Handshake4Peace.org

This page requires reviews and input from evangelicals and other conservative Christians, Muslims, and Jews

 The SBC-Ummah Strategy offers a bold and innovative approach to bridging the divide between SBC pastors and Sunni Muslims worldwide. It proposes pairing SBC pastors with their Muslim counterparts and engaging them through neutral, cooperative platforms focused on shared win-win goals—such as promoting religious freedom, protecting minorities, upholding family values, advancing human dignity, ensuring justice, and alleviating poverty.

The STRATEGY
(click on image below to enlarge)

Vision

SBC and Muslim Faith Leaders Spearhead Local & Global Peacemaking Initiatives

Evangelicals within the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) and Sunni imams share conservative and exclusivist theological frameworks, often positioning them on opposing sides of ongoing global conflicts. Despite numerous efforts to foster joint peacebuilding initiatives, past attempts have largely fallen short, hindered by misconceptions, distance, deeply rooted doctrinal differences, and distrust. 

From a Muslim reading of the Bible and using evangelical language: Three Core Challenges Contributing to the Growing Divide Between Muslims and Evangelicals. Taken together, these three challenges create a significant and often unspoken divide between Muslims and Evangelicals. Addressing them with humility, courage, and biblical faithfulness opens the door to a new era of understanding—one in which both communities can recognize God’s sovereign work, uphold His standards of justice, and join together in the long-awaited task of restoring peace within Abraham’s family:

1. The unrecognized fulfillment of God’s promise to raise a “Great Nation” through Ishmael.
God’s prophecy in Genesis that Ishmael’s descendants would become a “great nation” has undeniably come to pass, yet this fulfillment occurred long after the New Testament was written. Because it is not addressed in the Gospels, many Evangelicals have not considered how this promise fits within God’s sovereign work among the nations. The rightful and essential focus on the Great Commission can sometimes overshadow the broader unfolding of God’s purposes—particularly His faithfulness to Abraham’s entire family. This creates a theological gap that makes it difficult for Evangelicals to see how God may be actively fulfilling His plans within Muslim-majority nations today.

2. A tendency to offer unconditional support to all who identify as Israel today, without applying the biblical distinction between “Covenant Keepers” and “Covenant Breakers.”
Throughout Scripture, God repeatedly differentiates between the righteous remnant—those who remained faithful to His covenant—and those who turned away through injustice, idolatry, or disobedience. Yet modern Evangelical discourse often extends blanket support to the modern State of Israel without making this crucial biblical distinction. This raises an important theological question: If God Himself did not endorse the actions of unfaithful Israel in the Old Testament, should Christians today risk supporting modern actions that may contradict God’s standards of righteousness, justice, and covenant faithfulness?
Recovering this biblical discernment is essential for a faithful, Scripture-honoring approach to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.

3. The elevation of prophecy interpretations above Jesus’ explicit commands to love, show mercy, and do justice.
In some Evangelical circles, political positions on the Holy Land are shaped more by End-Times expectations than by the clear, repeated ethical teachings of Scripture. This has led some believers to justify—or overlook—the displacement and long-term suffering of millions of Palestinian families under the assumption that such events serve a prophetic purpose. Yet Jesus emphasized compassion, justice, and peacemaking as central expressions of obedience to God.
When prophecy speculation overshadows Christ’s commands, moral clarity is lost. The watching world—and especially Muslims—struggle to understand how followers of Jesus, who calls His people to defend the oppressed and love their neighbors, can remain silent before such profound human suffering.
Re-centering Christian engagement on Scripture’s plain teachings offers a path toward healing, understanding, and faithful witness.

Establish partnership between the SBC in each state and a local or international counterpart Muslim organization ensuring they are similar in relative size, grassroots influence, and holistic engagement (religious, social, political, charitable, and missionary activities).
Launch the Faith Leader Peacemakers - Calling and Commissioning Process to engage SBC pastors in urban (20%) and rural (80%) areas. Note that this process uses incentives to engage individual evangelical pastors.
Multifaith peacemaking conferences shall be held in the same city or venue, immediately before SBC state conventions to foster engagement. Offering incentives such as free travel or accommodations for both conferences may be necessary to encourage participation.
Host a global summit uniting SBC leaders and grassroots Muslim faith leaders from Muslim-majority countries to expand dialogue on an international level.
Engage social media influencers from the U.S. and Muslim nations to promote narratives of peace, multifaith coexistence, and shared moral principles rooted in Biblical and Quranic teachings.
Move beyond religious isolation and stereotypes by demonstrating God’s love through reshaping global discourse to prioritize faith-driven peacebuilding. Involve the SBC in high-profile, mutually beneficial peacebuilding initiatives, empowering both faith communities to uphold their Scriptures and theological convictions while fostering reconciliation and reflecting God's love and compassion.
Utilize the Common Cause and Vision Lifecycle (CCVL) to collaborate on shared priorities between the SBC and global Muslim communities.
Exchange evangelical and Muslim methodologies for upholding the authority of their Scriptures, preventing misinterpretation, particularly concerning care for the poor, orphans, widows, and sojourners.
Call on SBC and Muslim peacemakers to draft a formal statement affirming divine principles for the ethical treatment of non-Christians and non-Muslims, with Biblical and Quranic guidance on reflecting God’s will and truth in interfaith engagement.

Texas Pilot

Pair Texas with Turkey, recognizing both regions’ faith leaders for their deep patriotism, strong convictions, and unwavering commitment to faith.
Position the Turkish AK Parti as a key SBC-Texas peacemaking counterpart, as both organizations: 
    o	Have large grassroots followings
    o	Are politically independent
    o	Hold holistic, faith-driven values
    o	Are well-established and influential
Launch "Texas White Rose Outreach Campaign" to approach individual SBC pastors and a comparable campaign in Turkey to engage Imams in any Handshake4Peace initiative as detailed in the Faith Leader Peacemakers - Calling and Commissioning Process.
Hold the first international Handshake4Peace conference joining the pastors of SBC-Texas and AKP Imams by ??: 
Objective of the conference is to have conservative Christian and Muslim faith leaders write the first draft of 21st Century Faith Leaders Peace Covenant.  that articulates a common ground and foundation for global peacebuilding initiatives. The Covenant shall include:
    o	Shared Christian and Muslim beliefs like monotheism, values, virtues, and principles
    o	A list of Christian and Muslim common causes 
The conference shall be held in the same city or venue and immediately before the annual SBC Texas state convention which is usually held in the fall. Offer incentives such as free travel or accommodations for both conferences to encourage participation. Alternatively, if SBC-Texas agrees to hold their annual conference in Istanbul, Handshake4Peace conference will also be held there.