Sunday, May 26th — “Peace with Justice” is a denomination-wide celebration intended to raise awareness that even in a world plagued by war and terror, violence and destruction, people of faith have a clear call to build peace with justice. Special offering will be taken.
The United Methodist Social Principles call us to love our enemies, seek justice, and serve as reconcilers of conflict. We insist that the first moral duty of all nations is to work together to resolve by peaceful means every dispute that arises between or among them.
The United Methodist Church, with its historic commitment to peace and justice, can and should provide leadership to this social transformation. The General Board of Church and Society Church holds a non-governmental, consultative status with the United Nations. This status allows us to participate in UN meetings, consultations and conferences. We recognize and renew our call for social transformation, for the quest to open the doors of opportunity for all, to distribute resources more equitably, and to provide better care for persons in need.
An offering is taken on this Special Sunday to support programs and ministries to educate, equip and mobilize actions in support of identified Economic, Health, and Gender Justice Priorities. Last year, your generosity delivered $144 thousand towards these ministries:
▶ Fifty percent
of the funds collected on Peace with Justice Sunday remain in the Annual Conference to develop and strengthen social justice ministries within the local conference. Our Book of Discipline (paragraph 629) requires each Annual Conference have a conference board of Church and Society (or its equivalent) and a Peace with Justice Coordinator. The conference coordinator works to provide educational resources, building and sustaining relationships, and help mobilize networks to engage in social advocacy and action.
▶ Fifty percent
of the donations collected fund national and international peacemaking ministries and grants. We achieve peace with justice efforts by working with the World Council of Churches, interfaith and ecumenical bodies, and secular organizations for social-justice policies and programs that seek the wholeness of shalom for all of God’s people. Three different grants are created and made available to United Methodist congregations and organizations that support Ethnic/Minority Local Church ministries, and programs related to the Peace with Justice Sunday.
One of the wonderful aspects of The United Methodist Church is that we can do so much more together than we ever could do on our own. Your generosity provides funding to strengthen and foster just, equitable and durable solutions to the root causes of conflict.