Peacemaking

Iraq

The fifth anniversary of the war in Iraq

Statements from our churches: -

The Baptist Union of Great Britain

"When the invasion of Iraq took place, our Baptist Union Council agreed a statement lamenting the failure of war and expressing deep concern for the potential suffering of both Iraqi civilians and military personnel..."
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The Methodist Church

"Following the failure to find weapons of mass destruction in Iraq many more people now question whether the invasion was justified and whether this was the only course open to us. It is right that such questions should still be asked today..."
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The United Reformed Church

"where conflict and tension abound, lasting peace and stability are more likely to emanate from a dismantling of structures that perpetrate injustice or division, than from violence or aggression..."
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On the occasion of the fifth anniversary our churches joined in a vigil at Downing Street in London and others around the country. Pax Christi and Fellowship of Reconciliation produced worship materials to support these events and these can be found at www.paxchristi.org.uk/me.html

Israel/Palestine

Ongoing conflict in Israel and Palestine has been a concern to many in our churches. We join with Christian Aid and others who are calling for an end to the occupation and support the Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme for Palestine and Israel (EAPPI).


Peacemaking Sunday September 20 2009

Download resources here

Peacemaking: A Christian Vocation

In 2006 the Methodist and United Reformed Churches produced a report titled "Peacemaking: A Christian vocation". This explores a Christian perspective on peace and conflict in the context of new challenges facing us today.

Trident Replacement

All three churches - the Baptist Union of Great Britain, the Methodist Church and United Reformed Church - have been outspoken in their opposition to a replacement of the Trident nuclear deterrent. The Joint Public Issues Team have prepared evidence for Parliament and public and media briefings.

We continue to advocate for clear leadership on non-proliferation and disarmament.

See Trident White Paper - Submission of evidence to the Parliamentary Defence Select Committee (PDF)

Read a letter from the Baptist, Methodist and URC General Secretaries to the UK Foreign Secretary on the eve of the 2009 Non-Proliferation Treaty Preparatory Committee meeting (PDF)