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[This article could be viewed originally on the website of The Layman Online.]
Wednesday, February 9, 2005
Besieged by criticism of a General Assembly resolution that targets Israel—and not the Palestinians as well—the staff leaders of the Presbyterian Church (USA) have summoned representatives of presbyteries and synods to Louisville, Ky., Feb. 10-12 to explain "what we did and why we did it."
The controversial "it" is the language of a General Assembly resolution that calls for "phased selective divestment in multinational corporations operating in Israel." The resolution, Item 12-01 on the docket of the 216th General Assembly, does not call for any economic sanctions against the Palestinians.
While the resolution does condemn both terrorism and Israel's military response to attacks by suicide bombers who have murdered hundreds of civilians, it clearly blames Israel's government for the war.
The PCUSA's policy has been widely criticized by Jewish groups, Presbyterians and other Christians for being politically partisan in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and a threat to Jewish-Presbyterian relations.
The Presbyterian News Service, the denomination's official press, says all of the PCUSA's 173 presbyteries and 16 synods will have representatives at the meeting, which comes after dramatic, but perhaps temporary, peace initiatives by Palestinian and Israeli leaders.
The Louisville conference also follows by a few days a Mideast junket by a delegation from the National Council of Churches, which, noticeably, did not include a representative of the PCUSA. Leaders of the PCUSA, which is one of the leading financial backers of the NCC, are still trying to undo the damage caused by its own delegation to the Mideast and its resolution on divestment.
The denomination sent Presbyterians to the Mideast on a "fact-finding" mission. Several members of that delegation met with the southern Lebanon commander of Hezbollah, a terrorist group. Two were featured on Arabic media making comments favorable to the Palestinian cause, further eroding support for the PCUSA policy and damaging relations with most Jewish groups.
Later, The Layman Online reported that a delegation from San Francisco Theological Seminary, a Presbyterian-related school, also made a trip to the Mideast and met with the same Hezbollah leader. But seminary officials said the students and their leaders were not told that they would meet with the Hezbollah leader. The arrangements for that meeting were made by the Middle East Council of Churches, a group that the PCUSA's Worldwide Missions Division works with closely.
Denominational officials have tried to deflect the criticism, sometimes using nuanced interpretations of the General Assembly's resolution. They have said, for instance, that the resolution calls for divestment of PCUSA funds only in corporations aiding Israel's military effort. But the resolution does not limit divestment to any specific corporation.
The one company repeatedly cited as a candidate for divestment is Caterpillar, which sells earth-moving equipment to Israel. That equipment has been used to clear the path for the wall separating Palestinian and Israeli areas.
The Presbyterian Foundation and the Presbyterian Pension Plan own 37,100 shares of Caterpillar stock, currently valued at $3.4 million.
A companion resolution by the 216th General Assembly, Item 12-2, calls on Israel to take down its separation wall, which has helped to sharply reduce suicide attacks by Palestinian terrorists.
In its news release about the conference with synod and presbytery executives, the denomination quoted Marthame Sanders, missionary-in-residence in the Worldwide Ministries Division and project team co-manager for the event.
Sanders was quoted as saying that, as a result of what the Assembly did, the denomination has "received a great deal of attention. Presbyteries and synods ... have been getting asked a lot of questions about this."
Stated Clerk Clifton Kirkpatrick and John Detterick, General Assembly Council executive director, invited participants to the events. Among the topics to be covered at the meeting are Presbyterian actions and witness in the region, interfaith relationships and Presbyterian theology, particularly related to Christian Zionism.
PCUSA conference seeks to prepare synod, presbytery leaders on controversial issue
By John H. Adams The Layman Online Wednesday, February 9, 2005 Besieged by criticism of a General Assembly resolution that targets Israel—and not the Palestinians as well—the staff leaders of the Presbyterian Church (USA) have summoned representatives of presbyteries and synods to Louisville, Ky., Feb. 10-12 to explain "what we did and why we did it."
The controversial "it" is the language of a General Assembly resolution that calls for "phased selective divestment in multinational corporations operating in Israel." The resolution, Item 12-01 on the docket of the 216th General Assembly, does not call for any economic sanctions against the Palestinians.
While the resolution does condemn both terrorism and Israel's military response to attacks by suicide bombers who have murdered hundreds of civilians, it clearly blames Israel's government for the war.
The PCUSA's policy has been widely criticized by Jewish groups, Presbyterians and other Christians for being politically partisan in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and a threat to Jewish-Presbyterian relations.
The Presbyterian News Service, the denomination's official press, says all of the PCUSA's 173 presbyteries and 16 synods will have representatives at the meeting, which comes after dramatic, but perhaps temporary, peace initiatives by Palestinian and Israeli leaders.
The Louisville conference also follows by a few days a Mideast junket by a delegation from the National Council of Churches, which, noticeably, did not include a representative of the PCUSA. Leaders of the PCUSA, which is one of the leading financial backers of the NCC, are still trying to undo the damage caused by its own delegation to the Mideast and its resolution on divestment.
The denomination sent Presbyterians to the Mideast on a "fact-finding" mission. Several members of that delegation met with the southern Lebanon commander of Hezbollah, a terrorist group. Two were featured on Arabic media making comments favorable to the Palestinian cause, further eroding support for the PCUSA policy and damaging relations with most Jewish groups.
Later, The Layman Online reported that a delegation from San Francisco Theological Seminary, a Presbyterian-related school, also made a trip to the Mideast and met with the same Hezbollah leader. But seminary officials said the students and their leaders were not told that they would meet with the Hezbollah leader. The arrangements for that meeting were made by the Middle East Council of Churches, a group that the PCUSA's Worldwide Missions Division works with closely.
Denominational officials have tried to deflect the criticism, sometimes using nuanced interpretations of the General Assembly's resolution. They have said, for instance, that the resolution calls for divestment of PCUSA funds only in corporations aiding Israel's military effort. But the resolution does not limit divestment to any specific corporation.
The one company repeatedly cited as a candidate for divestment is Caterpillar, which sells earth-moving equipment to Israel. That equipment has been used to clear the path for the wall separating Palestinian and Israeli areas.
The Presbyterian Foundation and the Presbyterian Pension Plan own 37,100 shares of Caterpillar stock, currently valued at $3.4 million.
A companion resolution by the 216th General Assembly, Item 12-2, calls on Israel to take down its separation wall, which has helped to sharply reduce suicide attacks by Palestinian terrorists.
In its news release about the conference with synod and presbytery executives, the denomination quoted Marthame Sanders, missionary-in-residence in the Worldwide Ministries Division and project team co-manager for the event.
Sanders was quoted as saying that, as a result of what the Assembly did, the denomination has "received a great deal of attention. Presbyteries and synods ... have been getting asked a lot of questions about this."
Stated Clerk Clifton Kirkpatrick and John Detterick, General Assembly Council executive director, invited participants to the events. Among the topics to be covered at the meeting are Presbyterian actions and witness in the region, interfaith relationships and Presbyterian theology, particularly related to Christian Zionism.
(Go to JAT-Action Home Page or Presbyterian Section)