Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) - Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy - Everything you'll need to know about ACSWP


	Everything you'll need to know about ACSWP Mission Statement/ What is the role of the Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy? Who sits on the ACSWP? What is the relationship between the ACSWP and the Advocacy Committees? Who are the liaisons to the Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy? ACSWP Staff How do we relate ecumenically with partners?


	Mission Statement The Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy (ACSWP), as a servant of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), develops, interprets, and monitors policies that encourage and challenge the Church and society to reflect and act in faithful response to God's call to do justice.[Mission Statement of the Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy (ACSWP) approved at its meeting October 24-27, 2002 in El Paso, Texas.] What is the role of the Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy? The Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy is responsible for the process of developing and recommending social witness policy to the General Assembly. The term "social witness policy" refers to the positions adopted by the General Assembly to express its stance on and guide response to issues in the public order, including their relation to the church's own life and mission. These positions may take the form of policy statements, resolutions, study papers, or social involvement reports, as defined in the Manual of the General Assembly, Guidelines and Policies of the General Assembly, p. 55-58.



	Who sits on the ACSWP? The Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy (ACSWP) is a twelve-member committee, which represents a cross-section of members from the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and is elected by the General Assembly. Three members also serve on the General Assembly Council. Current ACSWP members are:

			Gloria Albrecht Clergy, professor, Detroit, Mich.; Presbytery of Detroit, Synod of the Covenant.

			Donna C. Bradley (Chair, Budget and Personnel Committee) Layperson, attorney, Tucson, Ariz.; Presbytery of De Cristo, Synod of Southwest.

			Dianne L. Briscoe (Vice Chair, Chair of the Advice and Counsel Committee) Elder, Denver, Colo.; Presbytery of Denver, Synod of The Rocky Mountains.

			Charles F. Easley, Sr. Clergy, Atlanta, Ga.; Presbytery of Greater Atlanta, Synod of the South Atlantic, and member of the General Assembly Council.

			B. Gordon Edwards (Chair) Clergy, Stillwater, Okla.; Presbytery of Cimarron; Synod of the Sun; member of the General Assembly Council.

			Marsha Fowler Clergy, professor, Altadena, Calif.; Presbytery of San Gabriel, Synod of So. California and Hawaii

			Esperanza Guajardo Elder, San Antonio, Texas; Presbytery of Mission, Synod of The Sun, and a member of the General Assembly Council.

			Ronald J. Kernaghan Clergy, seminary professor, Pasadena, Calif.; Presbytery of Los Ranchos, Synod of Southern California and Hawaii.

			John C. Knapp Elder, professor, Decatur, Ga.; Presbytery of Greater Atlanta; Synod of South Atlantic

			Lewis Mudge Clergy, professor, Berkeley, Calif.; Presbytery of San Francisco, Synod of the Pacific.

			William Saint Member, Fairfax, Va.; Presbytery of the National Capital, Synod of the Mid-Atlantic.

			Jack M. Terry (Chair, Interpretation and Communication Committee) Clergy, Minneapolis, Minn.; Presbytery of Twin Cities, Synod of Lakes and Prairies.



	What is the relationship between the ACSWP and the Advocacy Committees? To ensure advocacy and monitoring functions in the areas of Racial Ethnic Ministries and Women’s Ministries, the General Assembly Council provides for the Advocacy Committee for Racial Ethnic Concerns (ACREC) and the Advocacy Committee for Women’s Concerns (ACWC). These two advocacy committees work in close consultation and cooperation with the Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy (ACSWP). All three groups have direct access to the General Assembly and the General Assembly Council, and their work is coordinated through the General Assembly Council by the Office of the Executive Director.



	Who are the liaisons to the Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy?

			Terry Alexander - Advocacy Committee for Women's Concerns (ACWC)

	In addition, the following staff are liaisons to the ACSWP Peace and Justice

			Sara Lisherness, Director

			Joel Hanisek Presbyterian U.N. Representative.

			Leslie Woods Associate, Presbyterian Washington Office.

			Catherine Gordon Associate, Presbyterian Washington Office.


	Theology and Worship

			Charles Wiley, Associate.


	Office of the General Assembly

			Vernon Broyles Volunteer Representative for Public Witness.



	ACSWP Staff

			Christian Iosso Coordinator, Social Witness Policy.

			Belinda M. Curry Associate, Policy Development and Interpretation.

			Bonnie Hoff Senior Administrative Assistant for Communication, Policy Research and Library Support.



	How do we relate ecumenically with partners?

	In addition, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has a Formula of Agreement relationship with three other denominations in the United States. They are: Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA): Chicago, Illinois. ELCA's Department for Studies, which includes the ELCA's social statements, messages and social policy resolutions as well as various studies. The Journal of Lutheran Ethics. Reformed Church of America (RCA): New York City, New York. United Church of Christ (UCC): Cleveland, Ohio. Information on the UCC resolutions going to the 2003 General Synod.


	Social witness policy is never developed in a vacuum without listening to the voices of and involving ecumenical partners. For your convenience, we link with their social witness policy web pages. Some of our traditional ecumenical partners include: World Council of Churches (WCC): Ecumenical Center, Geneva, Switzerland. World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC): Ecumenical Center, Geneva, Switzerland.] National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.: New York, New York. Churches Center for Theology and Public Policy (CCTPP): Wesley Theological Seminary, Washington, D.C.