Just Peace

For over 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’s position on war and peace as distinct from historic approaches of crusade, pacifism, or “just war.” Grounded in UCC polity and covenantal theology, Just Peace is a call for UCC churches to address systemic injustice using non-violence and Just Peace practices. Together, we affirm with prophetic hope that “Peace is
possible.”


Just Peace Churches

The Just Peace pronouncement articulated the UCC’s
position on war and peace as distinct from historic
“Just Peace” is one of eight “Just World Covenants” or church designations that General Synod has affirmed. The Synod pronouncement in 1985 affirmed the UCC as the first denomination to declare itself “Just Peace” and called on churches to go through an intentional discernment process to mirror that declaration.

Events and Webinars

Past Event:
November 29, 2022 | 7-8 p.m. ET – Sustaining Hope in These Times:  A Post-Election Conversation – The last Sunday of November we light the Advent Candle of Hope. Join the UCC’s Just Peace Network in a Zoom conversation with Rev. Sheila Harvey, pastor of Union Congregational UCC and author of Messages of Hope: Preaching Peace and Justice for All. In this first week of Advent, let us listen for a word of hope for God’s Shalom even in these challenging times.

No upcoming events.

Archived Events and Webinars

Just Peace webinar on on “Mutual Aid Networks” with Dean Spade (2021)
Just Peace webinar “Confronting White Supremacy in Our Time” (2021)

Observe Just Peace Sunday

The Thirtieth General Synod called on the congregations of the United Church of Christ to mark the Sunday preceding September 21 as “Just Peace Sunday”. Each year, Just Peace Churches dedicate prayers or full Sunday services and coordinated actions to celebrate Just Peace work in the congregation and renew their commitment.

Resolutions and Resources

Learn more about the UCC history and Just Peace “practices” and access a variety of educational and
worship resources, books, and articles on Just Peace.

Connect with the Just Peace Movement

Download the Quarterly Just Peace Newsletter
Join the UCC Just Peace Facebook Group


Living into our witness as a Just Peace Church

Our witness as a Just Peace Church calls us to advocate on a variety of issues in order to bring about God’s Shalom in the world. The World Council of Churches in 2011 issued a global Ecumenical Call to Just Peace that outlined the “way” of Just Peace. This document called on churches to build:

Peace with the Earth– As Just Peace Churches, we are called to advance Environmental Justice and address Environmental Racism that causes conflict over pollution and scarce resources around the world. Learn more about the UCC’s work on Environmental Justice
here.

Peace in the Marketplace – Just Peace Churches are called on to work toward greater Economic Justice in our world today and address the issues of poverty, globalization, labor rights, taxation, and other aspects of our economic life that contribute to racial and economic disparity. Learn more about the UCC’s work on Economic Justice here.

Peace in the Community – Our call to build “Peace in the Community” is an invitation for Just Peace churches to engage issues that impact the local community, especially systemic issues and those that contribute to violence. We are called to address them through education, advocacy, and nonviolent direct action. The work to end racism and stop white supremacy is urgent and requires us to engage in the UCC’s racial justice work in organizing Sacred Conversations to End Racism and a new Join the Movement initiative.

Peace Among the Peoples – Just Peace is an expansive mandate that extends beyond our borders, calling on congregations to work for peace with justice around the world. Learn more about how the UCC is engaged globally through our Global Ministries, and consider supporting work toward a ban on nuclear weapons and armed drones, as well as strengthening human rights and a just peace in Palestine/Israel, Colombia, the Philippine.


Questions

For more information contact uccjustpeace@gmail.com and join us in conversation via Facebook and Twitter @JustPeaceUCC.