By Rev. David Wright
The Pacific Northwest Conference Board of Church and Society is pleased to announce this year’s Peace with Justice Grants! Thanks to the generosity of congregations across the PNW and a new collaboration with United Women in Faith, we are supporting seven projects this year.
We share this news as we prepare for Peace with Justice Sunday 2026 — May 31, the first Sunday after Pentecost (or a date of your choosing). We invite congregations to celebrate the ways we can collectively pursue peace with justice across our Conference, within and beyond the local church. Congregational resources for Peace with Justice Sunday are available from the General Board of Church & Society on the ResourceUMC website.
In tandem with UWF Endowment Seed Grants, we are supporting the following ministries:
- Leavenworth Community Methodist Church’s Backpack Program, serving 75 K–12 students experiencing food insecurity.
- Mason United Methodist Church’s UWF programs, including “Blessing Bags” for unhoused persons and emerging work with the Crystal Judson Family Justice Center.
- Aldersgate United Methodist Church’s “Love Thy Neighbor” project, offering a speaker series on inclusion and providing visibility and advocacy materials to support that engagement.
- Bonners Ferry United Methodist Church’s “Conduit of Care,” partnering with the Fledgling Mental Health Group to provide resource-filled backpacks through local food programs, senior centers, the high school, victim services, and more.
We are also awarding three stand-alone Peace with Justice grants to:
- Village Co-Housing Works of Spokane, supporting a Leadership Development intern who will help build long-term financial literacy and leadership programs for first-time homeowners and community members.
- Boundary County Victim Services, funding a new Volunteer Advocate Training to equip volunteers with trauma-informed skills for BCVS’s 24/7 crisis line, which serves those experiencing domestic violence, sexual assault, elder and child abuse, bullying, suicidality, and more.
- The Fig Tree, strengthening media literacy through peace and solutions-focused journalism — supporting staff and interns who highlight voices often overlooked in public media.
Finally, we are pleased to announce that this year’s Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Award recipient is Rev. K. James Davis. This award recognizes Jim’s decades of ministry and leadership advocating for peace, justice, and inclusion in our conference and beyond. Jim will be invited to select a congregation or nonprofit to receive a $1,000 Peace with Justice Grant.
Thank you to all who supported Peace with Justice this past year. Watch for grant applications and nominations for the next cycle in early 2027!
Rev. David Wright serves as Peace with Justice Coordinator for the Pacific Northwest Conference Board of Church and Society. He also serves as University Chaplain for the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington.
