Spreading the message of peace in Rugby 

Since 2004 the garden at Rugby Baptist Church has been a haven of peace in Rugby town centre. Now it is home to the first ‘Peace Pole’ in the town – a pole inscribed with the message "May Peace Prevail on Earth'' in several languages.

 
A peace pole is a monument that displays the above message to promote peace. The first peace pole was erected in Japan in 1955, in the aftermath of World War 2.
 
Since then the concept has travelled all over the earth: it is estimated more than 200,000 peace poles have been installed, in every country and continent. They are part of a grassroots global movement ‘to bring people of various cultures, faith traditions and political ideals together... to focus on our mutual desire to serve, create and manifest true peace on earth’ according to the peacepoleproject.org.
 
The recent installation in Rugby is the result of a collaboration between Rugby Baptist Church, its Boys’ and Girls’ Brigade companies, and Rugby Rotary Club.
 
The idea originally came from church member Pauline Kimber, who’s also a member of the Rotary Club. She discovered the Rotary Club were interested in a peace pole, but didn't know where to install it. The Baptist church, one road along from the main high street and close to many independent shops, has a beautiful garden that was redesigned and opened in 2004. In better weather many take their lunch there, and it was an ideal spot.
 
On researching peace poles, minister David Fleming agreed and took the idea to the leadership team and then the church meeting. He also sought agreement from the team of volunteer gardeners, who work there every Thursday. (The church has regularly won local awards for its garden.)
 
Pauline engaged the Girls’ and Boys’ Brigade, who subsequently helped by fundraising. David discovered the most spoken languages in Rugby via the council and library, and an order was placed.
 
The pole was installed at the end of a recent service earlier this month, where the Brigades were present.
 
David said, ‘The installation was quite lovely, and now the Peace Pole has a prominent place in our garden. It’s visible from the street and from a seating area in the garden where people often stop to eat lunch.
 
‘We see this garden as a sort of community space as much as a church space, so it was important everybody could join in the sentiments. May peace prevail on us is not just a Christian message, it's a universal message.
 
‘Our hope is that people, seeing the pole, will be moved to think or to pray for peace while they are here.’
 
In Rugby the new peace pole reflects the languages most commonly spoken in the town, namely Romanian, Polish, Mandarin, Portuguese, Hindi and Arabic, as well as Ukrainian in recognition of the war taking place there.

David also encouraged other churches to consider it. 'It was actually such a simple thing to do,' he said. 'The whole thing from start to finish, including the cement cost just over £300. If churches have church yards or church grounds, it struck me as not a bad thing.'