Pebble Hill Church presents 37th Peace Award

Alan Dench was nominated Sunday, Oct. 17, to receive the 37th annual Harold and Alma Abel Peace Award at Pebble Hill Interfaith Church, 320 Edison-Furlong Road, Doylestown.
The award was established in 1984 on a grant from the Rev. Harold and Alma Able. Awardees are chosen on the basis of significant contributions to peace and social justice and are usually from the Delaware Valley. Dench received the Peace Award for the services he has offered Pebble Hill Church, a registered Peace Site with the World Citizen Peace Organization.
During the past year and a half during the pandemic, Dench has assumed many vital roles that include church treasurer, helping to keep Pebble Hill financially solvent, a leadership role on the Church Council, and supporting the building and grounds as gatekeeper of the community handling facility issues and rentals.
Dench has performed many of these vital roles for years. However, these “acts of service” have become more paramount throughout the pandemic. Dench has truly been the “go-to guy” with his technical skills managing the Pebble Hill website keeping communication flowing, as well as managing the Zoom sessions and physically hosting virtual and hybrid weekly Sunday Pebble Hill Celebrations.
During the Black Lives Matter student demonstrations that roiled Doylestown during the summer of 2020, Dench volunteered as a boundary-keeper sheltering the students from raucous counter-demonstrators in collaboration with “Rise Up Doylestown.”

Dench was instrumental in supporting the BLM movement and participated in a Doylestown Borough Council session with other members of Pebble Hill Church where he shared his concerns about the need for a more supportive police presence to the BLM movement.
One of Dench’s most outstanding contributions has been as the camp director for Pebble Hill Church’s annual Pebble Hill Camp since 2008. In those 13 years, Pebble Hill Camp has become an important outreach to others in the larger community.
On Aug. 7, one week before the Pebble Hill Camp, Dench assumed a leadership role in hosting the “Oneness Festival,” A Day of Peace & Love, Giving & Receiving Oneness & Spirit, Community & Soul Family on the grounds of Pebble Hill Church. This event was cohosted by the AWAKEN Center for Human Evolution, the Being One Center for Spiritual Studies and Universal Healing, and the Circle of Miracles - An Interspiritual Community.
“Dench’s giving nature and willingness to selflessly support Pebble Hill Church and the surrounding community is quite noteworthy and evidenced by his nomination to receive the Harold and Alma Abel Peace Award,” reads a statment from the church. “Many thanks to Dench for his commitment and dedication and tireless support of others in helping to make a difference in our world by his service.”
Visit pebblehillchurch.org for information.

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