A new Presbyterian affinity group–the Committee to End Divestment Now–has organized around an effort “to correct” what they believe was a mistake made in 2004 by the 216th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
They are seeking repeal of the resolution calling for “a process of phased selective divestment in multinational corporations operating in Israel.” That repeal could occur at the 217th General Assembly this June.
The Committee to End Divestment Now (CEDN) is not a typical Presbyterian affinity group organized along traditional lines, such as conservative/liberal, according to organizers. It also has limited scope and duration. It doesn’t plan to continue once General Assembly concludes. On its website (www.enddivestment.org), CEDN lists three goals:
1) To educate Presbyterians about what took place at the 216th General Assembly (2004), specifically the passage of the resolution calling for actions leading up to divestment of church stock in multinational companies doing business with Israel and the resolution calling for immediate and unconditional removal of the security barrier constructed by the Israelis as a defense against Palestinian suicide bombers and snipers;
2) To educate those commissioners who will be attending the 217th General Assembly in Birmingham, Ala., in June 2006 about the harm caused by these resolutions; and
3) To encourage deliberation over what just and fair actions the church can take in place of the existing resolutions that will help promote peace between the Israelis and Palestinians.
“When these three important steps have been taken,” the committee states, “we expect to dissolve in July 2006.”
Members of the board of directors include: George F. (Pete) Bloss III, trial attorney, elder and clerk of session of Westminster Church in Gulfport, MS, who also serves as board member for Medical Benevolence Foundation and is vice-president of the Mississippi Coast Interfaith Disaster Task Force; Mark Brewer, pastor of Bel Air Church in Los Angeles; Gary Green, Presbyterian elder from Chandler, Ariz., who serves on the Steering Committee of Presbyterian Action for Faith and Freedom; Bill Harter, pastor of Presbyterian Church of Falling Spring, Chambersburg, Pa., founder and co-convener of Presbyterians Concerned for Jewish and Christian Relations; Bill Jaeger Jr., director of the Graduate Theological Union at UC Berkeley, and member of the Presbyterian Church of the Big Wood, Ketchum, Idaho; Viola Larson, an elder and member at Fremont Church in Sacramento, Calif., board member for the Presbyterian renewal group Voices of Orthodox Women; and Jim Roberts, professional mediator with particular interest in international relations, and a Presbyterian church member from San Diego, Calif.
