August 31, 2004
by Evan Silverstein

LOUISVILLE - A national colloquium called "Peacemaking in a Time of Terror, War and Violence" will take place Sept. 27-29 at Stony Point Center in New York.

The focus of the event is to help participants understand the Presbyterian Church (USA)'s position on issues of peacemaking and justice during challenging times and to discuss ways of acting.

Co-sponsoring the event is the Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy (ACSWP), the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program, and Stony Point Center.

Keynote speakers include the Rev. James Forbes, senior minister of The Riverside Church in New York City and Elder Rick Ufford-Chase, newly elected moderator of the 216th General Assembly of the PC(USA).

Three colloquiums and nearly 20 workshops will help those turning out explore the event's theme reflectively and provide practical ways to move the church forward in its call to do peacemaking.

"In a time of terror, war and violence, peacemaking takes on a whole new dynamic," said the Rev. Peter A. Sulyok, ACSWP's coordinator and a planning team member. "The national colloquium is an opportunity for the church to explore how we respond together seeking God's peace in this time and place."

The title of Forbes' opening keynote address will be "Challenging and Overcoming the Culture of Fear and a Vision of Peacemaking."

Ufford-Chase will offer a keynote titled "The Globalizing Economy, Living in an Empire and Being the Faithful Church."

Two General Assembly-approved resolutions will be at the core of the colloquium: the Resolution on Violence, Religion, and Terrorism; and Iraq: Our Responsibility and the Future. Both papers were developed by ACSWP and approved by the Assembly last June in Richmond, VA.

The Resolution on Violence, Religion, and Terrorism provides a theological framework for Presbyterians to understand more fully and accurately about the phenomenon of terrorism and its probable causes while applying these understandings to current issues.

In the first colloquium, a panel presentation of members from the original writing team, including Ronald Stone, Cynthia Combs and Anne Barstow, will describe the usefulness of the paper to assist the church in making responsible judgments in difficult and challenging situations concerning possible responses to terror.

The second colloquium with its focus on Iraq: Our Responsibility and the Future will feature ACSWP Resolution Team member Edward LeRoy Long. He will highlight the challenging aspects of the General Assembly's resolution and speak about the current context of the war and its implications for peacemaking.

"This will be the first time since the Assembly met for the church to discuss the impact (of the papers) in the life and work of local congregations," said Sulyok. "Both are carefully thought out reflections on two critical issues facing our society and the churches. Both papers offer the church a challenge individually as members and corporately as congregations."

The event will include feature plenary content and small group reflection and discussion.

"Each of the three colloquiums are designed to be interactive and assist in integrating the presentations," Sulyok said. "Small groups will be formed to build relations among the participants and facilitate discussions on how we are living out our faith in a time of war."

Sulyok said workshops are designed for participants to "enter into deeper reflection" on areas of specific interest as well as to move them toward advocacy training and skill building.

Among titles of workshops to be conducted: "Anatomy of Terrorism," "Beyond Just War and Pacifism: the Power of Nonviolent Action," and "How Do We Fight Terrorism and Protect Civil Rights?"

The Stony Point Center in Stony Point, NY - about 35 miles north of New York City - is a national conference and retreat center of the PC(USA).

Presbyterian News Service