Annual Report 1998
Preface
The Church and Peace movement
is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 1999. A European network of 75
corporate and individual members has emerged from the initial discussions
following World War II between representatives of the Historic Peace Churches
and the mainline churches in Europe. The founding of Eirene, an international
Christian peace service organisation, and Ecumenical Services, a training
organisation for "peace ministers", was an integral part of this
development.
Today Church and Peace
continues to provide theological grounding for Christian peacemaking and
pacifism and to give shape to prophetic witness by moving from theological
belief to peace action. Persons in the Church and Peace network are involved in
crisis prevention, nonviolent conflict resolution, social justice promotion and
work for peace and understanding between groups and peoples in conflict. For
example, together with partner churches and organisations, some of our member
organisations have been active for years in the countries of the former
Yugoslavia in refugee assistance, trauma counseling for children, youth and
adults, reconstruction and development of civil society.
Interest in our work continues
to grow. More and more people are asking how they as individual Christians and
as faith communities can promote peace and justice: How can we contribute to
ethnic conflict being resolved without the use of violence? What possibilities
do we have to prevent crisis and deal with tensions? What skills and theological
foundation can and should we as Christians and members of Christian groups
develop in order to actively participate in the construction of a just society
in which minority groups are not marginalized and human rights are
respected?
In crisis situations such as
the recent fighting in Kosovo/Kosova, the attempt at creating such just
societies demands that we unceasingly seek solutions through relationship
building and dialogue with the involved parties. This is inseparable from the
continual search for all of the truth in such situations and the need to change
our ideas about former enemies. For, as Keith Clements, General Secretary of the
Conference of European Churches, emphasised in his sermon during Church and
Peace's anniversary celebration, establishing truth is the first step to
nurturing a lasting peace.
This year we have produced a
more comprehensive annual report for the first time to give an account of our
activities. This overview of 1998 and the beginning of 1999 should give you a
feel for what Church and Peace's priorities are and how our work is structured
and financed. We hope that you will continue to support and contribute to our
work, particularly in view of the increasing difficulty we have given our
limited resources in responding to the inquiries we receive and fulfilling our
other many tasks. Thus we are dependent on your assistance in the future and
look forward to working together with you as we enter the next
millennium.
May the Peace of God accompany
you on your way and give you the strength to overcome walls of division and seek
reconciliation.
Christian Hohmann, Church and
Peace General Secretary
"Therefore, love Truth and Peace"
Church and Peace 50th anniversary symposium
These words of the prophet
Zechariah (8:19b) challenged the Church and Peace network in its reflections on
50 years of peace witness and ecumenical dialogue and its planning for the
future. The shadow of genocide in Kosovo, NATO bombings and hundreds of
thousands of desperate refugees presented pressing evidence to those assembled
for Church and Peace's anniversary symposium in May, 1999, of the need for the
Church to take seriously Zechariah's words. What does it mean to live as
Christian communities of peace in a world where violence and hatred explode on a
regular basis?
Church and Peace members and
friends have been involved for many years in reconciliation, mediation and
justice work in areas of tension and conflict, whether in their home communities
or elsewhere. The anniversary symposium illustrated the importance that
exchanging experiences and theological grounding have for such work - support
and resources which Church and Peace seeks to provide. In response to the truths
gathered throughout the weekend concerning the war in Kosovo, the Church and
Peace network recommitted itself to living as peace churches and invites all
communities of faith to share this vision and life.
1998 In Review
Jan
C&P Britain and Ireland
participates in meeting of Ecumenical Spirituality Project
Mar
C&P co-sponsors meeting on
conscientious ob jection in Deva, Romania
April
C&P attends
50th anniversary celebration of the Pax Christi German
branch
May
C&P participates in the
Peace Festival at Coventry Cathedral
June
C&P visits the
International Fellowship of Reconciliation, the Dutch Mennonite Peace Group
(DVG) and the Peace Church in Enschede, the Netherlands
C&P participates in the
Peace Services Forum at the German Catholic Church Assembly in Mainz,
Germany
C&P Eastern Europe takes
part in a seminar on conscientious objection (CO) in Belgrade organised by the
Yugoslavian Bureau for CO (YUBCO)
C&P English-language
regional conference "Reconciliation: God's Gift, Our Task". Conference results
in an open letter to the churches in Britain and Ireland
Anne Malins starts work as
Administrator in Britain and Ireland.
July
C&P staff meet with board
members of the German Mennonite Peace Committee in Laufdorf,
Germany
C&P distributes material
at the Greenbelt Festival in Gloucester-shire (UK)
Aug
C&P International Office
staff meet with German National Council of Churches workers at the Ecumenical
Centre in Frankfurt, Germany
Sept
C&P Francophone regional
conference "Urban Violence: A Challenge for the Churches?" at the Centre Alain
de Boismenu near Lyons, France
C&P participation at the
Rhineland Protestant Church Assembly in Trier, Germany
Oct
C&P Germanic regional
conference "Beyond Our Utmost Understanding?" and organisation of first C&P
Germanic regional coordination group
C&P General Secretary
visits the Corrymeela Community, the St. Columbanus Community and members of the
Quaker House in Belfast
C&P Francophone regional
coordinator assists in preparations for the Autumn Assembly of the Protestant
Churches in Alsace
C&P sends an observer to
the annual business meeting of the European Mennonite Peace Committee
(EMFK)
Visit from Mennonite Central
Committee Executive Director Ron Mathies
Nov
Planning of the Peace Week
(Friedensdekade) in Wetzlar, Germany
Dec
C&P co-organises an
information stand and two seminars in the Pardare at the WCC 8th
Assembly in Harare, Zimbabwe
Jan 99
C&P assumes responsibility
for running the Liaison Centre for Ecumenical Services (JPIC)
Blaise Amstutz begins one-year
term of service at C&P International Office
Dora Vaik and David Fulep
begin work as co-coordinators in Eastern Europe
C&P presence at the Annual
General Meeting of FoR France (Fellowship of Reconciliation)
Mar 99
C&P assists in
preparations for the annual French Mennonite "Sunday for Peace"
C&P takes part in a
meeting of the association of French Protestant communities
(DRC)
May 99
Publication of first issue in
new C&P theological pamphlet series
Six new members join C&P
at the Annual General Meeting
155 persons participate in
C&P 50th anniversary symposium "love Truth and Peace" near Basel,
Switzerland
Standing for Truth
TURN TO GOD - REJOICE IN
HOPE
Church and Peace was present
in the Padare (Marketplace) at the 8th Full Assembly of the World Council of
Churches in December 1998 in Harare, Zimbabwe, as a part of a coalition of
several Christian peace groups and service agencies. In addition to distributing
information about specific aspects of Christian peace witness such as mediation
and voluntary service, the coalition orga nised two seminars on active Christian
peacemaking in situations of conflict.
TOWARDS A EUROPE FOR
JUSTICE
Church and Peace played an
advisory role in the publication of the European Kairos Document. Following the
example of Christians in South Africa, Central America, South Korea and the
Philippeans, members of the European ecumenical movement created a network to
work for equitable economic standards worldwide. Church and Peace provided
theological guidance for the document and continues to support the network
Kairos Europe.
JUBILEE 2000
CAMPAIGN
Church and Peace has joined
this global campaign for debt cancellation for the world's poorest countries. On
a regional level Church and Peace has helped to organise awareness-raising
events and took part in a demonstration in Cologne during the G8 summit.
PROGRAMME TO OVERCOME
VIOLENCE
Church and Peace has been a
part of this World Council of Churches' programme since its beginning and
provided theological input for its development. Church and Peace will be
discussing how it can be involved in the WCC Decade to Overcome Violence to
start in 2001.
NOBEL PEACE PRIZE LAUREATES'
APPEAL
Church and Peace is a
signatory of this appeal which resulted in the decla-ration by the United
Nations Economic and Social Council of an international decade for a "Culture of
Peace and Nonviolence for the Children of the World".
THEOLOGY AND PEACE Responding
to the need for peace theology resources is an increasing priority for Church
and Peace. 1998 saw the development of a new pamphlet series devoted to
publishing important papers exploring the theo-logical basis for peacemaking
activities. Church and Peace continues to produce a quarterly journal reporting
news of individuals, churches, communities and organisations com-mitted to the
peace church vision.
Regional Highlights 1998
To study war no more....
Eastern Europe
Ensuring the right to
conscientious objection to war has long been an emphasis of the Eastern European
region of Church and Peace. This past year regional staff and members of the
Hungarian Catholic Bokor Movement concentrated their efforts in Romania and the
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. A meeting in April co-organised by Church and
Peace, the BOCS Foundation (Bokor Movement) and Youth Action for Peace in
Romania brought together Catholics and Orthodox interested in campaigning for
legislation recognising the right to alternative service.
Other regional activities
include initiating and strengthening contacts with peace groups in the Balkans,
raising awareness concerning the situation of Hungarians in Voivodina and
educating about the ramifications of NATO membership. With the recent warfare in
the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, the challenge to the church to live out
Christ's calling to nonviolence and active witness for peace takes on an even
greater urgency.
Reconciliation: God's Gift, Our Task
Britain and Ireland
What is the biblical basis for
Christian peacemaking? How do we realise God's promise of a peaceable society?
With questions such as these the English-speaking regional conference continued
the path of reconciliation begun at the 2nd European Ecumenical Assembly in
Graz, Austria, in 1997. Keynote presentations centered on the theological truths
underlying work for reconciliation. In an open letter to the churches in Britain
and Ireland inviting ecumenical dialogue, conference participants expressed
their renewed commitment to living as peaceable faith commu nities.
A further regional priority is
to build on interest throughout the United Kingdom in the peace process in
Ireland and to encour-age active involvement from the churches. Other
initiatives include developing peace theological resources and combining efforts
with other groups through associations such as the Churches Peace
Forum.
Beyond Our Utmost Understanding?
Germanic Region
An important theme this year
in the Germanic region of Church and Peace was the peace character of the
church. What form does the peace church identity take in the everyday life of a
faith community? Participants at the Germanic regional conference emphasized the
need to address questions of social and economic peace through such initiatives
as the Jubilee 2000 Campaign and the Karios Europe Document. Church and Peace
presence and input at events such as the Catholic and Protestant Church
Assemblies continue to be regional priorities as well as nonviolent conflict
resolution training and dialogue with the mainline churches.
Urban Violence and the Church
Francophone Region
The campaign motto "Peace to
the City" of the World Council of Churches' Programme to Overcome Violence found
resonance this year in the Francophone region of Church and Peace. Persons
concerned about the increasing rate of violence in the cities gathered to
discuss the sociological roots of the problem and to determine alternative
solutions that communities of faith provide. Other areas of emphasis this past
year included mediation, current economic realities and life in community.
Regionalization
The decision in 1995 by Church
and Peace members to increase the focus on regional work within the network has
resulted in
- four Church and Peace
geographic and linguistic areas : Britain and Ireland, Francophone Europe,
Germanic Europe and Eastern Europe;
- biannual regional
conferences on a topic of importance to the area;
- regional coordinators and
support groups for Francophone and Eastern Europe ; an administrator and
steering committee for Britain and Ireland; a coordination group for Germanic
Europe.
The regionalisation of Church
and Peace allows for more intensive networking, regionally appropriate actions
for peace and the development of peace theology resources in the respective
language(s) of the area.
Church and Peace priorities for the years 1999-2000
Networking and promoting the
peace church vision in both Western and Eastern Europe, particularly in the
Ukraine, Lithuania and the countries of the former Yugoslavia.
Publication of resources for
peace theology and ecumenical dialogue, including a Guide to the Members and
Friends of Church and Peace, a historical overview "50 Years Church and Peace",
further Theology and Peace pamphlets and the presentations of keynote speakers
at the 50th anniversary symposium held in May 1999.
Civilian peace services.
Increasing awareness and developing support in faith communities for civilian
peacemaking teams.
Joint seminars focusing on
moving from theological belief to peace action with co-organisers such as the
Initiative Schalom (Baptist) and Ecumenical Services (Conciliar
Process).
Economic justice and social
peace. An emphasis particularly in the Germanic region, with continued
involvement in the Jubilee 2000 Campaign and Kairos Europe.
Further campaigning for the
right to conscientious objection in Eastern European countries such as Romania
and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, including a regional conference in the
Ukraine.
Refugees and asylum seekers.
Conference in the Francophone region on the topic "Our relationships with
foreigners".
Irish experiences of
reconciliation. English-language conference concerning the peace process in
Northern Ireland.
Financial Report 1998
The financial report for 1998
includes all income and expenditures for the International Office and the
Francophone regional office in Strasbourg. For the Eastern European region only
the expenditures for the regional office are reflected. Figures for the Britain
and Ireland region are not presented here.
Due to a large accumulated
debt, Church and Peace accounts showed a deficit of approximately 23,700 DM at
the beginning of 1998. Estimated income in 1998 totalled 171,100 DM including
the unexpected receipt of a 60,000 DM inheritance donation. This extraordinary
donation served to cover Church and Peace's deficit and to balance the budget
for 1998. As a result of this and other generous support, Church and Peace's
assets as of 31 December 1998 totalled approxiamtely 14,500 DM. Total
expenditures for 1998 were approximately 132,900 DM.
Auditor's Report 1998
The Annual General Meeting of
the non-profit association Church and Peace commissioned us to audit the
bookkeeping and the Financial Report for 1997. We ascertain
that:
o The financial report
corresponds with the bookkeeping documentation.o The bookkeeping has been
conducted properly.
o The bank balance sheets
correspond with the bank account statements.
o The spot check of
individual transaction statements gives no cause for concern. All audited
transactions made by the International Office are adequately documented with the
appropriate receipts.
Hans-Jakob Galle, Dr. Hannes
Steffen
6 May 1999
Seeking Truth and Peace
Church and Peace is a
European network of Christian communities, churches and organisations who
believe that peace witness is an essential characteristic of the church of Jesus
Christ. Its members are committed to the active nonviolence taught by Jesus and
believe that receiving the biblical message of reconciliation and orgiveness
leads to active, nonviolent witness and service for peace.
Church and Peace strives
to
o provide theological
resources exploring the spiritual basis of peace activities
o foster ecumenical
dialogue by bringing together like-minded people from diverse faith
backgrounds
o provide solidarity for
Christian pacifist groups in Europe
o challenge faith
communities to become places of reconciliation and sharing of material and
personal resources
o be a place for exchange
of experiences and networking for Christians working for peace with
justice.
Church and Peace brings
together...
75 corporate and individual
members in 9 countries across Europe representing a variety of denominational
backgrounds including the Historic Peace Churches - Mennonites, Quakers, Church
of the Brethren - and the Anglican, Baptist, Methodist, Moravian, Lutheran,
Reformed and Roman Catholic Churches.
Church and Peace
is...
o Associate Member of the
Conference of European Churches (CEC)
o Associate Member of the
Aktionsgemeinschaft Dienste fur den Frieden (AGDF)
o Member of the Network
of Christian Peace Organisations in Britain and Ireland