[Note: John Mark Ministries has no affiliation with this church. This pastoral letter is for information. Rowland].

A Pastoral Letter

From The Board of Elders of

Metropolitan Community Churches

27 January 2003 . http://www.MCCchurch.org

We are today echoing the call for people of faith and goodwill to join in heartfelt prayers for a peaceful resolution to the Iraq crisis. The events of this week have the power to change our world and alter the course of history. Our united prayers have the power to alter the events of this week. Global events this week will forever impact world history and will determine life or death for many.

The friends and members of Metropolitan Community Churches, an international Christian denomination with a primary affirming ministry to gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender persons, join hands with the World Council of Churches and National Councils of Churches around the world in noting the historic nature of the first three days of this week. On Monday, UN inspectors presented weapons inspection reports to the United Nations Security Council. On Tuesday, US President George Bush will deliver the annual State of the Union Address before leaders of the United States Congress. And on Wednesday, around the globe, hundreds of thousands of concerned and passionate people will gather in hundreds of cities to call for peace and to stand against unilateral acts of war.

Today we reaffirm our belief that war will only increase unrest and suffering in our world, deepen the distrust that already divides America and Britain from Iraq and its allies, and divert international attention and resources from more critical issues including world poverty, a rapidly deteriorating ecological structure, and oppression of too many of the world’s peoples.

This is neither an issue of political affiliation nor nationalistic loyalty. It is rather a deeply spiritual issue with potentially devastating consequences to God’s world.

As Christians, we honor the Biblical mandate to be peacemakers and to pray for peace in our world.

Even as the world moves closer to the prospects of war we:

– Call for continued restraint by the leaders of the United States and Britain;

– Encourage that the time for the work of United Nations’ weapons inspectors be extended;

– Ask that the United States and Britain work in concert with the family of nations and forego unilateral action;

– Call upon Iraqi President Saddam Hussein to honor U.N. resolutions which have been agreed upon by the family of nations;

– Commit ourselves to prayers for the people of Iraq, for wisdom for the leaders of governments on both sides of this conflict, for protection and safety for the young men and women of various militaries, and that peace will triumph over war.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.”

/signed/ The Board of Elders of Metropolitan Community Churches

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