As more and more soldiers and veterans speak out against the war in Iraq, the antiwar movement continues to gather momentum. First United Methodist Church of Tacomas has made its mark on the movement by offering sanctuary to war resisters.

On June 11, 2006, First United Methodist Church of Tacoma, WA, became the first church in the nation to offer sanctuary to war resisters since the Vietnam War. The church made its decision in response to Fort Lewis Army officer1st Lt. Ehren Watada’s public refusal to be redeployed back to Iraq to fight an illegal war. Lt. Watada was the first commissioned officer to publicly resist the war.

In a resolution, the church’s Administrative Council decided to declare the space a sanctuary where they will “offer protection, advocacy, and support to those who, after individual examination of conscience, are unable to participate in the armed forces of the United States or combat duty in Iraq and Afghanistan.” The decision will stay in effect until November 30, 2006. At that time, the church will be moving to new facilities and will reconsider its resolution at that time.

The sanctuary movement has a rich historic tradition from which to draw inspiration. In ancient times, various peoples, including the Egyptians, the Hebrews, and the Greeks, have recognized a religious “right to asylum,” offering protection to criminals or those accused of crimes. The medieval Christian church also institutionalized sanctuary. During the War of the Roses in England, combatants who found themselves surrounded by the enemy would seek sanctuary in the nearest church, thus marking the first example of sanctuary for political asylum. The tradition continues today. During the Vietnam War, war resisters sought refuge in churches. In the 1980s and early 1990s, as part of a broader antiwar movement, many churches began to offer sanctuary to Central American refugees who were deemed illegal aliens by the Immigration and Naturalization Service.

Tacoma is located near Fort Lewis and other military bases and has seen firsthand the consequences of war. At least 50 soldiers from Washington have been killed in the Iraq War.

The First United Methodist Church of Tacoma has a long history of supporting social justice since opening its doors in 1876. According to the congregation’s pastor, the Rev. Monty Smith, volunteers will soon begin distributing leaflets on nearby bases with the number of a phone hotline that questioning soldiers or their families can call. The congregation is also working with veterans’ groups to have counselors available around the clock, and is ready to house military personnel in the downtown church for short periods of time.

Since 2000, about 40,000 troops from all branches of the military have deserted, the Pentagon says. More than half served in the Army. But the Army says numbers have decreased each year since the United States began its war on terror in Afghanistan.

The antiwar movement has been slowly regrouping in recent months as the ruling class’s “War on Terror” threatens to expand to other countries and as more and more soldiers are speaking out against the war. By standing up for its antiwar principles and for soldiers who resist imperialism, First United of Tacoma provides another link in the chain for the rebuilding of the antiwar movement.

For more information or to support the church, visit http://www.fumctacoma.org/sanctuary.html.