In the wake of yet another mass shooting, the conversations are once again saturated with tired arguments leading us nowhere.
We’re done waiting for change to begin with Capitol Hill. We’re convinced that measurable change will start with communities of Jesus-followers who transform their guns into garden tools.
On Monday, April 3rd we had a live conversation with Shane Claiborne (Red Letter Christians), Mike Martin (RAWtools), Kelly Knox, and Pastor Amy Kasari (Antioch Church, Bend), hosted by Jer Swigart (Global Immersion). Shane helped us understand our national fixation on guns, its incongruence with Jesus, and what it’s costing us. Mike will invited us—as individuals and congregations—to take tangible actions that will lead to change. Kelly shared his story of choosing to decommission his AR15. And Amy invited us into her church’s journey of becoming a gun decommissioning site in Central Oregon.
We concluded the live session with a Q&A time and outlined practical next steps both individuals and congregations can take.
Shane Claiborne is a best-selling author, renowned activist, sought-after speaker, and self-proclaimed “recovering sinner.” Shane writes and speaks around the world about peacemaking, social justice, and Jesus, and is the author of several books including “The Irresistible Revolution,” “Jesus for President,” “Executing Grace,” “Beating Guns,” and his newest book, “Rethinking Life (to be released in Feb 2023).” He is the visionary leader of The Simple Way in Philadelphia and co-director of Red Letter Christians. His work has been featured in Fox News, Esquire, SPIN, TIME, the Wall Street Journal, NPR, and CNN.
Amy Kasari has served on staff at Antioch Church since 2018. She is mother to Jason, Allie, and Claire. She holds as BS from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and a Masters in Theology of Social Justice from Kilns College. Amy is an avid traveler, collector of maps, and loves the diversity of creation.
Kelly Knox is a devoted husband, a caring father of two daughters, and an outdoor enthusiast. He is a professional in the field of corporate finance who is driven to make a positive difference in the world through meaningful work as an active non-profit board member. He is a lifelong Jesus-follower whose life is centered around faith, strong family bonds, and his passionate interest for exploring the great outdoors.
Mike Martin is the founder and Executive Director of RAWtools. A former youth and young adult pastor at Beth-El Mennonite Church, Mike is licensed for specialized ministry for the work of RAWtools by Mountain States Mennonite Conference of Mennonite Church USA. He has a BA in Biblical studies.
Mike learned to blacksmith in order to turn guns into garden tools and is passionate about connecting people to nonviolent skills like restorative justice and conflict mediation. He is trained for restorative justice facilitation, dialogue circles, and encourages everyone to explore how they can connect to similar efforts in their community. Mike believes turning swords into plowshares requires a comprehensive approach to gun violence, one that addresses the triggers in our streets, and the triggers in our hearts.
Dr. Jer Swigart is the co-founder of Global Immersion. He seeks to learn, love, and lead in ways that disarm violence, bridge difference, and awaken imaginations to restorative possibilities. He focuses on leadership formation, particularly with leaders and teams who have become disillusioned by the incongruence between the values of western Christianity and those of Jesus.
In addition to his participation in local and national justice and reconciliation commissions, Jer is a North American contributing member of the Reconcilers Together Alliance, a Pepperdine Cross Sector Leadership Fellow, and a Senior Fellow of the Dietrich Bonhoeffer Institute. He holds an MDiv from Fuller Theological Seminary and his Doctor of Leadership in Global Perspectives from Portland Seminary. As the co-author of Mending the Divides: Creative Love in a Conflicted World, a speaker, facilitator, and consultant, he often reflects on the intersection of faith, leadership, and conflict transformation. Jer and his family live in the Pacific Northwest, USA.