The International Ecumenical Peace Convocation, held in Kingston, Jamaica, finished on 25 May, 2011, bringing to conclusion 9 days of workshops, speeches and discussions. The Convocation marked the end of the World Council of Churches' initiative, the Decade to Overcome Violence. The Uniting Church in Australia was represented at the Convocation by the Rev. Dr Chris Walker, and the Rev. Terence Corkin.
Upon his return, the Rev. Dr Chris Walker reported that the Covocation had been an exciting and heartening time, and offered the following description of the event:
“Glory to God and Peace on Earth”: this was the theme of the International Ecumenical Peace Convocation organised by the World Council of Churches and held in
We met on the campus of the University of the
We celebrated the Decade to Overcome Violence recognising the gains and acknowledging that we are on a journey towards peace with justice. At the inaugural Assembly of the World Council of Churches in
At the convocation we encountered one another and shared ideas and experiences through plenary sessions, workshops, Bible studies, visits to local ministries, cultural events, music and drama, prayer and worship, and conversations around meal tables. I had the privilege of conducting a workshop and being a Bible study leader.
As we gathered in
We acknowledged that Christians have often been complicit in systems of violence and injustice and asked God’s forgiveness and renewal that we might be agents and advocates of just peace.
We discussed a draft of a message of the conference in groups and then more than 70 people made comments which were taken into account in the final message. It contains statements such as the following. “War should become illegal,” “churches must help in identifying the everyday choices that can end abuse and promote human rights, gender justice, climate justice, economic justice, unity and peace,” “peace education must move to the centre of every curriculum in schools, seminaries and universities.” “We join global civil society in urging governments to reconstruct radically all our economic activities towards the goal of an ecologically sustainable economy.” “It is a scandal that enormous amounts of money are spent on military budgets and toward providing weapons for allies and the arms trade while this money is urgently needed to eradicate poverty around the globe.” “We are moving beyond the doctrine of just war towards a commitment to just peace. It requires moving from exclusive concepts of national security to safety for all. This includes a day-to-day responsibility to prevent, that is, to avoid violence at its root.” “We advocate total nuclear disarmament and control of the proliferation of small arms.” “We as churches are in a position to teach non violence to the powerful, if only we dare. For we are followers of one who came as a helpless infant, died on the cross, told us to lay aside our swords, taught us to love our enemies and was resurrected from the dead.”
The challenge for all of us at the conference was to take the ideas and intentions expressed, pass them on to our churches and seek to implement them in our context. My hope is that people across the UCA will see peacemaking as a vital component of our discipleship and led by God’s Spirit we will all become more informed and committed to seeking just peace in our world.
For further information on the Convocation, please click on the following links to visit the World Council of Churches' Decade to Overcome Violence website:
Peace Convocation Opens with Strong Calls from Global Voices
Dislike the evil, love the individual, King says
In Highly Violent Communities, Peace Advocates Hold Out Hope
An Environmental Agenda for the Churches
Finding the Strength to Persue a Just Peace
Outcomes of IEPC Will Help Inspire Local Peacemakers, Says WCC General Secretary