What can the church do about violence in the homes, schools, and communities of America and about war in the world? Are we doomed to descend ever-deeper into rage on the road, revenge in the workplace, and ruin in the home? A new church-based initiative believes that the time has come for Christians in the United States and around the world to unite in search of a creative response to the problem of violence.
Every Church A Peace Church is a movement to nurture and organize the church's response to the global problem of violence. It is a call to Christians not only to believe in Jesus, but to believe Jesus when he says "blessed are those who hunger and thirst to see justice prevail"; "blessed are the peacemakers"; and "love your enemies." It is a call to action based on this simple proposition: The church could turn the world toward peace if every congregation lived and taught as Jesus lived and taught.
Looking at the church's historical record and present performance, one could ask, Does anyone really believe that the church could turn the world toward peace? Every Church A Peace Church aims to give voice to those Christians who do believe that the church could turn the world toward peace. It structures a broad and energizing conversation with Christians and churches open to the possibility of uniting belief and action. It is a vision of transforming cultures of violence into cultures of peace through the power of nonviolence.
Every Church A Peace Church is an initiative of the historic peace churches, numerous denominations, and peace fellowships to develop a global network of creative nonviolence across the entire Christian spectrum. It taps underutilized resources such as Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy of active nonviolence, moving that legacy in Christian thinking from a museum piece to a plan of action.
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