At its November 9, 2024, meeting, members of the organization formerly known as the Israel/Palestine Mission Network (IPMN) voted unanimously to change its name to the Palestine Justice Network (PJN) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
Beginning its meeting with a reflection on the persistent widow found in Luke 1:1-18, the Rev. Marietta Macy reminded attendees, “We’re called to be persistent and sometimes obnoxious like this widow is to get justice.”
“As we enter 20 years, we’re one of those [networks] that’s been persistent in our church,” she continued. “We can draw hope from that.”
This name change harkens back to the group’s initial name, the Palestine Mission Network, as chartered in 2004 by the 216th General Assembly of the PC(USA), which did not include “Israel.” The organization’s original members added “Israel” to the name in solidarity with “Palestinians living within the borders of the nation-state known as Israel” and with a belief that by improving the conditions of Palestinians, all citizens of Israel would benefit. They also believed the name change would quell opposition from supporters of Israel from within and outside the church.
Earlier this year, the group’s steering committee reconsidered the inclusion of “Israel” in its name, hoping to prioritize its work around the “struggles, partnerships, and voices of the oppressed” among Palestinian peoples. The steering committee noted, in part, “[k]eeping ‘Israel’ in our name falsely suggests that we believe that there is an equal, balanced conflict between Israel and Palestine. It gives the false impression that Israel and Palestine have equally legitimate claims to the land, equal amounts of power, and equal levels of suffering. The use of Israel in our name normalizes a nation-state that has engaged in ethnic cleansing and apartheid policies since its founding in 1948.”
As announced in its October 18, 2024, e-newsletter, the organization’s steering committee proposed changing its name back to the Palestine Mission Network.
Members considered the colonial implications of the word “mission” and how it affects partner relations at its November 9 meeting. Following this discussion, a motion was made to consider a name change to “Palestine Partner Network.” This motion was ultimately rejected.
Hunter Farrell, speaking from his years as a PC(USA) mission co-worker and leader of mission efforts within the denomination, cautioned, “I’m not a fan of the word ‘partnership,’ though I worked for partnership and mission for 30-something years.
“Because it does feel transactional and it feels when our interests no longer align we’re out of there, our partnership is dissolved and we move on,” he said. “…Some of the other [suggestions such as] justice, solidarity, liberation all work for me.”
A second motion to consider “Palestine Justice Network of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)” as the organization’s new name was received and approved unanimously. (A new domain name thepjn.org has been established to reflect this change.)
Reflecting on the magnitude of the name change, co-moderator Susan Wilder thanked co-moderator Robert Trawick for moderating the discussion, adding, “[The name change is] truly historic,” she said. “Thank you, everyone, for your thoughtful and spiritual presence in this conversation. That was a very significant vote and there’s a feeling that I can’t put into words, but it’s positive. So thank you all for being one body here today.”
“[K]eeping ‘Israel’ in our name falsely suggests that we believe that there is an equal, balanced conflict between Israel and Palestine. It gives the false impression that Israel and Palestine have equally legitimate claims to the land, equal amounts of power, and equal levels of suffering.” — The PJN steering committee
The PJN is one of 38 chartered mission networks of the PC(USA). The denomination provides administrative support, such as donation processing and banking, for which each network pays a small sum.
Turning to other business, the PJN elected the Rev. Marietta Macy as co-moderator. Macy had previously served various roles with IPMN from 2013-2019 including on the steering committee and as co-moderator. The PJN elected the Rev. Dr. Shannon Smythe as a member of the steering committee. Smythe serves as director of education and vocational formation at Princeton Theological Seminary.
A budget update noted donations of roughly $35,000 in 2024, a 25% increase from previous years, which was attributed to “dozens of people who had never contributed before.” The approved budget for 2024 anticipated $32,000 in expenses, half of which is dedicated to partner support, in addition to responses to other appeals, travel scholarships and operating expenses.
Although a location and exact date are yet to be determined, the in-person 2025 annual meeting of the Palestinian Justice Network will be held next November.
