The Anabaptist Peace Center - Washington, DC was first conceived in the
late 1990s as an idea of Mel Schmidt, then pastor at Hyattsville (MD)
Mennonite Church. He sought a way of reaching out to those in power and
communicating to them about Christ’s way of peace as an alternative to
violence. Schmidt received a “City on a Hill” grant from Mennonite
Board of Missions to help develop his vision. By the end of 2002,
around
twenty people from area churches had formed a working group and begun
to brainstorm how to bring Mel’s vision into reality
.
In 2004, 13 persons were invited to become the inaugural board of
directors for the Anabaptist Peace Center. They gathered together
in the mountains of West Virginia to dream of what this project could
become. Our first program, the Hymn Sing for Peace, happened in
April of 2005, with over 60 people coming together to sing of Christ's
peace as an alternative to violence. The board has also continued
to work diligently, developing the programs and fundraising base for
the peace center. We invite you to visit our site often to watch
it grow.
