Dear Friends,

 

I apologize for writing to all of you simultaneously, but time is of the essence. I've chosen about seventy of you who are general or executive presbyters whom I've gotten to know personally over the last two years, or in some cases, because of your proximity to Washington DC and my hope that you'll be open to offering us contacts in your Presbytery to help us turn out 5,000 Presbyterians in the capitol on Friday, March 16 ^th.

The Presbyterian Peace Fellowship has taken the lead in organizing the Christian Peace Witness for Iraq. We expect that on Friday evening, March 16th, thousands of Christians will gather to worship in the National Cathedral at 7 p.m., then walk down Massachusetts Ave. to the White House for a late night witness against the war in Iraq and in support of our troops. Some participants may choose to risk arrest as a part of this nonviolent action. Also, on Saturday the 17 ^th there will be a networking session for Presbyterians at New York Ave. Presbyterian, sponsored by the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship, The Presbyterian Peacemaking Program, and the Washington Office of the PC(USA).

There is a website at www.christianpeacewitness.org   with answers to many of the questions you will have.

This Witness will be intentionally Christian, principle, nonviolent, and theologically grounded. In my mind, I've seen it as a witness for average Presbyterians who are gravely concerned about the war but have never participated in a public protest or demonstration before.

Here's what I'm hoping you will do.

1.      Consider coming yourself to participate. I hope that many of you, like me, are clear that the religious community must take responsibility for standing against the war in Iraq, and in other possible conflicts like Iran or Syria that are likely to continue to make us less secure, not more secure.

2.      Share this information with key pastors, elders and peacemakers in your Presbytery, and ask them to organize as many Presbyterians as possible. If you're within a twelve hour drive of D.C., consider chartering one or more buses.

3.      Publicize the event on your website and in any publications of the Presbytery.

4.      Write back to me at this address (dedicated to organizing Presbyterians for this event) to let me know that you got the email, whether you can be helpful, and to share the key names of any folks in your presbytery with whom we should be in touch.

 

Though we probably will not get to all of you, I have a couple of volunteers who are working with me to contact as many of you as possible by phone in the coming two weeks. Please help them out with the name of a key person who might serve as our contact for organizing in your presbytery. The volunteers are Rev. Gene Lefebvre, retired here in Tucson, and Ani Goodenberger, a Colombia grad and former PC(USA) young adult volunteer now living here in Tucson as well.

 

That's all for now! Thanks for taking the time to read this, and thanks in advance for any help you can offer.

 

In Christ's service,

 

Rick Ufford-Chase,

Executive Director, Presbyterian Peace Fellowship

(520) 780 6928

Personal email: rickuffordchase@gmail.com