The Co-Moderators of the 225th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) have appointed seven individuals to serve on a special committee on the PC(USA) and race. The Rev. Ruth Faith Santana-Grace and the Rev. Shavon Starling-Louis announced the appointments Thursday.
The special committee’s responsibilities include exploring and exposing where white supremacy is “embedded institutionally and foundationally” in the PC(USA) as well as its governing documents. The work will include reviewing recommendations from previous General Assemblies as it relates to racial equity, dismantling racism and confronting white supremacy. In addition, the special committee will evaluate how white supremacy continues to impact members who are Black, people of color and Indigenous, as well as identify patterns of resistance to change. It will recommend strategies to overcome resistance and other challenges to implementation.
Special Committee on the PC(USA) and Race
- Kate Jones Calone, Co-Moderator, Teaching Elder, Long Island Presbytery, SCRTR*
- Edgar Hayes, Ruling Elder, Hudson River Valley Presbytery, At-large
- Elizabeth Hooten, Ruling Elder, Salem Presbytery, At-large
- Ryan Landino, Teaching Elder, Giddings-Lovejoy Presbytery, SCRTR*
- Fran Lane-Lawrence, Teaching Elder, Lake Michigan Presbytery, SCRTR*
- Tim Marquez, Co-Moderator, Teaching Elder, New Covenant Presbytery, At-large
- Jerusalén Martinez Zarco, Ruling Elder, Coastal Carolina Presbytery, At-large
*former member of the Special Committee on Racism, Truth, and Reconciliation
“The sin of racism continues to plague the fabric of our society and of our institutional church. It is our hope that this team will be able to pull together recommendations from previous assemblies in an effort to understand how those recommendations have been embraced,” said Santana-Grace and Starling-Louis in a joint statement. “Different from past committees, we hope this body will speak to where we are in a manner that will allow us to continue to repair the breach that keeps us from reflecting the image of God in each other as we claim to be bearers of the Gospel in this world. As always, we are grateful for the faithfulness of our partners in this process — without whom this task would be impossible.”
The special committee will make an interim report at the 226th General Assembly in Salt Lake City in 2024. It is expected to make recommendations to the 227th General Assembly (2026). More information can be found on the General Assembly business website, PC-Biz.