A Just Peace Church

First Congregational United Church of Christ,
A Just Peace Church

What "Just Peace" Means to Us

"Courage in the struggle for justice and peace" is one of the powerful affirmations in the United Church of Christ Statement of Faith. It is central to the identity of our church; one of our most ardent prayers and richest blessings. To be part of the United Church of Christ is to be part of the struggle for justice and peace.

In June of 1985, the Fifteenth General Synod of the United Church of Christ took two important actions to strengthen this identity. They declared Justice and Peace to be a priority of the church for the next four years, and they passed a Pronouncement "Affirming the United Church of Christ to be a Just Peace Church." The Synod then called on local churches and conferences to organize their common life so as to make a difference in the achieving of a Just Peace and the ending of the institution of war. In typical UCC fashion, this Pronouncement culminated four years of study by a Peace Theology Development Team as it sought to discover and develop the theological roots of the peacemaking identity of the United Church of Christ. A further result of this study is the book, A Just Peace Church, edited by Susan Thistlethwaite, which discusses the Biblical, theological and historical position of the UCC as a peacemaking church and takes several giant steps forward in understanding this position. This book defines a Just Peace as "shalom, the interrelation of friendship, justice and common security from violence, underlining the linkage between peace and justice with the phrase 'A Just Peace,' and insisting that the search for disarmament and conflict resolution must be accompanied by the search for justice."

In 1989, the General Synod priority for a Just Peace was extended to include environmental concerns and was called the priority for Integrity of Creation, Justice and Peace.

In December 1987, the Peace Advocacy Group of First Congregational Church, UCC, Corvallis presented a proposal to the Church Council for an all church study of the United Church of Christ priority for Justice and Peace to determine what it might mean to the life of our congregation. This proposal was accepted by the Council and a committee was appointed to carry out the recommended study. The Peace Priority Committee met regularly over the next two years and, at the May 1990 Annual Meeting, presented a report and proposal which was adopted by the congregation. At that time we covenanted with God and with each other to seek the ways of justice and peace as follows:

"As a congregation of the church of Jesus Christ, we recognize that God is calling us to be about the work of bringing justice and making peace in our world, in our community and in ourselves. Confessing that this call challenges our individual and corporate lives, we covenant among ourselves and with God, to seek the ways of Justice and Peace, so as to make a difference in our lives and the lives of all who experience injustice and violence in our community, and the world, and to reach out to those people and to understand those problems and issues which are often overlooked."

First Congregational United Church of Christ of Corvallis has a long history of involvement in issues of social, economic and political justice. An active Social Action Committee and then the Board of Outreach Missions has operated for many years as a moving force within the congregation and wider community for education and involvement in the migrant ministry, hunger issues, refugee resettlement, and many other areas. For several years, a Peace Advocacy Group was a lively part of our church which met monthly for after-worship potlucks to discuss issues of peace and justice, bringing in many informative speakers and encouraging the congregation to take action relative to our faith. As mentioned earlier, it was this group that began the effort toward our becoming a Just Peace Church. Also, our congregation has always been well represented in all service organizations in the community, working for the poor, the disadvantaged and marginal citizens of our society. Declaring ourselves a Just Peace Church was not an unprecedented move. This action was a recognition of our identity as a congregation already concerned with God's call to be peacemakers and a statement of our determination to be more intentional in our worship, programs and activities to develop our identity as a Just Peace Church.

When we accepted the Just Peace Covenant for First Congregational UCC, Corvallis, we agreed to concentrate our efforts in the following areas which define our present understanding of what it means for us to be a Just Peace Church:

Spiritual Witness

	To include regularly in our corporate worship scripture, prayer sermons and special offerings and speakers on the issues of justice and peace.
	To seek in our daily congregational life to act as a people centered in justice and peace as expressions of God's love.
	To endeavor to treat employees fairly and justly in personnel practices and be welcoming and accepting in hiring of personnel.

Education and Theology

	To encourage our members to study scripture concerning God's call to peace and justice.
	To include a yearly unit in the church school focusing on just peace concerns.
	To plan forums and seminars on parenting for peace and justice, conflict resolution, economic justice, corporate responsibility and global and local issues of injustice, including environmental concerns.

Stewardship of Resources

	To continue to support and promote UCC offerings funding Justice and Peace ministries.
	To study and consider responsible use of personal and corporate investments to further justice and peace and the integrity of creation.
	To study and consider personnel and corporate expenditures in light of the vision of a just peace church.

Community Witness

	To support and encourage our members to volunteer their time in local and national programs of peace, justice and the integrity of creation.
	To participate in local and national ecumenical activities on appropriate issues.
	To seek local press coverage of our efforts for justice and peace.

The 1991 Annual Meeting of this church voted to include a Just Peace Committee in our bylaws under Standing Committees and, at that time, persons were elected to serve rotating three-year terms. This committee meets three to four times a year to oversee the implementation of the Just Peace principles in the four categories described above. The Just Peace Committee is responsible for allocation of funds received in our annual Just Peace Offering and for maintaining and communicating the vision of shalom which is the living out of a Just Peace.

To be a Just Peace Church is to be always striving to learn how to live a vision of Peace and Justice and the Integrity of Creation. It is to understand that we are all dependent upon each other, upon a sustaining creation and upon the God who cares and strives with us. As Christians, we look to Jesus Christ as the model of God's promises and hopes for the world. We pray that our limited endeavors as a community of Jesus Christ will make a difference for us and for those who share this world with us.