The study group, led by Eileen Lindner, connectional presbyter of the Presbytery of the Palisades in New Jersey, will report to the General Assembly Mission Council when the council meets in Louisville Sept. 23-25.
Part, but apparently not all, of the study group’s report has been publicly released as a means of asking Presbyterians to comment on what the group calls “guiding principles for the redevelopment of PC(USA) public witness.” The study group is soliciting those comments through an online survey and says responses it receives will be shared with the council at the September meeting.
The council asked for the study last spring, in what’s seen as a time of transition for the PC(USA)’s Washington Office, after its long-time director, Elenora Giddings Ivory, left in 2007 to take a position with the World Council of Churches. Some evangelicals have criticized the office for being too liberal or not accurately representing positions of the General Assembly.
There are questions of how much money the PC(USA) should spend on the office, in an era of periodic budget cuts.
But others contend that people of faith have a responsibility to speak out on issues such as access to health care, immigration, and the impact of globalization.
The study group speaks more in generalities than specifics. Among the “guiding principles” it suggests:
– That more attention be paid to “interpretation” of the work of the Washington Office, including looking at how issues are prioritized; how General Assembly pronouncements guide the office’s work; and how the office’s work meshes with public affairs advocacy from the PC(USA)’s stated clerk’s office. There also is mention of an advisory committee to oversee and guide the work of the Washington Office, but no details are given.
– That Presbyterians “engage in the public square with ecumenical and interfaith partners wherever possible.”
– That priorities for advocacy work for each Congressional session be developed through “multifaceted consultation within the church.”
– The work of the PC(USA)’s Washington Office and United Nations Office should be integrated and coordinated, in part to ensure good stewardship of scarce resources.
– Whoever leads the denomination’s public witness should be “a culturally sensitive person of theological integrity” and committed to accountability.
