An association of Canadian peace churches, the Conference of Historic Peace Churches (CHPC) was organized July 22, 1940, in Waterloo, ON. The meeting was called by the Peace Problems Committees of the Mennonite Church (MC), Brethren in Christ (Tunker), and Mennonite Brethren in Christ churches in view of the imminent introduction of compulsory military service. Churches represented were the Brethren in Christ, Mennonite Brethren in Christ, Old Order Mennonite, Amish Mennonite, Society of Friends, Brethren, Old Order Dunkard, and the Ontario sections of the Mennonite Brethren and General Conference Mennonites. Close contact was maintained with the General Conference and Mennonite Brethren churches of Western Canada.

During the war years, the Conference was largely responsible for the interpretation of nonresistant faith to the government, especially as the convictions of peace church adherents related to problems of army service. With the establishment of Alternative Service for Canadians of peace church persuasions, CHPC provided spiritual oversight for men in service. After the war, the Conference attempted to keep before its membership the historic Scriptural principles of nonresistance. At the same time, the Conference remained alert to developments and changes in government policy which had bearing on the peace stance. In 1960, the Conference prepared a brief on the identity of the historic peace churches and their stance of non-violence, consulted with representatives from other Mennonite groups, and arranged for a delegation to present the brief to Prime Minister John Diefenbaker.

The Conference of Historic Peace Churches worked in close co-operation with Mennonite Central Committee, and the relationship between the two organizations developed more systematically over time. On April 1, 1946, plans were adopted to affiliate the Non-Resistant Relief Organization (N.R.R.O.) with the Conference of Historic Peace Churches. With this affiliation, completed on Sept. 10, 1946, four member officers of N.R.R.O. and the Military Problems Committee were added to the executive committee of the Conference of Historic Peace Churches. In December of 1963, CHPC was one of the nine inter-Mennonite service organizations that united to form Mennonite Central Committee Canada.

Bibliography

Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Scottdale, Pennsylvania, and Waterloo, Ontario, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 1, pp. 670-671. All rights reserved. For information on ordering the encyclopedia visit the Herald Press website.

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