Four Channels of Peace

WHAT MAKES CHRISTIAN PEACEMAKING DISTINCT?

 

Christ the Good Shepherd, equips…

Churches with shepherds supported by…

Counselors trained by Scripture and authors of…

Confessions to find hope through Christ, the Church, and Spirt-led Counsel.

 

The Bible contains all the promises and principles needed for peacemaking in the ecclesiastical, educational, family, business, judicial, media, and entertainment spheres (on the "7 mountains"). These principles are summarized the Ten Commandments and in the Peacemaker's Pledge. As symbolized by the 4 pillars on the images to the left, there are four central convictions guiding the application of God's law to the peacemaking process:

The Centrality of Christ – We believe that genuine peace between people can be found only through Jesus Christ. Therefore, we encourage people in conflict to believe the gospel and trust in Christ, and to faithfully rely on the promises and obey the commands that he has given to us in Scripture (see John 14:27; 2 Cor. 5:18-19; Col. 3:15-16; 2 Tim. 3:16).

The Responsibility of the Church – We believe that peacemaking is an essential ministry of the local church, not a task reserved for professional mediators or lawyers. Therefore, we encourage Christians to take unresolved conflicts to their church families, which are called by God to restore peace by promoting biblical justice and reconciliation (see Matt. 18:17; 1 Cor. 6:4; Eph. 3:10; Heb. 13:17).

The Necessity of Biblical Counseling – We believe that destructive conflict comes from desires that battle within people's hearts. Therefore, we do not merely try to resolve surface issues. We also counsel parties to find their fulfillment in Christ, renounce sinful desires and actions that have contributed to conflict, and seek genuine reconciliation with others (see James 4:1-3; Gal. 2:20; Prov. 28:13; Rom. 15:14).

The Confessions Pointing to God's Comprehensive Word – We believe that God's Word is totally authoritative and completely sufficient for all aspects of life, and that his peacemaking commands and promises apply to every conflict a Christian can encounter. Therefore, we work across the entire spectrum of conflict, helping people to resolve everything from school-yard quarrels to family disputes, business conflicts, congregational divisions, and multi-million dollar lawsuits (see 2 Tim. 3:16-17). We realize, however, that Christians often have different ways to interpreting how Scripture defines relationships with Christ and His body, the Church. To minimize conflicts, we work primarily with Christians and churches who uphold time-tested interpretations in Scripture articulated in the Westminster Confession of Faith and related confessions.


The above text has been adapted from materials from Peacemaker Ministries and the Institute for Christian Conciliation.
See, e.g., https://www.aorhope.org/icc-distinctives