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08051
January 22, 2008
An ongoing quest
Presbyterians called to work for economic security for older adults
by the Rev. Belinda Curry
Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy
LOUISVILLE — For more than thirty years, Presbyterians have lifted up the needs of older adults, especially those who are poor and infirm. As their numbers increase, now and in the future, we are challenged by the words of Proverbs 31:9, “Speak out, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and the needy.” (Minutes, 2006, Part I, p. 825)
The needs of this nation’s older adults require substantial attention because many lack the resources to cover their basic living expenses: housing, health care, food, clothing, transportation, etc. The winter and summer seasons can be especially challenging, when heating and cooling utility costs rise.
In an effort to draw attention to the particular needs of older adults, many secular and religious institutions call upon individuals and groups at the local, state and federal levels to show kindness and mercy to this population.
However, this is not a new phenomenon for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). For more than three decades General Assemblies of the PC(USA) and its predecessors have challenged the members of this denomination to address the needs of older adults in a variety of ways.
In 1973, the 185th General Assembly of the United Presbyterian Church in the United States of American affirmed:
- that God seeks that all persons may have life more abundantly. No one is too young nor too old to be a recipient of this offer;
- the right of older persons to live in community and with a life-style which affirms human dignity and self-worth regardless of racial or ethnic background;
- the right of older adults to have financial and material resources to provide for their physical and social-well being.
Twenty-two years later, through the adoption of the policy, God’s Work in Our Hands: Employment, Community, and Christian Vocation, the 207th General Assembly (1995) of the PC(USA) once again raised the issues of human rights and economic security for older adults. That Assembly stated:
“Domestic economic policies should be judged in the light of their effect on the most vulnerable groups of people in the society, including racial ethnic and national minorities, women, older and younger people and persons with disabilities.”
Thirty-three years after its initial pronouncement, the church’s 217th General Assembly (2006) unanimously approval a statement entitled, A Report on Economic Security for Older Adults.
It reaffirmed that securing economic security for the present and future generations of older adults is of high importance to the PC(USA). Citing Matt. 25:31-45 (“…if you haven’t done it for the least of these, you haven’t done it for me…”) that statement declares that if those of us of good will do not advocate for older adults to have adequate resources to meet their basic needs, by our inaction we would be turning our backs on Jesus.
By “the least of these” Jesus meant demonstration of unconditional love towards neighbors, inferring that the least of these can be anyone who for any reason needs mercy, kindness and human compassion.
This certainly is the case for many older adults who — after decades of contributing to the social welfare of the whole society through paid and unpaid work — discover the harsh reality that their retirement resources are inadequate to provide basic necessities.
A Report on Economic Security for Older Adults describes some of the 21st Century’s harsh realities that are affecting the economic security of older adults. They include:
- “the status and resources of many minority older persons reflect social and economic discrimination experienced earlier in life…”
- three out of four poor older adults are women. Without Social Security’s monthly benefits guaranteed throughout their lives, more than half of older women would fall into poverty.
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI) — intended to be a safety net for poor, aged, blind and disabled persons — is increasingly being used to serve persons with low education, high likelihood of disability, and limited earnings capacity.
- Social Security currently insures 96 percent of all workers, plus their dependents and survivors against life’s adversities. Wthout Social Security half of current beneficiaries would be impoverished
- the rising cost of health care threatens Medicare, Medicaid and their beneficiaries. Federal and state support for Medicaid has been reduced, and premiums and deductibles for Medicare have been increased.
These harsh realities challenge each Presbyterian to do her or his part to ensure that this denomination’s ongoing quest for economic security for older adults does not fall by the wayside.
A Report on Economic Security for Older Adults encourages Presbyterians to continue to support efforts focused on strengthening rather than privatizing Social Security and Medicare.
It encourages support for public policies that will strengthen the prosperity and security for Americans of all ages with better pensions and savings planning for the long term.
In essence, the report calls for a broader vision for the 21st century of a just society with the common good or the good of the whole society as the key focus. Its recommendations offer a strategy to help the PC(USA)’s efforts to work towards this goal:
- making available and promoting “information for and about the needs of older adults, as well as legislation that affects their well-being, economic viability, and access to health care, such as Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid”; and
- calling on the Stated Clerk of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) to write the president and U.S. Congress urging them to “prohibit employers from freezing existing ‘defined benefit’ pension plans and shifting responsibility for future retirement income to ‘defined contribution’ plans that would severely disrupt the ability of many workers to achieve retirement security.”
The recommendations contained in A Report on Economic Security for Older Adults affirm an observation credited to President John F. Kennedy: “There are risks and costs to a program of action, but they are far less than the long-range risks and costs of comfortable inaction.”
The ongoing quest for economic security for older adults is not an individualistic endeavor. It is a “we the people” journey focused on promoting and securing social insurance in this nation for older adults of every race and ethnicity, gender, class and creed of this and future generations.
The quest expresses what Presbyterians imply when we confess:
“The members of the church are emissaries for peace and seek the good of [humanity] in cooperation with powers and authorities in politics, culture and economics. But [we] have to fight against pretensions and injustices when these same powers endanger human welfare.” (The Confession of 1967, The Book of Confessions.)
Copies of A Report on Economic Security for Older Adults are available from Presbyterian Distribution Service (PDS): 1-800-524-2612; Please specify order #OGA-06-089 ($4.00 each). The report is also available as a PDF for downloading.
Other resources for further study:
Presbyterian Resources:
- Abundant Life for Aging People: Our Vision and Our Calling (Minutes, UPCUSA, 1981, Part I, pp. 190-194).
- Economic Security for Older Adults (Minutes, 1983, Part I, pp. 85, 339-349).
- God’s Work in Our Hands: the Employment, Community, and Christian Vocation, Presbyterian Distribution Center (PDS): 1-800-524-2612; Please specify order #OGA-95-012 ($2.00 each).
- Life Abundant: Values, Choices and Health Care, Presbyterian Distribution Center (PDS): 1-800-524-2612; Please specify order #72 660 03 001 ($4.25 each).
- Living Into the Body of Christ, Toward Full Inclusion of People with Disabilities, Presbyterian Distribution Center (PDS): 1-800-524-2612; Please specify order #OGA-06-091 ($4.00).
- Resolution on the Ministry of Caregiving in Relation to Older Adults, Presbyterian Distribution Center (PDS): 1-800-524-2612; Please specify order #68-600-02-001 ($3.00 each).
- Resolution on the Advocacy for Uninsured, Presbyterian Distribution Center (PDS): 1-800-524-2612; Please specify order #68-600-02-004 ($5.00 each)
- Transforming Families, Presbyterian Distribution Center (PDS): 1-800-524-2612; Please specify order #OGA-04-093 ($4.00 each).
The National Health Ministries Web site contains excellent resources for older adult ministry.
- The Presbyterian Washington Office (PWO) can provide individuals and Presbyterians groups with latest information about legislative concerns before the U.S. Congress.
National Resources:
The Rev. Belinda M. Curry is associate for policy development and interpretation with the PC(USA)’s Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy (ACSWP). |
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