(PNS) - The Presbyterian Church’s Committee on Mission Responsibility Through Investment has completed its first round of scoring corporations’ environmental records, finding some are making progress and others are at risk of potential divestment recommendations.  The committee’s guideline metrics were set up in response to a directive at the 222nd General Assembly (2016) to establish standards to evaluate companies’ environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues. At the 223rd GA in 2018, commissioners approved the framework for those metrics and Mission Responsibility Through Investment (MRTI) set out on its first round of evaluations.  “After the 223rd General Assembly, the committee communicated the GA’s action to all nine companies named,” said Rob Fohr, Director of Faith-Based Investing and Corporate Engagement for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). “MRTI leadership also sent letters to the mid-council leaders where the companies are headquartered, making sure they were … [Read more...]

(PNS) Recently I had the opportunity to sit down with a colleague to discuss the Black Lives Matter movement and how it connects to the church. I am in no way an expert on the entirety of the Black Lives Matter movement. However, I have been a social justice faith abolitionist for many years and share a perspective that is grounded in my belief in Jesus and the practical side of the justice God calls forth. My colleague’s questions are in bold. My answers follow each question. So, tell me a little bit about how Black Lives Matter started. Where did it come from? Black Lives Matter was started by three black queer women after the acquittal of George Zimmerman in the execution of Trayvon Martin in 2013. It was an act of resilience of life and a defiance of the status quo of black lives not mattering at all. This is the modern-day civil rights movement in that it not centralized in a person or institution like the church. Rather it is predicated on the idea that … [Read more...]

(PNS) Last week, Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam announced the formal withdrawal of a controversial extradition bill that launched massive protests earlier this summer. But there is still considerable unrest. Sunday marked a peaceful protest march to the U.S. Consulate in hopes of generating support from Washington, D.C., for democratic reforms. On Monday, thousands of students formed human chains to show support for the pro-democratic protests. Those leading the protests believe that Lam’s withdrawal of the bill is too little too late and does not address the other demands made for an independent inquiry of police actions, retraction of the term “riot” to characterize the protests, unconditional release of all who have been arrested for protesting, and dual universal suffrage, which would include the right to vote for both the Legislative Council and the Chief Executive.  The protests began on June 9 over a proposed law that would allow the Hong Kong government to send … [Read more...]

(OGA) The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is remembering a former Moderator who died this week in McAllen, Texas. William H. Wilson, a church elder, served as Moderator of the 197th General Assembly (1985). “I first met Bill when he was elected Moderator and I was serving as a TSAD [theological student advisory delegate]. That was at the same assembly where we voted on the new PC(USA) logo, and as I remember, we also voted to establish this fledgling program called Presbyterian Investment and Loan Program,” said Sallie Watson, general presbyter at Mission Presbytery in San Antonio. “The new denomination was only two years old when Bill assumed leadership. He was all business, which is exactly what we needed at that time. His leadership was solid and strong, and after his moderatorial year, First Presbyterian Church in Kerrville was once again the beneficiary of that wise leadership. He will be missed.” Wilson was elected Moderator during a rare first-ballot victory. Prior to his … [Read more...]

(PNS) As Hurricane Dorian bears down on the North Carolina coast, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) stands ready to respond and already is responding to the devastation the storm left behind in the Bahamas.  The hurricane, which has been lurking in the Atlantic Ocean for nearly two weeks, has put both PDA’s national and international response teams to work. The Rev. Jim Kirk, Associate for National Disaster Response, says that is not unusual for Atlantic hurricanes, which can often hit countries such as Mexico, Cuba and Caribbean islands as well as the U.S. Mainland and Puerto Rico.   The Rev. Edwin González-Castillo, Associate for Disaster Response and Refugee Ministry–Latin America and the Caribbean, says he began making contacts in the Bahamas before the storm struck the island nation over the Labor Day holiday.  González-Castillo says PDA is working with the Rev. Stephanie Gottschalk, executive director of Bahamas Methodist Habitat, as well as ACT … [Read more...]