Mennonite Weekly Review

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Linda Gehman Peachey and Titus Peachey have spent their lifetimes working for peace and justice across the world.

Laura Bowman’s passion has been focused closer to her western Ohio home and for a shorter time.

Of course, Bowman is still in high school.

The Peace and Justice Support Network of Mennonite Church USA honored all three for their commitment to Christ’s call toward justice and reconciliation at the Mennonite Church USA convention here.

Bowman received the first-ever A Different Drummer Award in front of thousands of youth who had just finished worshiping together. In a separate, smaller ceremony, Peachey and Gehman Peachey received the Peace Pitcher Award for their lifetimes of influencing the world for peace.

Bowman received a carved wooden drum with a leather head and a peace symbol etched into the side because she “marches to the beat of a different drummer and moves to the rhythms of peace in her life, congregation, community and world,” according to PJSN leaders.

Bowman has worked for peace both within her congregation and her school, Archbold High School. She has organized school demonstrations for the World Day of Peace, distributed materials to her school counselors that counteract military recruitment pitches and led peace vigils to pray about ongoing wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Bowman also organized a project to collect discarded television sets for recycling instead of for landfills. She found a place that would recycle the materials without environmental hazards.

Bowman also is the peace and justice advocate for her youth group and works with Zion Mennonite Church’s peace and justice project to bring issues in front of the youth group for potential action.

Gehman Peachey and Peachey received a ceramic pitcher made by Goshen, Ind., potter Dick Lehman.

Gehman Peachey and Peachey, of East Chestnut Street Mennonite Church in Lancaster, Pa., currently work for Mennonite Central Committee. Gehman Peachey is MCC U.S. women’s advocacy director and Peachey is MCC U.S. peace education director.