ACSWP completes policy on domestic
violence
Committee drops pricey proposal to create a new
church office
by Jerry L. Van Marter, Presbyterian News Service
LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- January 23, 2001 -- The Advisory
Committee on Social Witness Policy (ACSWP) has completed work on a major
policy paper on domestic violence that will go to this year's General
Assembly (GA) - but without its most costly recommendation.
Check out a background
story on this report from October 2000.
Before the committee signed off on the policy statement, Turn Mourning
Into Dancing!, it removed a call for the creation of a new Domestic
Violence Office in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) headquarters here.
Instead, the Assembly will be asked to establish a team of staff from
existing entities that deal with domestic-violence issues to begin
implementing more than 60 recommendations included in the document. The
Rev. Vernon Broyles, associate director for social justice in the
National Ministries Division, urged the committee to accede to
"economic reality."
"There is some potential to do some of these things with existing
resources," he said. "I don't want this policy to rise or fall
on the creation of an office."
The purpose of the 84-page policy statement, ordered by the 1997 GA in
response to an overture from East Iowa Presbytery, is to "hear the
voices of victims and survivors and respond to their calls with the
following goals: first, to protect the victims from further abuse;
second, to stop the abuser's violence and hold the abuser accountable;
and third, restore the family relationship, if possible, or mourn the
loss of the relationship." According to the ACSWP document,
domestic violence stems from a "need for power and control,"
and can take many forms: physical, emotional and sexual abuse, and abuse
by neglect. It includes child abuse, spouse/partner abuse, elder abuse,
sibling abuse and dating violence.
The paper asserts that the church "should be a vehicle of God's
love, justice and grace for victims and survivors. This will require an
intentional process of becoming trustworthy partners in the process of
mourning, healing, reconnecting."
The policy proposes a variety of educational and advocacy efforts at all
levels of the church, and asks congregations to become more involved in
ministries to victims, survivors and perpetrators of domestic violence.
During its Jan. 18-20 meeting, the ACSWP also completed work on six
other documents it will be sending to this year's GA:
Resolution on Small-Arms
Control
The Presbyterian Church's seminal document, Peacemaking: the Believers
Calling, promotes "non-violence and the building of cultures of
peace." PC(USA) General Assemblies consistently have opposed the
arms race. After addressing such big-picture issues as nuclear arms and
ballistic-missile treaties, this resolution turns to small arms:
"While great emphasis has been placed on mass destruction, the
church has not lost sight of the importance of conventional weapons and
the increasing capacity for devastation through changes in technology of
small arms and light weapons."
The resolution calls for "support of worldwide efforts to build a
culture of peace"; recognizes the "devastation à enabled by
the circulation and availability of small arms and light weapons";
supports United Nations peacemaking efforts, including its Conference on
the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons; supports the concept
of a small-arms registry; calls on the United States to ratify existing
and pending treaties; asks all governments to monitor the flow of small
arms around the world; urges the U.S. Congress to pass an enforceable
Arms Transfer Code of Conduct; supports education and advocacy efforts;
and lifts concerns for world conflicts exacerbated by the ready
availability of small arms.
Resolution on the UN Year of Mobilization
against Racism
The UN has scheduled a world conference on racism, xenophobia and other
intolerance for next summer in South Africa. It has urged governments as
well as "organizations of civil society, including religious
institutions, to join in the processes of study, examination, education
and advocacy to bring about an end to such practices."
The resolution acknowledges that racism and other intolerance
"violate our fundamental theological understandings of the promise
of God's justice and love for all people"; calls on the United
States to support the world conference, monitor its compliance with
related international treaties and establish a commission to study the
issues; challenges every presbytery to hold a study event on Facing
Racism: a Vision of the Beloved Community and Building Community Among
Strangers; approves the PC(USA)'s participation in the world conference;
requests appropriate GA entities to make available information about the
conference; urges racial-ethnic entities to use it as an occasion for
further education and study; sets March 21 as the "Day to End All
Forms of Racial Discrimination"; and requests the Advocacy
Committee on Racial Ethnic Concerns to analyze the church's efforts
against racism.
Resolution on Year of Dialogue
Among Civilizations
The UN General Assembly in 1998 called for this observance "in
recognition that the processes of globalization have brought the world's
religious and cultural communities into encounter in ways never
experienced in the past, and that these encounters have often led to
intolerance, hostility and conflict."
The resolution commends the UN for its efforts;
affirms the goals of "building understanding through study,
dialogue and sharing, cooperation in areas of mutual concern, and the
building of authentic, open pluralistic societies"; encourages the
U.S. government to support this initiative; urges media to be more
sensitive; calls upon Presbyterians to promote teaching and learning
about other religions and cultures; promotes the use of available
resources; and encourages PC(USA) seminaries and GA entities to address
the issue.
Resolution on Ministry of Caregiving
for Older Adults
This resolution was written at the direction of the 1998 GA "to
explore what the ministry of caregiving means as an aging population
rapidly increases, and especially for those who à have debilitating
and/or fatal illnesses." The resolution calls on the church to be
diligent in its "covenantal responsibilities" to care for all
its members; directs the Office of Older Adult Ministry to make
resources available to congregations; encourages observation of Older
Adult Week; encourages congregations and middle governing bodies to
offer education and training on caregiving for older adults; affirms the
Parish Nursing model of caregiving, education and training, in
cooperation with hospitals and other health agencies; affirms caregiving
as a vocation and supports the rights of workers employed as caregivers;
commends the Board of Pensions for its Employee Assistance Response
Program; and directs presbytery committees on ministry and on
preparation for ministry to pay heed to caregiving issues for ministers
and candidates.
Resolution on "The
Future of the Child in the 21st Century"
The upcoming special UN General Assembly session next September grew out
of the World Summit for Children in 1990. The special session will
evaluate progress made on pledges made then and since "to address
the human conditions that have denied children what we believe to be
their birthright."
The ACSWP resolution recognizes the connection between the UN emphasis
and the PCUSA's Year of the Child.
The resolution commends the UN for the special GA
session; encourages Presbyterians to support governmental, church and
other efforts to improve the lot of the world's children; calls on
congregations to study the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child;
urges the U.S. government to ratify the Convention on the Rights of the
Child (the U.S. is the only UN-member government which hasn't done so);
asks congregations and presbyteries to support such ratification; urges
the U.S. government to ratify the UN Convention on Land Mines;
celebrates the 50th anniversary of UNICEF's "Trick or Treat"
program (founded by Presbyterians Mary Emma and Clyde Allison); and
calls on Presbyterians to honor the promises made to children at
baptism.
Human Rights
Update
This is an annual ACSWP report that reaffirms the PC(USA)'s longstanding
commitment to human rights worldwide. The 75-page document lifts up five
categories of concern: civil rights, political rights, economic rights,
social and cultural rights, and religious rights. This year's update
emphasizes issues of religious freedom.
