The Journal of the Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America January-March 2015 - (Page 4)

From The Board & sTaFF A Theological Statement: Reflection on Our Convictions & Motivation From the BPFNA ~ Bautistas por la Paz Witnessing to God's peace rooted in justice ~ Working together until it comes. Testificando sobre la paz de Dios enraizada en justicia ~ Trabajando hasta que llegue. S cattered like salt across Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico and the United States, we are a movement of individuals and congregations from a wide variety of cultures and Baptist heritages, who share a common call to witness to God's peace- which is to say peace rooted in justice, this-worldly peace "on earth as it is in heaven." Since its inception as the Baptist Pacifist Fellowship in 1939, our organization has sought to build a culture of peace rooted in justice. Begun in response to the stated needs of conscientious objectors, as the Baptist Peace Fellowship it continued to address issues of war and injustice in the years following World War II. The current organization was founded in 1984, with the desire to provide international perspectives on peace and justice concerns by bringing together Baptist peacemakers from four nations. Today, we come together from around the globe for Peace Camps, Friendship Tours, training programs and other activities. We are not large in numbers, nor do we look to numbers for our strength, but we prefer to trust in prayer, truth and love. Our message is simple. Christ came not only to bring spiritual reconciliation, but also to initiate a redeemed and healed social order, as he proclaimed at the beginning of his ministry: "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because God has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. God has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of God's favor." (Luke 4:18-19 GNV, adapted). We are convinced that Jesus came not only for personal salvation and the transformation of individual lives, but also to empower the poor, liberate the oppressed, set free the captive and pronounce a new day of home and grace for all of creation. As we seek to follow Jesus, we take up this message of liberation and reconciliation. We give witness to the reality of this new creation in Christ, with our words, our actions and our resources. We believe that witness begins at home. We acknowledge and strive to overcome our histories of oppression, which have 4 Baptist Peacemaker JAN-MAR 2015 distorted life within our families and churches, even as they have in our nations and the larger world. We commit ourselves to listen to one another as we seek God's guidance in scripture and learn one another's stories and contexts. We also commit ourselves to work together in concrete ways. We respond to Christ's call to action. We employ the methods of nonviolent Conflict Transformation, negotiation and direct action as alternatives to violent conflict and war. We join our efforts to resist what Baptist minister and global peace advocate Martin "We learn from experience that following Jesus in the joyful path of peace rooted in justice calls us to risk, to sacrifice and sometimes to make challenging choices in our daily lives." Luther King, Jr. identified as the triumvirate of evil: racism, militarism and materialism. We understand this "freedom to struggle" to be the Christian vocation, for to respond to suffering which destroys humanity is to do God's work in the world. Trusting in God's grace, we turn to Jesus' teachings for inspiration and as a guide to life. We learn from experience that following Jesus in the joyful path of peace rooted in justice calls us to risk, to sacrifice and sometimes to make challenging choices in our daily lives. We embrace this reality. We know we are not alone in the struggle: the Spirit of God unites us; the crucified and risen Jesus walks beside us. Witnessing and working for peace rooted in justice is a journey of faith and love-it is a pilgrimage of grace. The goals of our organization are threefold, to * Gather together to mutually strengthen and support one another's witness and work in international and regional gatherings which include community prayer, education, fellowship and song; * Equip individuals, regional groups and congregations with tools for spoken witness and the hands-on work of peace rooted in justice; and *Mobilize individuals, groups and churches, in response to pressing concerns-guided by the wisdom of those whose realities are local to the concern at hand.

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Journal of the Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America January-March 2015

No Longer Strangers: The BPFNA’s New Strategic Plan
A Reflection On Our Convictions & Motivation
Board Welcomes Kadia Edwards as Young Adult Representative
Baptists, Others Respond to Ebola Crisis
Gimme Shelter: My Vocation as a Peacemaker
Kidnapping of Students Leads to Outrage in Mexico
Parting Thoughts
With the Beating of Our Hearts: Bearing Witness to Other’s Pain
Dispatches from Ferguson: A Two-Part Account of a Week in St. Louis
The Gospel Is Not a Neutral Term: Excerpts from an Interview with Rev. Osagyefo Uhuru Seko
Selma, 50 Years Later: A Memoir
Imaging, Journeying & Standing before One Creation, Part 1: Who Shaped My Image of Creation?
BPFNA Receives Grant for Justice Work on the US/Mexico Border
Central African Republic Rebel Groups Train for Peace
The Global Influence of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Resources & Opportunities
Keep It Real

The Journal of the Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America January-March 2015