ELKHART, Ind. (Mennonite Mission Network) — The resonating sound of a Lambeg drum rattles listeners’ bones. Three feet in diameter and typically harnessed across the shoulders, the drum instills cultural pride in some and instinctual fear in others.
For Jenna and Peter Liechty Martin, the sound brings back memories of three years spent in Northern Ireland serving through Mennonite Mission Network at two partnering organizations that use relationships to bridge misunderstanding. The Edgehill Reconciliation Programme connects people who wouldn’t normally meet, whether it is Catholics and Protestants or newer migrant-led churches and the longer-established churches. EMBRACE works across denominational lines to equip churches and the community to welcome newcomers to Northern Ireland.
The history of Northern Ireland is complex, with hundreds of years of painful, often violent conflict between two main groups: those identified with the United Kingdom, and mostly Protestant, known as loyalist/unionist, and those identified with the Republic of Ireland (southern Ireland) and mostly Catholic, known as nationalist/republican. A common difference between the groups is whether Northern Ireland should belong to the U.K. or to the Republic of Ireland.
The Belfast Agreement in 1998 has slowly brought an end to most of the violence, but the two communities still tend to live separately, avoiding the difficult history and hard issues.
At an event hosted by the reconciliation program in mid-May, two musicians entertained and challenged the participants to be peacemakers through storytelling and song. Tommy Sands, a world-renowned Irish folk musician from the North of Ireland, and Willie Drennan, who specializes in music from the Ulster Scots tradition, represented two different cultural identities.
“Some people at the event were surprised they could find beauty in the sound of the Lambeg drum, a sound that they associated with fear and dread,” said Jenna, who helped organize the event. One participant, who grew up in an Irish-Catholic neighborhood, was thankful for the opportunity to begin to heal from childhood experiences of fear when unionist parades would march through their neighborhood.
“Music has a way of communicating beyond words,” said Peter. “It brought out of people thoughts and emotions not often expressed. I think people left with a sense that although differences matter, they can also produce great beauty, just as the different musical traditions did on that day.”
During the era of violence from 1966-1998 known as the Troubles, loyalist/unionist parades would often cross through their nationalist/republican neighborhoods as an assertion of power. These parades featured music accompanied by the loud Lambeg drum, linking that music with the violence that often accompanied the parades.
At EMBRACE, the Liechty Martins helped coordinate workshops and networking events that equipped churches to welcome people from ethnically and culturally diverse backgrounds. Recently, migrant workers and refugees from around the world have settled in Northern Ireland, seeking employment and safety. Churches who rarely had to deal with multiculturalism now find themselves coming together to face the challenges of welcoming these newcomers.
Jenna saw that relationships formed through EMBRACE events created collaborations that served immigrants through English classes and addressing physical needs, like food, shelter and money.
“From the beginning, [EMBRACE] was intentional about working across traditional denominational lines,” said Jenna. “While encouraging the churches in their call to welcome the stranger, EMBRACE also saw its role as being one of modeling reconciliation across church communities.”
Throughout their years in Northern Ireland, the Liechty Martins watched the community become more aware of the work of the organizations and more responsive to their goals. In nine months, when European Union Peace Funding for the reconciliation program will likely end, the program will be integrated into Edgehill Theological College.
As EMBRACE continues to create a network of churches to address the needs of immigrants, more people and churches get involved.
“EMBRACE is doing wonderful work in Northern Ireland by responding to the needs of newcomers,” said Jenna. “[The organization] challenges and encourages churches to offer hospitality and welcome to those who are new."
Aneta Dabek, a development worker for EMBRACE, told Jenna that “it seems that we are going to have a busy autumn and winter … [because] there are more opportunities than ever. It’s great because people are starting to invite us [to work with them], which makes the work easier.”
The Liechty Martins returned to the United States in June. Jenna started work as a development associate for Mennonite Mission Network, and Peter began studies for a Master’s degree in peace studies at Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary.
“We will miss the slightly slower pace of life, where people stopped to drink tea with one another several times a day,” said the Liechty Martins in their final prayer letter. “We hope that we will find ways of integrating our learning [from Northern Ireland] into our new school and work contexts.”
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Mennonite Mission Network, the mission agency of Mennonite Church USA, leads, mobilizes and equips the church to participate in holistic witness to Jesus Christ in a broken world. Media may contact news@mennonitemission.net.
