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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A Sermon Reflecting on the 221st General Assembly Sermon preached Sunday, June 22, 2014 at Ogelthorpe Presbyterian Church in Atlanta, GA Sermon Text: Matthew 10:24-39 My friends, I bring you greetings from the 221st meeting of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Presbyterians from across the country gathered
MoreConstruing and Misconstruing the “Divestment” Vote The Middle East is full of bad news these days. Whether the Presbyterian vote to divest from three U.S. corporations “engaged in non-peaceful pursuits in Israel/Palestine” at their recent 221st General Assembly is more bad news or a breath of fresh air is a
MoreLet’s focus on nonviolence! I am encouraged by the news out of the 221st General Assembly of the PC(USA). The assembly decided that we need to continue our church-wide discernment process about peacemaking, and it sounds like there was some very good discussion around nonviolence in the peacemaking committee. While
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This article was originally featured in Believe Out Loud. This past week, I have sat at the Table. Not just any table, but the Table of Christ, around which I have gathered since I was a child. This week, however, the Table looked different than I have ever imagined. It
MoreThere are two things I have learned about General Assembly this week: it is amazing, and it is terrifying. Not for everyone, I hope. I have met many wonderful Presbyterians for whom General Assembly is a total joy. But for this introverted, conflict-avoidant, first-time attendee, the thought of 2,000+ Presbyterians
MoreTo divest or not to divest? Now that the vote on marriage is over, it’s the elephant in the room. To be clear, I will likely offend some people with what I have to say, so I must state that these views are not reflective of my congregation, presbytery, or
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Gun Violence and the PC(USA) Seventy-four. That’s how many school shootings have occurred since the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in December of 2012. That’s an epidemic. No, scratch that. That’s a crisis. A nation-wide crisis. In the year 2010, there were an estimated eighty-five deaths per day due
More“Therefore, we reject any doctrine; which absolutizes either natural diversity or the sinful separation of people in such a way that this absolutization hinders or breaks the visible and active unity of the church, or even leads to the establishment of a separate church formation…” -The Belhar Confession I cannot
MoreLet’s not drop the urban ministry conversation after the 221st General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) leaves Detroit. Instead of responding decently and in order through debate and a simple up or down vote on the ACSWP resolution “The Gospel from Detroit,” with its appropriate urban history, statistics, and
MoreA Response to “Risking Peace” and the Peace Fellowship’s Proposals The forthcoming General Assembly is facing a number of issues with important consequences for the present and future identity of the Church. While the two issues that have created the greatest pre-assembly discussion are whether to permit Presbyterian ministers to
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