Social Witness papers

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.