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Gene Stoltzfus, Founder of Christian Peacemaker Teams, Dies of a Heart Attack
Gene Stoltzfus, the founding director of Christian Peacemaker Teams (www.cpt.org), which aims to "get in the way" of war and violence, has died at the age of 69, following a heart attack.
Christian Peacemaker Team’s founding director Gene Stoltzfus died of a heart attack in Fort Frances, Ontario while bicycling near his home on the first spring-like day of the year. He is credited with inspiring thousands of people to put their lives
on the line in resisting violence and injustice and building peaceful
alternatives.
Stoltzfus served as CPT director from its inception in 1988 until 2004, when he retired and moved to Fort Frances, Ontario. He died on 10 March 2010.
A Mennonite Christian committed to nonviolence as a way of life, not just an 'ethical option', Stoltzfus travelled to Iraq immediately before the first Gulf War in 1991.
He spent time with the Iraq CPT Team in 2003 to facilitate consultation with Muslim and Christian clerics, Iraqi human rights leaders, families of Iraqi detainees and talks with American administrators and soldiers.
From mid-December 2001 to mid-January 2002, Gene Stoltzfus and the current Christian Peacemaker Teams co-director, Doug Pritchard, were in Pakistan and Afghanistan listening to the victims of bombing and observing the effects of 23 years of violence.
Stoltzfus's commitment to peacemaking was rooted in his Christian faith and experience in Vietnam as a conscientious objector with International Voluntary Services during the US military escalation there from 1963 - 1968.
Simon Barrow, co-director of the religion and society think-tank Ekklesia, which works in partnership with Christian Peacemaker Teams in the UK and internationally, said today that "the vision Gene Stoltzfus embodied was one of genuine hope for peace, justice and reconciliation in the world."
"A deeply committed Christian, Gene Stoltzfus devoted his whole life to following Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, and to challenging the princes of war - whatever ideological or religious garb they chose to wear," said Barrow.
He added: "In a world where religious faith is often seen and spoken of as a source of conflict, Gene showed another way - a way of deep faith in the possibilities of humanity when eternal love, not temporal rivalry and hate, is our source and inspiration. It was this brand of dissenting, thoughtful and forgiving Christianity which enabled him to welcome, rather than repel, allies from many different places: secular as well as religious, humanist as well as faith-driven."
Gene Stoltzfus made a significant impact last year when he toured Britain and Ireland for three weeks from 16 January 2009, speaking about nonviolent intervention in situations of conflict and injustice, supported by Christian Peacemaker Teams UK, the Fellowship of Reconciliation, Pax Christi, Ekklesia and many others.
He died of a heart attack in Fort Frances while bicycling near his home on the first warm day of the year.
"Gene was at the heart of those who planted and nurtured the vision for teams of peacemakers partnering with local communities in conflict zones to build justice and lasting peace," said Tim Nafziger of CPT in the USA, paying tribute.
Stoltzfus' final words on his regular blog ((http://peaceprobe.wordpress.com/) were, "Little by little there will be change." He was published regularly from the UK by Ekklesia, and his final columns will appear this month.
The death of Gene Stoltzfus came on the day that marks the fourth anniversary of the murder of CPT worker Tom Fox in Baghdad. He was one of four Christian peacemakers taken hostage in Iraq in 2005-6. The others, Norman Kember, Jim Loney and Harmeet Singh Sooden, were eventually freed.
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"Every one of us is impacted by a dominant culture which insists that military or police force will make things right. Every day, that culture tells us that dirty tricks, usually done in secret, are required for our survival. After all, it's argued, someone has to do this dirty work. It's called a noble work and the Blackwater mercenaries are required for the work. It will take an expanding world-wide but grassroots culture reaching beyond national borders to fashion a body of Christian peacemakers to be an effective power to block the guns and be part of transforming each impending tragedy of war. Little by little there will be change." - Gene Stoltzfus, peacemaker, 1940-2010.
CPT website: www.cpt.org
12 Comments so far
Show AllThere are too few Christians who actually take the vow to LIVE like Jesus Christ seriously. I guess Gene was one of them.... The world is a lesser place without him. Maybe he has inspired a few more Christians to take their faith more seriously...I pray anyway : )
It occurred to me more than once, especially before his trips into "sensitive areas", that my meals with Gene at the Rose Garden in Int'l Falls were special and not to be taken for granted. My grief is deep; that those days are now past... His impact in my life was such that I am sure to cry into the fried rice, and order an extra bit of that Vietnamese hotsauce that he loved to put all over his plate, the next time I go to our special lunch place. He walked into my life so unexpectedly, and has left it in a similar fashion.
He truly was guided by the indwelling of Eternal Love; a man never seeking fame or riches, but living out his deepest convictions.
Ray Berthiaume
I so appreciate learning of this holy man. I knew nothing about him before.
Many people around the world are unaware that there are scores of sects of Christianity.Unfortunately there are some sects that are so chauvinistic that they alienate everyone!They seem to get the most attention because they own satellite networks and broadcast worldwide.
Gene Soltzfus was the real deal.Thanks for C.P.T.friend ,Gene R.I.P.
The Bible warns it's going to be tough to follow Jesus, and there will be many impostors claiming to be profits down the road.
I really respect someone who follows their convictions over peer pressure. Yep, their the real deal!
It's spelled "prophets"...
peacekeepertwoThe Culture of Fear. Rightwing nuts continue their unreasonable language, to make their Case in opposition to Social Justice. They are trying to make us believe, god really didn’t mean it when he told Moses, his people must “Love one another”. A nation Divided will not stand. Many on the right want to Breakup these United States. With this Statement in mind, I argue the Religious Right is a subversive Organization. The Christian right continues to argue, Thou shall not kill, unless that person is a Muslim. The Religious Right continues to use the US Military, as a tool to convert young people to Christianity. Putting all the pieces of the Right Wing Terrorism Puzzle to gather, it becomes clear the “War on terror” is war against anyone who appears to be of any faith, other than Christian. In fact even not believing in God, may make you object o ridicule. Rightwing politicians routinely ignore the Constitution when righting Legislation. When One Religious Faith is allowed to dominate the Legislative process, All Believers are threatened. To reaffirm the Separation of Church, and State is the only way to resolve this problem. We must listen to others, with whom we disagree.President Obama and the Democratic Party must Step back and look at themselves in the Mirror, and see their Reflection. The Republicans are not the only Bad Guys. If the rules won’t let you Change, write new Laws. We must make this Country, the Nation that the Statue of Liberty Represents. Money isn’t everything. With Wealth comes Responsibility.
I remember Tom Fox and that whole Iraqi kidnapping episode, and remember the references to the CPT. I don't recall having heard of Gene Stoltzfus. On reading the headline, my immediate thought was that he was a Mennonite and, by reason of the probable cultural relationship, a pacifist by conviction.
The name Stoltzfus (German more or less meaning "Proud foot") can be seen on signs in and around the Amish areas of southeastern Pennsylvania, near the city of Lancester. The name and the family line most likely derive from the German provinces of the Rheinland-Pfalz and the Saarland, from where my mother hails. I can actually understand their dialect when they are talking among themselves. The period of emigration of the Amish people from those regions to the English colonies during the early to mid 18th Century was a time of religious wars in Europe and it was from those wars that the Mennonites were escaping.
The Amish are practitioners and believers in pacifism, an uncompromising attribute of the earlier followers of the teachings of Jesus of Galilee. That pacifistic quality of the early Christians gave way to the acceptance of, and even promotion of war during the time from the reign of Roman Emperor Constantine I to the ascendancy of the teachings of Augustine of Hippo (330 AD - 430 AD), but from then until today some Christian sects have adopted and professed the acceptance of the essentially early Christian quality.
In my opinion, the only real Christians are pacifist groups such as the Mennonites and the Society of Friends. Having been raised a Catholic, when it came to ones own nation, I suppose I started out believing "dulce et decorum est pro patria mori" rather than "dulce et decorum est pro pace mori", this second being a fundamental but also too often ignored dictum of the Church. Gene Stoltzfus was probably a person of a great decency and humanity, qualities that are all too uncommon in the average North American.
And so it goes.
Great story. Hopefully the interweaving of the Amish within the rural lands of the US, now predominately knee-jerk patriotic militants; though in defense of their families and myopic view of nation; will have a peaceful sway once the nation's neighbor to neighbor conversation on war and peace and how the nation invests it's wealth commences.
Have to admit I copied his picture for a Santa Claus Peace Charm.
It is with great sadness I make this comment. Gene was (and is) an inspiration to me personally and a gift to the whole world. He was fearless and demonstrated that "perfect love casts out fear." He did not belong to the Amish or the Mennonites but was a gift to us all. The first comment on this blog stated that the poster copied his picture because he looked like Santa Claus. It seemed flippant but Gene would love that comment! One of Gene's blogs this last Christmas related how children in Iraq were drawn to him and called him Santa and he loved it. I always thought that Gene was a character who was "bigger than life." Perhaps that was the case. Knowing Gene, he is still involved and making a difference and working for peace. I will so miss his words and his physical presence. Profound sadness.....
Here is what Gene said about looking like Santa. As was the case with Gene it was more than just appearances.
http://peaceprobe.wordpress.com/2009/12/22/why-i-like-santa-claus/
Wow!...what a great link -- thank you. My original comment had no intention of flippancy.
"So you see Santa can be firm and hard nosed. That is why hard nosed adults should put Santa Claus and his ancient partner Saint Nicholas back into the holiday season!" -- Gene.
It's a great read for understanding the power of how every human order known in history has formed and utilized myth(how sad the current common usage of myth as a lie or non-fact...when they are in truth the needle helping to weave the quilt of the human experience).
I've been contemplating letting my beard, which is now almost all white, grow out. Gene's story, especially when in the Middle East, and the energy generator with adults and children under 8, will probable help in overcoming my masquerade of clean shaven face youthfulness.