From Jeff St. Baptist Community at Liberty

"But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you."
Jesus Christ, Luke 6:27-28

As a community of faith we have covenanted together:

• to work to ensure that Creation is respected, enhanced, and protected;
• to speak out against all forms of oppression to ensure the dignity and worth of all people;
• to accept our responsibility as ministers of reconciliation in the world by helping people to accept one another and God, and;
• to promote peace and justice in all life circumstances.

As a community of faith we further declare that:

• Peace is the will of God and all war is sin. All persons are created in the image of God and owe their first allegiance to God.
• All persons have the responsibility:

1. to read and interpret the Scriptures,
2. to reflect on their religious experience in order to understand peacemaking for them and the world, and
3. to obey God's will for peace above all human directives, even when obedience requires conscientious objection or civil disobedience.

As a community of faith we believe that all persons should examine and speak out against individual, corporate, and national participation in the forms of political and economic oppression that cause war and work, even if at some cost to themselves, to discover constructive avenues of peacemaking within these venues, for in doing so we demonstrate our obedience to Jesus Christ.

Rationale for Peace Statement

I. Biblical Basis for Peacemaking
II A Heritage of Struggle for Justice and Peace
III Our Specific Peace Commitments
III Our Specific Peace Commitments, Cont'd...