Last month, 19 Christian leaders returned home from Northern Ireland with clearer eyes, fuller hearts, and a deeper capacity to mend what’s been broken. This experience, culminating a five-month program in conflict-competent leadership, was more than a trip. It was an immersion into the beauty and brutality of a place that’s been torn apart by conflict and faithfully stitched back together by everyday peacemakers.
At the peace walls in Belfast, scales fell from our eyes. Not just about Northern Ireland, but about the generational traumas and political idolatries we carry in our own communities. In sessions with the legacy peacebuilders at the iconic Corrymeela Community, we didn’t just learn about peace, we were confronted by and trained for it. In conversation with those who sustain peace there, we were formed for mending divides here.
Yet, we’re not just building capacity, we’re cultivating kindred community. These 19 leaders now carry a shared commitment to live, love, and lead, as people who believe peace is possible and know that they’re not alone. They’re already imagining what it means to bring what they’ve learned into their churches, organizations, cities, and everyday lives.
As one participant reflected as our immersion experience concluded:
“The Leadership Cohort was a transformative experience that far exceeded expectations, fostering deep connection, personal growth, and profound clarity of calling. It equipped me with the courage and capacity to stand in the in-between spaces of our divided world. I carry this forward into my work of cultivating sacred spaces where diverse people can gather, listen, and heal together.”
This cohort journey is for the Christian leaders across sectors who are exhausted by polarization, who are questioning the frameworks they inherited, and who are ready to move toward conflict with the tools to heal rather than win.
Who do you know who needs this next year?
Maybe it’s you. Maybe it’s someone in your life.
The 2026 cohort is forming. We’re returning to Northern Ireland. Interested in learning more? Add your name to our interest list and we’ll let you know as soon as the application process opens later this year.