Overture seeks more participation
in forming social witness policy
The Layman, March 24, 2010
An overture by the Presbytery of the Grand Canyon would open the process of forming social witness policies to a wider group within the denomination, requiring all such policies and resolutions to be sent to presbyteries for review before going to the General Assembly.
“While ‘no social witness policy documents shall use language which implies that the conscience of individual members of the Presbyterian Church (USA) is bound by General Assembly statements or recommendations’ (Manual, Forming Social Policy, p. 67), these statements do impact the internal as well as public image of the denomination. Therefore, it is important that these statements have the support of its governing bodies,” the overture’s rationale states.
If approved, the proposal would amend the Manual of the General Assembly to require all social witness policy and resolutions be sent to all presbyteries for study, discussion and comment prior to the General Assembly that is to act on it. The goal is to ensure that GA commissioners have feedback from the “wider church.”
The overture points out that the process for forming social policy, according to the Manual of the General Assembly, requires “advice of members and all governing bodies of the church.” It also cites two failed attempts, prior to the current policy’s approval in 1993, to require presbytery ratification before policies could be enacted for fear it might hamper the timeliness of a GA’s ability to approve such statements.
Grand Canyon’s overture argues that the biennial GA meeting schedule provides the time needed for such a process.
Celebrating social awareness
The Presbytery of Chicago has overtured the 219th General Assembly to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the first social pronouncement of the Presbyterian Church in the USA. The action was based on the Social Creed of 1908, which focused on 14 social problems related to industrial issues.
It also calls for the promotion of the “Social Creed for the 21st Century,” approved by the 218th General Assembly in 2008, and for the Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy to distribute a related resource to presbyteries and congregations.
Both overtures will be considered when the 219th General Assembly meets July 3-10 in Minneapolis, Minn.