St. Luke was founded with a strong emphasis on peace and justice.  The congregation’s decision to become a Sanctuary Church in the 1980’s strengthened this commitment which remains at the core of St. Luke’s ministry and witness.

St. Luke signed the Presbyterian Church (USA)’s “Commitment to Peacemaking” in 1992, affirming in Peacemaking: The Believers’ Calling “that God’s peacegiving in a broken and insecure world is central to the message of the gospel.  Therefore people of faith engage in peacemaking, not as a peripheral activity, but as an integral part of their congregational life and mission.”

In 2005, the St. Luke Session adopted a peace resolution that committed St. Luke to “following the ways of Jesus by working to become makers of peace, healers of the breach, and agents of justice.”  They defined this commitment as follows:

To become makers of peace we will:

• cultivate spiritual disciplines, such as prayer, meditation, and reflection on Scripture and other devotional writings,
• equip the congregation to grow as peacemakers and encourage the peacemaking efforts of everyone,
• work to solve our personal conflicts nonviolently and intervene when we witness acts of violence in our families, our congregation, our community, and our world,
• engage in peaceful resistance in pursuit of nonviolent alternatives to state sponsored violence, such as war, misuse of police force, capital punishment, and dependence upon the production of weapons, and
• support multi-lateral efforts and agencies, such as the United Nations, that promote peace.

To become healers of the breach we will:

• use language that is inclusive of all people and avoid images that are militaristic, hierarchical, biased, or pejorative,
• non-violently confront discrimination and prejudice against all people - including people of color; those with varying faith journeys; and gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people,
• actively build relationships to learn from those whose life experiences are different from our own,
• endeavor to live in peace and harmony with all living things and the natural systems of our planet,
• strive as individuals and as a congregation to live simply by working to reduce our use of natural resources and production of waste, and
• advocate for responsible governmental policies that support sustainable practices.

To become agents of justice we will:

• work for human rights and social, racial, and economic justice throughout the world,
• take actions that support fair wages and labor practices for all workers, including challenging the inequitable distribution of wealth in the nation and world,
• work to feed, shelter, and support those who are hungry, homeless, unemployed or otherwise unable to meet their basic needs, and
• speak out, demonstrate, and support organizations and activists who strive for justice.

The purpose of the Peace & Justice Focus Group (PJFG) is to offer education and leadership in identifying opportunities to live out this commitment, believing that justice and peace are inextricably intertwined.

All who share an interest in planning for peace and justice activities are invited to attend the Peace and Justice meetings.

Meeting Times: 3rd Monday of the month at 6:30 pm

Click this link to see meeting dates

Contact Persons:  Co-Chairs Linda Thomson and Adele Lennig-Sullivan

 Read Resolution condemning FBI raids on peace activists.