The ongoing violence and suffering in the Middle East is a crisis that demands the attention of the global community.
We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.
Roman 8, NRSV
The region is consumed by the Palestine and Israel conflict, the U.S. war in Iraq, the conflict in Afghanistan, and acts of terrorism. It is one of the most militarized regions in the world and most arms sales occur there. There is concern that Iran maybe building a nuclear weapon. Israel has a nuclear weapon.
Biblical and Theological Context
"Christians are called to initiate and promote better relationships between Christians and Muslims on the basis of informed understanding, critical appreciation, and balanced perspective of one another’s basic beliefs." (2004 Book of Resolutions, "Our Muslim Neighbors," ¶315)
The United Methodist Church encourages "all leaders of and participants in 'Holy Land Tours' to contact indigenous Christian leaders in the Middle East, and to hear concerns of both the Israelis and Palestinians who live there, as well as visit the biblical and historical sites." (2004 Book of Resolutions, "Holy Land Tours," ¶292)
"The United Methodist Church calls upon the United States, as a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, to accept the authority of Security Council resolutions and abide by Resolutions 242 and 338, as well as other relevant Security Council resolutions, that provide a framework for bringing this conflict to a just and permanent end." (2004 Book of Resolutions, "United Nations Resolutions on the Israel-Palestine Conflict," ¶323)
"The United Methodist Church opposes continued military occupation of the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem, the confiscation of Palestinian land and water resources, the destruction of Palestinian homes, the continued building of illegal Jewish settlements, and any vision of a 'Greater Israel' that includes the occupied territories and the whole of Jerusalem and its surroundings." (2004 Book of Resolutions, "Opposition to Israeli Settlements in Palestinian Land," ¶312)
As people of faith we raise our voices in protest against the tragedy of the unjust war in Iraq. We urge the United States government to develop and implement a plan for the withdrawal of its troops. The U.S. invasion has set in motion a sequence of events which may plunge Iraq into civil war.” (Statement of the Governing Board of the General Board of Church and Society, 2005)
Scripture references: Jeremiah 8:19 and Romans 8:26-28.
What GBCS is Doing
Participating in and sending delegations to the Middle East. We are working ecumenically and with interfaith religious leaders to encourage the U.S. government to make the settlement of the Israel-Palestine conflict a top priority.
Providing resources to educate on the Israeli and Palestinian conflict: Working for a Just and Lasting Peace for Israelis and Palestinians.
Mobilizing United Methodists to end the war in Iraq through prayers, vigils, demonstrations and communicating to their members of Congress.
Daniel Terry, who worked under the sponsorship of GBGM for more than 30 years, was among 10 volunteer members of an international aid team killed in a remote part of Afghanistan Aug. 6.
15 people, including a journalist and a donkey, trying to visit Christian holy sites in Jerusalem were detained on Palm Sunday by Israeli troops and police.
Netanyahu government continues to charge ahead with construction of ever-more illegal Jewish settlements on Palestinian land, even blatantly announcing them during a visit by U.S. Vice President Biden.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's 7 priorities, include Millennium Development Goals, climate change agreement.
Downloadable Resources
Enough is Enough The Citizens Tool Kit features a fact sheet on Iraq, questions for candidates, quides to grassroots and media organizing, opportunties for action, recent films on Iraq and most importantly, an opportunity to register to vote. The kit was prepared by Win Without War, a coalition of which the General Board of Church and Society is a member. Supplemental materials have been added for your use: the GBCS Statement on the war and the Council of Bishops confessional statement on the war. Citizens Tool Kit (Word format); Citizens Tool Kit (PDF); 10 Reasons; Council of Bishops Confessional Statement (PDF)
In Search of Security
This 32-page study guide invites United Methodists to thoughtfully consider and prayerfully understand security in a post-Sept. 11 world. The document is not an official document of the Council but is approved by the Council for use by local congregations to stimulate conversation and reflection. It sets a foundation to deepen our Christian conversation about what security means within our faith and asks United Methodists to consider how inadequate fear-based ethics are in personal and political decision-making and to wrestle with the myth of human invulnerability.
Mideast Peace Advocacy Resource: Working for a Just and Lasting Peace for Israelis and Palestinians
This advocacy packet was created in response to 2004 General Conference Resolution #312 that states:
"The General Board of Global Ministries, working together with the General Board of Church & Society and interfaith organizations, develop advocacy
packets for use in local congregations to promote a just and lasting peace and human rights for all in the region."
For the Peace of the World: A Christian Curriculum on International Relations
This six-session study by the National Council of Churches USA seeks answers questions of international relations and provides a resource for further reflection. The study guide weaves together many strands of Christian faith that would inform the discussion of current events. It is meant to be the centerpiece of a larger, long-term conversation that, as a nation, and as people of faith within this nation, we will have for many years to come.
Women of the Book: A Jerusalem Collage
A group of Israeli and Palestinian women, committed to finding common ground through storytelling and authentic dialogue, have published a book reflecting on their journey. These women are claiming the peaceable kingdom and are transforming Jerusalem in small, but mighty ways. To order, go to the resources page on the ICCI Web site: www.icci.org.il . Cost: $25.00.
Links
Church Toolkit for Israeli-Palestinian Peacemaking
The Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) Church Toolkit is designed to assist congregational leaders in planning a worship service, prayer vigil, adult Sunday School series, workshop, panel discussion, advocacy initiative or other community activity by highlighting topics as well as resources for more information.
Churches Worldwide on Gaza Conflict The WCC has received reports of church-related advocacy in some 30 countries, including meetings with governments, letter campaigns addressed to government officials and parliament members, public statements and demonstrations. They are usually accompanied by vigils and prayer services and collection of funds to support humanitarian relief work. A sample of those actions is listed on this website.
For the Peace of the World: A Christian Curriculum on International Relations
The National Council of Churches has available a six-session study guide on foreign policy from a Christian perspective. This 87-page book examines the issue with in-depth essays and Bible studies. The book also contains prayers, litanies and other worship resources for us in congregational settings. The book is available for $7.95 plus shipping and handling ($4.50).
Stand Up Congress
Stand Up Congress is a "one-stop-shop" for Americans seeking information and tools to move Congress to take a stand to end the war in Iraq and prevent an escalation of war into Iran. The Web site is organized by the Win Without War coalition and allied groups, and their mission is sort through the political labyrinth on Capitol Hill and provide information to make a difference and move Congress to bring U.S. troops back from Iraq.
Strategic Peacemaking
A new website that pulls together practical knowledge on (1) the many ways of peacemaking and (2) methods for achieving demilitarization and disarmament.
United for Peace and Justice
United for Peace and Justice is a coalition of more than 1,300 local and national groups throughout the United States who have joined together to protest the immoral and disastrous Iraq war and oppose our government's policy of permanent warfare and empire-building.
Win Without War
Win Without War is a coalition of national organizations representing broad constituencies that aim to Keep America Safe by advocating that international cooperation and enforceable international law provide the greatest security for the United States and the world. The coalition offers a mainstream, patriotic voice for engaging opinion makers, activating concerned citizens, and communicating effectively to the media. The General Board of Church and Society is a member of Win Without War.
God’s world is one world. The unity now being thrust upon us by technological revolution has far outrun our moral and spiritual capacity to achieve a stable world. The enforced unity of humanity, increasingly evident on all levels of life, presents the Church as well as all people with problems that will not wait for answer: injustice, war, exploitation, privilege, population, international ecological crisis, proliferation of arsenals of nuclear weapons, development of transnational business organizations that operate beyond the effective control of any governmental structure, and the increase of tyranny in all its forms. This generation must find viable answers to these and related questions if humanity is to continue on this earth. We commit ourselves as a Church to the achievement of a world community that is a fellowship of persons who honestly love one another. We pledge ourselves to seek the meaning of the gospel in all issues that divide people and threaten the growth of world community.
We believe war is incompatible with the teachings and example of Christ. We therefore reject war as an instrument of national foreign policy. We oppose unilateral first/preemptive strike actions and strategies on the part of any government. As disciples of Christ, we are called to love our enemies, seek justice, and serve as reconcilers of conflict. We insist that the first moral duty of all nations is to work together to resolve by peaceful means every dispute that arises between or among them. We advocate the extension and strengthening of international treaties and institutions that provide a framework within the rule of law for responding to aggression, terrorism, and genocide. We believe that human values must outweigh military claims as governments determine their priorities; that the militarization of society must be challenged and stopped; that the manufacture, sale, and deployment of armaments must be reduced and controlled; and that the production, possession, or use of nuclear weapons be condemned. Consequently, we endorse general and complete disarmament under strict and effective international control.
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