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
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Vision

SBC and Muslim Faith Leaders Spearhead Local & Global Peacemaking Initiatives

Evangelicals within the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC) and Sunni imams share conservative convictions and a deep commitment to their Scriptures, yet they often find themselves on opposite sides of today's conflicts. Despite many efforts to foster joint peacebuilding, past attempts have largely fallen short, hindered by misconceptions, distance, doctrinal differences, and distrust. This strategy does not ask either community to change its theology. It invites both to work side by side on causes they already share, such as religious freedom, protection of minorities, family, human dignity, justice, and care for the poor, each serving under its own convictions.

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.
Identify a nonpolitical Turkish mosque or civil-society network as the SBC-Texas peacemaking counterpart, choosing partners that: 
    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 SBC-Texas pastors and their Turkish imam counterparts: 
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.