Updated 12:47 pm.EST, Sun November 22, 2009

World|Sat, Sep. 20 2008 12:21 PM EDT

Churches to Unite in Int'l Prayer for Peace

By Ethan Cole|Christian Post Reporter

Hundreds of churches and Christian organizations around the world will pray for peace this Sunday on International Day of Prayer for Peace.

In the United States alone, nearly 140 congregations and Christian groups are organizing public prayer events on Sept. 21.

The day will also feature a coordinated event involving different countries around the world for a 24-hour prayer chain. In total, nine countries – America Samoa, Canada, Fiji, Indonesia, New Zealand, Norway, Samoa, Tuvalu and the United States – will be linked in the day-long prayer event.

"Our hope is that participating congregations intentionally build new or deeper ecumenical and interfaith relationships at the local level, so they are in a strengthened position for addressing violence in their communities on a more ongoing basis," said Matt Guynn of On Earth Peace, the group organizing this year’s day of prayer.

The idea for the International Day of Prayer for Peace was first proposed in 2004 during a meeting between WCC general secretary the Rev. Dr. Samuel Kobia and then U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan.

They agreed that a global day of prayer for peace would take place each year on the Sunday closest to Sept. 21 – the U.N. International Day of Peace. The day of prayer for peace, launched by WCC in 2004, is one of the initiatives of the WCC’s Decade to Overcome Violence.

The World Council of Churches is an ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948 that today brings together 349 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 560 million Christians in over 100 countries.

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  • Mon Oct 13, 2008 8:50 pm Agree: 0   Disagree: 0

    Did Obama support the murder of Christians in Kenya? Aparently he raised $1 million dollars to his uncle who did.

  • Sun Sep 21, 2008 10:43 am Agree: 0   Disagree: 0

    Please pray for persecution to stop in India, where it is spreading
    from state of Orissa to other State where Hindu party is ruling
    namely in Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh etc where constant attack
    against Christians are taking place. Please, please pray and support
    Christians brothers and sisters in India and other parts of the world
    where persecution is taking place...
    Every Sunday average of 2 churches are attacked by Hindu radicals
    and protection of Christians are at stake.
    In the last week of while peacefully protesting for the attacks on
    churches in Mangalore, Karnataka .the police started lathe charge
    Against protester what the worst case is even nuns where brutally attacked
    by police men ,this done all by Hindu ruling party which hates Christians and
    not one Christian organization have complaint against to the higher authorities
    fearing that they always jailed in for giving complaints. this is becos the govt ministers are calling to ban foreign funds which helps the few churches to carry out its social service activates in the region .
    please pray that all those who where attacked by the Hindu fanatics to have heart to forgive them and pray for the peace and harmony to be there...
    I personally feel that Christian should post the persecution happening every where in the first page as headlines or a link. and most of all this is to pass info so that churches can know and pray for these concerned matter ,where on daily basis somebody is killed for the sake of having Faith in Jesus Christ. please pray and support those who are in great
    Need.

  • Sun Sep 21, 2008 1:23 am Agree: 0   Disagree: 0

    Groups such as the Viswa Hindu Parishad and BJP are allowed to have non profit status in the US. ofpbjp-usa.org, vhp-america.org, vhp.org.uk. At this mornings services many churches in India are at risk of being attacked by Hindu extremists.

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