Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand

Johnsonville Uniting Church » News » Peace Candle

Johnsonville Uniting Church was recently honoured to receive a Peace Candle to become part of the network of congregations sharing Peace Candles. We in turn now make Peace Candles available for visitors to take back to their congregations as a gift, and for our members to give to churches they visit, so that the desire for peace that is represented by the candle might be symbolised throughout the world.

The Peace Candle originated in Russia in 1986 where an elderly lady asked a visiting clergyman, Dr Blair Monie, to take a candle to his home church, First Presbyterian Church, York, Pennsylvania. That church, upon receiving the candle, decided to make candles available to members of their congregation, inviting them to give candles to other churches with which they had contact.

Our candle came from Lakeside Church Presbyterian, Te Anau, Fiordland, New Zealand. In turn theirs came from Kilarrow Parish Church (The Round Church), Bowmore, Isle of Islay, Scotland. Theirs came through a succession of churches in Ontario, Canada, originating from St Stephen’s-on-the-Hill United Church, Sudbury, Ontario. Candles have been given to churches in England, Scotland, Wales, Japan, Portugal, Mexico, Australia, USA and now New Zealand.

We are honoured to have received the Peace Candle and are pleased to carry on the tradition of making them available to others. Our prayer joins that of congregations around the world, ‘That the elderly Russian woman’s hope for peace be spread far and wide as churches in many parts of the world receive reminders of the vital task of working and praying for PEACE’.

MAY PEACE PREVAIL ON EARTH.