On January 10, 1940, seven delegates of the Friends, Mennonite, and Brethren churches gathered at the Lee House Hotel in Washington, D.C. They worked non-stop from morning until noon to finalize their agreement. With agreement confirmed and little time to spare, they signed the document. They put on their coats, stepped out into the cold noon air, and walked west on snow-covered Pennsylvania Avenue. They did not want to be late for their 12:30 p.m. meeting with the commander-in-chief of the United States Army, President Franklin Roosevelt.
Their three-minute walk to the White House gave time for silent prayer. The idea for this visit emerged in October at a Mennonite church conference in Goshen, Indiana. Other historic peace churches also sensed the escalation of war in Europe, which echoed the global climate of war just two decades prior. The Selective Service Act in World War I removed the possibility of exemption from military service. As a result, many draftees who followed Jesus’ command to love their enemies, refusing to take up arms in military service, suffered persecution or imprisonment. As the White House came fully into view, the delegates prayed that a better law would be drafted before World War II broke out.
[D]rafted young people who were members of peace churches could register as conscientious objectors.
President Roosevelt cordially welcomed them into the Oval Office at 12:30 p.m. He expressed interest in how the Mennonite colony in Paraguay was getting along. His knowledge of the colony, and friendly manner, put the delegates at ease. The peace church delegates expressed their appreciation for President Roosevelt’s attempts to keep the United States out of the growing war in Europe, thanking him for his efforts to bring peace to that region. They promised to support those efforts in any way they could.
The delegates presented their signed proposal and the President considered its contents. The proposal contained a conscientious objector clause to be included in any draft law made by the United States. President Roosevelt appeared receptive to the group’s proposal. He appreciated the delegates’ specific suggestions on how civilian service could be written into law. Yet, when the meeting ended at 1:00 p.m., he had made no promise to support any of their proposals. He urged the delegates to speak to the Attorney General, who would be responsible for overseeing the writing of a draft law.
In meeting with Attorney General Murphy, the delegation handed him the same proposal they had given the President. In return, they received a promise that the matter would be brought before his cabinet before he left office. Attorney General Murphy also agreed that conscientious objectors were valuable to the United States. The delegates were grateful to hear his perspective and eager to include it in their report to their home churches. The delegates left with gratitude in their hearts to God for blessing their meetings with such positive outcomes.
Nine months later, the new Selective Service Act went into place. The peace churches gave thanks when they read these words in the new law: Nothing contained in this Act shall be construed to require any person to be subject to combatant training and service in the land and naval forces of the United States who, by reason of religious training and belief, is conscientiously opposed to participation in war in any form.
Thanks to answered prayers, the work of the delegates, and the initiation by the U.S. government of the Civilian Public Service program, drafted young people who were members of peace churches could register as conscientious objectors, providing voluntary service as civilians in matters of national interest. The United States benefited from millions of dollars’ worth of voluntary labor, while the churches were able to live out their peace convictions, without fear of hostility and imprisonment.
Thanks to the bold proposal and divine favor granted these visitors to the White House in 1940, historic peace churches continue to have the legal right, in the event of a draft, to serve our country in the way of peace. A draft has not tested our peace convictions for over fifty years. If a draft was issued tomorrow, how many across the Rosedale Network would enroll as conscientious objectors? We will only exercise the freedom to serve as conscientious objectors if we continue to believe that our allegiance belongs to Jesus, our Prince of Peace. We will only continue exercising this freedom by believing that Jesus’ call to love our enemies is incompatible with taking up weapons to kill them. I believe this. Do you?
Rosedale Network’s conscientious objector resources:
- Conscientious Objector Form (pdf fillable form – download and save first)
- What Does It Mean to Be a Conscientious Objector? (pdf booklet)
2 Responses
Thank you Preston for a timely and well written article.
Amen and amen… The stand that we Mennonites have taken Has brought sweet peace to my heart all these years. I believe our country and yes, even the world are in the midst of great peril, And now we need to be strong and stand up for jesus. May we all stay In the WORD….Trusting, believing and living out Christ like attitude lives to the world.