In our families and congregations this Easter Season, we Christians are celebrating with joy and thanksgiving Jesus' resurrection from the dead. But this year our joy is dampened by the war in Yugoslavia and the suffering it is inflicting on all people.

We remember how, on Easter Eve, Jesus appeared to his disciples, who had gone into hiding for fear of the authorities, and said to them, "Peace be with you!" With Pope John Paul II we ask, "How can we not take note of the strident contrast between" this Easter greeting of peace "and the violence of the tragic conflicts which bloody the Balkan region?"

We grieve the suffering and death experienced by our brothers an sisters in Yugoslavia. Yet we remain confident that the greeting of peace Christ announced on the night of his resurrection is always working in the hearts of his followers and, in spite of wars and rumors of wars, is moving the world toward the peace God wills for it.

Sustained by the hope that confidence gives us, we urge our congregations to lift up through prayer and preaching both the suffering of our brothers and sisters in Yugoslavia, and our calling to be peacemakers. We encourage all people of faith to pray fervently that God will move the people and leaders of Kosovo, Yugoslavia, NATO and the United Nations to seek a speedy end to the carnage and to establish peace with justice. And we request congregations to contribute generously through denominational and ecumenical agencies for the relief of the victims of the war in Yugoslavia.

-adopted April 15, 1999

Memorandum

Date: April 16, 1999

To: Judicatory Heads, WCC Member Judicatories

From: Jerry Folk

Re: Statement on the War in Yugoslavia

At its meeting yesterday (April 15, 1999), the WCC Board of Directors passed the attached resolution on the war Yugoslavia and requested that it be distributed to Judicatory Heads.

As you will note, this resolution is addressed to the Christian community. It has three purposes. First, to highlight the extreme conflict between the Easter message of life and peace and the violence and death in Yugoslavia. Secondly, to challenge the Christian community to be faithful to its peacemaking vocation. Thirdly, reflecting a belief in the power of prayer, to call the members and congregations of our judicatories to fervent prayer for peace.

The Board hopes this resolution will be distributed as soon as possible to congregations, along with a pastoral word from judicatory heads urging congregations to participate in this offering of prayer.

Thank you for your support of this effort.

April 16, 1999

News Release

For Immediate Release

The Board of Directors of the Wisconsin Council of Churches, a statewide ecumenical organization of 10 denominations with a total membership of 1,000,000 people, adopted a Call to Peace in Yugoslavia at its April 15th meeting in Portage.

This statement is enclosed.