Become a CPTer

CPT workers make up what we call the "Peacemaker Corps." Teams of trained Corps members enter emergency situations of conflict and areas of militarization in partnership with local peacemakers. Responding to Christ's radical call, they attempt to bring God's redemptive love to violent situations. Meet some of our CPTers....

Becoming a CPTer: Joining the Peacemaker Corps

Contact CPT's Personnel Coordinator if you are interested in serving a three-year term as a Peacemaker Corps member, either full-time or as a part-time Reservist (2-12 weeks a year).

Here are the next steps:

DELEGATION: Join a CPT Delegation. Submit a "Short-Term Delegation Application" to CPT's Delegation Coordinator, Claire Evans, in the Chicago office. No special training is required for participation in a short-term delegation
APPLICATION: Submit a completed "Peacemaker Corps Application" to CPT's Personnel Coordinator, Jessica Phillips, in the Chicago office. Application forms are accepted throughout the year. Applicants are interviewed and references contacted.
TRAINING: Upon successful completion of a delegation, interview and reference check, applications will be invited to participate in CPT's intensive training program. Training is a continuation of the application process. Mutual discernment between CPT and the trainee regarding acceptance into the Peacemaker Corps occurs at the end of the training period.

Two Levels of Involvement: Full-time or Part-time

Full-time Corps: Full-time Christian Peacemaker Corps members commit to a three-year term of service on CPT projects. When not on project site they live in their home communities and are available for short-term organizing, speaking, training, or other peace work. Housing during home leave is often provided by family, churches or friends.

Reserve Corps: The Reserve Corps augments the work of the full-time Christian Peacemaker Corps by providing a larger pool of trained peacemakers who commit to working with CPT part-time (2 to 12 weeks each year) for three years. The Reserve Corps is designed for those persons who are committed to the work of CPT but are not able to be involved on a full-time basis.

The Work of the Corps

Teams of 2 to 12 persons join the efforts of local peacemakers facing imminent violence by:

Providing a nonviolent presence with individuals or communities who are threatened
Physically intervening to prevent violence
Reporting on human rights abuses
Planning and carrying out creative, nonviolent public responses to injustice
Training others in nonviolent direct action
Speaking and writing to media, interested groups, congregations, and organizations

Qualifications for Corps Members

Team members are selected to represent a range of ages, skills, life experiences, and ethnic backgrounds. CPT seeks applicants who are:

at least 21 years of age
deeply grounded in Christian faith
committed to peacemaking
experienced in nonviolent direct action
adequately free from responsibilities in order to move into life-threatening situations on short notice
willing to commit to three years of service

Members may also have special skills or significant experience in a particular cross-cultural setting.

Peacemaker Corps Objectives

Christian Peacemaker Corps members are sent to crisis settings within North America and overseas with the following objectives:

To promote lasting peace by giving skilled, courageous support to peacemakers working in situations of conflict
To inspire people and governments to discard violence in favor of nonviolent action as a means of settling differences
To provide churches and communities with first-hand information and resources for responding to situations of conflict, and to urge their active involvement
To interpret a nonviolent perspective to the media and broader society

Training the Corps

Applicants for both the Full-time Corps and the Reserve Corps participate in an intensive, integrated, four-week training course involving action, reflection, and
practice of a variety of peacemaking skills in the following areas:

Biblical Basis for Nonviolence
Spirituality and Faith for Peacemaking
Public Witness and Nonviolent Direct Action
Negotiation & Conflict Transformation Skills
Ministry of Presence
Cross-cultural Work and Undoing Racism
Working in Teams
Organizing and Communication Skills

CPT conducts Peacemaker Corps trainings in Winter and Summer for groups of 10-15 full-time and Reserve Corps applicants in Chicago. Regional trainings are arranged when 10-15 people from an area are ready to join the Reserve Corps.

Supporting the Corps

It costs about $15,000 (U.S.) per year to support a member of the Christian Peacemaker Corps. One half of this cost is allocated as subsistence support for Christian Peacemaker Corps members. The other half covers travel expenses and a portion of program costs. By comparison, the U.S. military spends over $140,000 per year to maintain each soldier in combat readiness.

CPT operates on the generous contributions of many committed supporters. Reserve corps members are expected to raise the costs of their participation. Full-time corps members receive a subsistence living stipend based on need, and are also expected to solicit support during their home leave periods.

Support team members work with Corps members in developing a local support community to undergird Corps members through prayer, personal encouragement, and by assisting with media work and raising funds. Involving others in this effort broadens the base of awareness and commitment to CPT’s ministry.

The Challenge of Peacemaking

"Nonviolent resistance to tyrants, oppressors and brutal invaders is not for fools or cowards. It demands courage and daring of the highest order. It requires discipline, training and a willingness to face death. Are there tough, brave volunteers for that kind of costly, demanding battle? Would the nonviolent troops be available to be trained by the thousands and then tens of thousands to form disciplined Christian Peacemaker Teams ready to walk into the face of danger and death in loving confrontation of injustice and oppression?"

(Ron Sider, Nonviolence: The Invincible Weapon, p. 95)

For more information:

Christian Peacemaker Teams
Jessica Phillips, Personnel Coordinator
Box 6508
Chicago, IL 60680-6508
Tel. 773 277-0253
Fax. 773 277-0291
Email: personnel [at] cpt [dot] org

Apply

To apply to join the Peacemaker Corps and become a CPTer, you need to have completed a Short Term CPT Delegation. If you have already participated in a delegation, apply by clicking on the Peacemaker Corps Application attachment below, fill it out and send it to the CPT office, or call the CPT office and ask that one be sent to you.

Send the completed application to: CPT, PO Box 6508, Chicago IL 60680; Tel: 773-277-0253; Fax: 773-277-0291

Frequent Questions

Thinking about becoming a CPTer? Here are some frequent questions:

Do I have to be a Christian?
Do I have to go on a delegation?
Does CPT provide financial support?
If I join, where will I go?
How much time will I spend on a project?
How much does training cost?
Where do I stay during training?
Can I just do the training and not join?
Who can I talk to if I have more questions?

1. Do I have to be a Christian?

You need to self-identify as a Christian. CPT does not have a "litmus test" to determine whether someone is a Christian but we want applicants to have made a commitment to following Jesus. CPT workers have chosen to join the nonviolent community of Jesus Christ and are committed to seeking God's will in their work, worship, and decision-making. On project sites, CPT works enthusiastically with local partners from a variety of faith traditions, and we encourage the formation and development of other faith-based, nonviolent peace teams.

2. Do I have to go on a delegation?

Yes. The delegation experience is an important part of CPT's application process. Delegations give you, the potential CPTer, a first-hand experience with actual CPT work in one of our project locations. You get to see exactly the type of work you might do as a CPTer. And it gives CPT a chance to see how you function as part of team in the midst of a sometimes stressful conflict setting. Finally, delegations experiences are important reference points for the work done in CPT's Peacemaker training should you decided to move in that drection.

3. Does CPT provide financial support?

Yes, full-time workers are supported through a monthly needs-based stipend, and they are asked to participate in fundraising efforts. Part time workers (Reservists) are asked to fundraise the specific cost of their CPT ministry (two weeks to three months on CPT project a year for three years), the set amount is equal to that of a delegation.

4. If I join, where will I go?

You will probably serve on the project that interests you. Language is also a factor, and if you speak Spanish, for example, you may be asked to serve on a Spanish-speaking project like Colombia. CPT does not issue "marching orders" for your placement; the decision is a mutual conversation between the CPTer and the organization.

5. How much time will I spend on a project?

This varies depending on the project and visa considerations. Full-time CPTers spend nine months every year on a project. This may consist of a rotation of three months on-project, one-month off-project, or it may be a rotation of six months on-project, and two months off, or something else. Part-timers commit to serving a minimum of two weeks to two months each year, for three years.

6. How much does training cost?

Training is free, and it's for people who have stated an intention to join CPT. All trainees, however, cover the costs of travel to and from training.

7. Where do I stay during training?

The training group lives and trains together as a group. The group might stay at an area church, or in bunk-bed dorm rooms at a nearby retreat center.

8. Can I just do the training and not join?

Unfortunately, no. CPT is not just a nonviolence training organization. We train people who have stated an intention to join CPT and serve in conflict settings to reduce violence. We believe in our nonviolence training and wish we could offer the training to everyone, but we don't have the resources.

9. Who can I talk to if I have more questions?

Call either of our offices and we'll be happy to answer your questions – we love talking to people interested in joining!
CPT Chicago office: 773.277.0253
CPT Canada office: 416.423.5525