Sevierville priest among group founding
Episcopal Peace Fellowship chapter

By the Rev. Rob Henley,
rector at St. Joseph the Carpenter, Sevierville

The newborn Episcopal Peace Fellowship at St. Joseph the Carpenter exists not because of political agenda or ideology. It has its roots in Christian community and prayer.

In one Sunday morning service, a congregant brought a prayerful concern to the Prayers of the People: A young woman in Africa was about to be put to death by stoning for having a baby out of wedlock. After several conversations and a few phone calls, the Episcopal Peace Fellowship was born in Sevier County.

This small group takes the demand of the Gospel to “love our neighbor as we love ourselves” to be our spiritual directive. The Church is called into prayer and then into action – a difficult road on which to walk given the fact that we live in an age thriving on conflict, distrust and war.

Our EPF activities, individually and collectively, include:

• designing and selling T-shirts to raise money for peace efforts.


• collecting and presenting petition signatures to local governments in Sevierville and Pigeon Forge.


• hosting speakers.


• joining in Pro Peace marches in Knoxville.


• contacting and meeting with elected officials, including U.S. senators and representatives, to discuss this nation’s positions on pre-emptive war, the United Nations and the implications of the Patriot Acts.


• spending time with young people discussing the dynamics of Conscientious Objector Status, in the event the United States should return to a military draft.


• assisting the Sevierville schools administration with the “Leave No Child Behind” program, to ensure the military would not recruit students without proper counsel from parents or the school.


• protesting against a local radio station for having presented the war in Iraq as a fun athletic event.

And I participated with others in the Pro Peace Demonstration in Washington, D.C., though as an Army veteran during the Vietnam era, I don’t oppose soldiers, but have some serious difficulties with the reckless decisions that sent them to Iraq.

EPF faces a somewhat changed direction now that the first phase of the war is winding down. We have decided we will work to:

1. assist in raising public consciousness in the local and national media.
2. continue to talk with government officials on all levels in a concerted effort to bring about social and political change.
3. secure funds to place a teacher in the local school system to assist our community in learning peaceful methods for dealing with conflicts.
4. engage political processes and become active voices for peace.
5. learn more about the Patriot Acts and raise issues in the public eye.
6. gather weekly to pray for direction and support from the Prince of Peace.

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