A three-part draft counselor training program will kick off on Sunday, February 8, 2026, 1 p.m. Central Time, at Joy Mennonite Church in Oklahoma City. Organized by James M. Branum, a longtime antiwar activist and one of the country’s leading civilian military law attorneys, the sessions will be also accessible online via Zoom.

Timely questions will be addressed and answered by the program, including:

• What if the United States reinstated a military draft?
• How could you, your family and your neighbors be impacted?
• How can faith communities and community leaders help families prepare?

The purpose is to train and equip volunteer civilian draft counselors who can help potential draftees exercise their rights to legally avoid being drafted. Teachers, youth leaders, clergy and parents are encouraged to participate, as are community organizers and peace and justice advocates and activists.

The first session, Draft Counseling 101, will last about two hours. Pre-registration is strongly encouraged. There is no charge for the training, but donations to Joy Mennonite Church will be gratefully accepted to offset costs.

“As an historic peace church, Joy Mennonite Church has a long history of advocating for economic and social justice and an end to war,” said lay pastoral team member Terry Craghead. 

“Supporting conscientious objectors to war has been part of the DNA of Joy Mennonite Church from our inception. Our current building once housed dozens of conscientious objectors to the Vietnam War who were completing their alternative service in lieu of being drafted. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (influenced by Mennonite pastor Dr. Vincent Harding), spoke about the giant triplets of racism, extreme materialism and militarism and advocated for a true revolution of values.

“We see this new initiative as a continuation of this legacy. With the continued escalation of violent and threatening rhetoric by the current federal administration, we see a vital window of opportunity to prepare people in our community to know how to respond if and when the next U.S. military draft is called.” 

To register: https://bit.ly/OKCDraftCounseling101