This digest is a compilation of the social witness-related items that came before the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) 220th General Assembly in 2012.
Keep ReadingIntroduction The Presbyterian Church (USA) has been engaged in a decade-long struggle to divest from companies that are profiting from the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza Strip. After an extensive corporate engagement process, the Committee
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It was in August of 2013 that I traveled to New York City with the Faith and Politics Institute (FPI) and a group of Congressional Representatives on what was described as “Becoming America”: a pilgrimage to celebrate the immigrant story and the role immigrants played in the creation of the
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A Perspective from Faithful Alternatives for Engagement with Climate Change The upcoming General Assembly will consider various overtures calling for PC(USA) action on climate change. Ben Perry has discussed the issues in his article “Divesting from the Sins of our Past”. Two groups within our denomination have been especially active
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Watching the PC(USA)’s Task Force to Review and Help Reform Drug Policy in the United States Months earlier, the process had already begun. Members of a task force appointed by the Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy of the Presbyterian Church of the United States of America had convened twice,
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A version of this article was originally published by the Austin American Statesmant at http://www.mystatesman.com/news/news/opinion/barstow-do-we-have-the-collective-will-to-end-the-/nrMcx/?icmp=statesman_internallink_referralbox_free-to-premium-referral. This new version is published with permission. The HIV and AIDS epidemic is now more than three decades old. Almost 35 million people have died from AIDS-related causes. Fortunately, at a critical juncture fifteen years ago,
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Reflections on Unity, Reconciliation and Justice This useful companion to the Belhar Confession, published by the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program, weaves together Scripture passages and the Confession’s timely themes of unity, reconciliation and justice. Written by a diverse collection of scholars, theologians and church leaders, it is the perfect resource for
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Statement by the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship This statement was originally published by the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship on April 21, 2016 on their website at http://presbypeacefellowship.org/content/pathway-just-peace-israel-palestine#.V03d6WZWcg1. The Presbyterian Peace Fellowship thanks the Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy (ACSWP) for its document, Israel-Palestine: For Human Values in the Absence of a
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Reflections on a Recent Visit to Cuba Sights, smells, taste, sounds, touch… Each of these can create, or evoke, profound memories. For me, they brought out the similarities and differences between Cuba now and the Cuba of about a decade ago. Then, I visited several times (2001-2007) as part of
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A Reflection by the General Secretary of the Presbyterian-Reformed Church in Cuba On December 17th, 2014 the announcement was made of restoration of diplomatic relations between Cuba and US, after some 18 months of secret talks. Official conversations had been held in Havana and Washington since then, visits at top
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Climate change has quickly emerged as one of the world’s greatest threats. You only need to turn on the television or peruse a newspaper to see the devastating effects on environments and communities around the globe. The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is a denomination committed to responding to God’s call to
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Interview with Stated Clerk Gradye Parsons As part of the finale to our discussion on race, white privilege, and the church, Rev. Molly Casteel – Assistant Stated Clerk and Manager for Representation, Inclusiveness, and Ruling Elder Training – sat down with Stated Clerk of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Gradye Parsons
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