Presbyterian Voices for Justice 

A union of The Witherspoon Society and Voices of Sophia

Welcome to news and networking for progressive Presbyterians 

Home page Marriage Equality Global & Social concerns    
News of the PC(USA) Immigrant rights Israel & Palestine
U S Politics, 2010-11 Inclusive ordination Wars in Iraq & Afghanistan
Occupy Wall Street The Economic Crisis Other churches, other faiths
    About us         Join us! Health Care Reform Archive
Just for fun Confronting torture Notes from your WebWeaver

What's Where

Our reports about the 219th General Assembly, July 2010

ABOUT US

The Winter 2011 issue of
Network News
is posted here
- in Adobe PDF format.

Click here for earlier issues
Adobe PDF  Click here to download (free!) Adobe Reader software to view this and all PDF files.

News of Presbyterian Voices for Justice
How to join us

CONNECTIONS

Coming events calendar 

Do you want to announce an event?
Please send a note!
Food for the spirit
Book notes

Go to  Amazon.com

LINKS

NEWS of the Presbyterian Church

Got news??
Send us a note!
Social and global concerns
The U.S. political scene, 2010-11
The Middle East conflict
Uprising in Egypt
The economic crisis
Health care reform
Working for inclusive ordination
Peacemaking & international concerns
The Wars in Iraq & Afghanistan
Israel, Palestine, and Gaza
U. S. Politics
Election 2008
Economic justice
Fair Food Campaign
Labor rights
Women's Concerns
Sexual justice
Marriage Equality
Caring for the environment
Immigrant rights
Racial concerns
Church & State
The death penalty
The media
OTHER CHURCHES, OTHER FAITHS
Do you want regular e-mail updates when stories are added to our web site?
Just send a note!
The WebWeaver's Space
ARCHIVES
JUST FOR FUN
Want books?
Search Now:

 

Mary Ann Lundy on staff dismissals

Mary Ann Lundy urges protest against dismissals of Lueckert and Sulyok
[12-14-04]

Mary Ann Lundy, formerly a member of the staff of the General Assembly Council, and of the World Council of Churches, sent this note to progressive friends about a month ago, and it has just found its way to us. She speaks as one who's been there, done that. Or had that done to her, since she was fired from her GAC position in the aftermath of the 1993 ReImagining Conference.

Click here for background.


Dear Friends:

As some of you already know, two PC(USA) national staff members we fired last week in a manner reminiscent of the aftermath of the Re-Imagining Conference ten years ago - Kathy Lueckert, who was Deputy Executive Director of the General Assembly Council, and Peter Sulyok, Coordinator of Social Witness Policy.

The background for the decision is the last General Assembly when action was taken to study the possibility of divestment of stock in corporations that are involved in the Israeli demolition of homes and buildings in Palestine. So far only study has taken place and no action, but Jewish religious bodies and political organizations have registered their opposition and made threats against the PC(USA) headquarters and more recently [there has been a threat] to burn churches.

In the fall of this year the Committee on Social Witness Policy, staffed by Sulyok whose supervisor is Lueckert, made the decision to travel to the Middle East on a fact-finding mission. They spoke with leaders in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Egypt, and Israel and spoke with pro-Palestinian groups. At least one Israeli official declined to meet with them.

Though they were instructed not to meet with the media, one elected member did so and an uproar ensued, whereupon Peter and Kathy were abruptly fired. Ironically, this happened 11 years to the day after the Re-Imagining Conference!

On Sunday a trusted member of the Louisville staff called me and said that the staff is again devastated, but are ready to stand against the action. She asked me to get in touch with all my networks and ask people to send e-mails and letters citing the parallels with the Re-Imagining aftermath - the unfairness of holding only staff accountable for an event which involved elected leadership, for the use of scapegoating in order to appease critics of the church, for "wimping out" instead of standing firm when there is criticism of faithful and courageous action; in short, the sacrificing of national staff when the going gets rough!

If you feel as I do, I ask you to make your voice heard by writing to Mr. John Detterick, Executive Director of the General Assembly Council, PC(USA), 100 Witherspoon St., Lousville, KY 40202 or E-mail him at jdetterick@ctr.pcusa.org protesting his action and to the Chair of the General Assembly Council who is Nancy Kahaian, particularly asking for a hearing for the staff members and an investigation of John Detterick's action.

Many thanks.
Mary Ann Lundy

 

Visit our lively
new website!

GA actions ratified (or not) by  the presbyteries   

A number of the most important actions of the 219th General Assembly have now been acted upon by the presbyteries, confirming most of them as amendments to the PC(USA) Book of Order.

We provided resources to help inform the reflection and debate, along with updates on the voting.

Our three areas of primary interest have been:

bullet Amendment 10-A, which  removes the current ban on lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender persons being considered as possible candidates for ordination as elder or ministers.  Approved!

bullet Amendment 10-2, which would add the Belhar Confession to our Book of Confessions.  Disapproved, because as an amendment to the Book of Confessions it needed a 2/3 vote, and did not receive that.

bullet Amendment 10-1, which  adopts the new Form of Government that was approved by the Assembly.   Approved.
 

If you like what you find here,
we hope you'll help us keep Voices for Justice going ... and growing!

Please consider making a special contribution -- large or small -- to help us continue and improve this service.

Click here to send a gift online, using your credit card, through PayPal.

Or send your check, made out to "Presbyterian Voices for Justice" and marked "web site," to our PVJ Treasurer:

Darcy Hawk
4007 Gibsonia Road
Gibsonia, PA  15044-8312

 

Some blogs worth visiting

PVJ's Facebook page

Mitch Trigger, PVJ's Secretary/Communicator, has created a Facebook page where Witherspoon members and others can gather to exchange news and views. Mitch and a few others have posted bits of news, both personal and organizational. But there’s room for more!

You can post your own news and views, or initiate a conversation about a topic of interest to you.

 

Voices of Sophia blog

Heather Reichgott, who has created this new blog for Voices of Sophia, introduces it:

After fifteen years of scholarship and activism, Voices of Sophia presents a blog. Here, we present the voices of feminist theologians of all stripes: scholars, clergy, students, exiles, missionaries, workers, thinkers, artists, lovers and devotees, from many parts of the world, all children of the God in whose image women are made. .... This blog seeks to glorify God through prayer, work, art, and intellectual reflection. Through articles and ensuing discussion we hope to become an active and thoughtful community.

 

John Harris’ Summit to Shore blogspot

Theological and philosophical reflections on everything between summit to shore, including kayaking, climbing, religion, spirituality, philosophy, theology, politics, culture, travel, The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), New York City and the Queens neighborhood of Ridgewood by a progressive New York City Presbyterian Pastor. John is a former member of the Witherspoon board, and is designated pastor of North Presbyterian Church in Flushing, NY.

 

John Shuck’s Shuck and Jive

A Presbyterian minister, currently serving as pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Elizabethton, Tenn., blogs about spirituality, culture, religion (both organized and disorganized), life, evolution, literature, Jesus, and lightening up.

 

Got more blogs to recommend?

Please send a note, and we'll see what we can do!

 

To top

© 2011 by Presbyterian Voices for Justice.  All material on this site is the responsibility of the WebWeaver unless other sources are acknowledged.  Unless otherwise noted, material on this site may be copied for personal use and sharing in small groups.  For permission to reproduce material for wider publication, please contact the WebWeaver, Doug King.  Any material reached by links on this site is outside the control and responsibility of the WebWeaver and Presbyterian Voices for Justice.  Questions or comments?  Please send a note!