Mennonite church street service for Middle East peace

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This article was published 18/12/2023 (659 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Members of Mennonite churches in Winnipeg will gather Tuesday outside the office of Liberal cabinet minister Dan Vandal’s office on St. Mary’s Road to hold a service for peace.

“We want to sing and pray and thank the Canadian government for joining in a call for a ceasefire in Gaza and urge them to keep calling for a permanent end to the fighting,” said Karla Braun, one of the event organizers.

The noon gathering will be “peaceful and non-confrontational, growing out of our Mennonite commitment to peace,” said Braun, a member of the Crossroads Mennonite Brethren Church.

At the same time, it will be an opportunity to condemn all violence in the Hamas-Israel war and pray for the release of those still being held hostage in Gaza.

“We want to speak up for all who are suffering, Israelis and Palestinians,” she said, noting invitations went out to members of Mennonite churches in Winnipeg last week.

In addition to the singing and prayers, three people who have served with organizations (such as the Mennonite Central Committee) in the Middle East will share about their experiences in the region.

People who are not Mennonites are welcome to attend, knowing “we will be speaking out of our peaceful Mennonite conviction, out of our Christian faith,” Braun added.

The gathering in Winnipeg is one of 40 to held Tuesday across the United States and Canada. The events are sponsored by Mennonite Action, a new network of Mennonite church members dedicated to speaking up for the cause of peace and justice in the Middle East through creative, non-violent actions.

According to network co-founder and organizer Adam Ramer (who grew up in Madison, Wis., and now lives in New York City), Mennonites across the U.S. and Canada were shocked and horrified by the Oct. 7 terror attack on Israeli civilians, followed by Israel’s continued attacks in Gaza.

A time like this is when members of Mennonite churches should speak up, since they can “bring our peace witness to this unique and horrifying moment,” Ramer said, adding: “This moment needs us right now as Mennonites, to take actions together and boldly as Mennonites.”

About 1,000 church members are expected to participate in similar actions Tuesday across North America, including at four other locations in Canada.

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