The Lake Junaluska Peace Conference, Jan. 31 to Feb. 2, will provide an opportunity for dialog on finding the Church's voice in a violent world. The conference will be at Lake Junaluska, N.C. The goal of the conference, “Finding the Church’s Voice,” is to encourage participants to be advocates for peace and justice, and to be the reconcilers that Christ wants us to be in our communities.

Featured speakers include Dr. Peter Storey, former Methodist Bishop in South Africa; Dr. Jan Love, dean of Candler School of Theology; Bishop Ken Carder, former bishop and current professor at Duke Divinity School; and Jim Winkler, general secretary, United Methodist Board of Church & Society.

Storey was the Methodist bishop of the Johannesburg/Soweto area and the president of the South African Council of Churches and the Methodist Church of Southern Africa. In 1984 he co-led an ecumenical delegation to the UN, U.S. Congress and Europe urging intensified pressure on apartheid.

Love is the former chief executive of the Women's Division of The United Methodist Church’s Board of Global Ministries. She is the author of two books on international relations.

Bishop Carder served as a bishop of the Mississippi and Nashville areas of The United Methodist Church. He is a professor of the Practice of Christian Ministry at Duke Divinity School.

Winkler is chief executive of the General Board of Church & Society, the international public policy and social justice agency of The United Methodist Church. He has preached and led workshops and training events in Russia, Nigeria and the Philippines.

Other speakers will include Bishop James Swanson, Holston Annual Conference; Celeste Zapalla, Gold Star Mother; and Richard Hays, professor of New Testament at Duke Divinity School.

In addition to the speakers, participants can choose to attend two workshops on Friday afternoon from among eight scheduled. Workshops are as follows: “Just Peace,” led by Tom Porter, executive director, JUSTPEACE Center for Mediation and Conflict Transformation at the Boston Theological Institute; “The Local Church as Peace Advocate,” led by Mark Harrison, GBCS program director for Peace with Justice; “Moving Towards Peace Through Worship, Art and Song,” led by Roger Dowdy, an ordained Deacon in The United Methodist Church and founder and director of Cross-Paths Ministries; “Peace in Palestine,” led by Winkler; “Peace Making Through the United Nations,” led by Liberato Bautista, GBCS assistant general secretary, United Nations; “Preaching on Difficult Issues,” led by Carder; “Walking the Talk -- the Churches and South Africa’s National Peace Accord,” led by Storey; and “Building Communities of Nonviolence,” led by Neal Christie, GBCS assistant general secretary for Resourcing Congregational Life.

Conference sponsors  include the Southeastern Jurisdiction College of Bishops; Southeastern Jurisdiction of The United Methodist Church; Candler School of Theology, Emory University; Gammon Theological Seminary; Duke Divinity School; Asbury Theological Seminary; General Board of Church & Society; World Methodist Council; Lake Junaluska Conference Center; Lake Junaluska Peace Committee; and Haywood County Peace Fellowship.

Registration fee is $50; $25 for students. Space is limited. To register, go to www.lakejunaluska.com/peace.aspx.

Lodging reservations at Lake Junaluska may be made by calling (800) 222-4930.