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Archive for
March, 2011 |
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This page lists our postings
from all of March, 2011
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For an index to all our reports
and analyses
on
the 219th General Assembly
Posts
from earlier in June, 2011
May,
2011
April, 2011
February, 2011
January, 2011
December, 2010
November,
2010
October,
2010
September, 2010
August, 2010
July,
2010
June,
2010
May, 2010
April, 2010
March, 2010
February, 2010
January, 2010
For links to earlier archive pages,
click here. |
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3/24/2011 |
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Presbyteries voting on March 22 raise the total count to 73
FOR inclusive ordination, and 52 against, with 48 still to vote.
This just added:
Today, March 24,
The Presbytery of Baltimore voted YES on Amendment A 108-36-4
getting us one vote closer to 87.
The tally is 74-52.
Tuesday's votes:
 | Philadelphia voted overwhelmingly in
favor of Amendment A, 182-102. |
| Monmouth Presbytery also gave a strong
affirmative vote, 74-32. |
| There were hopes that Carlisle Presbytery
would shift to supporting ordination, but with apparently
strong get-out-the-vote efforts by both sides, the vote was
89 to 102 against ordination. |
The next votes expected:
| Coastal Carolina on Saturday, March 26 |
| North Puget Sound on Tuesday, March 29 |
Thanks to Tricia Dykers Koenig,
Covenant Network
National Organizer, and the Rev. John Shuck, on his
Shuck and Jive blog. |
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Poll shows majority of Americans support same-sex marriage
NPR reported on March 18:
An ABC/Washington Post poll found that 53
percent of Americans think gay marriage should be legal.
The Washington Post reports:
The results underscore the nation's
increasingly tolerant views about homosexuals, and parallel
a string of recent legal and legislative victories for gay
rights advocates.
Five years ago, at 36 percent, support for
gay marriage barely topped a third of all Americans. Now, 53
percent say gay marriage should be legal, marking the first
time in Post-ABC polling that a majority has said so.
The
AFP reports that this is the first time in nearly a decade
of polling that gay marriage polls this favorably.
The poll was conducted using a sample of 1,005
adults.
More from NPR >>
More of our posts on marriage equality >> |
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ACSWP is seeking a new editor:
Apply for a Cyber-Journal/New Media Managing Editor position
with ACSWP
This position announcement has come to us
from the Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy, of the
PC(USA):
Seeking new ways to connect and resource social
ministries across the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), the Advisory
Committee on Social Witness Policy has opened a term position of
18-24 months devoted to new communications media. In particular,
recalling the purpose of the justice journal Church & Society
that was published for 98 years but ended in late 2006, the
Fellowship position will serve as managing editor of a cyber
journal, Church & Society Internet Journal (CSIJ). The new
position is based in Louisville and will work cooperatively with
other ministries, particularly in the Compassion, Peace, and
Justice area. It is designed expressly for recent seminary
graduates who are familiar with new media; its salary and
pension/medical benefits meet most presbytery minimum terms of
call.
More >> |
Two-day event will explore “Our Abundant Communities,” with
congregations, campuses, and other communities joining in on the
conversation.
The Rev. Tom Heger, pastor of Beacon Hill Presbyterian Church in
San Antonio, Texas, has shared the announcement of this event,
planned for April 27 - 28 at Trinity University, San Antonio.
Outstanding speakers will be Peter Block, Walter Brueggemann,
and John McKnight.
More >> |
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3/20/2011 |
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Presbytery voting on Amendment 10-A stands at 71 for, 50
against Tricia Dykers Koening sums up the
voting by presbyteries on Saturday, March 19:
| Northern Plains registered improvement
but didn't quite get there, 32-34; |
| Newark continued its support at 34-21; |
| Utah held firm with a tally of 30-25; |
| Whitewater Valley widened its supportive
margin significantly, 124-89; and |
| Donegal became the 14th presbytery to
switch to support of 10-A from opposition to 08-B! They
shifted to favor inclusive ordination by 83-80-1. |
We also had Northumberland Presbytery on
today's schedule, but haven't heard a report; they have
never supported amending G-6.0106b in the past. And we
learned that Eastern Korean voted against 10-A earlier this
month.
The voting is clearly trending toward approval
of a more just and inclusive policy on ordination in the PC(USA),
but continued, consistent efforts will be crucial in bringing it
to a successful conclusion.
The next presbyteries to vote:
| Tuesday, March 22: Carlisle, Monmouth,
Philadelphia |
| Thursday, March 24: Baltimore |
| Saturday, March 26: Coastal Carolina |
So the count as of March 19 is:
Total Presbytery Yes Votes on 10-A 71
Total Presbytery No Votes on
10-A 50
Presbyteries Left to Vote 52
Presbyteries moving from No to Yes
14
Presbyteries moving from Yes to No 1
For the full chart of voting
results >>
Thanks to Tricia Dykers Koenig, Covenant
Network National Organizer
, and to John Shuck, blogger of
Shuck and Jive
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Expanding
Empire's Wars
The United States was not attacked.
Congress has not declared war.
Those
inconveniences are so last century. Libya is the latest notch on
the oil spigot as the United States Empire is now at war with
three Muslim countries all at the same time.
These are the
opening lines of John Shuck’s brief but sharp criticism of
the U.S. involvement in military action against the Gadhafi
regime in Libya. He even throws in a few lines from Reinhold
Niebuhr for good measure!
Click here for his full comment >>
We welcome other comments on the military and
other actions against the Libyan government.
Just
send a note,
to be shared here. |
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3/11/2011 |
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Leaders call for prayer on Japan
earthquake and tsunami
Office of the General Assembly
by Sharon
Youngs, Communications
Coordinator
“As a hart longs for flowing streams, so longs
my soul for thee, O God” (Ps. 42:1).
The Psalmist’s words of lament resonate deeply
during this season of Lent, but especially this day as we
witness the destruction from the devastating earthquake and
resulting tsunami in Japan.
The magnitude of this kind of tragedy is
difficult to grasp. Yet, our faith leads us to affirm that in
even greater measure is the presence of God in the midst of the
devastation.
Please join us in praying for those affected
by these events – the victims and their families, those who wait
for word from loved ones, those offering aid and comfort now and
in the days and weeks to come, civic and national leaders, and
faith communities in Japan that offer hope in a seemingly
hopeless time.
The Psalmist’s final words are, “Why are you
cast down, O my soul, and why are you disquieted within me? Hope
in God, for I shall again praise God, my help and my God” (Ps.
42:11).
May it be so.
Cynthia Bolbach,
Moderator of the 219th General Assembly (2010)
Gradye
Parsons, Stated Clerk of the
General Assembly
Linda Valentine,
Executive Director of the General Assembly Mission Council
For additional information and resources on
the church’s response to the tragedy:
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance
website
Thinking the Faith, Praying the
Faith, Living the Faith blog
Added at 7:00 pm
PC(USA) framing response to Japan earthquake and tsunami
In the immediate aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami,
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance and World Mission are checking
in with partner, mission works, and presbyteries.
More >> |
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3/9/2011 |
Network News is on its way!
And it's here online right
now.The Winter 2011 issue of
Network News went to the printer today, and should be in the
mail in a about a week. But it's already here for you
right here, in easy-to-download and easy-to-print PDF format.
If you don't have Adobe Reader or some
other software to open the file,
click here to download it – free!
The contents of this issue:
Winter 2011
On standing for justice in Madison,
Wisconsin
| A participant's observations
page 11 |
| SB 1070, Immigration, and Worker Rights,
by Trina Zelle p. 15 |
| More on Express Scripts vs. its labor
union p. 22 |
The Uprising in Cairo, by Casondra
Sobieralski p. 23
Are We Deathly Ill?
Margaret Thomas comments on the call for
Presbyterian "Fellowship" to defend the purity of the church
p. 26
Women's Reproductive Health Under Attack
from Presbyterians Affirming Reproductive
Options (PARO) p.36
The Co-Moderator's Column
p. 2The Editor's Spot
p. 5
Ghost Ranch – Two seminars for 2011:
| Sex, Faith and Culture
p. 37 |
| A Faithful Response to Immigration
p. 38 |
A note from your Editor:We'll
post most of these articles in Web format, html, over the next
few days.
If you have chosen to save paper and money by
getting your Network News online, here it is.
| Click
here for the faster download, low-resolution file. |
| Click
here for the high-resolution file, for a better
print-out. |
This issue is being mailed to all those whose memberships
were paid up as of July 1, 2010, or later. If your
membership lapsed before that date, you won't be getting a copy
in print – but if you'll hurry up and send a renewal (you can do
it easily, and use your credit card to pay through PayPal) we'll
send you a copy of your very own!
Just click here >>
If you have comments or questions, just
send a
note to Doug King, your almost-retired editor. (See page 34
of Network News to meet our new Editor, the Rev. Lorelei
Hillman. And feel free to
send her a welcome note!) |
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3/8/2011 |
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Three more presbyteries vote for Amendment 10-A
What a nice way to celebrate Mardi Gras!
| Transylvania Presbytery continued their
support at 78-48, and widening the 08-B margin (83-61) |
| Eastminster
approved by a margin of one vote, 46-45 – a good reminder
that getting out the vote can make a real difference, and
that the present favorable vote totals do not guarantee a
win for justice. Their 08-B vote was 60-39-2. |
| New Brunswick, with a very convincing
88-10-3 (95-44 on 08-B) |
So the total now stands at 65 for the change, 43 against.
Thanks to Tricia Dykers Koenig,
Covenant Network
National Organizer
More on Amendment
10-A |
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3/5/2011 |
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One more presbytery votes for inclusive ordination
This report comes mainly from John Shuck's blog,
Shuck and Jive
The month of March is off to a good start for
Amendment A! Here is this week's roundup from Tuesday March 1st
through Saturday, March 5th:
Holding to YES!
| Geneva 50-17-1 |
| Grace 243-149 |
| Northern New England 63-15 |
| Ohio Valley 77-32-2 |
| West Virginia 93-56 |
| Yellowstone 25-23-2 |
Holding to no.
| North Central Iowa 43-50 |
FLIP from no to YES!
| Mission 201-194-1 |
Switching from yes to no.
| None! |
Each one of the YES votes except Yellowstone increased their YES
percentage. North Central Iowa improved its YES percentage as
well.
The score is now 62-44 with 12 net flips.
If every presbytery yet to vote voted as they
did last time, Amendment A will pass by three votes. A huge
thank you to all of those who worked hard in every presbytery!
The real hope is that if
| every equality-minded person gets to the
meeting, |
| phone calls are made, |
| resources are shared (see sidebar), |
| folks speak from the heart, |
| Amendment A will pass! |
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Presbyterian Right is campaigning hard against passage of
Amendment 10-A
It’s no surprise that conservative groups are
working hard this year to defeat Amendment 10-A, which would
amendment the Presbyterian Book of Order to permit presbyteries
and congregations to consider LGBT members for ordination as
pastors and elders. If your presbytery has not yet acted on this
amendment, you might want to be aware of the kind of arguments
that are being set forth, so you can respond to them effectively
and thoughtfully in discussions and debates.
More >> |
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"Gay cause leads in PCUSA voting" The
Christian Century offers its latest report on the PC(USA)
process of voting on Amendment 10-A.
More
>> |
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More on the voting
and debates on Amendment 10-A |
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Stated Clerk backs public employees’ collective bargaining
rights Parsons: Dignity of labor
theologically connected to doctrine of vocation
LOUISVILLE – The Rev. Gradye Parsons, General
Assembly stated clerk of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), has
written a letter to Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker, urging him
to call off a plan to balance the state budget in part by
de-unionizing state workers.
Parsons’ letter backs a Feb. 19 call from the
Presbytery of John Knox — based in Madison, Wisc. — for Walker
“and Wisconsin’s other elected representatives to enter into
good-faith negotiations with Wisconsin’s public employee unions
to deal with Wisconsin’s current budget issues and to respect
the rights of all workers to collectively bargain for wages and
benefits.”
More >> |
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More on Express Scripts vs. its labor union
In the Fall 2010 issue of Network News we
reported on the SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania challenges to a
plan by Express Scripts (which handles prescription orders for
the Presbyterian Board of Pensions, among others) to close its
facility of Bensalem, Pennsylvania. Their plan was to move that
work to a non-union plant in the St. Louis area.
We were happy to report on our website in
December that members of the union in Bensalem had voted
overwhelmingly to approve a settlement that will preserve
approximately 400 jobs at the Street Road facility, reversing
the Company’s announcement of plans to shutter all of its
Bensalem operations. It also provides a substantial severance
package to approximately 500 workers facing layoff as a result
of the closure of the Marshall Lane facility and some downsizing
at Street Road. (Click here
for more on the struggle of SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania to
gain just treatment from Express Scripts.)
PVJ
member Dennis Maher, of Lake Luzerne, NY, provides the latest
update >> |
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3/4/2011 |
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One more shift for justice in the voting on Amendment 10-A
Mission Presbytery flipped for justice today!
This presbytery in the heart of Texas voted 201-194-1 to approve
Amendment A improving our score to 58-44 and adding to the
number of presbyteries that have flipped from no to YES for a
more just and inclusive church.
Voting tomorrow (Saturday, March 5): Geneva,
Grace, Northern New England, Ohio Valley
Tuesday, March 8: Eastminster, New Brunswick
(unless they vote to delay), Transylvania
Thursday, March 10: Abingdon
Thanks to John Shuck, sole proprietor of the
Shuck and Jive blog, and to Tricia Dykers Koenig, of
Covenant Network. |
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For an index to all our reports
and analyses
on
the 219th General Assembly
Posts
from earlier in June, 2011
May,
2011
April, 2011
February, 2011
January, 2011
December, 2010
November,
2010
October,
2010
September, 2010
August, 2010
July,
2010
June,
2010
May, 2010
April, 2010
March, 2010
February, 2010
January, 2010
For links to earlier archive pages,
click here. |
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If you like what
you find here,
we hope you'll help us keep Voices for Justice going ... and
growing!
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Some blogs worth visiting |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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Got more blogs to recommend?
Please
send a note, and we'll see what we can do! |
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