World Methodist Peace Award
World Methodist Peace Award
The World Methodist Peace Award was proposed by Dr. Stanley Leyland at the Thirteenth World Methodist Conference held in Dublin, Ireland in 1976. The Conference heard a stirring address by Rev. Eric Gallagher who was then in ministry at the heart of the conflict in Belfast. Rev. Gallagher’s positive suggestions about what the World Methodist Council could do in an effort to promote peace prompted Dr. Leyland to present a resolution establishing the World Methodist Peace Award. The Council agreed that the first award should go to a person in Northern Ireland. Subsequent awards would go to persons in areas where the concern for peace is of great importance. It was also decided at the 1976 Conference that a World Methodist Peace Award Committee would be established to decide on future recipients. The Officers of the Council, being a representative body, were named as the World Methodist Peace Award Committee, and criteria were written for the award
World Methodist Peace Award Laureates (2010 ~ 2001)
Jeannine Brabon
World Methodist Peace Award 2009
The Reverend Doctor Jeannine C. Brabon exemplifies the Award’s criteria of courage, creativity, and consistency, through a remarkable ministry involving difficult and dangerous circumstances. Spanning over 20 years of ministry in Colombia amidst the ‘culture of death” where murder is an offshoot of the drug cartel and drug culture, her story is amazing and inspirational. A Hebrew scholar specializing in Biblical Hebrew and exegesis, Jeannine is a professor at Seminario Biblico de Colombia (the Biblical Seminary of Colombia) and regional director of Colombia’s Prison Fellowship, but her real ministry lies with the inmates of Bellavista and other prisons. Invited nearly 20 years ago by the chaplain to preach in Bellavista Prison, the most deadly prison in Colombia, Jeannine found her life forever changed and enriched when 23 inmates received Christ at the end of her first sermon in the prison chapel. Jeannine requested permission to implement a Bible College in the Bellavista Prison, a prison that had become a violent environment with 50 to 60 murders a month, and earning the nickname ‘the Jaws of Hell.” The leadership of this prison ministry is now composed of ex-prisoners and prisoners themselves who witness to, teach, and mentor other inmates. Jeannine has persevered for two decades, bringing many of the vilest criminals into changed lives by their relationship with Jesus Christ.
Helen Prejean
World Methodist Peace Award 2008
Sister Helen Prejean, member of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Medaille in New Orleans, Louisiana, In 1981 she dedicated her life to the poor of New Orleans, Louisiana and began working prison ministry. While living in the St. Thomas housing project she became pen pals with Patrick Sonnier, the convicted killer of two teenagers who was sentenced to die in the electric chair. Upon Sonnier’s request, Sister Helen visited him often as his spiritual advisor. In doing so, she became aware of the execution process in the state of Louisiana. She turned her experiences into a book that not only made the 1994 American Library Associates Notable Book List, but was also nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in 1993. Dead Man Walking: an Eyewitness Account of the Death Penalty in the United States was number one on the New York Times Best Seller list for 31 weeks. In 1996 the book was developed into a major motion picture which received four Academy Award nominations. She educates the public about the death penalty through her lectures and writings and founded “Survive,” a victim’s advocacy group in New Orleans.
Harold Good
World Methodist Peace Award 2007
Honored for his lifetime commitment to peace, justice and reconciliation in his native Northern Ireland, Rev. Harold Good exhibits great physical and spiritual courage in his ministry. As a peacemaker, he has brought together groups from both the Protestant/Unionist and the Catholic/Nationalist communities, forming friendships which built a foundation that played a major role in conflict resolution. As a trusted and respected leader he was asked to be one of two witnesses to the decommissioning of weapons from both sides of the conflict in Northern Ireland and played a major role in the unlocking of the political impasse.
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Sunday Mbang
World Methodist Peace Award 2006
As the second Prelate of the Methodist Church of Nigeria, the leadership of His Eminence Sunday Mbang is marked by his leadership in peace and unity within his own Church, through the ministries of the World Methodist Council, and through his involvement in ecumenical and interfaith affairs in both his native Nigeria and throughout Africa. His experience and skills as a peacemaker placed him in positions of leadership and significant responsibility within the world Methodist/Wesleyan family. The World Methodist Council became involved in settling disputes within churches, and the Council's prophetic voice for peace, justice and reconciliation were strengthened significantly under Mbang's leadership. He was honored for his lifetime example as a man of peace, his uncompromising commitment to principle, his desire to see the Church give leadership in peacemaking, and his commitment to living in peace with both Christians and persons of other faiths.
Lawi Imathiu
World Methodist Peace Award 2005
Christian leader, statesman, and pioneer in education Lawi Imathiu was selected to receive the World Methodist Peace Award for 2005. As a pastor, District Superintendent, President and first Bishop of the Methodist Church in Kenya, he saw Methodism grow from 8,000 members in 1970 to over 225,000 members in 2000. In 1974 Lawi Imathiu was nominated as a Member of Parliament of the new nation of Kenya. The only clergy person nominated by the President to Parliament, he served for five years. He has been a strong advocate for peace, justice and reconciliation in his country and around the world. As President of the World Methodist Council, Lawi led a delegation to meet with President Botha of South Africa, delivering the Council’s resolution calling for an end to apartheid and the release of imprisoned Nelson Mandela. A visionary leader in his beloved Kenya, Lawi was the planner and founder of Kenya Methodist University.
Habitat for Humanity
World Methodist Peace Award 2004
Millard Fuller founded Habitat for Humanity International when he and his wife Linda searched for a new focus in their lives in 1968. They moved to Zaire, now the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and took with them principles of partnership housing which they learned through Koinonia Farms, GA, USA. The result was an international organization that operates in over 100 countries worldwide and has built over 200,000 homes, providing affordable housing for over 1,000,000 persons. Habitat homes are built with volunteer labor which joins Habitat’s vision to eliminate substandard housing and homelessness worldwide. Habitat for Humanity is an ecumenical Christian organization that brings together persons of all backgrounds in the ministry of building homes.
Millard Fuller
World Methodist Peace Award 2004
Millard Fuller founded Habitat for Humanity International when he and his wife Linda searched for a new focus in their lives in 1968. They moved to Zaire, now the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and took with them principles of partnership housing which they learned through Koinonia Farms, GA, USA. The result was an international organization that operates in over 100 countries worldwide and has built over 200,000 homes, providing affordable housing for over 1,000,000 persons. Habitat homes are built with volunteer labor which joins Habitat’s vision to eliminate substandard housing and homelessness worldwide. Habitat for Humanity is an ecumenical Christian organization that brings together persons of all backgrounds in the ministry of building homes.
Casimira Rodríguez
World Methodist Peace Award 2003
Casimira Rodriguez began working as a domestic worker at the age of 12. Her employers took advantage of her, refusing her visits with her family and failing to pay wages she earned. Through the help of her Methodist Church, she took literacy classes where she met others in similar abusive situations. She began to work with other domestic workers and formed support groups which became a union for domestic workers. She personally collected over 15,000 signatures to introduce a bill into the Bolivian Parliament granting rights and status to domestic workers. The bill became law ten years later and gained international support for the plight of a class of workers previously ignored. For her courage and consistency in the area of human rights, peace and reconciliation, she received the Award in 2003.
Boris Trajkovski
World Methodist Peace Award 2002
A Methodist lay preacher, Chairperson of the Church Council of the United Methodist Church in his homeland, and President of that land, the Republic of Macedonia, Boris Trajkovski was honored for his role as a peacemaker in Eastern Europe. Tension during the Kosovo crisis, nearly 300,000 refugees entered Macedonia and a potential civil war was averted under his leadership and stability prevailed. He died in a tragic plane crash in Bosnia 17 months after receiving the Peace Award, leaving a legacy as a dedicated Christian man of peace.
Evangelist Joseph Rice Hale
World Methodist Peace Award 2001
As General Secretary of the World Methodist Council for twenty-five years, Joe Hale worked to ensure the voice of the Church was heard in opposition to apartheid, in endeavoring to reconcile national churches in conflict, and in promoting peace with justice in the Middle East. Dr. Hale, in receiving the award, made mention of the previous recipients, receiving the honor in recognition of the idea that all of us can be peacemakers. He is widely known for his concerns over the Middle East and the dream of a permanent peace in that troubled region of the world.
World Methodist Peace Award Laureates (2000 ~ 1991)
Nelson Mandela
World Methodist Peace Award 2000
For his single-minded commitment to peace and reconciliation, and for staying true to his vision of a free and democratic South Africa, Nelson Mandela received the award in 2000. His life has been dedicated to the struggle of the African people. He fought against white domination, and also against black domination. His ideal has been for a society where people live together in harmony and with equal opportunity. It is an ideal for which he has always been prepared to die. No one person in the latter half of the 20th century is more widely known as a symbol of freedom, justice, peace and reconciliation than Nelson Mandela.
Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo
World Methodist Peace Award 1999
The first awarding of the World Methodist Peace Award in Latin America occurred in 1999 when the Grandmothers of the Plaza de Mayo in Buenos Aires, Argentina were awarded the honor. From 1976 to 1983 actions taken by the government resulted in the disappearance of 10,000 persons, including 500 children, some less than a year old. The movement started with mothers and grandmothers searching for their children who had disappeared. They began to walk around the Plaza de Mayo in front of the Government Palace to protest the violence and deaths occurring in their country. They appeared before the United Nations Human Rights Commission in both New York and Geneva in their effort to learn of the fate of children and bring global attention to the tragedies that were occurring.
Kofi Annan
World Methodist Peace Award 1998
Secretary-General of the United Nations Kofi A. Annan was recognized in 1998 for his role as a reconciler in the arena of international diplomacy. The Ghana native was appointed as Secretary-General of the United Nations in 1996. He was cited for his voice of reason and wisdom in a world which tends to see solutions to conflict more in the use of armed force than careful and intentional diplomacy.
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Community of Sant'Egidio
World Methodist Peace Award 1997
In 1968 a group of Catholic students and young professionals in Rome made a commitment from their Christian faith to serve their society. Andrea Riccardi, the youngest person ever to occupy the The Chair in Christian History at Rome University, framed the servant vision and formed the Community of St. Egidio. They pledged to care for all members of God’s creation through expressions of concern that make for peace. The Community brokered the peace agreement in Mozambique. Today they actively seek to repeal the death penalty worldwide, actively praying for and communicating with every death-row prisoner worldwide. The Community brings inter-faith leaders together regularly for discussions leading to mutual understandings and peace in the world.
Stanley Mogoba
World Methodist Peace Award 1996
Once imprisoned alongside Nelson Mandela on Robben Island off of Cape Town, South Africa for his anti-apartheid activities, Stanley Mogoba became a Christian while imprisoned and later became the presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church of Southern Africa. He was cited for his belief in never invoking violence and for his work in the area of reconciliation in South Africa. He was instrumental in helping the World Council of Churches establish a “program to overcome violence.” He was one of the first leaders in South Africa prior to the end of apartheid to call for an end to hostilities through negotiations.
Bishop Elias Chacour
World Methodist Peace Award 1994
A Palestinian Israeli citizen from Galilee founded the Prophet Elias Community College and called Palestinians and Israelis to live together as neighbors. Father Elias Chacour saw his boyhood home destroyed by bulldozers and explosives, land that for centuries had belonged to his family, yet he remembered being taught by his parents that every person is a child of God. He grew up believing that forgiveness alone brings healing and peace. World leaders have traveled to meet him and learn of his emphasis on peace with justice. He stands for reconciliation in the Church and throughout the world.
Zdravko Beslov
World Methodist Peace Award 1992
Appointed as pastor of the Methodist Church in Sofia, Bulgaria, Zdravko Beslov’s opposition to the communist regime brought a swift response and he was confined to prison and work camps for 14 years. He believed in living for truth, and was responsible for the stability of his congregation for over forty years, refusing to waiver in his convictions and his belief that the church would survive and people who were cast against each other would be reconciled. He was instrumental in securing official state recognition of the Methodist Church in Bulgaria. While pursuing this goal, he met face-to-face with his persecutors, saying “I do not want them to be punished nor to be treated as I was treated.”
Bärbel Bohley
World Methodist Peace Award 1991
Born in Berlin, Barbel Bohley grew up among the ruins of a city devastated by war. She became an advocate for the cause of peace and the struggle for freedom. An artist, she sold her works to aid families of political prisoners. Because of her opposition to the production and storing of arms, and opposing her country’s conscription laws, she was forced to give up her membership in the Federation of Berlin’s Fine Artists, and arrested. Her acts of opposition predated the changes in German society by more than a decade. She contributed to the birth of a new freedom in modern times.
World Methodist Peace Award Laureates (1990 ~ 1977)
Mikhail Gorbachev
World Methodist Peace Award 1990
For his creativity as a catalyst influencing massive global changes through new international initiatives, including the introduction of “glasnost” to the world, and for his work to free religious bodies in the U.S.S.R. from laws restricting the free exercise of religion, Mikhail Gorbachev became the third non-Methodist to receive the Peace Award. He reinforced persuasively the notion that dialogue is always preferable to war. He was cited for his contributions to human understanding, international stability and a changed world.
Gordon Wilson
World Methodist Peace Award 1988
A Methodist layman from Northern Ireland, Gordon Wilson demonstrated peace and reconciliation in the face of personal tragedy. In the “Remembrance Day” bombing on November 8, 1987 in Northern Ireland, Gordon and his nurse-in-training daughter were buried under mounds of boulders from the bombing. His daughter died as a result of the blast. Wilson received worldwide attention for his televised story in which he bore no bitterness to the perpetrators. He lived and practiced the rule that “love is greater than hate.” He lived to dispel hatred in Northern Ireland and throughout the world.
Woodrow Bradley Seals
World Methodist Peace Award 1987
Hours after the announcement of the end of World War II, British layperson Bert Bissell and 33 youth from his Church Bible class took stones from the summit of Scotland’s highest mountain, Ben Nevis, to build a Cairn (rock monument) as a tribute to the fallen and an appeal for the perpetuity of peace. It was the first memorial in the UK and remains the highest such memorial in that nation. In succeeding years, the climb up Ben Nevis with Bert Bissell and the Cairn became an international peace memorial. He developed a special friendship with the people of Hiroshima, Japan. He led a Bible Class in his Church for over 62 years. His class produced more Methodist ministers than any group of its kind in the British Methodist Church. He was honored for his remarkably consistent devotion to reconciliation.
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Bert Bissell
World Methodist Peace Award 1987
Hours after the announcement of the end of World War II, British layperson Bert Bissell and 33 youth from his Church Bible class took stones from the summit of Scotland’s highest mountain, Ben Nevis, to build a Cairn (rock monument) as a tribute to the fallen and an appeal for the perpetuity of peace. It was the first memorial in the UK and remains the highest such memorial in that nation. In succeeding years, the climb up Ben Nevis with Bert Bissell and the Cairn became an international peace memorial. He developed a special friendship with the people of Hiroshima, Japan. He led a Bible Class in his Church for over 62 years. His class produced more Methodist ministers than any group of its kind in the British Methodist Church. He was honored for his remarkably consistent devotion to reconciliation.
Sir Alan Walker & Winifred Walker
World Methodist Peace Award 1986
An Australian couple who shared a lifetime of ministry which emphasized moral and spiritual transformation and reconciliation, Sir Alan and Lady Winifred Walker worked as evangelists and emissaries of peace on six continents. Alan Walker believed that the greatest cause of war was that people believed in war. He noted that until slavery as an institution was rejected, slavery remained. He preached that peace would not come as long as the world accepted war as a means of settling human conflict.
Jimmy Carter
World Methodist Peace Award 1985
Hailed as “an instrument of peace,” former United States President Jimmy Carter was the first American to receive the award. In accepting the award, he called on his country to be a champion of peace and human rights. He was cited for his leadership in the return of the Panama Canal to Panama, the SALT II agreement, the Camp David Accord between Israel and Egypt, and his post-Presidency efforts in reducing conflict in the world, lifting the plight of the poor, and to promote understanding among all people.
Tai-Young Lee
World Methodist Peace Award 1984
A third-generation Methodist lay woman and attorney, Dr. Tai-Young Lee campaigned for more than 30 years for the restoration of democracy in her native Korea. A staunch advocate for the rights of the poor, she worked to establish human rights in her homeland. Dr. Lee credited her mother and grandmother for teaching her what it meant to be a Christian woman in Korea. She believed in reconciliation and human rights for all, using her training and talents in these areas.
Kenneth Mew
World Methodist Peace Award 1982
As a layperson, chemical engineer Kenneth Mew of Zimbabwe left to become principal of the Ranche House College, formerly Zimbabwe College, during a troubled time in its history. Encouraged by the possibilities of the assignment, the situation turned dark as a new government came to power in Zimbabwe (then Rhodesia), isolating the country from much of the world. The aims of Ranche House College, under Mew’s leadership, were that confrontation need not be the last word and more constructive forces could play a role in shaping the country’s destiny. Ranche House College, under Mew’s leadership, became a neutral ground for mediation, negotiation and confidential and exploratory talks. His influence was significant in extinguishing fires of hatred. Ranche House became a training center for diplomats.
Donald Oliver Soper
World Methodist Peace Award 1981
Rev. Donald Soper, a member of the British House of Lords, was an outspoken opponent of the arms race and the resulting international confrontations it brought. For over two generations he was a fearless advocate of peace in the world. He consistently rose above national interests in order to embrace the good of humankind.
Abel Hendricks
World Methodist Peace Award 1980
Taking a strong, courageous stand against apartheid resulted in the award being presented to the two-time President of the Methodist Church in South Africa. When apartheid was first introduced, he resigned from his then settlement to move to a parish in which he could minister to Cape coloreds and blacks. Abel Hendricks was himself classified by the South African Government as a Cape colored person.
Anwar Sadat
World Methodist Peace Award 1978
For his leadership in working to bridge the strained relationship between Israel and Egypt, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat received the award in 1978. He made a bold initiative in visiting Israel in a dramatic attempt to break the 30 year deadlock in relations between them. A man of deep faith, he fostered goodwill among the religious communities of Egypt.
Saidie Patterson
World Methodist Peace Award 1977
A sixty-nine year old trade union and peace movement activist, Saidie Patterson of Northern Ireland received the first award for trying to persuade people to stop killing each other! Just hours after she was announced as the recipient, her grand-nephew was gunned down in northwest Belfast, Northern Ireland, as he drove to his job. Saidie Patterson was a mediator who crossed the lines between both sides in the conflict for the cause of peace.