ROME (ABP) — Baptists active in non-violent struggles for justice convened Feb. 9-14 in Italy for a conference aimed at strengthening the Baptist peacemaking witness around the world.
Between 300 and 400 Christians, many from troubled and war-torn regions who had to struggle just to be there, gathered for worship, addresses, storytelling, training and encouragement at the Global Baptist Peace Conference. Though sponsored by Baptists, the conference was open to people from other denominations as well.
Plenary speakers included Anna Maffei, a conference planner and president of the Unione Cristiana Evangelica Battista d'Italia (Italian Baptist Union.) She spoke about the effects of violence on children in virtually every country in the world.
"There are 50 countries currently in armed conflict, but I do not think it is only 50 countries who have declared war on children," Maffei said.
She contrasted those who plan conflicts and violence as looking down from above and "playing God" instead of seeing the world from below as the victims do and as Jesus chose to do.
"We need to stop playing God and become human beings again," Maffei said.
Gustavo Parajón, a Baptist pastor and physician in Nicaragua, described trauma in his country resulting from conflict between the Sandinista government that led Nicaragua between 1979 and 1990 and the United States-backed Contra forces who opposed them. A leader in mediation efforts between the two parties, Parajón described of the church's non-violent witness that helped transform armed conflict into peaceful resolution.
Workshops covered topics ranging from a theology of peace to environmental concerns.
The conference concluded with a worship service at Rome's oldest Protestant congregation, the Waldensian Church, where the Italian Baptist Union has its headquarters.
It was the fifth international peace conference for Baptists held in the last 20 years. Previous conferences were in Sweden (1988), Nicaragua (1992), and Australia (2000.)
Sponsors of the 2009 gathering included the Italian Baptist Union, Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America, International Ministries of American Baptist Churches USA, Evangelical Baptist Church of Georgia, Baptist Union of Great Britain and the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.
From Rome, the BPFNA delegation headed for a Feb. 12-March 2 friendship tour to the Holy Land, visiting sites in Lebanon, Jordan, Israel and the West Bank, with transit through Syria.
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— Katie Cook for Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America contributed to this report, which included information from a blog by Molly Marshall, president of Central Baptist Theological Seminary.