Our Mission and Vision Change: The Story and Rationale
We have updated our Mission & Vision in an effort to:
Acknowledge the complex and interrelated issues that drive cycles of conflict so we can better address root issues in peacebuilding efforts across social divisions; and
Clarify the primary audience and intended beneficiaries of our work.
Over the last 10 years, our partnership with Muslims has been an integral component in our learning and growth as a Christian peacebuilding organization. We have grown in our understanding about how conflict is complex and driven by a myriad of interrelated issues. We have learned that to follow Jesus and love our neighbors, we must do the difficult and painful work to identify our biases and blind spots so we can address the root causes that break peace. We have grown to understand that collaboration towards common goals is one of the strongest ways we can contribute to a sustainable, just peace.
At the same time, we have realized that characterizing our peacebuilding work as “Christian-Muslim” has unintended consequences. We have found that this binary framing is easily misunderstood: it can contribute to an overly-simplistic view of conflict that interprets religious identity as the primary driver of conflict. In other words, our emphasis on only Muslims can cause harm by reinforcing Islamophobic narratives and “us vs them” tendencies that are all too common in Christian circles.
Finally, we have recognized that our work must start from within Christian communities. Christians are increasingly interested in connecting and collaborating across lines of difference, and they are looking for opportunities to be equipped as peacebuilders between diverse groups in their own neighborhoods and cities. We are well-suited to meet this need: we have long worked for wider impact in society, and we will continue to form and empower Christians for collaborative peacebuilding in their communities and beyond.
Ten years of partnership with our Muslim friends has strengthened Peace Catalyst, and we will continue to value our friendships and collaborative work. We cannot ignore the deeper complexities of conflict, nor limit ourselves to a binary relationship between Christians and Muslims for peacebuilding. We are called to start from within our own community, forming and equipping Christians for collaborative peacebuilding.
As we step into a new chapter, we are reframing our Mission and Vision to affirm what we’ve learned and to elevate “equipping and mobilizing Christians for collaborative peacebuilding across lines of difference” as our new mission. We are pressing into this work to equip and empower Christians with theological resources and peacebuilding skills necessary to build peace across divisions by offering training and workshops, modeling collaborative relationships, and extending invitations to work with our diverse neighbors toward common goals and ultimately God’s shalom.
We believe Jesus invites his followers - indeed, all people! - to be peacemakers (Matt. 5:9, Rom. 12:18, Heb. 12:14, 1 Pet. 3:11). In a time when increasing numbers of people, especially young people, are leaving the Church, this change to our Mission and Vision opens up the possibility for us to help Christian communities wrestle with the many divisive issues pulling apart our communities, churches, and families. As we look forward to continued and deepening collaboration with Muslim friends and new partners, we aim to help catalyze Christians into the wider peacebuilding movement for the healing and mutual flourishing of our diverse communities. As our beloved founder and former president Rick Love said, as Peace Catalysts, we are committed to “Following Jesus and Waging Peace.”