Presbyterian Justice & Peace - Forty years of the Commitment to Peacemaking

(Photo by Rich Copely)   Forty of anything seems like a lot, especially in scriptural terms. Whether it’s 40 days and nights of rain, 40 years of wandering in the wilderness or 40 days of Lent, 40 marks an amount that is worthy of recognition. In 1983, the General Assembly of the newly formed Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) approved the Commitment to Peacemaking, a tool that has provided a wholistic vision of peace and peacemaking and has helped Presbyterians shape their peacemaking ministries for 40 years.   Since then, almost 5,000 congregations have affirmed the Commitment to Peacemaking and become “Peacemaking Congregations,” living out their commitment in ways unique to their identity, context and calling. The Peacemaking Program acknowledges and celebrates the impact that 40 years of the Commitment to Peacemaking has had on the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and the world. In a special devotional that is now available for order free of charge, we hear from Presbyterians who, during these 40 years, have been a part of peacemaking in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).   In this Focus newsletter we also invite you to learn about and participate in our ongoing ministries, including the 2024 International (and Domestic) Peacemakers, our upcoming Travel Study Seminars and an upcoming denominational book study we are co-hosting on Matthew Desmond’s "Poverty, by America."   The prophet Isaiah declares, “Peace, peace to the far and the near” (Isaiah 57:19). Let us add to that, “and to the past and to the future.” Thanks be to God for 40 years of the Commitment to Peacemaking in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and for the 41st year of our commitment to this important call of being peacemakers.   The peace of Christ be with you!   Carl Horton, Coordinator The Presbyterian Peacemaking Program

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2024 International Peacemakers announced;Puerto Rico and the Southwestern U.S. represented

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The Peacemaking Program is ready to receive your 2024 International Peacemaker hosting applications

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Travel Study Seminar: ‘Exploring the Legacies and Lessons of the Civil Rights Movement in the U.S. South’ May 28-June 6

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Travel Study Seminar to Lithuania: ‘Healing the Legacies of War and Oppression’ Oct. 14-24

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40 New Peacemaking Reflections: Celebrate four decades of the Commitment to Peacemaking with this free devotional

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Join with other PC(USA) members across the country to discuss Matthew Desmond’s book ‘Poverty, by America’

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Spreading the Vision of Matthew 25 across the Church

Matthew 25 is a living translation of Jesus Christ — strengthening relationships, transforming your church, and bringing alive your commitment to those who are marginalized or in need in your community and the world around us. Make no mistake, Jesus is calling us to perform ordinary acts of compassion in daily life. But we have also been called to consider the factors that led to these conditions, to confront the causes of inequality, to confess the sin of greed and to correct the problem of poverty — whether in our own nation and neighborhood, or around the world.

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