Identity elements
Reference code
Name and location of repository
Level of description
Title
Date(s)
- 1965-2010 (Creation)
Extent
18.99 cubic feet
Name of creator
Administrative history
Methodists United for Peace and Justice (MUPWJ) roots began with the Foundry United Methodist Church's Foundry Peace Mission (http://foundryumc.org/peace-justice-mission). In 1987, The group focused on creating a national organization to support The United Methodist Church's Council of Bishops pastoral letter In Defense of Creation: The Nuclear Crisis and a Just Peace. This document called for the end of the philosophy and policies supporting nuclear deterrence amongst nuclear armed countries. To replace idea of nuclear deterrence the bishops called for greater witness for peace and justice as a more permanent solution to the safety and security of global populations. MUPWJ became a staunch lobbying advocate on not only this issue but others such as ratification of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty and Chemical Weapons Convention, halting all research and development of nuclear weapons, enforcement of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, as well as other related topics. Other peace and justice issues include cutting federal budget spending for the military, United States military action in the Middle East and Afghanistan, redirecting government funding to meet human needs in the US and the developing world as part of its ongoing mission.
MUPWJ education and advocacy work manifests itself in their Peace Leaf and Justice Alert publications as well as various seminars. They also would advocate government leaders and groups around the world but their primary focus is on United States government offices. The group originally focused on United Methodist members. Later it expanded to include other Methodist denominations and like minded ecumenical groups. Their headquarters is currently located in Washington, D.C.
Howard W. Hallman, Executive Director and Chair of MUPWJ, helped to establish and worked within the organization since its inception. Hallman has spent most of his adult working for peace with other organizations as well. He held various MUPWJ leadership roles while becoming the primary driving force for its global partnership with like organizations. It was his worldwide vision of peace and justice that drove MUPWJ to become a credible voice for the movement. Hallman is also a prolific author. His work has appeared in more than 250 articles and al least nine books. The collection is primarily Hallman's office and personal files which include several manuscripts, correspondence, plays, screen plays and novels whose primary plots involve aging, sports and interpersonal relationships.
Content and structure elements
Scope and content
Currently the collection's MUPWJ documentation comes solely from Howard Hallman's office. Both paper and digital born records illustrate how MUPWJ started out as a small, volunteer group of United Methodist clergy and laity to give voice against nuclear weapons and support the idea of mutual destruction deterrence. The records show how Hallman's drive to make a larger coalition amongst other religious bodies and then like-minded nonprofit, non-governmental organizations that share MUPWJ core values in order to create a more unified strong voice for justice and peace in the world.
The records show how far reaching MUPWJ and its coalition organizations cajoled, lobbied and confronted from lowest to the highest levels of government in order to halt nuclear testing, end nuclear deterrence policies and chemical weapons development and their usage. The Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) and Non-Proliferation Treaty ratifications make up a majority of the records going into and beyond the 21st century. There are also documents related to stopping the spread of nuclear weapons expansion in non-nuclear countries with India and Pakistan serving as case tests. Additionally, there are emails discussing the ratification of the Chemical Weapons Convention.
Further documents record how MUPWJ took an active role in trying to block any American military activity in Afghanistan and the Gulf region as it continued to escalate under various presidential administrations. Once war became inevitable, MUPWJ called for quick endings to all fighting with just resolutions. They augmented their antiwar stance in order to achieve a sustainable peace by lobbying the United States government and other first world powers through coalition building of like-minded groups by lobbying both in personal visits and writing government leaders.
By 2004, documents show there was a series of conferences, recommended publications, outreach programming to local church study groups and other venues to discuss the idea of a theologically just war concept in light of theological pacifism. As a result the subsequent discussions and advocation of peace were filtered through Albert Outler's intellectual Wesleyan Quadrilateral of four theological categories: Scripture, Tradition, Reason and Experience in order to create a deeper and more relevant theological construct to change or reject the idea of a just war. As typical of Hallman's leadership, the conversation ranged across a broad spectrum led by ideas from prominent scholars representing related disciplines and multi-denominational peace statements. Also documented is how in the late 1980s MUPWJ took up the cause to end the Reagan era Star Wars Strategic Defense Initiative as part of its larger anti-nuclear proliferation goal.
Peace Leaf, along with the shorter Peace/Justice Alert are the official MUPWJ publications. Letter and later email campaigns to Methodist Church leaders, domestic and foreign political officials and staffs, various forms of news outlets, local church programs, special events and a robust website enabled MUPWJ to further its mission.
There are complete manuscripts and supporting documents of Hallman’s personal writings and subsequent submissions to various agents or publishers.
System of arrangement
This collection is arranged by series and subseries.
Conditions of access and use elements
Conditions governing access
There are no restrictions on this collection.
Physical access
Technical access
Conditions governing reproduction
Detailed use restrictions relating to our collections can be requested from the office of the archivist at the General Commission on Archives and History. Photocopying is handled by the staff and may be limited in certain instances. Before using any material for publication from this collection a formal request for permission to publish is expected and required.
Languages of the material
- English
Scripts of the material
Language and script notes
Finding aids
Acquisition and appraisal elements
Custodial history
Immediate source of acquisition
2012-020: Methodists United for Peace With Justice, Howard Hallman, March 09, 2012
2011-061: Methodists United for Peace With Justice , Howard W. Hallman, August 06, 2010 & November 14, 2011
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information
Accruals
Related materials elements
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related archival materials
Administrative records of the Division of Ministry of God's Human Community of the General Board of Church and Society.
Harrisburg Episcopal Area Records
Related descriptions
Notes element
General note
When citing material from this collection please use the following format: Direct reference to the item or its file folder, Methodist United for Peace With Justice Records, United Methodist Church Archives - GCAH, Madison, New Jersey. Do not make use of the item's call number as that is not a stable descriptor.
Specialized notes
Alternative identifier(s)
Description control element
Rules or conventions
Sources used
Archivist's note
Prepared by Tiago Dos Santos, Jordan Aussicker and Daisy Wiggins King, Student Assistants and Mark C. Shenise, Associate Archivist
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
- Hallman, Howard W. (Subject)