Mennonite Central Committee

Suggestions for Congregations for Encouraging Conscientious Objector Registration

The Conscientious Objector Registry is a tool intended for general peace education, as well as a means of enabling individuals to articulate a position of conscientious objection to military service. We believe that peacemaking is woven throughout the entire fabric of Christian living, and encourage congregations to initiate a study process that involves all youth and adults, and invites persons ages 16+ to complete The CO Registry.

The following are suggested ways for congregations to use The CO Registry as a Christian education experience.

* Please see the Peace Sunday Packet 2006 called "Cultivating Peace: Courage, Conscience and Resistance to War" for an excellent resource on addressing this issue with your congregation.

1. Sunday School Study: Devote one quarter of the Sunday School year to a study of the church’s teaching about war and peace (this should include both youth and adult classes). Encourage class members to read the materials on this website at the beginning of the study to focus the issue. See the Resources section for ideas of scripture and other resources to use during this study. On the last Sunday of the quarter, collect the completed written statements of Conscientious Objection and either deposit them in the church office, or mail them to MCC Canada.
2. Conscientious Objector Day: Designate a Sunday as Conscientious Objector Registration Day. (War Resisters International has designated May 15 as International Conscientious Objectors’ Day.) Several weeks in advance of this day, distribute conscientious objection material to all youth and adult members of the congregation. Plan a testimonial service on this day that includes collecting people’s written statements and inviting individuals to share their experiences. Sermons, Bible studies, youth activities, etc. can precede Conscientious Objector Day. Invite individuals who have completed written statements to share them publicly.
3. Sunday Workshop: Introduce Conscientious Objector Registration with a one-day peace workshop from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on a Sunday. Devote worship and Sunday School hours to a peacemaking theme, eat a potluck meal together, and hold an afternoon session. This event could be planned by the congregation’s Christian Education Committee, and should include youth involvement. Set a later date for collection of the completed conscientious objection statements.
4. Peace Counselors: Designate one or two peace counselors in the congregation. Assign them responsibility for personally contacting every young person to discuss conscientious objection. Note: This is an excellent supplement to numbers 1, 2, and 3, but a poor substitute for them.
5. Hearing Stories: Invite people who served as conscientious objectors in previous wars to share their stories and experiences. These could be members of your church, or other people in the community.
6. Related Issues: The process of studying conscientious objection may lead your congregation into conversation and study on broader issues of peace: militarism, disarmament, taxes for peace, poverty and affluence, domestic violence, energy stewardship. MCC Canada can provide suggestions for resources.