Concerned about the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster?

• The Environmental Ministries Office of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has a blog that includes information on the oil spill. See:http://presbyterian.typepad.com/ecojourney/oil-spill/
• Also see the National Council of Churches Eco-Justice site, where there are prayers and a bulletin insert.

The Presbyterian Church’s Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy is a major participant in each General Assembly.  Here’s a list of issues and resources they recently emailed.

Two months ago we sent you an update with a list of the reports the elected members of the Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy (ACSWP) had approved for submission to the 219th General Assembly (2010). We write now to inform you that the Office of the General Assembly (OGA) has posted our papers on the 219th General Assembly (2010) website. Once again, here are the titles and another brief description of these papers along with their respective GA web page link. You will discover that the link to the full rationale of each report is included at the end of its recommendation section. We encourage you to visit these web pages and become familiar with these reports and their recommendations in the weeks ahead.

Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy (ACSWP) Agency Summary
A narrative report describing some of ACSWP’s social witness activities from the summer of 2008-winter of 2010

Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy Self-Study
A self-assessment report evaluating ACSWP’s performance for the six-year period of January 1, 2004-December 2009 (Every standing committee and agency of the General Assembly is to do this as part of a six-year cycle, hence the emphasis on this recent period.)

Becoming an HIV and AIDS Competent Church: Prophetic Witness and Compassionate Action
This resolution emphasizes the role of unequal social power in the persistent spread of HIV and AIDS; it includes recommendations which can help us respond more creatively to this pandemic.

Gun Violence and Gospel Values: Mobilizing in Response to God’s Call
This report in response to the request of the 218th General Assembly (2010) for a “Reformed theology of proactive, constructive nonviolence,” honors the value of human life, recognizes institutional interests and sin in the proliferation of urban and suburban violence, and encourages a renewal of social solidarity to overcome the distrust and disconnection that violence exploits.

Human Rights Update 2010
The 2010 Human Rights Update includes sections on immigrant detention, human trafficking and torture.

Living Through Economic Crisis: The Church’s Witness in Troubled Times: A Social Involvement Report for the 219th General Assembly (2010)
This report includes a brief review of our current economic crisis and recommends a more in-depth study of initial choices and challenges, including those facing the church itself.

Loving Our Neighbors: Equity and Quality in Public Education K-12
This resolution includes an analysis of the challenges to public education such as growing economic divisions and new demographic realities.

On Living a Human Life before God (a study paper updating “The Nature and Value of Human Life (1981)” study paper
This 2010 study paper outlines the history of Reformed perspectives on social responsibility and concludes with a call to congregations to form “communities of moral discourse”—that is, groups committed to reflect together on our values and how to address bio-ethical and other moral dilemmas of the 21st Century.

Neither Poverty Nor Riches: Compensation, Equity, and the Unity of the Church
This study includes a theological analysis based in Scripture and our Reformed heritage, a critique of the secular market assumptions at work in the church, and proposes alternatives to those models of career and salary inequality that distort so many of our expectations. The most significant proposal is that General Assembly entities and presbyteries move or return to a ratio of 5:1 between the highest and lowest salaries.

As concerned Christians, we urge you to contact congress in support of the Stop VULTURE Funds Act, H.R. 2932.  The Stop VULTURE Funcs Act will protect our tax dollars from the hands of greedy companies that pursue poor country resources freed up through debt cancellation.

Contact the following members of Congress to express your support:

• 6/19/2009: Representative Maxine Waters, CA (202-225-2203 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              202-225-2203      end_of_the_skype_highlighting) introduced H.R. 2932: Prevent speculation and profiteering on defaulted debt of certain poor countries.
• 7/23/2009: The bill was referred to the House Sub-committee on Courts and Competition Policy, subchaired by Representative Hank Johnson, GA. (202-225-1605).
• Representative Spencer Bachus, AL (202-225-4921) co-sponsored the bill.
• Representative Rosa de Lauro, CT  (202-225-3661) is our representative for the second district.

For more information see http://www.pcusa.org/washington/vulture.htm for a sample letter.

This blog is dedicated to posts related to peace and justice issues of interest to the members of the First Presbyterian Church in New Haven Connecticut.