How World Communion Sunday Became Peacemaking Sunday

Presbyterians have celebrated World Communion Sunday since the mid-1930s. At that time North Americans were experiencing the economic upheaval of the Great Depression, and many were concerned about the instability in Europe and the possibility of another world war. A group of Presbyterian ministers met to pray and talk about the church’s role in such a time. Rediscovering the unifying power of Christ in the Lord’s Supper, they reaffirmed that in Christ all Christians are one, regardless of nationality, race, or ethnicity. From their meeting came the first World Communion Sunday in 1936. In the years that followed other denominations began to celebrate this special Sunday.

In the mid-1970s a later generation of Presbyterians, also experiencing a time of challenge following the country’s defeat in Vietnam, revisited World Communion Sunday. Many members of the United Presbyterian Church in the United States of America were feeling a sense of urgency to work for peace. Thirty-one presbyteries sent overtures to the General Assembly asking that the church direct energy toward peacemaking. As a result, the 187th General Assembly (1975) commissioned the Advisory Council on Church and Society “to reassess the concept of peacemaking . . . in the light of our biblical and confessional faith.” The Advisory Council created a special task force, chaired by William Creevey, then pastor of St. Peters by the Sea, Rancho Palos Verdes, CA, to study and prepare a report on peacemaking.

Members of the task force met, prayed, and studied, then came to the conclusion that peacemaking was central to the gospel and to the mission of the church, that it was at the heart of being a Christian, and that it ought to have priority in the church. Their work was a call directed at the inner life of Presbyterians to commit to work for peace individually and as a church. A commitment to peacemaking, though, would need to be reflected both in the structure and in the finance of the church so that it could be translated into action. The task force recommended creating a national peacemaking program and a special offering to fund the work of peacemaking.

According to Robert Smylie, one of the resource staff for the task force, Dean Lewis, director of the Advisory Council on Church and Society and another of the resource staff, saw that it was necessary to do something that had never been done with a special offering—recommend that the Peacemaking Offering’s receipts be divided among every level of the church so that congregations, presbyteries, synods, and the General Assembly’s program could all find creative ways to work for peace. Congregations would keep 25 percent, synods and presbyteries would receive 25 percent, and 50 percent would go to the newly formed Presbyterian Peacemaking Program.

The task force agreed that World Communion Sunday, when Christians of all nations and peoples celebrate their unity in Christ, was an ideal time to receive the offering that would be used for peace work in the name of Christ.

The 192nd General Assembly (1980) adopted the task force’s work, “Peacemaking the Believers’ Calling.” Thirty years later Presbyterians continue to work for peace and to receive the offering used to fund that work.

Thanks to Robert Smylie, William Creevey, and Dean Lewis for insights into the development of the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program and the Peacemaking Offering. 

About the Peacemaking Offering

The Peacemaking Offering was created in 1980 to support the efforts of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) to live out a deeper commitment to peacemaking as part of our faithfulness to God. It is one of four special offerings designated by the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s General Assembly.

Most churches receive the Offering on World Communion Sunday, the first Sunday in October, which this year is October 3. We encourage churches to use whatever Sunday works best for them.

Each congregation is encouraged to retain 25 percent of the Offering it receives to use for local ministries of peacemaking within the church and its community. Twenty-five percent is used by presbyteries and synods, and 50 percent is used by the General Assembly ministries through the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program.

In accordance with the action of the 217th General Assembly (2006), we encourage congregations to consider directing a portion or all of their 25 percent of the Peacemaking Offering as a faithful Christian response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Find out what the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s International AIDS Ministries is doing.