Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy Summary Report on the October 24–27, 2007, Meeting
New Orleans, Louisiana

Overview
The Advisory Committee held its fall meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana, in order to show support for the Church in that region and to see first hand the state of the recovery process. The committee met in the community building of the Berean Presbyterian Church to hear from a range of local leaders and was shown the spectrum of housing conditions in a tour of the city led by the Rev. Jean Marie Peacock, associate executive presbyter, presbytery of South Louisiana. A resolution on the lessons of post-Katrina New Orleans is being prepared for consideration by the committee at its January 2008 meeting. In addition to the resolution on New Orleans, post-Katrina and other hurricanes on the Gulf Coast, the Advisory Committee is preparing the following reports to the General Assembly:

1. “Comfort My People” a study of ministry with persons living with serious mental illness
2. Pay Equity (in church and society)
3. “From Homelessness to Hope”
4. “The Power to Change: U.S. Energy Policy and Global Warming”
5. Voting Rights and Electoral Reform
6. An Interim Report on the Nature and Value of Human Life (Part I of a study paper)
7. The Prospects for Peace, Post-Iraq
8. Human Rights in Colombia (and possibly the Philippines): (trends and tragedies)
9. A Social Creed for the 21st Century

ACSWP had previously approved item (2) for transmittal to a consultation of representatives from each synod, in accordance with the guidelines for new policy formation contained in "Why and How the Church Makes a Social Policy Witness" (1993). That consultation was held in September; at this meeting the committee approved virtually all of the synod recommendations. Reports (3), (4) and (5) were given conditional approval with limited editorial work to continue. Report (6), though generally affirmed, was to be restructured and its recommendations rewritten. Item (7), revisiting major bioethical and other themes, is being prepared as an interim report to the January ACSWP meeting. Resolutions (1), (8) and (9) are also being prepared for the January meeting. With regard to (10), ACSWP recommended noncontroversial but significant textual changes for consideration by the National Council of Churches that was scheduled to adopt the “Social Creed” on November 7. (The Social Creed for the 21st Century was approved, preparing the way for a celebration of the Centennial of the 1908 Social Creed through the introduction of this new, concise consensus document.) The proposed resolution on post-Katrina New Orleans is being developed with considerable input from the Advocacy for Racial-Ethnic Concerns.

The proposed Resolution on Pay Equity is being developed with considerable input from the Advocacy Committee for Women’s Concerns. The Resolution on Human Rights in Colombia, as with previous longer format human rights updates, will draw upon expertise from the regional mission liaison for Latin America and the Presbyterian United Nations Office.

Narrative of Meeting Business: Welcoming New Members First

The committee began its work on Wednesday evening, renewing its fellowship, welcoming the first of two newly appointed members, the Rev. Marsha Fowler, and considering developments in the General Assembly Council (which provides three of ACSWP’s twelve members). The second new member, Elder John Knapp, arrived the next evening, in time for the discussion of homelessness policy. Both were appointed by Moderator Joan Gray upon recommendation by the General Assembly Nominating Committee, and both at first to fill vacancies on the Committee caused by resignations: of former Chair Rev. Nile Harper and of Elder Larry Palmer. Both Fowler and Knapp are professors of ethics, of health care and business ethics respectively. (The Advisory Committee’s membership thus stands at five women and seven men; six elders and six ministers; four persons of color and eight Caucasians. Anyone wishing to serve on the Committee may submit a nominating form to the GA Nominating Committee; any ad interim Moderator’s nominee must still go through that GANC process, as do regular nominations for Committee service that are voted on at each General Assembly.)

Other members present were Gloria Albrecht, Donna Bradley, Dianne Briscoe, Charles Easley, B. Gordon Edwards, Esperanza Guajardo, Ronald Kernaghan and Jack Terry. Lewis Mudge and William Saint were excused. Others in attendance included liaison members from the Advocacy Committees for Racial-Ethnic Concerns (ACREC) and Women’s Concerns (ACWC). These two bodies had met the week before in Mexico’s Yucatan province, studying issues of emigration on economic development and social structure. ACSWP’s liaison to ACREC, Esperanza Guajardo, also attended the Yucatan meeting.

Much of the meeting was devoted to reviewing resolutions prepared for the 218th General Assembly in June 2008. These included a draft study and resolution on homelessness presented Thursday evening, after so much devastated housing had been viewed in New Orleans. The committee worked steadily on Friday morning through resolutions on voting rights and electoral reform and energy policy. Friday afternoon included a discussion of how best to address the human rights situation in Colombia, the Philippines and elsewhere, how to address the need for shared peacemaking work by Muslims and Christians in a resolution under development on Iraq and Afghanistan and how to integrate the contributions of a synod consultation into a comprehensive policy statement on the church and those with serious mental illness. This last policy statement had been received favorably back at the committee’s June meeting and was presented in September to a group that included knowledgeable representatives from each synod, whose comments were seen to have strengthened an already strong document. A final strong draft resolution on pay equity in church and society was discussed on Saturday morning.

The draft resolutions on homelessness, energy, and pay equity were approved for recommendation to the General Assembly, pending minor additions, and a discussion of ways to fund church-related housing scheduled for January. The Resolution on Voting Rights and Electoral Reform, though reviewed favorably as to its general substance, is to be restructured and presented again to the January meeting. The first part of a study of bioethics and other end-of-life concerns, the Interim Report on “The Nature and Value of Human Life,” responds to a General Assembly directive to update the 1981 PCUS study by that name.

Thus the January meeting is expected to receive resolutions on New Orleans — post — Katrina, Prospects for Peace — in light of the Iraq war, Colombia and trends in human rights, and an interim study on how we value human life in light of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In addition, the Advisory Committee voted to develop a booklet on Reformed ethics in light of Calvin’s 500th “birthday” (in 2009) and to contribute to a video project being developed by the Theology and Worship Office, presenting Calvin’s thought for new generations.

The Report Presenters:

The report and recommendations on homelessness were introduced by ACSWP member Elder Donna Bradley and presented by the Rev. Laura Jervis, chairperson, who has developed 16 housing projects in New York City, and the study team’s consultant, the Rev. Bobbi Wells Hargleroad. A subcommittee worked with these three on amendments during the meeting, virtually bringing it to completion. The Rev. B. Gordon Edwards, chair of ACSWP, and the Rev. Belinda M. Curry, associate for Policy Development and Interpretation, presented the Report of the Synod Consultation on the Serious Mental Illness (SMI) (which had been formally presented at the last meeting). Gordon Edwards has served on the SMI task force. Elder Esperanza Guajardo, chairperson, and the Rev. Gloria Albrecht, study team member, presented the Pay Equity report. The Rev. James Martin-Schramm, consultant (and former chair of the Lutheran analogue to ACSWP), presented the Energy Report, building on the work of a study team that reported in 2005 (part of whose work, focused on personal responsibility and carbon neutrality, was posted on the ACSWP Web site following the 2006 General Assembly). Elder Dianne Briscoe, chairperson, and Rev. Christian Iosso, coordinator, presented the report of the study team on voting rights and electoral reform. Belinda M. Curry presented a proposal for work on human rights in Colombia; concern for the Philippines was added in discussion. Chris Iosso presented the proposal for the Calvin booklet and possible book. The Revs. Albrecht and Iosso led the Social Creed discussion, reflecting on a brief set of concerns from the resolution team. Work proceeds on the documentary, the prayerbook, and the interpretive booklet related to the Social Creed.

Related bodies and concerns:

MRTI:
The Committee on Mission Responsibility Through Investment is comprised of representatives of the investing agencies of the General Assembly (The Presbyterian Foundation and the Board of Pensions), program bodies related to the General Assembly Council, ACSWP and the Advocacy Committees for Racial-Ethnic Concerns and Women’s Concerns. ACSWP representatives seek to represent GA policy on the range of social justice issues reflected in our stock portfolios. For example, ACSWP’s concern for Middle East policy intersects with the corporate engagement related to the Israeli occupation of Palestine, as its concern for war in Iraq, Afghanistan and possibly elsewhere touches on the military-related investment guidelines.

U.N. Office:
Mr. Joel Hanisek spoke on issues being addressed by the United Nations office including human rights, climate change, partner churches in Pakistan, Philippines and Iraq, gender-based violence in the Congo, the Israel-Palestine bereaved families forum, the World Council of Churches UN Advocacy week and the U.N./Columbia Theological Seminary January term.

Washington Office:
Ms. Catherine Gordon represented this program office at the fall meeting, noting the move of the Rev. Elenora Ivory to the World Council of Churches in Geneva. Ms. Gordon, the associate for international affairs, noted the debate over SCHIP programs for children’s health insurance and the free trade agreements with Peru, Colombia and other countries, related to the ACSWP work on Globalization.

Advocacy Committee for Women’s Concerns (ACWC):
The Rev. Terry Alexander’s liaison report highlighted concerns over the Form of Government revision. More discussion of this may be held at the January meeting.

Advocacy Committee for Racial-Ethnic Concerns:
Elder Patricia Lee reported on a range of work, including the recommendation that the Belhar Confession (of South Africa) be put in the Book of Confessions. In discussion, the Covenanting for Justice process related to the Accra Confession of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches was also noted.

Smithfield Foods Labor Concerns:
A group from ACSWP and the Presbyteries of Coastal Carolina and New Hope, N.C., will be visiting with top management at the company’s massive pork production plant in Tar Heel, N.C., and with representatives of the union that has been struggling to organize the plant for some years. This follows a strong statement of concern by the 2006 General Assembly that followed the National Labor Relations Board’s judgment that the company had substantially prevented a fair union election several years ago.

This is not a complete record of the meeting; nor is it the Presbyterian News Service coverage. It is designed to give a reasonably quick treatment, with thanks to all who participated in the meeting and study teams.