After keeping silent since their return from a controversial trip to the Middle East this fall, some members of the Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy have released a letter — and, in turn, received one from top leaders of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
The exchange of letters — and of a summary of “highlights” from the October 14-31 fact-finding trip, which included a meeting with the leaders of Hezbollah, a group the U.S. State Department has identified as a terrorist organization — includes both an explanation for the Hezbollah meeting and some acknowledgment of regrets. The letters, released to the Presbyterian News Service, came after a series of private, clearing-the-air conversations between advisory committee members and denominational officials, and seem intended to try to quiet some of the unrest and criticism that followed the meeting with Hezbollah.
The first letter was signed by seven elected members of the advisory committee, but not by the full, 11-member group. According to Nile Harper of Michigan, chair of the advisory committee, that’s because only seven elected committee members were able to make the trip, so only those who actually went abroad were involved in the conversations and signed the letter.
Altogether, 24 people went on the Middle East trip, Harper said in an interview — including the 7 elected representatives, three staff members for the advisory committee, and 14 others from the PC(USA)’s national staff. Harper said he could not say how much the fact-finding trip to Lebanon, Syria, Israel, Jordan and Egypt cost.
The documents say nothing about the departures of Kathy Lueckert, deputy executive director of the General Assembly Council, and Peter Sulyok, coordinator for the advisory committee, both of whom were part of the delegation and lost their jobs after Arab television reported on the Hezbollah meeting and there was an immediate, strong reaction, both from Jewish organizations and some Presbyterians.
The seven advisory committee members wrote their letter to John Detterick, executive director of the General Assembly Council; Clifton Kirkpatrick, the PC(USA)’s stated clerk; and Rick Ufford-Chase, moderator of the 216th General Assembly. In that letter, the advisory committee members “acknowledge that their meeting with the Hezbollah party in south Lebanon caused great pain and difficulties for you and for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).”
The committee members wrote that “in retrospect, we understand that the visit with Hezbollah leadership was untimely and unwise,” but they also say the meeting was arranged by The Evangelical Synod of Lebanon and Syria, gave them a chance to listen to voices not usually heard by Presbyterians, “and seemed to be in keeping with our fact-finding mission.”
In their letter in response, Detterick, Kirkpatrick and Ufford-Chase voiced gratitude “for the partnership in the gospel that we have with you” and for “the many ways in which your trip strengthened our partnerships in the Middle East and brought hope to those who have suffered for far too long.”
It also acknowledged that an earlier letter released by Detterick, Kirkpatrick and Ufford-Chase, in which they described the meeting with Hezbollah as “misguided, at best,” and characterized remarks of members of the Presbyterian delegation “reprehensible,” was “hurtful to you, and we are sorry for that hurt.”
A particular point of criticism had been remarks that advisory committee member Ronald Stone, a retired professor from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, made in which he said that it was easier to talk with Islamic leaders than with Jewish ones.
In a written statement to the Outlook, Harper said the “reconciling letters” and highlights report were result of three meetings between denominational leaders and committee members.
“As a result of the conversations, there is a mutual commitment to cooperate together for positive Presbyterian witness in relation to the Middle East; a deeper awareness of the sensitivity and complexity of the tensions in the Middle East and here in our own country; and a deep desire to witness for the gospel of Jesus Christ in personal forgiveness, reconciling love and social justice,” Harper wrote.
“Another result of our conversations is a clearer understanding of the need for continuing commitment to building relationships and dialogue with both the Jewish and Islamic communities in this country and abroad,” he wrote. “We believe the reconciling spirit of God is at work to bring peace and justice.”
In a telephone interview, Harper declined to comment on the departures of Lueckert and Sulyok, except to say that “an important commitment of ACSWP throughout the conversations with denominational leaders has been to secure a full review of the dismissals.”
The General Assembly Council’s Personnel Committee is expected to begin that review in January.
Here are links to the texts of the two letters, as well as the advisory committee’s summary of highlights from its trip:
Denominational leaders, ACSWP delegation exchange letters over fallout from Hezbollah visit
GAC to review staff dismissals
