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Peace churches areChristian churches, groups or communities advocatingChristian pacifism or Biblical nonresistance. The termhistoric peace churches refers specifically only to three church groups among pacifist churches:
In addition to the Schwarzenau Brethren and Mennonites, other Anabaptist Christian fellowships, such as theHutterian Brethren,River Brethren,Apostolic Christian Church andBruderhof teach pacifism as well.[1][2]
This phrase has been used since the first conference of the peace churches in Kansas in 1935.[3][4][5][6][7]
The definition of "peace churches" is sometimes expanded to includeChristadelphians (from 1863) and others who did not participate in the conference of the "historic peace churches" in Kansas in 1935.[8]
The peace churches agree thatJesus advocatednonviolence. Whether physical force can ever be justified indefending oneself is controversial. Most believers adhere strictly to a moral attitude ofnonresistance in the face of violence. These churches generally concur that violence on behalf of nations and their governments is contrary toChristian morality, but agree that the teachings of Jesus were to explain the principles of the Kingdom of God rather than and contrasted with the ways of any earthly government.
Among all Christian denominations, there have always been groups of members who advocate nonviolence, but certain churches have consistently supported it since their foundation. Besides the three historic peace churches, they include theAmish,[9]Old Order Mennonites,Conservative Mennonites,Holdeman Mennonites,Hutterites,[10]Old German Baptist Brethren,[11]Old Order River Brethren,[12] theBrethren in Christ,[13][14][15] and others in theAnabaptist tradition;Doukhobors,[16]Molokans,[17]Dunkard Brethren,[18][19]Dukh-i-zhizniki,[20]Bruderhof Communities,Schwenkfelders,[21]Moravians,[22] theShakers,[23] and even some groups within thePentecostal movement.[24] The largestFinished Work Pentecostal denomination, theAssemblies of God, abandoned pacifism around the time of theSecond World War.[25][26] These groups have disagreed, both internally and with each other, about the propriety ofnon-combatant military roles, such as unarmed medical personnel, or performing non-battlefield services that assist nations in wartime, such as manufacturing munitions. One position might argue that Jesus would never object to helping people who are suffering, while another might object that doing so contributes indirectly to violence by freeing other people to engage in it. Most peace churches support alternative service options such as service to refugees or in hospitals, as long as they are not associated with the military.
In America the first conference of historic peace churches was held in 1935 in Kansas.[3] Five years later in Canada, the Conference of Historic Peace Churches was formed in Ontario in 1940, headed byHarold Sherk to represent Mennonite, Brethren, and Quaker churches as they sought exemption from military service.[27]
At one time, active membership in and acceptance of the beliefs of one of the peace churches was required for obtainingconscientious objector status in the United States, and hence exemption from militaryconscription, or for those already in the military,honorable discharge. But after a series of court rulings, this requirement was dropped. In the United States, one may now claim conscientious objector status based on a personal belief system that need not be Christian, nor even based on religion.[28]
Peace churches, especially those with sufficient financial and organizational resources, have attempted to heal the ravages of war without favoritism. This has often aroused controversy, as when the Quakers sent large shipments of food and medicine toNorth Vietnam during theVietnam War, and to U.S.-embargoedCuba. TheAmerican Friends Service Committee and theMennonite Central Committee are two charitable denominational agencies set up to provide such healing.
In the 1980s, the Quakers, Brethren, and Mennonites came together to createChristian Peacemaker Teams, an international organization that works to reduce violence and systematicinjustice in regions of conflict.[29][30] This was motivated by the desire for Christians to take peacemaking as seriously as soldiers and governments take war-making.[31]
TheChristadelphians are one of only a small number of churches whose identity as a denomination is directly linked to the issue of Christian pacifism.[32] Although the grouping which later took the name "Christadelphian" had largely separated from theCampbellite movement in Scotland and America after 1848, it wasconscription in the American Civil War which caused their local church inOgle County, Illinois, to register asconscientious objectors in 1863 under the name "Christadelphians."[33] When theFirst World War was imminent Christadelphians in the British Empire took the same stance, though frequently faced military tribunals. During theSecond World War Christadelphians were exempted and performed civil work – though some of the small number of Christadelphians in Germany were imprisoned and one executed.[34] The position was maintained through theKorean War,Vietnam War and today.[35][36]
TheDoukhobors are aSpiritual Christian denomination that advocate pacifism.[37] On 29 June 1895, the Doukhobors, in what is known as the "Burning of the Arms",[38] "piled up their swords, guns, and other weapons and burned them in large bonfires while they sang psalms".[39]
TheEmmanuel Association,Reformed Free Methodist Church,Immanuel Missionary Church,Church of God (Guthrie, Oklahoma), First Bible Holiness Church andChrist's Sanctified Holy Church are denominations in theholiness movement known for their opposition to war today; they are known as "Holiness Pacifists".[40][41][42][43][44][45] The Emmanuel Association, for example, teaches:[45]
We feel bound explicitly to avow our unshaken persuasion that War is utterly incompatible with the plain precepts of our divine Lord and Law-giver, and with the whole spirit of the Gospel; and that no plea of necessity or policy, however urgent or peculiar, can avail to release either individuals or nations for the paramount allegiance which they owe to Him who hath said, "Love your enemies." Therefore, we cannot participate in war (Rom. 12:19), war activities, or compulsory training.[45]
Adventists had sought and obtained exemption as conscientious objectors in 1864, and theSeventh-day Adventist Church from 1914 has a long history ofnoncombatancy service within and outside the military.[46] In practice today, as a pastor from the Seventh-day Adventist church comments in an online magazine run by members of the Seventh-Day Adventist church: "Today in a volunteer army a lot of Adventist young men and women join the military in combat positions, and there are many Adventist pastors electing for military chaplaincy positions, supporting combatants and non-combatants alike. On Veteran’s Day, American churches across the country take time to give honor and respect to those who “served their country,” without any attempt to differentiate how they served, whether as bomber pilots, Navy Seals, orOperation Whitecoat guinea pigs. I have yet to see a service honoring those who ran away to Canada to avoid participation in the senseless carnage of Vietnam in their Biblical pacifism."[47]
The different groups evolving under the nameChurch of God (7th day) stand opposed to carnal warfare, based on Matthew 26:52; Revelation 13:10; Romans 12:19–21. They believe the weapons of their warfare to not be carnal but spiritual (II Corinthians 10:3–5; Ephesians 6:11–18).[48][49]
TheMolokans are aSpiritual Christian denomination that advocate pacifism.[50] They have historically beenpersecuted for failing to bear arms.[51]
Although non-credal and not explicitly pacifist, theCommunity of Christ (formerly known as the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) is emerging as an international peace church through such ministries as theCommunity of Christ International Peace Award, theDaily Prayer for Peace, and resources to support conscientious objection to war.[52][53][54] However, in the United States and worldwide, many church members are active in military service and the church provides active duty chaplaincy for outreach and ministry to military personnel.
Once containing a relatively large nonviolence faction,Churches of Christ are now more conflicted. Contemporary Churches of Christ, especially those that hold with the teachings ofDavid Lipscomb, tend toward pacifist views.[55] This means that they believe that the use of coercion and/or force may be acceptable for purposes of personal self-defense but that resorting to warfare is not an option open to Christians.
As noted above, there are peace groups within most mainstream Christian denominations. TheFellowship of Reconciliation was set up as an organization to bring together people in these groups and members of the historic peace churches. In some countries, e.g. the United States, it has broadened its scope to include members of other religions or none, and people whose position is not strictly for nonviolence. However, in other countries (e.g., the United Kingdom) it remains essentially an organization of Christian nonviolence.[56]
What would happen if the Christian church stationed as many praying Christians as the U.S. government has sent armed guerrillas across that troubled border? ... Do we not have as much courage and faith as soldiers?
The Doukhobors were a sect who fled southern Russian in 1899 after being persecuted for their religious and political views. Fiercely pacifist, they rejected secular government and ignored the liturgy and procedures of the organized church, believing God resided in each individual rather than in a building or institution.
Molokan means "Milk Drinker." This name was given the Molokans in Russia by the Orthodox, because they were dissidents from the regular church, led communal lives, and were pacifists.
The Molokan Russians were an ascetic religious sect of the Russian Orthodox Church that settled in the Boyle Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles in 1904-1906. Their religious ideals included pacifism; indeed, the demands of the Russian draft for the Russian-Japanese War were cited as the cause of their flight from Russia in the first place.
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