where the sermon will be given by Marcos Inhau ser, a pastor 
and the Church of the Brethren's mission coordinator for Braz il.

Webcasts will be offered from several sessions of the conference. 
Viewers w ill be able to connect at 
www.bethanyseminary.edu/webcasts/PeaceConf2010.