On Sunday, May 6, after a three-year process, Circle of Mercy in Asheville, NC approved a statement declaring it a peace church. The statement was unanimously adopted by the congregation. Read more...
Baptist Peace Fellowship staff respond to the passing of Amendment One
The following statements were written by Evelyn Hanneman and LeDayne McLeese Polaski in response to Amendment One passing in North Carolina. The amendment states that, "Marriage between a man and a woman is the only domestic legal union that shall be valid or recognized in this state."
We thank everyone for their support in the fight against Amendment One. Please pray for all those in North Carolina who's lives will be affected by this amendment. Read more...
Baptist Peace Fellowship’s board of directors approve funding for projects in Sudan, the Philippines and Latin America
May 5, 2012 - Charlotte, N.C. – The Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America’s (BPFNA) board of directors approved funding for Conflict Transformation trainings in Sudan/South Sudan and the Philippines, as well as funding to assist with the creation of a Baptist Peace Fellowship of Latin America and the Caribbean. Funding for the Conflict Transformation projects will come from the Gavel Memorial World Peace Fund, a fund earmarked for conflict transformation trainings across the globe. Partial funding for the new Baptist Peace Fellowship will also come from the Gavel funds, with the rest to be determined. Read more...
The Woman at the Wall
Written by LeDayne McLeese Polaski
The following is a true story told to LeDayne by American Baptist missionary Ray Schellinger. Ray and his wife Adalia run Deborah's House, a domestic violence shelter in Tijuana, Mexico. LeDayne and Ray led a Seminarian Friendship Tour in Tijuana in January, 2012.
This is the remarkable story of a woman who arrived at the shelter and the unexpected effect that Friendship Tour members had on her life. Read more...
From International Ministries: Fire at Mae La Refugee Camp Destroys Bible School
Please pray for those in Burma who were affected by this tragic event.
A fire has destroyed the Kawthoolei Karen Baptist Bible School and College and other buildings in Mae La Refugee Camp on the Thailand/Myanmar border. Camp residents managed to put out the fire after about an hour, according to Karen News.
The Kawthoolei Karen Baptist Bible School & College was established and started on June 9th, 1983 at Htee K'Haw, near Mae La village in Pa-an district of Kawthoolei (Karen State). In 1990, the long existing civil war between the Karen and the Burmese (which began in 1949) made it necessary for it to move to its current location at the Mae La Refugee Camp in Thailand. Read more...
One World Peace Concert: Hiroshima, Japan
On April 13, 2012 the World Friendship Center (WFC), sponsored One World, Peace Concert in Hiroshima, Japan. The following is a performance from American peace folk singer, Mike Stern. The song is entitled One World and features a slideshow of photos from the concert. Read more...
From BBC Asia: Kachin plight reveals Burma's patchy progress
An excellent report from the BBC on the Kachins in northern Burma/Myanmar. The BPFNA played a role in the peace process that led to the cease-fire of the Kachins with the military government of Burma 17 years ago. During this past year that cease-fire has disintegrated. While there are many positive developments, including peace processes with the Karens and the electoral victory of Aung San Suu Kyi, the Kachin conflict is a very nasty one that is leaving tens of thousands suffering horribly. Read more...
An Open Letter to President Obama
Charlotte, NC – March 29, 2012 – On March 28, 2012, BPFNA Board of Directors approved the organization’s official statement regarding a possible war with Iran. The statement, “An Open Letter to President Obama” has been sent to the US president.
The Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America speaks on behalf of a network of Baptists who understand that peacemaking is hard work. We add our voice to other peacemakers who desire diplomacy over bombs and urge talks over threats. We know another way is possible. Jesus’ insistence on loving enemies precludes the willingness to kill them. Waging peace requires at least as much commitment – as much courage, pride, honor and ingenuity – as the pursuit of war. We urge you to make that commitment to peace.
The Board is working on modifying the US version to send to other North American leaders. Read more...
A Reflection from Burma
BPFNA member Carine Donze reports on her experiences in Burma during the BPFNA Friendship Tour.
This past January, Julie Warner lead a BPFNA Friendship Tour to Burma (Myanmar). I feel blessed to have been a part of this trip, along with Carol Day and Kay Cheves. I was asked by my church to give a report on this incredible experience. I have not tried to build a “scientific” report, but have rather focused on giving our congregation the strongest sense of what we have lived during these almost 3 weeks in the few minutes I had to talk. So I decided to tell three stories representing powerful, key moments that I will never forget. Read more...
Baptist leader says gay marriage an issue of justice
By Bob Allen
From the Associated Baptist Press
LeDayne McLeese Polaski, program director of the Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America, discusses why a peacemaking group would be interested in gay rights. Read more...
LeDayne McLeese Polaski speaks on Amendment One
"Any justice issue is a peace issue because we can't have peace if we don't have justice, and...we can't have peace for some people or any people if we don't have justice for all people." -LeDayne McLeese Polaski
By LeDayne McLeese Polaski
BPFNA Program Coordinator
From the Associated Baptist Press
I had worked to prepare myself for what we would see here, but nothing made me ready to stand here and gaze back at my own country through holes in a fence. I felt exactly as I did when, as a college student in 1989, I stood behind a wall looking over into West Berlin, except that this time I’m seeing “my tax dollars at work.” Evidently, I am not the only one -- one piece of graffiti on the wall reads, 'Berlin, Palestina, Mexico'..."
"...One thing that everyone agrees on is that the wall has not stopped illegal crossings. Crossing is now more difficult, more dangerous and more costly; people are more dependent on human smugglers and less likely to leave once they’ve gotten in; but no one claims that people without papers have stopped coming." Read more...
Update on the Conflict Situation in Kachin State: Statement from the Kachin Baptist Convention
The following statement was given to Julie Warner by one of the Kachin Baptist pastors in Mandalay during the Friendship Tour to Burma.
On behalf of the Kachin Baptist Convention (KBC) and the Lower Kachin Baptist Association (located in Mandalay), I would like to present this report on the conflict presently occurring in Kachin State, with emphasis on its impact on Kachin Christian Society.
I am happy to be in the presence of Baptist Leaders from around the globe and to present this report from the General Secretary of KBC.
The year 2011 is historic for the KBC. On June 9, 2011, the ceasefire agreement between the Burmese government and the Kachin People was broken, and fighting erupted between the Burmese Army and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA). A ceasefire, under the Pinlone Agreement, was originally established in 1947 between the Burmese government under General Aung San and leaders of the Kachin, Shan, and Chin peoples. From 1961 to 1994, civil war persisted in Kachin State. Another ceasefire was established in 1994 and lasted until 2011. Read more...
BPFNA Partner Congregation vows to work for marriage equality
On Sunday, March 4, the congregation of University Baptist Church in Seattle unanimously approved a resolution of affirmation and celebration of the recently approved Marriage Equality Bill in the State of Washington.
“We are a church committed to the message of radical hospitality and love that Jesus taught. Supporting and working for marriage equality is just part of our understanding of the gospel” said the Rev. J. Manny Santiago, pastor of the congregation. “Our church does not want to stay silent as other religious communities voice their opposition to marriage equality. We need to let people know that there are thousands of religious people – of all faith traditions – that support equality.” Read more...
Former BPFNA board member to receive Baptist World Alliance Human Rights award
Adapted from the Baptist World Alliance.
Washington (BWA)--Former BPFNA board member, Edgar Palacios, is the 2012 recipient of the Baptist World Alliance (BWA) Denton and Janice Lotz Human Rights Award. Palacios is cofounder of the Lutheran University of El Salvador and former coordinator and executive director of the Permanent Committee of the National Debate for Peace in El Salvador (CPDN).
The announcement of the award was made during the BWA Executive Committee meeting in Falls Church, Virginia, in the United States.
Palacios is being recognized for his role in helping to negotiate peace in El Salvador during the civil war of 1980-92. During the struggle for peace, Palacios' life, along with those of other pastors and church leaders, was at great risk. In 1989, he took refuge in the German Embassy and a United Nations safe house in San Salvador, the country's capital, after being informed that he and several other clergy members and social leaders were on a government hit list. Six Jesuit priests were assassinated during the government's repressive campaign. Read more...
NC Baptists Against Amendment One panelists interviews
Watch interviews with panelists from the February 25 event NC Baptists Against Amendment One. Interviews completed by the RACE TO THE BALLOT team.
Ken Godwin,
Professor of Public Policy, UNC Charlotte
Chaz Seale,
Vice Chairman, endPoverty.org
Rev. Dr. Stephen Shoemaker,
Senior Minister, Myers Park Baptist Church
Rev. Dr. Ricky Woods,
Senior Minister, First Baptist Church-West
Rev. Dr. Angela Yarber,
Pastor for Preaching Justice & Worship, Wake Forest University Baptist Church Read more...
NC Baptists Against Amendment One - Race to the Ballot documentary
NC Baptists Against Amendment One - Event video coverage
The following is from WCNC's (channel 36) coverage of NC Baptists Against Amendment One, which was held at Myers Park Baptist Church in Charlotte, NC on February 25, 2012. Click "read more" to watch more videos from WSOC and News 14 Carolina.
Read more...
Debate over N.C. vote on marriage arrives in Charlotte
From the Charlotte Observer
Sunday, February 26, 2012
By Michael Gordon
As debate builds around a proposed constitutional amendment aimed at limiting same-sex marriage in North Carolina, the campaigns on both sides of the vote have come to Charlotte to make their cases.
On Saturday, speakers at a statewide rally at Myers Park Baptist Church, a liberal congregation, called on voters to keep discrimination out of "the foundational legal document of our state," said the Rev. Steve Shoemaker, the church's pastor.
And while the amendment is designed to restrict same-sex marriage, they said, its passage has implications for all unmarried couples, heterosexuals included.
Read more...
Native North Carolinian and American Idol Star, Clay Aiken, speaks out against NC Amendment One!
Love in Action: Boycott against Starbucks launches February 14
The National Gun Victim’s Action Council (NGAC), along with allies in the faith community and secular groups, is calling for a boycott against Starbucks, its stores and its products. The boycott (BREW not BULLETS) will begin on February 14, 2012 and will end only when Starbucks bans all guns from its stores. Its goal is to eliminate the risk of guns in public places and to enforce safer gun laws.
Read more...
Friendship Tour Update - A Third Postcard from Burma
Thank you for all your thoughts and prayers for our members on Friendship Tours. Please read below for a third postcard from Julie Warner in Burma.
Having flown from Yangon to Bangkok, Thailand, we took the day bus from Bangkok to Mae Sot, a 7-hour trip. There we made a short visit to the Mae Tao Clinic in Mae Sot where we had a tour with Meredith Walsh. [Meredith grew up attending BPFNA’s summer conference, “Peace Camp”. Her father, Tom Walsh, was a member of the first BPFNA board.] Read more...
A Day of Action against War with Iran - Sat, Feb 4
Summarized content taken from United for Peace and Justice (UFPJ)
This Saturday, February 4th, people worldwide will send an important message against a potential war with Iran.
Read more...
No Olvidados - A Postcard from Tijuana
The following is written by LeDayne McLeese Polaski, BPFNA program coordinator and leader of the Tijuana Friendship Tour.
I've been struggling to figure out a way to write about this experience; looking for a thread that connects it all together. Perhaps "no olvidados" (not forgotten) is that thread.
Wednesday night, Ray Schellinger (one of the missionaries who runs Deborah's House, the domestic violence shelter in which we're staying) talked with the group about the theological foundations of their ministry in Tijuana. He shared the story of the Good Samaritan. He spoke of how the man who stopped to help felt "his bowels busting out" -- the literal definition of the Greek verb (which is also used to describe Judas' death.) It refers to a depth of compassion that is painful. Jesus tells that man who is seeking the secret to eternal life -- "Go and do likewise." Read more...
Friendship Tour Update - A Second Burmese Postcard
We just arrived in Bagan after three incredible days in Mandalay. One of the highlights of the entire trip was a boat ride on the Irrawaddy River from Mandalay to Mingun and Inwa, two historical sites near Mandalay. We organized a meeting of Baptist leaders from Mandalay on the boat, so we had a day of fellowship and sightseeing together. The Baptist leaders are from all ethnic groups - Karen, Kachin, Chin, Lisu, Burmese. Our group chatted with them about the work of their churches, and they had the opportunity to interact with each other in a way that they would not normally have. Our guide, and my friend who organized the boat trip, said that the Baptist leaders were all so happy to have this opportunity to be together that they were asking her how they could organize such an event in the near future for themselves. Read more...
A Postcard from Burma -By Julie Warner
We arrived in Yangon on Friday evening, Jan 19. On Saturday we spent the day with [Burmese exile] Ko Ko Lay and staff at Karen Theological Seminary. We were received warmly by Ko Ko Lay, staff, and students. We visited the campus, including spending some time talking to the students in their dorms. We then went to a nearby teashop where we sat and began to discuss the current political situation. This was a great experience - I was well aware that people in Myanmar (mostly the men) go to the teashops and spend time discussing current events, politics, etc. So here we were in a similar setting doing the same - however, more openly. Read more...
BPFNA Friendship Tour to Tijuana
BPFNA Program Director LeDayne McLeese Polaski will lead a Friendship Tour to Tijuana, Mexico from January 21-29, 2012. The group requests your prayers for safe travels and a successful trip, in which they hope to gain a deeper understanding of the complex issues and to develop new and lasting relationships. Read more...
BPFNA Friendship Tour to Burma/Myanmar & Thailand
The BPFNA requests prayers for members going to Burma/Myanmar and Thailand for a Friendship Tour from January 18 to February 3, 2012. Julie Warner leads the tour, and fellow travelers include Kay Cheves, Carol Day and Carine Donze.The purpose of the Friendship Tour is to strengthen existing relationships and create new ones by meeting with Baptist leaders and congregations in these countries. This trip is designed to inform participants about Baptists in Burma and encourage individuals to form lasting relationships, and provide Baptists in Burma with a continuing link to Baptists in North America. Read more...
Repairing the Torn Places: Conflict Transformation in Liberia
After 14-hours on the plane, I landed in Liberia. Along with my co-facilitator Virgil Nelson and his wife, Lynn, I was prepared to lead several 2-day Conflict Transformation (CT) trainings with Baptist pastors and lay leaders. I was not prepared for the heat and the noise that greeted us as we walked out of the airport in Monrovia. Read more...
"Connections" Asks Viewers to Consider How Disaster Might Impact Their Communities
A new Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America documentary not only highlights unmet needs nearly six years after Hurricane Katrina, but also exposes social problems that existed before the storm that have hampered recovery efforts in New Orleans. Read more...
Why "Peace Camp"?
As the BPFNA Summer Conference continues at Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg, Va., WHSV-TV aired this report exploring the question, "why peace camp?" Read more...
