This year the officers of the Church of the Brethren Annual
Conference invited On Earth Peace to expand its Ministry of
Reconciliation (MoR) presence. The 2012 Conference took place in St.
Louis, Mo., on July 7-11. The expanded presence included the entire
Conference, not just the business sessions.
Identified by yellow lanyards and “Ministers of Reconciliation” tags,
a team of trained volunteers was available throughout the Exhibit Hall
and other Conference venues during the day and evening. They could be
reached by calling a special telephone number and also could be
contacted via the On Earth Peace booth and the Conference Office.
Like the MoR observers who have served during Annual Conference
business sessions for over 20 years, members of the Ministers of
Reconciliation Team were available to listen, help make sense of the
proceedings, be a peaceful presence in tense situations, and mediate
conflict, facilitate communication, and help navigate misunderstandings.
They received training to respond appropriately in the event anyone was
being threatened or harmed, whether verbally, emotionally, or
physically.
The team was active throughout Conference and members report that interactions were overwhelmingly positive.
As On Earth Peace prepares a report for the Annual Conference
officers to help in planning for next year, we welcome feedback. Please
send impressions, reflections, and/or suggestions, including what worked
well or what could be improved. Send responses as soon as
possible--ideally within the next week--to Ministry of Reconciliation
program coordinator Leslie Frye at lfrye@onearthpeace.org or 620-755-3940.
-- Leslie Frye is Ministry of Reconciliation program coordinator for On Earth Peace.
Source:7/26/2012 Newsline
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