wfn.org | Newsline: Historic Peace Churches plan N. American gathering

[cobnews <cobnews@brethren.org>]

Newsline: Church of the Brethren News Service -- Dec. 5, 2008
Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, News Director
800-323-8039 ext. 260 -- cobnews@brethren.org

HISTORIC PEACE CHURCHES TO HOLD NORTH AMERICAN GATHERING

(Dec. 5, 2008) Elgin, IL -- The Historic Peace Churches are planning a meet ing in Philadelphia, Pa., on Jan. 13-17, 2009, titled "Heeding God's Call:  A Gathering on Peace." The by-invitation meeting is a joint effort of the C hurch of the Brethren, the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Soc iety of Friends, and the Mennonite Church USA. The event is supported in pa rt by a grant from the Shoemaker Fund.

Each sponsoring group will bring 100 delegates, with another 100 participan ts coming from other Christian denominations and groups including member co mmunions of the National Council of Churches. Participant-observers from th e Jewish and Muslim faiths have been invited.

Participants will consider three focus statements: "Inspiring HOPE--remembe ring/reconnecting with our faith that peace IS possible," "Raising VOICES-- raising our voices to lament the terrible suffering and violence in the wor ld and to witness to the possibility of justice and peace for all the world  (near and far)," and "Taking ACTION--to make a new thing, to act in the wo rld in ways that bring this reign of justice and peace ever closer."

Events will take place at a historic Quaker meetinghouse, the Arch Street M eeting House located near Independence Hall in Philadelphia. The schedule w ill include worship, plenary sessions, workshops, and panel discussions. A  closing day of public witness and community action will be carried out with  faith communities in the greater Philadelphia area, with a focus on ending  gun violence and as a way to remember the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.

Vincent Harding, noted author and activist, will be a leader for the event,  along with James Forbes, pastor emeritus of the Riverside Church, who will  speak for the opening of the gathering. Plenary speakers are Ched Myers, a uthor of "Binding the Strong Man" and director of Bartimaeus Cooperative Mi nistries, and Alexie Torres Fleming, founder and executive director of Yout h Ministries for Peace and Justice in the Bronx, N.Y.

Philadelphia-area faith communities in the city and suburbs are invited to  join with the gathering on Jan. 17 for a public witness. The witness will i nclude meetings in houses of worship, and a rally in front of a Philadelphi a gun store notorious for selling weapons used to threaten, wound, and kill . The witness will call for retailers of firearms to adopt a sensible Code  of Conduct to reduce illegal trafficking of handguns. To register for the p ublic witness on Jan. 17 or for more information about the public witness,  contact saturday@peacegathering2009.org or 267-519-5302.

Church of the Brethren representatives who have been a part of the planning  and organizing of the conference include Church of the Brethren General Se cretary Stan Noffsinger, and On Earth Peace Executive Director Bob Gross, w ho have served on the advisory committee. The steering committee has includ ed Phil Jones, director of the Brethren Witness/Washington Office, and On E arth Peace board members Don Mitchell and Jordan Blevins.

The gathering's Prayer and Pastoral Care task group hopes to have large num bers of faithful people praying for the event and for peace in the world on  Sunday, Jan. 11. "We hope that your congregation will join in an ever wide ning circle of prayer for this event," said an invitation from the task gro up. "We invite you to join in praying for this event in the certain faith t hat the Gathering will be drawn by your prayers more fully into God's guidi ng presence."

Go to www.peacegathering2009.org for more information, or contact Phil Jone s at the Brethren Witness/Washington Office, pjones_gb@brethren.org.

The Church of the Brethren is a Christian denomination committed to continu ing the work of Jesus peacefully and simply, and to living out its faith in  community. The denomination is based in the Anabaptist and Pietist faith t raditions and is one of the three Historic Peace Churches. It celebrates it s 300th anniversary in 2008. It counts more than 125,000 members across the  United States and Puerto Rico, and has missions and sister churches in Nig eria, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and India.

># # #

>For more information contact:

>Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford
>Director of News Services
>Church of the Brethren
>1451 Dundee Ave., Elgin, IL 60120
>800-323-8039 ext. 260
>cobnews@brethren.org

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