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PEACEMAKING COMMITTEE OF
NORTH ALABAMA PRESBYTERY
MISSION
The Peacemaking Committee of North Alabama Presbytery was formed in 1985 to encourage and assist congregations to work for PEACE in all arenas of life. More than half of the churches in North Alabama Presbytery have adopted a Commitment to Peacemaking as recommended to the church by the 1983 General Assembly. Churches making this commitment promise to do peacemaking through worship, prayer and Bible study, in families and in congregations, in the community, through the study and response to global issues, through protecting the environment, and through receiving the Peacemaking Offering.
HOW WE ENCOURAGE AND ENABLE CONGREGATIONS
TO WORK FOR PEACE
1. Sponsor an International Peacemaker each year. Each year a Christian leader who is involved in ministry in a country that is undergoing war or unrest visits our Presbytery for a week under the auspices of this committee and the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program. This person usually speaks at the October Presbytery meeting and is available to preach and make presentations at church school classes, family night dinners, etc. In 2001 Dr. Carlos Camps, a seminary professor and minister in the Presbyterian Church of Cuba, spoke at several churches and at the Presbytery meeting.
2. Provide opportunities to participate in the Peacemaking Conference at Montreat, NC, which is sponsored by the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program. Housing and some scholarship help are provided to those who desire to go. This year the conference will be held July 27-31, and applicants are urged to contact the committee about assistance in attending.
3. Pass the DOVE at each Presbytery meeting. This beautiful stained glass dove was presented to our Presbytery at the 1995 meeting of the General Assembly in recognition of the fact that over 50% of the churches in our presbytery have adopted the Commitment to Peacemaking. The dove is passed from church to church and displayed as a reminder of their commitment to peacemaking.
4. Provide various resources.
Committee members are trained to provide a Diversity Awareness workshop.
Bible studies and Theological studies are published by the Peacemaking Program and sent in the Offering Packet to pastors each year and are available through the committee and from the Resource Center of North Alabama Presbytery.
Peace Notes, a publication of the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program, is also available to anyone who requests it.
The committee responds willingly to requests for help from congregations.
For assistance or further information contact the members of committee:
Bruce Peters at (w) 256-721-9572, ext.131 or (h) 256-536-1355
Nancy Armistead at (h) 256-355-5109
Mary Witherspoon at (h) 256-881-6540
UPDATES
THE DOVE
The stained glass dove, a symbol of a church's commitment to peacemaking, was passed from First Presbyterian Church in Florence to Grace Presbyterian Church in Madison. First Presbyterian Church in Florence was one of the very first churches in our presbytery to adopt the Commitment to Peacemaking. Grace Presbyterian Church adopted the Commitment soon after their organization. Both of these churches have provided important leadership to the Presbytery Peacemaking Committee. The Rev. Irving Rudolph (former associate pastor of First PC, Florence) joined the committee at its inception and has served in many capacities, including chair of the committee. Sara Deason of Grace Church served ably as our secretary.
NEW MEMBERS WELCOME
The Presbytery Peacemaking Committee welcomes those who want to serve on this committee. If any member of a North Alabama Presbytery Church would like to work toward the goals stated above, please contact the members of the committee for further information.
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