ST. LOUIS – Gun violence. Transformation. Race. The Social Justice Committee finished their work on Tuesday, June 19, at the 223rdGeneral Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
Gun violence
An overture (11-14) “on praying for a movement of the Spirit to engage Presbyterian congregations” in actions to prevent gun violence was written before shootings in Parkland, Florida; Las Vegas; and elsewhere that have captured national attention in recent months. One of the overture advocates said, “Now gun violence is normative. I ask that you approve the overture, so we will say this prayer and we will ask the General Assembly to say this prayer, so that we get to take action in our own churches and communities.”
Bertram Johnson, a minister commissioner from New York City Presbytery, proposed an amendment adding to “work with teens and young adults proposing local and state legislation for the 2018 and 2020 elections.” Johnson said he had seen “the leadership demonstrated by YAADs. Its not just high school students, its teens and young adults.”
Being a transformative church in this intercultural era
An overture (11-11) calls on the PC(USA) to focus on “transformative priorities and initiatives” and asks the assembly to appoint a task force to publish guidelines for congregations, mid councils and GA entities and recommend resources to related to resisting discrimination and building interfaith competencies.
In a committee discussion about building pathways to full inclusion in the PC(USA) for congregations and pastors coming from historically non-white traditions, Barbara Anne Keely, a minister commissioner from Twin Cities Area Presbytery, said she previously supervised interns. She said that students of color needed to have the gift of being trained in their own cultural context because everything else being offered is from white perspective. She said that engaging pastors in their own context is critically important.
Angela Williams, Theological Student Advisory Delegate from Providence Presbytery, said, “In our denomination, white culture is the norm and dominate. … White seminary students need to name that. I, as a white student, need experiences in a community different than my own.”
In an effort to combat racism in the church, and acknowledge white privilege, the overture that passed in committee encourages “all members, particularly white members, in the PC(USA) to work to end racism in our individual and institutional lives by working on the following eight steps:
- Recognition
- Repentance
- Resistance
- Resilience
- Reparations
- Reconciliation
- Recovery
- Resonance”
Racism, Truth and Reconciliation Special Committee
Byron Wade (former General Assembly vice moderator) along with T. Denise Anderson and Jan Edmiston (co-moderators of the 222ndGeneral Assembly) advocated for changing the structure from a commission to a committee (business item 11-25). Referring to the requirement that it’s membership should be 75 percent people of color, Anderson said, “Good luck with that in a 90 percent white denomination.” She said that this places the burden on people of color to do anti-racism work and that the church needs more “white people who are willing to do this work.” The overture states, “Out of respect for the energies of those who may be called to serve in this capacity, we ask that the burden be shifted.” The motion carried, and the overture was approved.
Puerto Rico
The newly elected co-moderators Vilmarie Cintrón-Olivieri and Cindy Kohlmann visited the committee to speak about a commissioners’ resolution (11-22) on advocating for the citizens of Puerto Rico, which passed unanimously.
