New name; same game
Re-branding the Presbyterian lobby
Commentary by Parker T. Williamson, The Layman, August 30, 2011
The Rev. Dr. J. Herbert Nelson II, chief political lobbyist for the Presbyterian Church (USA) was a no show at “Let’s Celebrate!” a Presbytery of Western North Carolina (PWNC) event on August 20. For months his anticipated presence had been publicized widely, his picture appearing on church bulletin boards, email blasts, blogs, newsletters and church-wide mailings. But when the day of his promised appearance arrived, two young interns from the Washington Office showed up in his stead, saying he had “a previous commitment.”
If – in Washingtonian terms – he found “bigger fish to fry,” he was spot on, for the turnout at this declining presbytery’s event was so meager that two workshops had to be cancelled, “Let’s talk about sex – Everybody else is!” and “When bullying comes to church.”
Amazing grace
Apparently, changing the event’s name did not improve its appeal. Once labeled “Growing in Grace,” it was re-named “Let’s Celebrate!” That emendation occurred after the presbytery embarrassed itself with its “Grace and Peace” salutation on a letter announcing that it was suing one of its former congregations for its property. Since grace is now a dirty word in PWNC, it was probably wise to give it a rest.
So Chris McCain, a student from Vanderbilt Divinity School, and Erika Weed, an MBA student in communications, both summer interns in the denomination’s Washington lobby, herded their diminished flock into a small Sunday school room to talk sanctified politics.
What was not to love about these young people? Clean cut, freshly shaven, neatly dressed and enthralled by visions of peace, justice and civility, they presented themselves in a manner that would make a grandmother beam. And they were fun. She giggled when he stole her lines, and he blushed when she playfully jousted him for exceeding a prearranged script.
Witnessing this showcase of youthful exuberance, one might almost forget that the couple had been dispatched from a hotbed of hard-nosed partisan politics. Peppering his presentation with quotes from Isaiah, McCain said that the denomination’s Washington Lobby (which Erika said they were “re-branding” as The Presbyterian Office of Public Witness) is simply caring for the poor, and McCain seemed perplexed that any Christian might be opposed to that.
Devilish details
To the extent that these interns desire to care for the poor, of course, there is no Christian opposition. But such noble intentions in themselves fail to address messy details, questions like “how shall we care for the poor?” Does legislation for which this denomination lobbies Congress demonstrably lift poor people from their poverty? Does it equip and train people to earn their own shelter and bread? Or does it pump energy into a ballooning governmental bureaucracy and a newly minted cache of borrowed money into a burgeoning dependency class?
Nothing in the interns’ presentation addressed the concern that the government is spending money that it does not possess might itself be a moral issue.
An inclusive enterprise
McCain and Weed quickly moved the focus of their discussion from high minded motives to a report on their lobby’s consensus building activities. “When we speak to Congress, we don’t just do it as Presbyterians,” said McCain.
That’s probably necessary; since the PCUSA’s massive membership losses have undermined its influence on the Hill. Politicians turn deaf ears toward voices that have limited or no constituency.
“Instead,” continued McCain, “we approach Congress ecumenically. We share offices in the Methodist building, prime property in the shadow of the US Supreme Court, with Methodists, Episcopalians, Lutherans … we even have a Muslim office in there.”
To whom it may concern
McCain proceeded to make merry over this broad spectrum association: “We gather outside our building for prayer” he said, “and that has even caught the attention of the New York Times!”
When the intern paused to catch his breath, I asked, “To Whom do you pray?”
“Well, it depends on who is leading the prayer,” said McCain. It’s different each time. So whoever leads, prays to the god of his experience. And we respect each other’s perspective because we’re all people of faith.”
“‘People of faith?’ I asked, what does that mean, faith in whom … faith in what? Some in your coalition worship different gods, and some, like your Unitarian colleagues, worship no god at all. To whom do your atheists pray?”
“Well, the best way I can describe it is that we all share a sublime experience.”
“A ‘sublime experience,’ and that would be what? What tie binds you together other than politics?”
In the ensuing discomfort some seminar participants rushed to rescue the interns from this apparent bullying. They changed the subject.
A new name
Weed welcomed the shift. “What I really want to share with you is our new branding campaign. We are no longer the Washington Office,” she said, suggesting that public witness has a much better sound to it. “It’s, well, more biblical.”
Weed said that the denomination’s national lobbying office hoped to take its branding campaign to the pews. She said she helped the office upgrade its archaic communications. “You can find us now on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter,” she said. “But the main thing is that we’re trying to get out where the people are.”
Weed said that the plan is to get people together in groups at congregation and presbytery levels “just to talk and share their perspectives with civility.” She bemoaned the debt ceiling stalemate in Congress wherein, according to Weed, a bunch of uncompromising politicians nearly shut down the government with their lack of civility. “And it’s getting worse,” she exclaimed, “there’s a lot of violence going on!”
So the Washington lobby will train civility facilitators who, according to McCain, will address the question voiced by a poet at President Obama’s inauguration, “Are we not of interest to one another?” Weed said that the office hopes to train 200 dialogue facilitators in “how to handle contentious issues.” Then they will be dispatched to presbyteries where they will try to make Presbyterians more civil.
“The most important thing,” said Weed, “is listening. We need to tell our stories to one another, open our hearts and minds to one another. Also, we hope to create a curriculum to help that happen.” Weed said that their objective is not to change people’s minds. “It doesn’t matter what people’s perspectives are in these groups, so long as they treat one another with respect.” That, she said, is the mission.
Politics is politics
But, of course, that is not the mission of the PCUSA’s lobby, however it chooses to label itself. A cursory review of its legislative priorities reveals the punch list of the political left. This lobby does what all lobbies do. It collects votes to advance its agenda, and it most certainly does care what people’s perspectives are.
McCain lamented the fact that “some members of Congress are just not willing to compromise.” Weed echoed that complaint, extolling “the art of compromise” as a godly discipline. Neither intern voiced the view that for Christians, some convictions must never be compromised.
Thus
ended this “Let’s Celebrate!” session on the subject of civility, sponsored by a litigious presbytery that has filed its civil law suits not only against an evangelical church but against each church trustee by name.
Now there’s a “public witness.”