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This page is archived from the
217th GA, 2006 |
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Issues |
| Here we will post policy statements
and analyses of issues -- or links to them on the sites of the participating
groups. |
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GA overwhelmingly approves Israel/Palestine recommendation
[6-22-06] The 217th
General Assembly overwhelmingly approved the recommendation of the
Peacemaking and International Issues committee regarding Middle East issues.
By a vote of 483 in favor, 28 opposed and 1 abstention
today, the Assembly set as church policy that "financial investments of the
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), as they pertain to Israel, Gaza, East
Jerusalem, and the West Bank, be invested in only peaceful pursuits." The
recommendation was an alternate resolution to an overture that sought to
repeal and rescind the actions of the 2004 General Assembly relating to
"phased selective divestment in multinational corporations operating in
Israel." The
full story >> For a continuing debate
on the meaning of this action, click here
>> |
PUP passes
[6-20-06]
For news
and comments >> |
Two more statements support divestment
[6-10-06]Presbyterian Will
McGarvey calls for continued support of divestment
McGarvey, a Presbyterian minister who has recently
returned from last month's Steps Toward Peace conference, sees "the
Israeli military occupation of the West Bank and Gaza" as the real issue.
More >>
Middle East caucus urges reaffirmation of 2004
selective, phased divestment decision
Both investment and divestment needed, says group
Both investment and divestment must happen in order to
end hostilities in Israel and Palestine, the National Middle Eastern
Presbyterian Caucus (NMEPC) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) said in a
newly released statement.
More >>
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That All May Freely Serve urges support for Heartland Overture,
and calls for resistance to "[a]busive power,
which we strongly lament is not addressed by the Report of the Theological
Task Force on Peace, Unity and Purity ..."
The statement adds:
Since TAMFS affirms elements of the authoritative
interpretation proposed by the Task Force to be appropriate constitutional
provisions (See longer response in "On
Not Growing Weary in Well-Doing".) of which governing bodies should be
aware, we believe it would be positive to raise the provisions of G-6.0108
up to presbyteries and sessions for their consideration in dealing with
candidates for ordination and/or installation.
The full text
of the TAMFS statement >>
[from That All May Freely Serve, 6-9-06] |
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More on Israel and Divestment
We recently posted the text of
a letter sent by Norman G.
Finkelstein, who teaches political science at DePaul University in Chicago,
to all GA commissioners. In his letter, speaking as a Jew, he urges
them to support the Presbyterian action on to consider
"a phased, selective divestment from companies profiting from Israel's
occupation."
We have received numerous critical notes from people who,
also speaking as Jews, said that Finkelstein most definitely does not speak
for them, or for the vast majority of Jewish people in America. As a
non-expert in this area, your WebWeaver will not pretend to judge between
the very different points of view, but we present three anti-divestment
opinions here.
Jewish groups cooperating to head off divestment
Here’s a report from The Jewish Week ("Serving
the Jewish Community of Greater New York") giving their view on the
current Presbyterian debate as it comes to the General Assembly.
The article quotes Rabbi Gary Bretton-Granatoor,
inter-religious director for the Anti-Defamation League, as saying that
the real issue should not be divestment, but "how to deal with the
structural anti-Semitism that still exists in segments of the church that
allows for divestment and for this de-legitimization of Israel." We’re not
sure what that means, but it seems to be a pretty serious charge.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Another supporter of Israel directly
criticizes Finkelstein. She begins:
I was frankly surprised to find a letter from Norman
Finkelstein featured with approval on the Witherspoon Society page.
Finkelstein is a sort of crackpot intellectual, the fact that some of his
ideas are congenial is no excuse for mistaking describing him as a
responsible scholar.
The rest of
Ms. Appelbaum's note >>
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Letter from 12 Jewish organizations urges
commissioners to oppose divestment
Another letter has also been sent to commissioners, not
by an individual, but by twelve large Jewish organizations. One friend
tells us that this represents what the "real Jewish community" in the
United States feels.
The organizations include the American Jewish Committee,
American Jewish Congress, the Anti-Defamation League, B’nai B’rith
International, and more.
The text of the letter >>
[Witherspoon Society, 6-9-06]
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More on Israel and Divestment
We recently posted the text of
a letter sent by Norman G.
Finkelstein, who teaches political science at DePaul University in Chicago,
to all GA commissioners. In his letter, speaking as a Jew, he urges
them to support the Presbyterian action on to consider
"a phased, selective divestment from companies profiting from Israel's
occupation."
We have received numerous critical notes from people who,
also speaking as Jews, said that Finkelstein most definitely does not speak
for them, or for the vast majority of Jewish people in America. As a
non-expert in this area, your WebWeaver will not pretend to judge between
the very different points of view, but we present three anti-divestment
opinions here.
Jewish groups cooperating to head off divestment
Here’s a report from The Jewish Week ("Serving
the Jewish Community of Greater New York") giving their view on the
current Presbyterian debate as it comes to the General Assembly.
The article quotes Rabbi Gary Bretton-Granatoor,
inter-religious director for the Anti-Defamation League, as saying that
the real issue should not be divestment, but "how to deal with the
structural anti-Semitism that still exists in segments of the church that
allows for divestment and for this de-legitimization of Israel." We’re not
sure what that means, but it seems to be a pretty serious charge.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Another supporter of Israel directly
criticizes Finkelstein. She begins:
I was frankly surprised to find a letter from Norman
Finkelstein featured with approval on the Witherspoon Society page.
Finkelstein is a sort of crackpot intellectual, the fact that some of his
ideas are congenial is no excuse for mistaking describing him as a
responsible scholar.
The rest of
Ms. Appelbaum's note >>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Letter from 12 Jewish organizations urges
commissioners to oppose divestment
Another letter has also been sent to commissioners, not
by an individual, but by twelve large Jewish organizations. One friend
tells us that this represents what the "real Jewish community" in the
United States feels.
The organizations include the American Jewish Committee,
American Jewish Congress, the Anti-Defamation League, B’nai B’rith
International, and more.
The text of the letter >>
[Witherspoon Society, 6-9-06]
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A Jewish professor of political science writes in
support of divestment [6-6-06]
Commissioners preparing for the coming General Assembly
have received great heaps of letters and other communications from people
and groups wanting them to hear their point of view. And there may be just
a few among those commissioners who have not quite kept up with the paper
flood.
But one letter in the flood is worth reading, whether
you’re a commissioner or not.
Norman G. Finkelstein, who teaches political science at
DePaul University in Chicago, has long paid attention to the
Israel-Palestine conflict, and has worked for lasting peace between the
two nations.
His letter reflects both his experience and his
concerns, and explains why he supports the Presbyterian study of the
possibility of what he rightly calls "a phased, selective divestment from
companies profiting from Israel's occupation."
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Presbyterian News Service provides a
"backgrounder" on Middle East
peace and divestment [6-2-06] |
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A backgrounder on the abortion issue,
and the three overtures dealing with it, is provided by Presbyterian News
Service. [5-31-06] |
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Two resources on divestment and Israel/Palestine |
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"SO THEY WHO RUN MAY READ . . ."
"Write the vision; make it plain upon tablets, so
he may run who reads it." (Hab. 2:2)
What Presbyterians Need To Know About the
2004 GA Divestment Action
[Doug King - 5-26-06]
Some members of the Presbytery of
Philadelphia set out (in the words of one of them) to "present, as
dispassionately as possible, the plain historic facts about Palestine/Israel
-- and Presbyterian involvement in the Middle East -- which lay behind the
PCUSA action to divest."
Read it here >>
>>This
statement is also available in easy-to-print PDF format<< |
World Council of Churches issues statement on
Israel/Palestine:
"The time is ripe to do what is right"
[Doug King - 5-26-06]The
World Council of Churches Executive Committee, meeting in Geneva, 16-19 May,
2006, issued a sober call to the nations and the
churches for actions to bring some kind of peace to Israel and Palestine
before the situation becomes far worse.
More >> |
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| General Assembly backgrounder: the Mission Work Plan
[5-25-06] The General Assembly Council has recast
the church's goals, objectives to support local mission, by
de-emphasizing programmatic work at the national level of the Presbyterian
Church (U.S.A.) in order to better support mission and ministry by
congregations and presbyteries.
Budgets and staff realignments were determined in April, with $9.15
million and 75 staff positions trimmed from the General Assembly mission
program. The Mission Work Plan and 2007-2008 mission budgets must be
approved by the upcoming 217th General Assembly, where they will be
considered by Assembly Committee 8 – Mission Coordination and Budgets.
More in a report from Presbyterian News
Service >>
The full report -- 19 pages long -- is available in PDF format |
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Presbyterian News Service provides ...
a backgrounder on the PUP Report
Recommendations on
ordination standards provoke intense debate
[5-23-06] |
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| Presbyterian News Service provides ...
a backgrounder on
ordination standards
Debate on G-6.0106b complicated by Theological Task
Force report [5-23-06] |
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| GA will consider
"Resolution in Support of Ongoing Partnership Work with the Coalition of
Immokalee Workers and the Campaign for Fair Food"
[Witherspoon, Doug King - 5-23-06]
The resolution, presented by the
Advocacy Committee for Racial and Ethnic Concerns, traces the theological
foundation for the Presbyterian Church's ongoing efforts for justice for
farmworkers, some of the efforts of the past, and then reaffirms the use of
consumer action (e.g. boycotts, public protest) in the struggle for
economic justice, acknowledges that such action may be called for in the
ongoing Campaign for Fair Food, authorizes the General Assembly Council to
approve Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) participation in such consumer actions
if it is taken in accord with existing Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) criteria
and in concert with our partners in the Alliance for Fair Food, and calls
for continuing promotion of this resolution through preaching, education,
and participation in the Campaign for Fair Food by all settings of the
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) through periodic mailings to congregations and
the use of resources available on
www.pcusa.org/fairfood.
The full text of
the resolution >> |
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Unrestricted Accusations
Overture (Item 05-20) would help limit broadcast accusations
while protecting the rights of those with genuine complaints
[5-23-06] |
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Immigration before the GA
Parrish W. Jones, of the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship,
comments on two overtures coming to the Assembly that deal with the
currently hot-button issue of immigration.
The article >> |
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Reproductive options will again be an issue at the 217th General Assembly
[5-16-06]For information on the
PC(USA) position on abortion and other questions, go to the web site of
Presbyterians Affirming
Reproductive Options (PARO).
The site offers a brief statement on
theological principles in considering reproductive options
There are also links for ordering a variety of
print resources. |
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| Legislative
recommendations [5-14-06]
More Light Presbyterians has issued a brief
statement of their recommendations for action on the various overtures --
and the Theological Task Force report -- which will be considered by the
217th General Assembly. |
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Considering some of
the many issues coming to the Assembly
by Gene TeSelle, Witherspoon Society Issues Analyst
[5-11-06]
This article has also been published in the Spring
2006 issue of Network News, the Witherspoon newsletter, which is
being sent to all commissioners and advisory delegates. It is also
available online in PDF format.
Just
click here, then type in "14" in the page space at the bottom of the
Adobe Reader, and you'll find it.
The Divestment Dispute
The 2004 General Assembly initiated a process of phased,
selective divestment from multinational corporations that contribute to the
construction of the "separation barrier" between Israel and the West Bank,
or profit from the Israeli occupation of the West Bank, or contribute to
Palestinian violence. MRTI (the PCUSA’s Mission Responsibility Through
Investment committee) was directed to explore ways in which to do this and
report back to the 2006 Assembly.
A divestment decision by the General Assembly would
affect the investment portfolios of both the Board of Pensions and the
Presbyterian Foundation, although the amount of investments involved in this
question is relatively very small.
It took several weeks for Jewish organizations to find
out about it. Then they reacted with fervor, labeling the action
anti-Semitic and claiming that the Presbyterians were equating Israel with
Nazi Germany. (Feelings were exacerbated because the same General Assembly
had made statements, quite unconnected with this action, concerning a
"Messianic" Presbyterian congregation and criticizing "Christian Zionism.")
Ministers who have spent years cultivating good relations with Jewish
congregations suddenly received angry phone calls from local rabbis, calling
for private or public discussion of the GA’s action.
And of course there has been internal Presbyterian
discussion, some of it manifesting a desire not to seem anti-Semitic, some
of it probably reflecting suspicion about the national church. Other
Presbyterians, concerned about the injustices resulting from the Israeli
occupation of Palestinian lands and heeding the voices of Christians living
in the area, have defended the General Assembly’s actions.
Several presbyteries (Baltimore, Eastern Virginia,
Florida, Great Rivers, The James, New Covenant, Mississippi, New Covenant,
Seattle, Sheppards and Lapsley, Sierra Blanca, Tampa Bay, and Twin Cities)
have sent overtures to repeal, suspend, or modify the 2004 resolution. The
Presbytery of Great Rivers in Illinois calls on the Assembly to rescind the
action only with respect to Caterpillar, whose headquarters are in Peoria.
It asks that the Assembly "recognize Caterpillar for its responsible actions
as a global corporate citizen."
Other presbyteries (Chicago, National Capitol, New York
City, San Francisco, and Transylvania) have sent overtures that reaffirm the
Assembly’s action, call upon MRTI to invest PCUSA funds only in "peaceful
pursuits," and actively foster projects that will encourage peace and mutual
development between Israelis and Palestinians.
MRTI has tried to engage in closed-door conversations
with five companies that are candidates for divestiture – Citigroup, ITT
Industries, Motorola, Caterpillar, and United Technologies – with varying
results. In its report to the Assembly, it will propose continuing to
explore the issues, postponing any specific recommendations until the 2008
Assembly.
As this subject is debated, we need to remember that the
Mission Responsibility Through Investment program uses divestment as only
one among many means to open dialogue with U.S. corporations to encourage
responsible policies. Such efforts helped move the Republic of South Africa
away from apartheid toward becoming a multi-racial state in the 1980s; they
have influenced mortgage lenders to make their policies more fair for
low-income borrowers and people of color; they have obtained agreement from
a number of petro-chemical companies to provide safer conditions for their
workers. This use of the church’s wealth, in short, has been an effective
tool for justice.
Social Witness Policy
A number of documents dealing with current issues are
coming from ACSWP, the Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy. These
are important, not only because the issues are pressing ones, but because
statements adopted by the General Assembly become the policy of the Assembly
and its agencies.
The paper on globalization deals with
issues of international trade, including forced labor, inhumane working
conditions, and human trafficking. A number of measures are recommended for
action by congregations and governing bodies.
A policy on treatment of people with disabilities,
referred to ACSWP from the 1999 General Assembly, challenges the church to
prophetic witness in behalf of justice and compassion.
Each General Assembly updates its overview of human
rights around the globe. Because of disclosures about prisoner abuse
at Abu Ghraib, the U.S. is prominent in this year’s update; the Assembly
will be called on to reaffirm its opposition to torture and abusive
treatment of detainees, supporting the Geneva Conventions, and underscoring
the importance of U.S. judicial review and Congressional oversight.
There will be a document on Iraq,
emphasizing the responsibility of the U.S. for peaceful and orderly
transition from occupation to democracy.
A policy statement applies traditional principles about
usury to current concerns about what is called "predatory
lending" — practices ranging from payday loans to "sub-prime" loans and
excessive credit costs.
In light of current concerns about Social Security,
Medicare, and Medicaid, especially in light of the coming retirement
of the Baby Boom generation, there is a paper on "Economic Security for
Older Adults," calling for measures to protect these vital social insurance
programs.
The church’s policy on energy was last
formulated in 1981 in the wake of the two oil crises of the 1970s. The 2002
General Assembly asked ACSWP to formulate an update in light of new concerns
about production, consumption, costs, and "energy security."
Similarly the policy statement on the value of
human life, adopted in 1981, is being updated at the request of the
2000 General Assembly.
Finally, the PC(USA) has already looked ahead to the
hundredth anniversary of the so-called Social Creed of the Churches
(1908), in which a number of issues concerning labor and industry
were addressed, leading to many reforms in state and federal legislation.
Presbyterians are already consulting with United Methodists, Disciples, the
United Church of Christ, and the National Council of Churches to explore the
possibility of updating the "Social Creed" for the 21st century, in which
labor issues will be increasingly global in scope.
Peacemaking
Baltimore Presbytery has sent an overture to expand the
Peacemaking Program by establishing a training program in "proactive,
constructive nonviolence," along the lines of the presbytery’s own
"Transforming Violence to Wholeness" program.
Energy
Heartland Presbytery has sent an overture
calling for an addition to the chapter in the Book of Order entitled "The
Church and Its Mission" (G-3.0100-0401). It has a list of ways the church is
"participating in God’s activity in the world through its life for others";
the overture would insert, before the last of these, a new clause:
"protecting the environment and promoting sustainable living, reverently
working as responsible and faithful stewards of God’s creation . . ."
Some confusion was created when the
Layman Online said that it would add a new "essential." Let’s put an end
to the confusion and obfuscation.
While this chapter is a valuable
summary of the mission of the church, too often overlooked, it is not
a list of "essentials" of Reformed faith and practice. If the General
Assembly votes positively on the Heartland overture, it is not adding a new
"essential" or contradicting the spirit of the TTF report, which counsels
flexibility in considering essentials.
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Some thoughts about how we might work together in the
Assembly:
Working as partners
The 215th General Assembly approved a policy
statement, "Presbyterians Do Mission in Partnership," on the
recommendation of the Worldwide Ministries Division. It has broader
relevance to everything we do in our congregations and our presbyteries
(it can be ordered as PDS #74 200 03 001). And the commitments listed
below might be a useful "examination of conscience" during the General
Assembly.
Partnership Commitments
1. Shared Grace and Thanksgiving
• Is there courage to confess human sins and
confront the forces that deny the abundant life God promises to all in
Jesus Christ?
• Is God’s forgiveness mutually shared in
Jesus Christ?
• Does
the community of partners join in thankful worship to celebrate God’s
gift of grace and renewal?
2. Mutuality and Interdependence
• Is each partner’s self-reliance affirmed, with
mutual giving and receiving?
• Is
there space for all partners to be guided by self-determination?
• Beyond unhealthy dynamics of power and
dependency, is there openness to new dynamics of mutual service and
mutual renewal?
3. Recognition and Respect
• Is there recognition of the self-affirmed identities
of each partner?
• Are the unique contexts of all partners
recognized and respected?
• Are gifts and needs of all partners
affirmed and respected?
• Are cultural differences being mediated
with sincerity and in a Christ-like manner?
4. Open Dialogue and Transparency
• Is there local initiative in mission discernment
and mission activity?
• Does God’s Word shape us to lovingly
confront one another’s failings and prophetically challenge the
world’s systems of power and domination?
• Is there transparency with all partners
about what is being done in mission, even if there is disagreement?
5. Sharing of Resources
• Do partners minister to and inspire one another,
listen to and critique one another?
• Is there mutual accountability in the
exchange of all resources, including human, cultural, financial, and
spiritual?
• In trusting relationship, have partners
moved beyond two-way relationships into open mission networks and
ever-expanding webs of mission relationships?
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Israel / Palestine may be put on "hold" for study
[4-29-06]
GAC approves suggestion of task force on
Israel/Palestine
Group would ‘develop guidance’ on church policy in embattled region
Details
>>
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Complete list of delete-B overtures
and concurrences
[provided by MLP, posted 4-29-06]
This list, provided by More Light Presbyterians, includes all known delete-B
overtures and concurrences, with links to specific MLP articles and a vote
count when available. |
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Top-ten list of issues before the 217th General Assembly
[posted by Doug King, 4-25-06]
Before each General Assembly,
the Stated Clerk of the General Assembly shares what he considers to be the
top ten issues coming to the assembly, based primarily on overtures that
have been submitted and his travels and conversations with Presbyterians
across the denomination. Here is Clifton Kirkpatrick's non-prioritized list
for this year's assembly.
Peace, unity, and purity of
the church
The Theological Task Force on Peace, Unity, and Purity of the Church,
appointed by the 213th (2001) General Assembly, will bring its report and
recommendations. The report focuses on the basis of our covenant together as
Presbyterian Christians and on how we can move forward as a church that is
faithful to the gospel and honors our diversity.
Justice and peace in the
Middle East
A number of overtures and recommendations this year follow up on the actions
of the 216th General Assembly (2004) that deal with justice issues in
Israel/Palestine and new proposals for positive investments for peace in the
region.
Building bridges in the
Presbyterian family
This assembly will be held concurrently with the assemblies of the
Cumberland Presbyterian Church and the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in
America, as we together celebrate the 300th anniversary of American
Presbyterianism and seek ways to cooperate together in mission.
Significant anniversaries for
women in ministry
2006 is the 75th
anniversary of the ordination of women as elders and the 50th anniversary of
the ordination of women as ministers of the Word and Sacrament. This will be
a significant focus at the assembly.
Financial and organizational
concerns
The growing financial
crisis at all levels of the church will be addressed with proposed budget
reductions and new structures to carry out the work of the church at the
General Assembly level.
Confirmation of a new
executive director of the General Assembly Council
The assembly will
express appreciation to John Detterick as he retires from service as the GAC
executive director and will take action to confirm the election of his
successor.
Economic justice concerns
Proposals will be
coming from the Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy and the World
Alliance of Reformed Churches to address concerns of poverty and economic
justice. Major proposals will be coming on usury, social insurance for older
adults, and global economic justice.
Constitutional revision
Proposals will be
before the assembly to move us toward a more foundational and flexible
Constitution to serve a multicultural church and to address a number of
polity issues of concern to various segments of the denomination.
Agency and permanent
committee reviews
The assembly will act
on recommendations of review committees and self studies for the following
groups: Board of Pensions, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Foundation, Advisory
Committees on the Constitution and on Litigation, Committee on
Representation, and Advocacy Committee on Women's Concerns.
G-6.0106bA
substantial number of overtures are calling for the removal of the
constitutional provision limiting ordination to those who practice "fidelity
in marriage or chastity in singleness."
The same list
on the PCUSA website >> |
| Marilyn White
of the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship offers a quick survey of the major
issues relating to
peace and nonviolence that will be
coming to the Assembly. |
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The
report of the Theological Task Force on the Peace, Unity and Purity of the
Church will
clearly be a major focus of the 217th General Assembly. At
this point (in early April) we will be posting comments and analyses of the
report from the various groups involved in this shared website.
So far we have posted comments
from More Light Presbyterians, That All May Freely Served, and the
Witherspoon Society.
We welcome your comments
about the report itself, or about any of the comments posted here.
Just send a note!
Read the full text of the final report |
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Do you want to
be notified whenever something new is added to this web site?
Just send a note, and we'll add you to our e-list for brief
notes when something new is posted here.
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This website has been created by a number of progressive
organizations related to the Presbyterian Church (USA), with two
main purposes: 1. We
want to share our concerns and views with commissioners and others
attending the Assembly, and with anyone else who is watching from
afar. While some of our groups focus on one area of concern
and others are more general in their focus, we are all committed to
the wholeness of our world, which we understand to involve justice
and peace and the well-being of all people; and we are committed to
the wholeness and health of our Church and its witness and service
in the world.
2. We want to get to know
you better and serve your concerns and needs in any way we can.
So we will invite you to share your views with us and with one
another with any email responses or questions. We'll invite
your responses with links here and there, and we'll try to post
those that seem to contribute to our conversations.
Just send a note now, and tell us how we can be helpful!
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