Just Peace Congregation

Feeling called as a church to the Biblical vision of Peace on Earth, we ground our declaration in scripture: “…and what does our God require of us?To do justice, to love kindness and to walk humbly with our God.” Micah 6:8. We affirm our understanding that declaring our church to be a Just Peace Church is a statement of becoming rather than being, of process and intention, of journey toward a destination rather than the assumption of permanent status. As a church, we have made this public covenant for peace with justice since 2016.

The Just Peace Church vision is a hallmark of United Church of Christ theological identity. For 30 years, the Just Peace Church pronouncement has inspired a grassroots movement of UCC congregations committed to corporately naming and boldly proclaiming a public identity as a justice-doing, peace- seeking church. The Just Peace pronouncement articulated the UCC position on war and peace distinct from other approaches such as crusade, pacifism or “just war.” Grounded in UCC polity and covenantal theology, the position focuses attention on alleviating systemic injustice of all types using nonviolence and calls us to offer the message, grounded in the hope of reconciliation in Jesus, that “Peace is possible.”

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