Positive peace fostered by a divergent religious nonprofit : Mennonite Central Committee's pragmatic application of Anabaptist pacifism

Abstract

Within the field of faith-based nonprofits, the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) is a unique organization due to its use of peacebuilding strategies which attempt to foster sustainable, positive peace. MCC self-ascribes as an organization dedicated to relief, development, and peace in the name of Christianity, and is also a part of a worldwide ministry of Anabaptist churches. Contextualizing MCC's faith-based vision within the history of Anabaptism reveals that, in contrast to the Anabaptist tradition of noninvolvement, MCC has shaped and re-envisioned the Anabaptist vision of peace to include social action. An analysis of the organization also reveals that MCC's peacebuilding strategies are necessarily informed by Anabaptism but also demonstrate a pragmatic application of the tenets of pacifism in nonprofit work, making MCC divergent from other faith-based nonprofits that focus on proselytizing or provide temporary, externally imposed solutions in areas of conflict.