Reflections from Baptist Peace Conference

the big daddy weave has been sick for the last week or so.  My June case of Mono has has peaked its ugly head again here in August along with a related case of pancreatitis.  So, the posting will continue to be limited as long as I’m trying to recover via daily steroid & vicodin cocktails.

Meanwhile, we have a guest post from the Rev. Angela Yarber, Associate Pastor of Shell Ridge Community Church in Walnut Creek, California.

From July 20-25 a group of Baptist peacemakers, activists, ministers, and professors gathered in Ogden, Utah at the 25^th Annual Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America’s summer Peace Conference. The theme was “When there is Justice, then Peace will Come!” and this theme was echoed in the evening worship where Kate Campbell, Rev. Greg Ledbetter, and Darrell Adams led music, Rev. Angela Yarber served as Artist in Residence, and different BPFNA members preached the evening “storytellings.” Ken Sehested offered the plenary address on Monday evening, followed by Nancy Sehested’s storytelling on Tuesday; Daniel and Estela Schweissing told Wednesday’s story, and April Baker concluded with her BPFNA story on Thursday evening. Friday’s worship was planned by the BPFNA youth.

Each day, conference began with morning music, prayer led by Rev. Dr. Paul Dekar, and bible study with Rev. Dr. Rita Nakashima Brock. The bible study focused on the theme of paradise in the Song of Songs, Genesis, the Gospel of John, and Revelation. Much of the study stemmed from Rita Nakashima Brock’s recent publication with Rev. Dr. Rebecca Parker, Saving Paradise: How Christianity Traded Love of This World for Crucifixion and Empire.

The late morning and afternoons were filled with optional workshops ranging from Nonviolence Training for Personal and Social Change, Models for Teaching Peace, Spirituality to Support Nonviolence in the Midst of Violence: The Indian Christian Witness, Christian Faith and the New Nuclear Threat, Dance Meditation, Biblical Counters to Conventional Wisdom: Unsung Voices of Peace and Justice in the New Testament, and Peace and Justice Film Festival.

The conference was truly a celebration of 25 years of peacemaking. Amidst the worship, workshops, and stories, however, what stood out as most amazing was the life and witness of the Baptists who have worked for peace for 25 years.

Young adults who celebrated their 24^th and 25^th birthdays during Peace Camp, grew up knowing that Baptists are the kind of Christians who stand for peace and justice. There were countless young adults, college students, and teenagers who have been active in the BPFNA for their entire lives; these young adults haven’t grown up with the stereotypes associated with Baptists that many of us have. Their experience of what it means to be Baptist isn’t steeped in fundamentalism, exclusivism, and homophobia.

Rather, these young people have been surrounded by Baptists who stand for peace, work for justice, affirm and include women and persons in the LGBTQ community. To this end, there is a whole generation of Baptists who are growing up without stigma, taboo, and exclusion attached to what it means to be gay or what it means to serve as a pastor who happens to be female. Baptist peacemaker doesn’t have to be an oxymoron. There is hope yet.