The Work of Committees
So how does the work of General Assembly get done? Once the moderator is elected, everyone goes separate ways, doing what Presbyterians love to do -- committee work. It will be Monday before the General Assembly again gathers as a single body.
As committees meet, commissioners will find some items of business exciting and others a bit boring -- but they are all important.
Take "Divestment" for example.
Sounds boring!
"Divestment."
But mention the word and people begin to raise their voices, jab index fingers into another person's chest and make bold declarations that often begin with the phrase, "The trouble with you people..."
What is divestment?
Read the Presbyterian Layman and you'll be told that divestment is a "resolution called on the denomination to begin "phased, selective divestment" of corporations that do business with Israel."
Not quite!
Divestment is a plan that was approved in 2004 for the Presbyterian Church (USA) to study the possibility of divesting its holdings in companies profiting from Middle East conflict and war. So far, not a dime of our $8 billion dollar portfolio has actually been divested. But the last I heard 5 companies have been identified as companies that profit from the Mid-East conflicts -- Caterpillar Inc., Citigroup Inc., United Technologies Corp., Motorola Inc. and ITT Industries Inc. Caterpillar, for instance, sells heavy equipment used in the demolition of Palestinian homes. Caterpillar says it has no control over how its products are used.
It is a complicated issue that is made more complex because for many it is an emotional issue.
Yesterday I listened Dr. Judea Pearl implore the Presbyterian Church not to continue with the plan for divestment. Standing with several Jewish men in front of a banner that read, "End Divestment Now," Pearl frequently lost his place in his manuscript. He spoke in angry tones about how the Presbyterian Church has betrayed him and his people.
Pearl is the father of Daniel Pearl, the Wall Street Journal reporter who was beheaded in Pakistan by Islamic terrorists.
In his mind, divestment empowers the Islamic terrorists.
Today, however, I attended a committee meeting that was addressing the issue of whether or not to continue the plan for divestment. One Presbyterian elder, speaking in favor of divestment said, "I can't understand the conflict in the Middle East, and never will. It is beyond my understanding. I don't have the wisdom to know how peace can be established there. But one thing I know, as a church we should not be making money off of the suffering of any people."
Betty Dobson told the committee, "I have no credentials. I'm not a politician or a military strategist. I'm just an American and an elder. Our church went to the Middle East for a short term mission. I stayed in the home of a Palestinian family who lived in fear of a knock at the door and a message that they would have to immediately vacate their as-yet-unfinished home so it could be bulldozed by Israel."
It is not a simple issue.
It is one filled with tragedy and dispair and fear and confusion.
One way or the other, the General Assembly will vote on whether or not to continue divestment.
Someone will rejoice. Someone will be angry. Whatever the decision, these pastors and elders who vote will certainly do so prayerfully and with a heavy heart at the stories they have heard.
I estimate there were 240 people in the room to listen to the discussion on divestment. Once that was over, many of these left the room leaving some 60 to 70 to listen to the next item of business -- Haiti.
It is not that one issue is more important that the other. But those of our church who work with Haiti know that the plight of Haiti is easy not to notice.
When a committee considers a motion that comes from a Presbytery, the first person to speak on the motion, or overture, is a person designated as an "Overture Advocate." In this case, it was the Reverend Ray Anglin from Tropical Florida Presbytery. It was his job to explain the purpose and need for the overture and to answer any questions the commissioners might have. He spoke eloquently about the suffering of the Haitian people.
The overture calls on the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) to “express to the president and the Congress of the United States of America the church’s concern for the people of Haiti, to request the president and the Congress to address the political and social situation in Haiti with the resources available to our nation, to provide for welcome and relief for Haitian refugees, and to cease the current practice of immediate deportation of those who are attempting to escape the horror that exists in that troubled country.”
Speaking of Haiti, one of the reasons this issue is important to many of the members of Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church is the work we do in that country. Our Mission Team arrived there today! To read their blog, click here.
Today and tommorrow committees will be meeting and talking about a wide range of issues. Some might bore you, some might excite you, but every issue has been deemed by people of faith as important enough to be brought to the attention of the whole General Assembly.
As committees meet, commissioners will find some items of business exciting and others a bit boring -- but they are all important.
Take "Divestment" for example.
Sounds boring!
"Divestment."
But mention the word and people begin to raise their voices, jab index fingers into another person's chest and make bold declarations that often begin with the phrase, "The trouble with you people..."
What is divestment?
Read the Presbyterian Layman and you'll be told that divestment is a "resolution called on the denomination to begin "phased, selective divestment" of corporations that do business with Israel."
Not quite!
Divestment is a plan that was approved in 2004 for the Presbyterian Church (USA) to study the possibility of divesting its holdings in companies profiting from Middle East conflict and war. So far, not a dime of our $8 billion dollar portfolio has actually been divested. But the last I heard 5 companies have been identified as companies that profit from the Mid-East conflicts -- Caterpillar Inc., Citigroup Inc., United Technologies Corp., Motorola Inc. and ITT Industries Inc. Caterpillar, for instance, sells heavy equipment used in the demolition of Palestinian homes. Caterpillar says it has no control over how its products are used.
It is a complicated issue that is made more complex because for many it is an emotional issue.
Yesterday I listened Dr. Judea Pearl implore the Presbyterian Church not to continue with the plan for divestment. Standing with several Jewish men in front of a banner that read, "End Divestment Now," Pearl frequently lost his place in his manuscript. He spoke in angry tones about how the Presbyterian Church has betrayed him and his people.
Pearl is the father of Daniel Pearl, the Wall Street Journal reporter who was beheaded in Pakistan by Islamic terrorists.
In his mind, divestment empowers the Islamic terrorists.
Today, however, I attended a committee meeting that was addressing the issue of whether or not to continue the plan for divestment. One Presbyterian elder, speaking in favor of divestment said, "I can't understand the conflict in the Middle East, and never will. It is beyond my understanding. I don't have the wisdom to know how peace can be established there. But one thing I know, as a church we should not be making money off of the suffering of any people."
Betty Dobson told the committee, "I have no credentials. I'm not a politician or a military strategist. I'm just an American and an elder. Our church went to the Middle East for a short term mission. I stayed in the home of a Palestinian family who lived in fear of a knock at the door and a message that they would have to immediately vacate their as-yet-unfinished home so it could be bulldozed by Israel."It is not a simple issue.
It is one filled with tragedy and dispair and fear and confusion.
One way or the other, the General Assembly will vote on whether or not to continue divestment.
Someone will rejoice. Someone will be angry. Whatever the decision, these pastors and elders who vote will certainly do so prayerfully and with a heavy heart at the stories they have heard.
I estimate there were 240 people in the room to listen to the discussion on divestment. Once that was over, many of these left the room leaving some 60 to 70 to listen to the next item of business -- Haiti.
It is not that one issue is more important that the other. But those of our church who work with Haiti know that the plight of Haiti is easy not to notice.
When a committee considers a motion that comes from a Presbytery, the first person to speak on the motion, or overture, is a person designated as an "Overture Advocate." In this case, it was the Reverend Ray Anglin from Tropical Florida Presbytery. It was his job to explain the purpose and need for the overture and to answer any questions the commissioners might have. He spoke eloquently about the suffering of the Haitian people.The overture calls on the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) to “express to the president and the Congress of the United States of America the church’s concern for the people of Haiti, to request the president and the Congress to address the political and social situation in Haiti with the resources available to our nation, to provide for welcome and relief for Haitian refugees, and to cease the current practice of immediate deportation of those who are attempting to escape the horror that exists in that troubled country.”
Speaking of Haiti, one of the reasons this issue is important to many of the members of Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church is the work we do in that country. Our Mission Team arrived there today! To read their blog, click here.
Today and tommorrow committees will be meeting and talking about a wide range of issues. Some might bore you, some might excite you, but every issue has been deemed by people of faith as important enough to be brought to the attention of the whole General Assembly.
posted by Presbyterian Pastor at 6:52 PM
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