‘The Redbook’ produced by GAMC staffers includes
a voter guide for more than 30 items of GA business
By Carmen Fowler LaBerge, The Layman, June 30, 2012
PITTSBURGH, Pa. — The Women’s Orientation Breakfast hosted by the General Assembly Mission Council (GAMC) Racial Ethnic and Women’s Ministries/Presbyterian Women in partnership with the Advocacy Committee for Women’s Concerns (ACWC) featured the distribution of “The Redbook.” Two GAMC staffers acknowledged that another staff member was responsible for the production of the book which includes what amounts to a voter guide on more than 30 items of business before the General Assembly meeting in Pittsburgh this week.
The guide consolidates the advice and recommendation of the Advocacy Committee on Women’s Concerns in one handy place. Weighing in on matters before nine of the GA’s 21 committees, the ACWC recommendations would see the GA disapproving of 16 overtures that originated in presbyteries. An additional 13 recommendations for overtures to be approved coincide without divergence from that of progressive advocacy groups. Not surprisingly, the ACWC business tracking chart promotes the approval of 6 resolutions which were all self-initiated by ACWC.
The breakfast meeting was opened by Rhashell Hunter, director of Racial Ethnic and Women’s Ministries/Presbyterian Women of the Presbyterian Church (USA), who celebrated the women of the PCUSA. Hunter said that:
- 1.1million of the 1.9 million members of the PCUSA are women
- 42,000 women elders
- 41,000 women deacons
- 33 percent of PCUSA clergy are women, and that the
- largest mission organization and largest donor to mission is Presbyterian Women.
The women were then greeted by Linda Valentine, executive director of the GAMC. Valentine said, “We have women in ministry and women engaged in ministry in all areas of what we do.” She then referenced Hilary Clinton’s travels as Secretary of State who has made the observation that “talent is universal, but opportunity is not, especially for women.” Valentine affirmed that “when women are given opportunity, there is a multiplier effect.” She then shared one of the three new foci for World Mission as poverty, “especially as it affects women and children. ” Valentine concluded her comments by giving thanks “to all of you, fearless trailblazers, tireless advocates and those who carry the concerns of women in your hearts in all areas of ministry.”
The Rev. Joyce Lieberman from the Office of the General Assembly then shared “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective GA Participants.”
- be prayerful in your deliberations;
- be prepared;
- be clear in what you say;
- be judicious in our opportunity to speak;
- be courageous in your speaking;
- be open to the movement of the Holy Spirit …open yourself fully to this experience;
- be hopeful in Jesus Christ.
Courtney Hoekstra, associate for Advocacy Committee Support, then formally introduced “The Redbook.” Inviting the women to turn to pages 16-17, Hoekstra walked them through the “self-initiated resolutions from ACWC and overtures where ACWC has commented.”
Hoeskstra noted that the six self-initiated resolutions from ACWC
- 11-12 resolution to continue work of Debra’s daughters which addresses issues related to women in leadership
- 11-13 resolution to recommit to hearing and singing new songs to God which addresses issues related to women of color
- 11-14 resolution to promote study of the 2011-2012 Horizons study and Accra Confession to the whole church, “to signal solidarity with people most vulnerable and our witness in a fragile global economy.”
- 11-15 resolution to advocate participation in the National Council of Churches “Words Matter” initiative. “This is a project about language for God and one another. Recognizing the power that resides in the words we use.”
- 11-16 resolution on Safe Child Policy. The current policy is outdated as it does not address technology. PCUSA needs a new safe child resource that provides on-line examples.
- 11-17 resolution on survivors of sexual assault for back log of rape kits nationwide. There is a time limit and yet the backlog means that many end up being useless for prosecution.
Hoeskstra then drew the women’s attention to item 10-15, the report of status of women task force which advocates for a study to be funded.
The breakfast wrapped up with a presentation of the impact of business initiated by and advocated for by women at the prior GA. Belinda Rice, leadership team member for Advocacy Committee for Women’s Concerns shared the heart-breaking story of The Missing Women of Juarez.
She said, “At the last GA there was a request from border ministries and the Hispanic Latino caucus that resulted in a resolution regarding hundreds of murdered and missing women right next door to us in Juarez, Mexico.”
Compelled by the command of Christ to love our neighbors, Hunter acknowledged that “sometimes we are so inwardly focused that we forget that there are women right next door to us who are struggling just to live.”
Sharing from her own experience, Hunter said, “Crossing the border, my heart was so heavy. There is a huge pink cross with railroad spikes indicating the women who have been murdered or who are missing.”
These women’s lives are lost not because of the drug trade or gang violence but because of a cultural acceptance of feminicide. “Women are trivialized. Women are being murdered just because they’ve gotten a job that the men think they deserve to have. Women suffer domestic violence at levels we cannot imagine and the people who stand up for them find their lives in danger too,” Hunter said.
The video presentation is compelling. Sharing about the realities: “In the last three years 32,000 men, women and children have been murdered,” and the hope offered by cooperative ministries between Tres Rios Presbytery and Christians in Juarez, “400-450 people seeking services every month; 90 percent of them are women.”
Hunter concluded by acknowledging that in the wake of the passage of Amendment 10A, “the Mexican Presbyterian Church has decided to disassociate itself from the PCUSA because of the decision we made to become fully inclusive.” However, she said, “there are individual congregations that continue to work with us on this particular issue.”
She invited the women to watch the videos, pray for all involved, talk with their congregations and give financial support.