Ghost Ranch Week of Peace and Justice

The Ghost Ranch Week of Peace and Justice:
"Providing Resources for Spiritual Life, Awakening to the call of God’s Spirit leading people to action in the areas of Peace and Justice."

Ghost Ranch has a long and rich history of Peacemaking, a commitment to Social Justice, and a real and meaningful involvement in the issues of its neighbors surrounding use of land and water.

Arthur and Phoebe Pack gave Ghost Ranch to the Presbyterian Church in 1955 with the charge to make sure it would always remain a place of peace in which ideas of peace and justice would be central in the mission and ministry. It was only following World War II that the Packs discovered that many of the families who were coming to the Ranch for R & R were there during times when weapon experiments were taking place in nearby Los Alamos. With this history, the Packs became more committed than ever to using the Ranch as a place of Peacemaking.

With this strong history and clear charge, Ghost Ranch invites you to be a part of the 2009 Week of Peace and Justice.

Special resource persons for the week will include:

The Rev. Corey A. Nelson, Lake Forest, IL will serve as Worship/Music Leader for the week, and work with the children/youth program.

Corey is the Associate Pastor for Mission at Lake Forest Presbyterian Church. He has served as a Young Adult Volunteer in Belfast, North Ireland, and Ghana, West Africa. He created and directed the Thuma Mina Mission Theatre Company.

The Rev. Nancy Copeland-Payton, Sandpoint, ID will be available for one-on-one times of “spiritual discernment” that may be scheduled throughout the week.

Nancy Copeland-Payton is a spiritual director, a pastor, and a physician who practiced medicine for twenty years.

"Cowboy Camp Culture," begun in 2007 by Rick Ufford-Chase and Gail Brown, will be repeated during the 2009 Ghost Ranch Peace and Justice Week. This alternative offers participants the chance for a low-cost housing and food option in the campground. Enjoy fellowship over shared meals and late night campfires. Please choose the campground for your housing option, and contact Rick to let him know that you hope to participate in the meals (including prep and cleanup) in the campground. Cost of food will be approximately $60 per person for the meals Tuesday through Saturday. Campers are encouraged to eat in the dining hall (pay as you go) on Monday evening and Sunday morning.

A Witness for Peace will provide the opportunity for Ghost Ranch participants to attend a commemoration of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings at Los Alamos on Saturday afternoon, August 1, 2009. People who are interested will arrange to carpool together during the week.

Ghost Ranch has invited the following organizations and individuals to present classes on the theme of this year’s Week of Peace and Justice:

For more information, please visit ghostranch.org