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Dutch urge witness on Afghan war
Mennonite Church USA staffELKHART, Ind., and NEWTON, Kan. — Leaders of the Dutch Mennonite Church sent a letter to Mennonite Church USA in December, expressing concern about President Barack Obama’s call for the U.S. military’s escalation of troops in Afghanistan.
Signed by Otto P. Bleker and Alle G. Hoekema of Algemene Doopsgezinde Sociëteit Nederland, the letter acknowledged the pressure their own country is feeling to continue its military presence there.
“We send you this letter to share with you our deep and sincere concern about this decision,” the Dutch leaders wrote. “We trust you will continue to make public the peace of Christ in your society.
“We feel convinced that many of you deplore the useless and dangerous continuation as much as we do and believe that Christ shows different ways of ending conflict.”
In response, MC USA moderator Ed Diller of Fort Thomas, Ky., sent a letter of appreciation.
“Along with you, Mennonite Church USA is deeply concerned about military buildup in Afghanistan,” Diller wrote. He included resources MC USA had drawn together for use by conferences and congregations about the Afghanistan war.
With Diller’s letter was a copy of a peace ad MC USA Executive Leadership staff made available to congregations and conferences to place in local newspapers.
Originated by Albuquerque (N.M.) Mennonite Church, the ad has also been used by other churches, including some Virginia Mennonite Conference congregations in the Harrisonburg area, who placed an ad in their local newspaper.
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