Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America
Encyclopedia
The Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America, abbreviated BPFNA, is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina
. It is an association of Baptist
, Christian
churches.
Formed in 1984, their mission statement is as follows: "The Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America gathers, equips and mobilizes Baptists to build a culture of peace rooted in justice. We labour with a wonderful array of peacemakers to change the world."
Membership is available to any Baptist church that is interested in the goals of the BPFNA and are willing to provide funding to achieve them. Founding Executive Director, Ken Sehested, advocated an explicitly Baptist peace organization because;
There are 73 partner churches in the United States
, and 2 in Canada
, a very small membership in proportion to the total number of Baptist churches in North America
. Its size reflects that the agenda of the body has more in common with the pacifism
of the historic peace churches
than the views of the majority of Baptists, even those that are otherwise engaged in peace efforts.
BPFNA is a supporting member of Christian Peacemaker Teams
and is on CPT's Steering Committee.
The Baptist Peacemaker is a quarterly journal published by the BPFNA.
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
. It is an association of Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
, Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
churches.
Formed in 1984, their mission statement is as follows: "The Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America gathers, equips and mobilizes Baptists to build a culture of peace rooted in justice. We labour with a wonderful array of peacemakers to change the world."
Membership is available to any Baptist church that is interested in the goals of the BPFNA and are willing to provide funding to achieve them. Founding Executive Director, Ken Sehested, advocated an explicitly Baptist peace organization because;
"With some exceptions, progressive movements--those dealing with justice and peace issues--have few entry points into the subculture of Baptist institutions. By and large their voices simply are not heard; or, if heard, not heeded, primarily because the vocabulary and appeals to authority are so different from our traditional language of faith."
There are 73 partner churches in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and 2 in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, a very small membership in proportion to the total number of Baptist churches in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. Its size reflects that the agenda of the body has more in common with the pacifism
Pacifism
Pacifism is the opposition to war and violence. The term "pacifism" was coined by the French peace campaignerÉmile Arnaud and adopted by other peace activists at the tenth Universal Peace Congress inGlasgow in 1901.- Definition :...
of the historic peace churches
Peace churches
Peace churches are Christian churches, groups or communities advocating Christian pacifism. The term historic peace churches refers specifically only to three church groups among pacifist churches: Church of the Brethren, Mennonites including the Amish, and Religious Society of Friends and has...
than the views of the majority of Baptists, even those that are otherwise engaged in peace efforts.
BPFNA is a supporting member of Christian Peacemaker Teams
Christian Peacemaker Teams
Christian Peacemaker Teams is an international organization set up to support teams of peace workers in conflict areas around the world. These teams believe that they can lower the levels of violence through nonviolent direct action, human rights documentation, and nonviolence training. CPT sums...
and is on CPT's Steering Committee.
The Baptist Peacemaker is a quarterly journal published by the BPFNA.
See also
- Pullen Memorial Baptist ChurchPullen Memorial Baptist ChurchPullen Memorial Baptist Church is an 850-member Baptist church located in Raleigh, North Carolina, US, that has a decades-long tradition of progressive stands on social issues. These have encompassed civil rights for African Americans and other minorities...
- University Baptist Church (Austin, Texas)University Baptist Church (Austin, Texas)University Baptist Church in Austin, Texas, USA, was organized in 1907–1908 to serve students at the University of Texas. Originally leasing space from the Highland Presbyterian Church, the church was officially chartered on September 27, 1908, with 80 original members.In 1914, the church absorbed...
- Wake Forest Baptist ChurchWake Forest Baptist ChurchWake Forest Baptist Church is located on the campus of Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The church was organized in 1956 when Wake Forest College moved from Wake Forest, NC, to Winston-Salem, perpetuating a 125-year-old tradition of having a Baptist church at the center of...
(Winston-Salem, North Carolina)