wfn.org | Peace conference opens in Philadelphia

["Philip Jenks" <pjenks@ncccusa.org>]

Kinnamon, Forbes Open Peace Gathering With Calls for Unity and Celebration

>By Jordan Blevins

Philadelphia, January 14, 2008 - Heeding God's Call: A Gathering on  Peace, convened by the Church of the Brethren, Philadelphia Yearly  Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, and Mennonite Church USA,  opened here Tuesday, seeking to raise voices, inspire hope, and take  action.

More than 300 people of faith committed to working for peace in this  world have come together to share in times of worship, hear from  speakers and panels, and work together to bring a message of peace to  the global community.

The Rev. Dr. Michael Kinnamon, General Secretary of the National Council  of Churches, USA, brought greetings of peace from the broader ecumenical  movement.

"The church's calling is to be a demonstration project of God's gift of  peace," Kinnamon said, "and the fact that Christians are so obviously  fragmented and co-opted by the powers of the world is what drives the  ecumenical movement ... We are Christians: recipients of the gift of  peace. We are Christians: called to be ambassadors of reconciliation by  the way we live with one another. May it be so, even here, even now."

The full text of Kinnamon's address is at  http://www.ncccusa.org/news/MK.heedinggodscall.html

The Rev. James Forbes, former pastor of The Riverside Church in New  York, preached at an opening worship service.

Forbes called on delegates to  "count out blessings and sing  praise...acknowledge our need and open our hearts to receive...and offer  ourselves and our gifts to be part of God's package of favors to those  in need."

The delegates to this  conference, an ecumenical group representing  more than 15 faith communities, will spend the next 4 days with one  another in a combination of worship, plenary sessions, workshops,  sharing in small groups, and panel discussions, and exploring the faith  basis of their peace testimonies. They will raise up current peace work  and witness; and examine how they might better support and engage each  other in ongoing peace work, as well as in creating new opportunities to  witness together for a more peaceful world. 

The conference will end Saturday by engaging with the broader faith  community in Philadelphia in a demonstration against gun violence in the  city.

Jordan Blevins is assistant director of the National Council of Churches  Eco-Justice program in Washington.
NCC News contact:  Philip E. Jenks, 212-870-2228, NCCnews@ncccusa.org

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