'Kitchen Table Council' a safe place to address conflict at Mennonite convention

June 6, 2003

AKRON, Pa. -- Mennonites are known for their commitment to nonviolence. But what happens when the peacemakers need to make peace among themselves? Organizers of the Kitchen Table Council booth hope to provide a safe space in which to resolve conflict at the Mennonite Church USA convention in Atlanta, Ga., July 3-8.

Staff from Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) U.S. will be present at the booth to talk to anyone who needs to report a grievance or incident of abuse or harassment, while other volunteer mediators serve two-hour on-call shifts. Appropriate responses to complaints may range from simply providing a listening ear, to arranging for mediation, to calling in a crisis response team for more serious situations.

Designed to evoke the warmth and safety of a cozy kitchen, the booth will include a couch and table, along with a shelf of peace-related books to browse. A private room will be available for confidential conversations.

"Conflict is normal, but too often the temptation is to ignore it," says Michelle Armster, director of Mennonite Conciliation Services. "Real peacemaking involves acknowledging our disagreements."

The Kitchen Table Council is a project of the Mennonite Church USA Peace Advocate program and Mennonite Central Committee U.S. Peace and Justice Ministries. For more information, contact Tina Hartman of MCC U.S., (717) 859-3889, .

The Atlanta 2003 Mennonite Church USA convention -- the theme of which is "God's Table, Y'all Come!" -- will be held at the Georgia World Congress Center, 285 Andrew Young International Blvd., NW, in Atlanta. The Kitchen Table Council will be located in A-Junction, next to the Menno Grounds.

Mennonite Church USA is the largest of some 20 formally organized groups of Mennonites in North America. All Mennonite churches have their roots in the Anabaptist movement of the 16th century, which rejected church-state ties and emphasized community and nonviolence. Mennonite Central Committee is the relief, service and development agency of the North American Mennonite and Brethren in Christ churches.