The following acronyms and abbreviations may be encountered in Presbyterian publications, including General Assembly minutes. Those with more than one meaning have multiple entries. We update the list periodically to keep it as current as possible.

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- A -

AA: Administrative Assistant

AA: Affirmative Action (HR)

AACC: All African Conference of Churches

AAEEO: Affirmative Action and Equal Employment Opportunity (HR)

AAHP: American Association of Health Plans (BOP)

AAPC: American Association of Pastoral Counselors

AAR/SBL: American Academy of Religion/Society of Biblical Literature

AATF: African American Task Force

ABM: Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty (see CONA, ACSWP, PPP, PWO)

ABS: American Bible Society

ABP: Affiliated Benefits Program (works with BOP)

ACC: Advisory Committee on the Constitution - Prepares recommendations and advice to the General Assembly on proposals for constitutional amendments and interpretation of the constitution, advise the General Assembly on the constitutional implications of actions it is considering. - OGA

ACCC: Advisory Committee on Churchwide Compensation (BOP)

ACCP: Advisory Committee on Church Property - Advises the Stated Clerk on legal matters related to the protection of the property rights of congregations, institutions, entities and governing bodies of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

ACE: Office of Asian Congregational Enhancement (NMD)

ACEIR: Advisory Committee on Ecumenical & Interfaith Relations - Advises the General Assembly and its entitles on matters related to the Presbyterian Church's relationships with other churches and faith groups. (OGA, WMD)

ACER: Advisory Committee on Ecumenical Relations (OGA, WMD)

ACL: Advisory Committee on Litigation - Advises the Stated Clerk on initiating or taking part in litigation in civil and criminal courts, and in situations where the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is complained against. (OGA, GAC)

ACLU: American Civil Liberties Union (OGA)

ACMED: American Coalition for Middle East Dialogue

ACN: Advisory Committee on the News (works with PNS/OC/GAC)

ACPIC: African Caribbean Presbyterian Immigrant Council (WMD)

ACOHRM: Advisory Committee on Human Resource Management (HR)

ACREC: Advocacy Committee for Racial Ethnic Concerns - Advises the General Assembly on all matters related to the church's ministry with racial ethnic persons and groups and on the church's witness to the world regarding racial ethnic issues. (NMD, GAC)

ACROSS: Association of Christian Resource Organizations Serving Sudan (WMD)

ACSWP: Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy - Develops social policy statements and papers for action by the General Assembly and advises the Assembly on the social policy implications of actions it is considering. (GAC)

ACT: Action by Churches Together (works with PDA, WMD)

ACWC: Advocacy Committee for Women's Concerns - Advises the General Assembly on all matters related to the church's ministry with women and women's groups and on the church's witness to the world regarding women's issues. (GAC, NMD)

ADA: Americans with Disabilities Act (works with PHEWA, NMD)

ADNA: Advisory Network for Africa

AHPA: Association of Hispanic Presbyterian Administrators

AIDS/HIV: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/Human Immunodeficiency Virus (Health Ministries, NMD, WMD)

AIYC: American Indian Youth Council (NMD)

AKKOR: Association of Peasants and Farmers (WMD, PHP)

ALOE: Assessment and Leadership Opportunity Event (NMD)

AMEN: "All May Enter News" (NMD, PHEWA)

ANC: African National Congress

APA: Administrative Personnel Association (NMD)

APB: Affiliated Benefits Program (BOP)

APC: Academy of Parish Clergy

APCCM: Association of Presbyterians in Cross-Cultural Mission

APCE: Association of Presbyterian Church Educators (CMD)

APCU: Association of Presbyterian Colleges and Universities

APEC: Asian Pacific Economic Council

APIMS: Association of Presbyterian Interim Ministry Specialists (NMD)

APM: Antipersonnel Mine (WMD, PPP)

APT: Association of Presbyterian Tentmakers (NMD)

APTS: Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary

ARCA: Alliance of Reformed Churches in Africa

ARMSS: Associates for Retired Ministers, Their Spouces and Survivors

ARP: Associate Reformed Presbyterian Churches (also ARPC)

ASEAN: Association of South East Asian Nations

ATS: Association of Theological Schools

- B -

BAR: Board of Annuities and Relief (PCUS)

BCE: Black Congregational Enhancement (NMC)

BFW: Bread for the World (PHP, WMD)

BOC: Book of Confessions - Part 1 of the Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) (OGA)

BOO: Book of Order - Part 2 of the Constitution of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) (OGA)

BOP: Board of Pensions - A Philadelphia-based corporation related to the General Assembly that administers the major medical and pension plans of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) for ministers, missionaries and other church workers; also administers retirement housing and other special assistance programs for church workers and retirees.

- C -

CACC: Churchwide Administrative Coordinating Cabinet

CAFTA: Central America Free Trade Agreement (PWO, NMD, WMD)

CAMP: Child Abuse Ministry Project (NMD)

CAN: Child Advocacy Network (NMD, PHEWA)

CANAAC: Caribbean and North American Area Council of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches

CANICCOR: California-Nevada Interfaith Committee on Corporate Responsibility

CAPHE: Consortium for the Advancement on Private Higher Education

CAPTA: U. S. Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act (NMD, PWO)

CAS: Corporate and Administrative Services (renamed Technology and Finance Office - TAFO then eventually renamed Mission Support Services - MSS)

CBS: Israel's Central Bureau of Statistics (WMD, PPP)

CCA: Christian Conference in Asia

CCAP: Church of Central Africa Presbytery

CCC: China Christian Council

CCE: Certified Christian Educator (NMD, CLC)

CCEA: Christian Churches' Educational Association

CCER: Coordination Committee for Ecumenical Relations

CCM: Confessing Church Movement (The confessing churches maintain that churches and presbyteries should not ordain or install anyone who cannot affirm and abide by their three confessional standards, and that PC(USA) program personnel should be required to uphold them. Confessing churches affirm the lordship p of Jesus Christ, the "inerrant" authority of the Bible and marriage as the only acceptable context for sexual relations) (affinity group)

CCME: Churches' Commission for Migrants in Europe

CCPD: Commission on the Churches' Participation Development (World Council of Churches)

CCT: Christian Churches Together in the U.S.A.

CCT/PW: Churchwide Coordinating Team of Presbyterian Women (PW, relating through NMD)

CCW: Consultants for Christian Witness

CDC: Center for Disease Control (U. S. Government) - (Health Ministries - NMD & WMD)

CDCC: Cooperative Disaster Child Care

CDF: Children's Defense Fund (PWO, NMD)

CE: Christian Education Program Area (CMD)

CE: Council of Europe

CEC: Conference of European Churches

CEDAW: Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (NMD)

CEDEPCA: Evangelical Center for Pastoral Studies in Central America (WMD)

CELD: Christian Education and Leader Development (CMD)

CELEP: Latin America Evangelical Center for Pastoral Studies (WMD)

CEOSS: The Coptic Evangelical Organization for Social Services (Egypt) (WMD)

CEPAD: (Spanish acronym) Evangelical Committee for Aid to Development

CERES: Coalition for Environmentally Responsive Economics (NMD)

CESCM: Council for Ecumenical Student Christian Ministry

CFCS: Church Financial Campaign Service - Provides fund-raising services to congregations and other church entities. (GAC)

CFL: Christian Faith and Life (CMD)

CICARWS: Commission on Interchurch Aid, Refugee, and World Service (World Council of Churches)

CIF: Church Information Form (NMD)

CIH: Christmas International House (WMD, CMD)

CJO: Christmas Joy Offering (CMD, BOP, NMD)

CLAI: Latin American Council of Churches (Spanish acronym)

CLC: Church Leadership Connection - CLC is the denominational World Wide Web church professional based matching and referral system for all Presbyterians. Opportunity Lists.

CLP: Church Loan Program (PILP, CFCS)

CLP: Commissioned Lay Preachers (or Commissioned Lay Pastors)

CMD: Congregational Ministries Division - One of three ministry divisions of the General Assembly Council, responsible for Christian education and theological education, mission education and promotion, the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program, theology and worship, and conference center ministries.

CMDC: Congregational Ministries Division Committee

CMEP: Churches for Middle East Peace

CMOC: Creative Ministries Offering Committee (NMD, Women)

CMP: Congregational Ministries Publishing (CMD)

CNDH: National Commission on Human Rights (Mexico)

COBRA: Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act - The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) gives workers and their families who lose their health benefits the right to ch0ose to continue group health benefits provided by their group health plan for limited periods of time under certain circumstances such as voluntary or involuntary job loss, reduction in the hours worked, transition between jobs, death, divorce, and other life events. Qualified individuals may be required to pay the entire premium for coverage up to 102 percent of the cost to the plan. - (HR)

COCU: Consultation on Church Union (See CUIC)

COGA: Committee on the Office of the General Assembly (OGA)

COHE: Committee on Higher Education (NMD)

COM: Committees on Ministry (NMD)

COMANO: Community Ministries and Neighborhood Organizations (see PACT, PHEWA, NMD)

CONA: Christian Obedience in a Nuclear Age - This study, adopted by the 200th General Assembly (1988), stands as a powerful guide for helping understand Christian witness and responsibility in international conflict. (ACSWP, OGA)

CoNam: Council on Native American Ministries (NMD)

CONSERV: Constitutional Services - (see OGA)

COR: Committee on Representation (GACOR)- Advises the General Assembly on the implementation of principles of full participation and inclusiveness in all of its entities; advocates and monitors the representation of persons of all racial ethnic groups, women, different age groups, persons with disabilities, diverse geographical areas, and different theological positions within the Reformed tradition. (OGA)

CORA: Commission on Religion in Appalachia

COTE: Committee on Theological Education - Maintains strong relationships between the Presbyterian church (U.S.A.) and its theological institutions and addresses ongoing needs for theological education in the church. (CMD)

CPC: Cumberland Presbyterian Church

CPCA: Cumberland Presbyterian Church in America

CPD: Church Professional Development (NMD)

CPI: Churchwide Compensation Information

CPJ: Committee for the Protection of Journalists

CPHS: Committee for the Presbyterian Historical Society (Also PHS, OGA)

CPM: Committee on Preparation for Ministry (NMD)

CPPA: Curriculum Publishing Program Area (CMD)

CPR: Church and Public Relations (GAC/OC)

CPS: Churchwide Personnel Services (NMD, CLC)

CRESC: Committee on Racial Ethnic Schools and Colleges (NMD)

CRS: Call/Referral Services (NMD)

CRS: Central Receiving Services (MSS)

CSO: Churchwide Special Offerings (CMD)

CTBT: Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (see CONA, PWO, PPP)

CTC: Central Treasury Corporation (see MSS)

CTI: Special Committee on Theological Institutions (CMD, COTE)

CTS: Columbia Theological Seminary

CUIC: Churches Uniting In Christ (formerly COCU)

CWC: Committee of Women of Color

CWM: Council of World Mission

CWME: Commission on World Mission and Evangelism

CWS: Church World Service (and Witness of the National Council of Churches in Christ - NCC)

CWSW: Church World Service and Witness

CWT: Chemical Weapons Treaty (NMD, PWO, CONA, PPP)

CWU: Church Women United