Summer 2008 - The Church's Role in Peace and Justice Ministries

In election years in the United States, one of the recurring debates is over whether the government or private agencies like the church should run and/or fund programs that provide assistance to people in need. The answer is not either-or, but some form of both-and: yes, the government has a role in providing for its most vulnerable citizens, and yes, churches as well as other private prganizations are often much more effective and efficient. The point for this edition of Shalom! is not to engage in the complexities of the debate, but to focus particularly on the role of the church and individuals in creating and supporting ministries that address human need, and to provide?some examples and resources. Writing in the New Testament, James says that "real religion, the kind that passes muster before God the Father, is this: Reach out to the homeless and loveless in their plight, and guard against corruption from the godless world" (1:27, The Message). Ideally, every Brethren in Christ congregation, as well as every individual in each congregation, ought to be practicing the kind of "real religion" James describes.