Pentecostals & Charismatics for Peace & Justice (PCPJ), known as the Pentecostal Charismatic Peace Fellowship until 2007, is a
multicultural
The term multiculturalism has a range of meanings within the contexts of sociology, political philosophy, and colloquial use. In sociology and in everyday usage, it is a synonym for "Pluralism (political theory), ethnic pluralism", with the tw ...
, gender inclusive and
ecumenical
Ecumenism (), also spelled oecumenism, is the concept and principle that Christians who belong to different Christian denominations should work together to develop closer relationships among their churches and promote Christian unity. The adjec ...
organization that promotes peace, justice and reconciliation work among
Pentecostal
Pentecostalism or classical Pentecostalism is a Protestant Charismatic Christian movement and
Charismatic
Charisma () is a personal quality of presence or charm that compels its subjects.
Scholars in sociology, political science, psychology, and management reserve the term for a type of leadership seen as extraordinary; in these fields, the term "ch ...
Christians
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
. Members and adherents in over twenty
denominations, fifteen countries, and forty universities and seminaries participate.
A Pentecostal peace fellowship was first suggested in a paper presented in July 2001 at the European Pentecostal Charismatic Research Association conference at the Catholic University of Leuven in Leuven, Belgium by Paul Alexander, now Professor of Social Ethics at Palmer Theological Seminary of Eastern University (St Davids, Pennsylvania). By March 2002, about thirty Pentecostals and Charismatics had signed on after another version of the original paper was presented at the Society for Pentecostal Studies conference in
Lakeland, Florida
Lakeland is the most populous city in Polk County, Florida, part of the Tampa Bay Area, located along Interstate 4 east of Tampa. According to the 2020 U.S. Census Bureau release, the city had a population of 112,641. Lakeland is a principal c ...
.
Later that year, Marlon Millnerwrote "Send Judah First: An Open Letter to President George W. Bush", encouraging the USA not to invade Iraq. This letter, which was signed by many Pentecostal and Charismatic pastors, students, and teachers, helped launch PCPJ and brought together the leadership team. The "Send Judah First" letter and the list of signatories is included as chapter 9 of ''Pentecostals and Nonviolence: Reclaiming a Heritage''.
[Paul Alexander, ed. Foreword by Stanley Hauerwas. ''Pentecostals and Nonviolence: Reclaiming a Heritage.'' Eugene, OR: Pickwick, 2012.]
PCPJ held its first conference, ''Intercession as a Way of Life: Peacemaking and Discipleship'', near Dallas, Texas, in October 2005. The following October they met in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for ''Seeking the Peace of the City''. In October 2007, they met at the Providence Christian Center (known as The Hot Dog Church) in San Francisco, California, for ''Reconciliation: Message, Ministry, and Movement''. The 2008 annual conference was in Dallas.
PCPJ publishes a book series, ''Pentecostals, Peacemaking, and Social Justice'', with Wipf & Stock Publishers.
See also
*
List of anti-war organizations
In order to facilitate organized, determined, and principled opposition to the wars, people have often founded anti-war organizations. These groups range from temporary coalitions which address one war or pending war, to more permanent structured ...
Notes
References
* Paul Alexander, ''Peace to War: Shifting Allegiances in the Assemblies of God''. Foreword by Glen Stassen. C. Henry Smith Series, vol. 9. Telford, PA: Cascadia Publishing/Herald Press, 2009.
* Martin Mittelstadt, "Pentecostal Charismatic Peace Fellowship", Stanley Burgess and Michael Palmer, eds. ''Encyclopedia of Religion and Social Justice.'' New York, NY: Routledge, 2008.
* Matthew T. Lee, Margaret Poloma, and Stephen Post, ''The Heart of Religion''. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 2012.
External links
Official WebsiteSociety for Pentecostal Studies
{{Christian-org-stub
Peace organizations
Christian pacifism