The Commission on Justice and Peace

Contents

Peace is a dynamic state of well-being and harmony—right relationships among people and nature where there is no fear. Nothing and no one is excluded from God’s vision of peace; it includes all nations, cultures, and peoples, the whole inhabited Earth, indeed the whole cosmos. The quest for peace is at the heart of ecumenism and the shared path of reconciliation, of walking one another home.

Principles of Peace (May 2018) Tweet

Current Program Priorities (2021-24)

To continue to respond to the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action, the International Decade for People of African Descent, and the many racial inequities revealed by the global pandemic, the Commission is dedicated to determining a uniquely Christian contribution and perspective on racism. This includes discussing terminologies such as systemic racism and decolonization, understanding how Canadian churches contributed to racism, naming internal church dynamics shaped by racism, discussing theology and racism, and sharing work done by churches that addresses racism and affirms the common dignity of all human beings.

Addressing poverty has been a long-time priority and area of work for Canadian churches but the symptoms of poverty such as homelessness and food insecurity are becoming more visible. The Commission continues to address the priority of poverty by reviewing churches’ advocacy work on poverty, discerning how to centre the voices and experiences of peoples with lived experience, understanding the current state of poverty in Canada, learning theologies of poverty from diverse perspectives, and holding government accountable to our previous asks and their promises to address poverty.

The Commission will engage in partnership the work of Project Ploughshares for learning and to discern ways the Commission and member churches might amplify or support the work of Project Ploughshares.

The Commission will engage in partnership the work of the Sexual Exploitation Working Group (SEWG) of the Commission on Justice and Peace for learning and to discern ways the Commission and member churches might amplify or support the work of SEWG.

The Commission will monitor work of other ecumenical tables or groups of churches with the purpose of identifying ways the Commission might participate, support, or learn from them. This includes work on (but not limited to) climate change and implementing UNDRIP. The Commission will monitor emerging issues and will create short-term (clear timelines) ad hoc working groups when there is potential for common action.

We also have a working group!

As a commission of The Canadian Council of Churches, the CJP periodically convenes working groups to engage timely and important matters related to social justice and peace. We currently have one working group addressing sexual exploitation in Canada.
Learn more about the Sexual Exploitation Working Group
Sexual Exploitation

Recent Highlights and Resources
of the Commission on Justice and Peace

General Secretary Peter Noteboom speaks at a peaceful protest of the Safe Third Country Agreement in Toronto, November 2019
2017

Challenging the Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA)

Since 2017, the Council has partnered with Amnesty International Canada and the Canadian Council for Refugee to launch and sustain a legal appeal of the Canadian Federal Government’s Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA) with the US. Developments are ongoing; find up-to-date information here.

Featured above: CCC General Secretary Peter Noteboom speaks at a rally in support of a court challenge of the STCA in November 2019.

2017
The cover of Healing Poverty, a reflection on poverty by the CCC
Spring 2019

Healing Poverty

A reflection for communities of faith seeking to respond faithfully to poverty in Canada. Find the full resource here.

Spring 2019
May 2018

Principles of Peace

A comprehensive synthesis of what members of the Council have learned in 75 years of working together about God’s vision for peace and right relationship between God, humanity, and all of creation. Find the full resource here.

May 2018

Purpose of the Commission on Justice and Peace

The purpose of the Commission on Justice and Peace is to provide a forum for Christian churches to:

  • share information and concerns among those involved in ecumenical work on peace and social justice in Canada and the world;
  • reflect biblically and theologically on peace and social justice;
  • facilitate the cooperation of the churches in peace and justice concerns; and
  • assist the Council and its member churches in their advocacy efforts where appropriate.
November 2019 - The Commission gathers twice a year in person and several times a year by videoconference.
November 2019 - The Commission gathers twice a year in person and several times a year by videoconference.

Current Members

Denominational Appointments

  • Ryan Weston, Anglican Church of Canada
  • Colin Grimmond, Archdiocese of Canada of the Orthodox Church in America
  • Laura Leraci, Rev. Richard Chau, Sr. Donna Geernaert, SC, Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops
  • Joshua Heath, Canadian Baptists of Ontario and Quebec
  • Mariz El Rashidy, The Coptic Orthodox Church of Canada: 
  • Paul Gehrs, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada
  • Alemayehu Zenebe, Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church of Canada
  • Rev. Fr. Peter Avgeropoulos, Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Canada
  • Anil M. Varghese,
    Nithin Jacob Thonichalil, Preethi Susan Kuruvila,     The Mar Thoma Syrian Church
  • Rev. Fr. Walter Makarenko, Ukrainian Orthodox Church of Canada
  • Derek Cook, Mennonite Church Canada
  • Allyson Carr, The Presbyterian Church in Canada
  • Estee Lau, Lt. Col. Jim Champ, The Salvation Army
  • Beth Baskin, Karen Orlandi, The United Church of Canada

Affiliates

  • Citizens for Public Justice: Natalie Appleyard, Willard Metzger
  • KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives
  • Friendship Ministries Canada
  • A Rocha Canada
  • The Gideons
  • International in Canada
  • The Yonge Street Mission
  • International Justice Mission

Observer Churches

  • The Christian and Missionary Alliance in Canada
  • Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada
  • Canadian Baptists of Atlantic Canada
  • Be in Christ Church Canada
  • Community of Christ
  • Moravian Church in Canada
  • Baptist General Conference of Canada
  • Association of Christian Evangelical Ministries

CCC Staff & Executive

  • Emily Savage, Vice-President, Canadian Council of Churches
  • Staff: Peter Noteboom, General Secretary, Karen Puddicombe, CJP Associate Secretary, Roshney Kurian, CJP Research and Program Assistant
  • Kelsey Gallagher, Project Ploughshares Staff 
 Last updated: September 2025
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