How might LPF's 60-year legacy help us - each of us - respond to the gospel call to be peacemakers today?
The answer builds on another question: What does it means to follow Jesus' It is notable how many of the parables and stories of Jesus show him questioning conventional thinking and seeing beyond assumptions - about who one should or shouldn't associate with, options in dealing with conflict, and the nature of love, power, violence, or evil.
Following Jesus opens up a remarkably rich and workable perspective on all of these issues. It can lead to love, joy and fulfillment and to reproach, conflict with authority, and sacrifice, as Jesus, Bonhoeffer, King, Day, and a great many LPF members have found. Exploring that perspective has also made LPF workshops, witness, and resources a potent force at times in the Lutheran churches.
This resource views sixty years of Lutheran peacemaking through the eyes of participants from each stage of our history up to the efforts of young LPF leaders today. You'll find a varied, moving, occasionally humorous panorama that offers insight and inspiration for today's challenges.

1938 Edgar Carlson writes "If War Comes" a defense of Christian pacifism (Gustavus Adolphus College).

1939 An informal study group of ULCA pastors forms Lutheran Social Fellowship to study social questions and stir up social interest. Augustana Synod approves the Oxford Conference anti-war declaration.

1940 Lutheran Social Fellowship (LSF) meeting on "a more Christian social consciousness" and "problems for the Church in a world at war." Edgar Carlson raises support for Lutheran conscientious objectors in Civilian Public Service (CPS).

1941 LSF begins outreach to seminary students at Gettysburg; Lutheran Pacifist Fellowship in Minneapolis-St. Paul; Augustana Lutheran Fellowship of Reconciliation; Pacifist community at Bethany College, Lindsborg, Kansas.

Joseph Sittler writes Christians and war series in ALC Student Service Bulletin. Jimmy Claypool, Augustana Seminary student body president writes "Why I Am a Pacifist" for the student newspaper.

1943 Jim Bristol and Catharine Juram organize local LSF group in Philadelphia to support Lutherans in CPS camps. ALFOR in Chicago, with a membership of 94. ALFOR constitution expanded to include education and support for COs in prison as well as those in CPS camps.

1944 Trevor Sandness reports that Lutherans had contributed almost half the cost of maintaining Lutheran conscientious objectors in CPS camps.

1950 Paul Scherer writes on pacifism for the Church Peace Mission.

1951 Herbert Weiskotten serves as first director of Church Peace Mission, a pacifist ministry to mainline churches.

1958 LPF newsletter published by William Zimmann and Albert Myers. LPF publishes brochure "Not By Might . . . The Message of Lutheran Peace Fellowship."

1959 Lutheran Peace Fellowship initiates education efforts on military recruitment in schools.

1960 LPF purchases ads in the National Lutheran, the Lutheran Standard refuses to print the ads.

1961 Alton Motter becomes Lutheran Peace Fellowship chair, Lloyd Berg accepts position of secretary-treasurer.

1962 LPF dinner is held at ULCA constituting convention, keynote speakers are Walter Reuther and Conrad Bergandoff.

1964 LPF is active at Pittsburgh ULCA convention. Edgar Carlson writes LPF pamphlet, "Think On These Things."

1965 Lloyd Berg writes letter on behalf of LPF condemning use of "gas and illness" in Vietnam. Robert Havlick responds with a call for greater Lutheran involvement in the anti-war movement.

1967 Martin Marty, Peter Berger, and Richard Neuhaus, are among the signers of a statement by Clergy and Laymen Concerned About the War in Vietnam, later named Clergy and Laity Concerned.

1968 John Backe begins his work with Lutheran Peace Fellowship.

1969 Vince Hawkinson writes mixed report on LPF activity, calls for greater coordination among peace groups.

1970 Conscientious Objector support programs at the Univ. of Minnesota, Univ. of Wisconsin, and UC Berkeley.

1971 "Daily death toll" demonstrations are organized at Lutheran Church of the Reformation in Washington, DC

1972 "Stop the Killing" peace procession on the Feast Day of the Slaughter of the Holy Innocents, St. Paul, organized by Alton Motter.

1974 Lutheran Peace Fellowship is part of John Backe's parish ministry at Trinity Lutheran Church in New York City.

1978 "Open Letter on the Nuclear Arms Race" from Lutheran Peace Fellowship.

1979 Dennis Jacobsen's article "The Lordship of Jesus and the Lordship of the Bomb" appears in Currents in Theology and Mission.

1981 "A Call to Tax Resistance for Lutherans" is initiated.

1983 LPF "Swords into Plowshares" trip to Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union.
Tom Witt begins work as 1st full-time Coordinator , with office at Luther Semi-nary, St. Paul. Peace Notes becomes LPF newsletter. Open Letter by Joseph Sittler is lead article—a response to peace statement drafted by LCA.

1984 LPF active in 50th Anniversary of the Barmen Declaration and the Working Group on Justice Agendas and the New Lutheran Church; newsletter reflections on Lutheran World Federation Assembly in Budapest. Begin regular meetings, two a year, of a national elected board.

1985 LPF begins to sponsor a Day of Fasting and Prayer for Peace on Nov. 11, feast day of St. Martin of Tours. LPF initiates an annual Call to Military Tax Resistance, a major effort to expand the definition of what it means to be a conscience objector to war, going beyond the draft to our pocketbooks. Over 100 people sign these Calls.

1986 Open letter concerning the Military Chaplaincy, released on Ash Wednesday, has 150 endorsers, including bishops, reserve chaplains, theologians, seminary professors and members of CNLC.

1987 LPF becomes a key player in Pension Members for Divestment (from investments in apartheid South Africa). Peace Notes newsletter focus is on 'Making the Connections: Prayer and Peacemaking, Spirituality and Non-violence.' A Chaplaincy Retreat is attended by members of LPF, reserve and retired Lutheran military chaplains.

1988 ELCA is formed, LPF works closely with Jean Martensen, who directs the peace desk in the Division for Church in Society. Newsletters in the late 1980s explores war and racism, women and nonviolence, militarism and economics, making connections to justice concerns.

With a dozen interactive exhibits, LPF has a strong presence at the first ELCA youth gathering, San Antonio; produces several popular youth resources such as '21 Ways Teens Can Work for Peace.'

1990 Bonnie Block becomes national coordinator and LPF moves to Madison, WI with offices in Midvale Lutheran Church. Double issue of Peace Notes is dedicated to Gulf Crisis. In November, 100 people gather in Minneapolis to celebrate LPF's 50th anniversary. Steve Schroeder publishes A Community and a Perspective: LPF and the Edge of the Church, 1941-1991 (University Press).

1991 Peace Notes continues to focus on the Gulf Crisis. LPF is active in opposition to the Gulf War around the US.

1992 LPF national coordinator Bonnie Block travels to El Salvador on a delegation to celebrate the 5th anniversary of Medardo Gomez as Bishop of the Salvadoran Lutheran Church.

1993 LPF leaders serve on task force which drafts the ELCA peace statement, 'For Peace in God's World.' LPFers around the country lead workshops on and respond to the draft. A special insert of PeaceNotes comments on the draft which is approved the following year.

1994 Bonnie Block serves on Consultation which writes "For the Peace of the Whole World, Five Bible Studies on Just Peacemaking." LPF office moves to Seattle as Glen Gersmehl becomes national coordinator.

1995 ELCA closes its Peace Education office shortly after approving the peace statement. LPF expands its peace education efforts, averaging 100 workshops per year through the '90s on the Bible and Peacemaking, Hunger and Conflict, Christian Nonviolence, Conflict Transformation, and other topics. LPF launches Ruth Youngdahl Nelson Youth Scholarship Fund, raising $3500 in 1995.

1996 LPF's leadership and resources help Lutherans gather the most petition signatures for a global landmines ban of any group in the US, develops a land-mines worship resource mailed to every ELCA pastor and leader. The Campaign to Ban Landmines of which LPF is part receives the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize.

1997 Lutheran Peace Fellowship plays a crucial role in gaining passage of the Chemical Weapons Treaty by the US Senate. LPF co-leads social justice 'trek' at ELCA Youth Gathering, New Orleans, with 12 interactive programs and LPF's 120-foot 'Wall of Hope' exhibit of peace and justice movements thru history.

1998 12 ELCA synods and several churchwide agencies endorse the Nobel Decade for Peace, committing to teach nonviolence. In November the United Nations designates the years 2001 to 2010 'The International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Nonviolence for the Children of the World.' LPF leads a study trip on the effects of a decade of war in Central America.

1999 Aid Association for Lutherans awards LPF an Innovations grant to develop non-violence resources and workshops. By year's end, the Decade for Peace is endorsed by 31 ELCA synods and the Churchwide Assembly, making Lutherans the largest Decade supporter, religious or secular. LPF's coordinator is one of 24 leaders from around the world invited to India to help plan the Decade. We launch an Endowment Fund and a web site.

2000 In two years, LPF leads 16 day-long and weekend leadership trainings, 60 workshops, and100,000 resources on nonviolence including 900 From Violence to Wholeness manuals with 50-page LPF supplement. Participants applaud the program's empowerment and insight. ELCA's Dept. of Schools mails LPF material to 2200 Lutheran schools.

2001 Kate Reuer, an LVC volunteer, becomes LPF's second staff person. Her focus is to expand our work with students, youth leaders, and youth directors' Requests for resources, information, and workshops expand fourfold in response to the Sept. 11 tragedy and the 'war on terrorism.' The fall newsletter is a double issue with comments from two dozen LPF leaders and activists on the crisis.

2002 In late '01, Wheat Ridge Ministries awards LPF a two-year grant to support continuation of nonviolence trainings and expansion of LPF's youth work. Kate Reuer leads workshops and builds relationships with youth leaders at events and conferences in eight states. LPF launches the 'Peace Points' resource series for youth directors. Monica Fisk becomes LPF's second LVC volunteer.

LPF members around the U.S. express opposition to a war with Iraq by writing articles and letters-to-the-editor, visiting elected officials, leading forums, posting signs, sharing resources and participating in vigils, protests, and civil disobedience.


We are grateful to Steven Schroeder, author of an illuminating history of LPF, A Community and a Perspective (University Press of America, 1993), who drafted much of this timeline. Tom Witt, Bonnie Block, and Betsy Lee shared valuable additions. We would be grateful for your comments and suggestions of other activities in our history.

For more information about the history of LPF:
A Community and a Perspective: LPF and the Edge of the Church, 1941-1991 by Steve Schroeder (University Press)
Highlights of LPF’s Ministry, 1994 to 2004