Anabaptist Peace Center Washington DC Visioning Retreat
16-18 April 2004
Rolling Ridge Study and Retreat Center
Harper’s Ferry, WV
Participants (B-Board, OC-Organizing Committee)
Joe Roos, B, OC
Mel Schmidt, OC
Pearl Hoover, B, OC
David Evans, B
Reina Neufeldt, OC
Marty Shupack, B, OC
J R Burkholder, B
Duane Shank, OC
Nelson Good, OC
John Swarr, OC
Susan Mark Landis, B
Bret Kincaid, OC
Keith Swartzendruber, OC
Ruth Hoover Zimmerman, B
Ed Hall, B
Addie Banks, B
Jose Ortiz, B
Jerry Kennel, Consultant
Absent
Virginia Showalter, OC
Sang Jin Choi, B
Steve Ramer, OC
Cindy Lapp, OC
Lawrence Hart, B
APRIL 16
Following dinner, Joe welcomed everyone to the retreat and invited everyone to introduce themselves.
Mel then led the group in an opening worship around the question “why are we here at a time like this?”The group sang one hymn, “Now Thank We All Our God” by Martin Rinckart.
Jerry opened the evening session by suggesting that the two goals of the weekend were to address the key questions and directions for the peace center’s next steps and transferring the vision from the Organizing Committee to the Board.He led the group in a time of gifting and receiving the vision of the peace center, the Organizing Committee gifting and the Board receiving.The vision gifted included:
Having a place in DC
National focus rooted in Anabaptist vision
Witnessing to the broader church around peace
The work of transformation; individually, locally, and nationally
Making peace practical where we are locally
A place of hospitality and learning
Partnership with MCCWO sharing wisdom of Anabaptist vision
Serving MCUSA by engaging with important social/theological issues
Encourage peace theology in other denominations
Building on relationships of peace
Biblically based resources for peace
Training in nonviolent social action
Peace education in schools
Place for faith and peace to live
Putting peace into action
Being in DC
The Board followed in receiving the vision and offering some thoughts as well:
Communication and networking – enhancing each other
What can we do that no one else is doing?
Coordination/collaboration is important
Feels overwhelming – can we do it?
What about culture wars and racial clashes
Fabulous and scary
Humble in our approach – we learn from others as well
Serve congregation as best can
Exciting ideas and glad to help to shape
The evening concluded with a time of refreshments and fellowship.
APRIL 17
Mel began the morning, leading us again in worship.He spoke of the story of the dry bones in Ezekiel and how they rose again, raising two questions:what does vision become and how does one enter into it?The group sang “I Bind My Heart This Tide.”
Jerry moved the group into a session exploring and falling in love with the mission of the peace center.He asked the group to pick out things that stood out to them from the mission statement.
·Serving-type verbs
·Social change/justice
·Understanding
·Healing
·Reconciliation
·Reflection
·Strengthening
·Non-violent responses/actions
·Encourage
·Resources/resourcing
·Jesus’ call (to peace and justice), in which we participate
·Church and society
·Other denominations
·Theological reflection/public policy
·Putting into practice
·Disseminating
·Link
Jerry then asked the group to envision the desired outcomes for the peace center.Preferences were then determined by applying colored dots to individual outcomes.Other desired outcomes are also listed below the preferred ones.
·Green (1):Visible evidence of Christ’s peace and justice; people will evidence biblical understanding of peace and justice.
·Blue (2):Evidence of a dynamic network. Supportive communities of peace/faith in expanding concentric circles.Including bridge to Islamic communities/countries. Emergence of a network that functions as a single unit for faith-based nonviolent social change.
·Yellow (3):People view and use and create safe spaces for dialogue across boundaries (of fear, misunderstanding, culture, politics, etc)
·Red (4):Anabaptist churches (beginning in DC area) become centers of peace/for peace. Assist other denominations to deepen and strengthen their peace commitment. The Reformation will be completed (in the sense that other churches will become more Anabaptist).
·Orange (5):Board/staff/center family evidences peace/constructive engagements.
·Other (6):Emerging stories of peace/transformation rooted in the APC’s work. Evidence of linkage between action and reflection.
·Overcome fear at all levels.
·Public awareness/understanding/respect for the integrity of the APC.
·Evidence of civility in public discourse.
·MCUSA/Mennonite churches reclaim their central peace heritage.
·Government officials evidence alternatives to militarism and war.
·Evidence of greater understanding of the term “Anabaptist.”
·Native communities understandings are evidenced/informativeto the broader society. Native remains are effectively/reverently repatriated.Other similar projects related to healing of historic wrongs.
·Church leaders will have resources to address conflict at all levels.
·Evidence of reconciliation in broken relationships.
·Evidence of people carrying enduring memories/fruitful seeds of Center experience.
·Evidence of linkage between global and local issues.
Following a brief break, the group broke up into small groups to come up with one or two program ideas that the peace center should tackle initially.A color-coded system was again used to indicate preferences.Other program ideas other than those preferred are listed below as well.
Green (1):Listening project locally and national working session bringing together ecumenical peace pros and a cross-generational array of Anabaptists.
Blue (2):Capacity and relationship building.
Yellow (3):Create a public/visible event to help bring people together.
Red (4):Organize safe space dialogues on issues related public policy and theology, role of government/witness to government for churches and public officials.
Orange (5):Provide education and materials to augment experience of peace activists coming to DC and to equip them to transmit what they have learned to their home communities.
Clearinghouse for events.
Local peace education of youth in multiple settings.
Create VORP program.
Repatriation of Native American remains.
Following the Program discussion, the group adjourned for lunch.
After lunch, the group reconvened.A moment of prayer and reflection was observed for Rosemarie Freeney Harding, a leader in the Southern Freedom Movement along with her husband Vincent, who passed away March 3.
Jerry led the afternoon session exploring capacity building.He began by presenting a model that we should strive to achieve as a new organization.
·For the peace center, Jerry suggested that the highest priority should be to identify and build relationships with stakeholders.They are the target of services and the well of resources for the peace center.Any listening project would target this level.Stakeholders need to feel that they define what the peace center is and be able to connect to the top of the pyramid, the mission.
·Given this model, the nature of fundraising changes from merely a business activity with dirty connotations to an integral part of the organization’s development and a sacred process.Relationships built with stakeholders offer them opportunities to give and enable them to share confidence around the mission.This fulfills their spiritual needs, creates a dialogue about money, and lets the stakeholder explain why giving is important to them.There is no need to sell the organization; its integrity speaks for itself.
·Borrowing from the above model, Jerry suggested the following model for capacity building:
·To build this pyramid, the peace center should work most at networking to build connections between the various levels maintaining constant sustained contact with stakeholders.Additionally, it should act “as if”; that is planning toward time when staff and resources are in place.
·Jerry concluded his session by listing several things that needed to be done as next steps.
1.Incorporation as nonprofit
2.IRS 501 (c)(3)
3.Bylaws
4.Board development and expansion with attention to matching skills and constituencies, as well as appointing officers, an executive committee, and a fundraising committee
5.Start turning plans in programs
6.Development of a staffing model
7.Budget
Before adjourning, Pearl Hoover and David Evans shared how they could be involved over the next few months.
Pearl – Public visibility events and repatriation of remains project
David – DC local listening project
The afternoon session then adjourned for free time and dinner.
Mel led the group in worship to close the day later that evening.
APRIL 18
Joe led the group in exploring what gifts we bring and could offer to the development of the peace center over the next few months.
Reina – Local listening and repatriation project
Marty – Networking (pulling people together) and program development
JR – Library of 700 books, mapping/listening project nationally, experience (guru)
Duane – Mapping/listening project, safe space dialogue, local dimensions
Nelson – Organizational development and financial feasibility
John – Networking, local dimension, number crunching/bookkeeping
Mel – Fundraising
Susan – Help connect with MCUSA churches to speak their language, public event, working with activists, national mapping/listening
Bret – ecumenical work, safe space dialogue, VORP
Joe – Organizing, fundraising, budgeting
Keith – Safe space dialogue/public discourse, creating event, free time/able to volunteer
Ruth – Put wheels on ideas, networking, listening project, organizational development, budget, link to Conflict Transformation Program
Ed – Connect with congregation, tax lawyer/legal work
Addie – Urban context especially African Americans, bridge building, plug into Groundswell
Jose – Identify stories of non-traditional peacemakers, communicating with non-traditional Mennonites, communicating with “lost” Mennonites
Following this exploration, several decisions were made.
1.Official name shall be Anabaptist Peace Center Washington DC (APCWDC)
2.Officers and executive committee appointed – Joe, Chair; Ruth, Vice Chair; Marty, Secretary-Treasurer.
6.Organizing Committee dissolved as a body, making the Board the only body with decision-making authority.Members of former organizing committee will continue helping on various committees that were established and will help as requested by Board.
Following these decisions, the group held a discussion on MCC U.S.'s invitation to the APC to share space in a building in the Capitol Hill area, either as a co-purchaser and co-tenant or as a renter.MCC U.S. is mounting a capital campaign to purchase such a building for its Washington Office.Marty Shupack, representing the Washington Office, gave an initial presentation and circulated a letter from Washington Office director, Daryl Byler, making this invitation.A lively discussion followed with considerable enthusiasm expressed for the idea, but also caution about whether the funding commitment would be feasible, and how it would affect program development. Nelson Good offered to research and draft a memo analyzing the financial aspects of the purchase and lease options and provide it to the board by May 3.The Board hopes to make a decision prior to the MCC U.S. board meeting June 10.
The group expressed its appreciation to Rolling Ridge for its hospitality in hosting the retreat.The pleasant surroundings, good food, and fellowship with the staff made for an energizing and relaxing weekend and a perfect setting to launch the peace center.
Marty led in a short worship to conclude the retreat.
