“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (Matthew 5:9).

Rev. Jordan Louks

As the Peace with Justice Coordinator for the Dakotas Conference, one of my responsibilities is to encourage celebrating Peace with Justice Sunday in congregations throughout our conference. Peace with Justice Sunday is one of the Special Sundays throughout the year that supports ministries important to The United Methodist Church.

Some other Sundays include UMCOR Sunday, World Communion Sunday, and United Methodist Student Day. In 2026, Peace with Justice Sunday is scheduled for May 31, but this Sunday can be celebrated whenever it fits into the schedule at your church.  

50% of the total funds raised go toward initiatives across the world through The United Methodist Church.

The other 50% of the funds go to support initiatives locally in our conference, including into a fund that can be utilized for any church, organization, or individual who is engaging in peace with justice work in the Dakotas.

But what is “Peace with Justice”? In the United Methodist Book of Discipline, it states: “Peace with Justice witnesses to God’s demand for a faithful, just, disarmed, and secure world.”

When I was in high school, I read the book Hiroshima by John Hersey. If you have read this book, you will know that there are graphic details about the damage done when the United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in World War II. It left a deep impression on me as a teenager, and it disturbed me to think of all of those, whether serving in the military or not, who have been profoundly affected by the violence of war. Moreover, it disturbed me to think about the amount of energy that is put behind making war and encouraging us to fear our neighbors.

Today, I grieve and mourn the continued presence of war throughout our world. I lament the tens of thousands of people who have been demonized, targeted, and killed in Gaza and Palestine. I grieve the thousands of people who have been killed in Ukraine, Sudan, Iran, Israel, Lebanon, and Congo, among other places. I grieve whenever there are new movements for war and violence. War rips apart families and communities; it breaks God’s heart.

Importantly, deeper-seated problems initiate war and conflict, such as nationalism, religious extremism, poverty, racism, greed, economic inequality, and access to natural resources. Therefore, while the cessation of war is important to peace with justice work, it is not the only thing. It is about working to eliminate these root causes as well.

Last year at our Annual Conference, Legacy UMC in Bismarck was given the Streams of Justice Award for their work connecting with Ukrainian refugees who have resettled in North Dakota because of the ongoing war with Russia. Welcoming immigrants and refugees is amazing, as it ensures they feel welcomed and others get to know their new neighbors. Their work in Bismarck is one way people are working for peace with justice.

Whether it is through education, advocacy, action, or giving, we are called as United Methodists, in our baptisms, to resist evil, injustice, and oppression in every form they present themselves. I encourage you to think about ways in which you are seeing this type of work lived out in your communities or ways in which you hope that it could be.

Please also visit the Dakotas and Minnesota Methodist Foundations website to learn more about the opportunity to receive a grant for peace with justice work, especially if you or others are engaging in work that could qualify to receive funds.

I also encourage you to nominate people and organizations for the Streams of Justice Award so that we may honor those who are engaging in this type of work, as well as inspire all of us to continue to imagine what it could look like in our own context.

The Summons, FWS 2130, is one of my favorite hymns, as it inspires me to dream about how I can partner with God and others in working for peace with justice in the world.

Will you come and follow me if I but call your name?
Will you go where you don’t know and never be the same?

Will you let my love be shown, will you let my name be known,
will you let my life be grown in you and you in me?

Perhaps God may be calling you to use your power or connection in community to begin working for peace with justice. It could be through studying the Social Principles as a church. It could be through hosting a forum, learning about the immigration system, and how to best support refugees in our communities. It could be through working with those who are in prison.

How can we all be advocating for peace on a global and a community scale? Peace that is both the end of war and a greater wholeness with one another.