MC USA leaders seek 5,000 signatures to decry possible U.S. war in Iraq

August, 27, 2002

NEWTON, Kan. (MC USA) - Leaders in Mennonite Church USA are hoping that at least 5,000 constituents will put their names where their hearts are on the issue of peacemaking by signing a letter that decries a possible U.S.-led war in Iraq.

As people in congregations pray for peace, they can also act for peace by adding their signatures to a letter signed by Jim Schrag, executive director of Mennonite Church USA's Executive Board. Schrag's letter and the 5,000 signatures will be sent to President Bush on Sept. 12 on behalf of the church to impact President Bush's policy decisions.

"While 5,000 signatures are not likely to stop a war, that number will be one of the contributing voices to a growing number of groups and individuals who are raising questions about attacking Iraq," said J. Daryl Byler, director of Mennonite Central Committee's Washington office, who is working closely with Susan Mark Landis, peace advocate for MC USA's Executive Board, on the letter-signing campaign.

"There are even persons inside the Pentagon, voices of dissent within the administration, and some leaders of Congress who are raising some questions. But many members of Congress are still afraid that they will look weak when it comes to standing up to Iraq and President Saddam Hussein. So they need to hear from their constituents in order to have backing to voice their own concerns."

Congregations will soon (Thursday) receive an e-mail memorandum from the Mennonite Church USA Peace and Justice Support Network, inviting them to join this growing chorus of voices against a U.S. invasion in Iraq. The congregations may collect signatures of their members with their cities/states of residence. On top of the page, congregations should include their name, contact information (postal addresses, phone, fax, e-mail), the pastor(s)' name(s) and the name and contact information of the person submitting the list.

Congregations need to send their lists by Sept. 11 to the MCC Washington Office, 110 Maryland Ave., NE, Washington, DC 20002; Fax: (202) 544-2820. Congregations also should keep the signature list in its historical records. The record can help youth document their peace commitments and convictions against war, Landis said.

"Congregations need to keep the actual signatures in their church building and send us a copy," Landis said. "That way, a historical record of a congregation's peace stance is available to youth in case we do go to war and there is a draft. But let's remember - the best way to stop a draft is to act to stop the war."

History shows that Mennonites in other eras have dealt with the peace issue in public ways through a similar use of signatures, said Titus Peachey, director of Peace Education for MCC U.S. In a book he edited, Seeking Peace (1991, Good Books), a story describes how 20,000 Mennonites in 31 states in 1919 signed a petition asking Congress for consideration for nonresistant Christians. Several bills on compulsory military training came before the U. S. Congress in 1919, but none of them provided exemption for conscientious objectors, Peachey said. So the Mennonite Church Peace Problems Committee drafted and circulated the petition among Mennonites, along with a cover letter from church leaders, requesting signatures.

The petition in part read, "Believing all war to be a violation of the teachings of Christ whose life and precepts we hold as our supreme law, we feel that we must also avoid having any part in Military Training. ...Therefore we ... humbly plead your Honorable body that it pass no laws which will force militarism upon those who have religious convictions against it. "

Peachey said, "What most interests me about this history is the logistics of getting 20,000 signatures without the help of e-mail or fax. I would hope that we could even get more than 5,000 signatures, in light of how our modern technology can help us."

Byler said that while his dream is to have 1 million signatures from all the Mennonites across the globe, he believes that 5,000 or more names can be part of a partnership with God in proclaiming the message of peace in our violent world.

"It seems a war is very likely, but as a person of faith who believes in miracles, I'd like to think that there's still a way to prevent it," he said. "As I read stories in the Old Testament, there are clearly cases of God's intervention to keeps humans from engaging ... in greater destruction. Going to war with Iraq would have such enormous consequences throughout ... the region and the world that it seems to me that God would desire to intervene. ...

"But we also need to carry a responsibility as a people of faith to be in partnership with God. ... The more signatures we send, the stronger our voice will be. If we keep our faith private in our churches without a public statement, then the world won't see that peace is what matters to us as a people of God."

Landis said, "We hope people from one congregation will encourage their neighboring Mennonite congregations to take part in gathering signatures, and that this is an historically significant visible sign that Mennonites are against war and can work quickly together."

For more information, contact Landis at (330) 683-6844, . Also check the Peace and Justice Support Network Web site at http://peace.MennoLink.org or www.MennnoniteUSA.org under "peace resources" for more ideas on how congregations can pray and act for peace. Congregations may also contact Kathy Harshbarger at (574) 294-7523 or for paper copies of the materials of the letter-signing materials and those found on the site. The home page of the Web site will include a counter of the number of signatures the MCC office receives and a list of names of the congregations that have participated.

Laurie L. Oswald is news service director for Mennonite Church USA.