By Toby Tabachnick, The Jewish Chronicle. The incoming president of the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary is a proponent of divestment from Israel, but what effect his views will have on future clergy who attend the graduate theological school of the Presbyterian Church (USA), located in East Liberty, remains to be seen.David V. Esterline will succeed William…
By Sarah Eekhoff Zylstra A Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) vote to divest from some Israeli holdings may be a largely symbolic measure by a denomination rapidly losing its symbolic weight. The PC(USA) voted to divest from three companies—Caterpillar, Hewlett-Packard, and Motorola Solutions—that provide equipment Israel uses to raze houses, operate checkpoints and communicate in the occupied…
Reactions have been mixed in the days following decisions regarding same-sex marriage and divestment from major U.S. corporations doing business in Israel made by the 221st General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) in Detroit. In a vote on June 19, the assembly passed an Authoritative Interpretation (AI) to allow pastors discretion to conduct same-sex…
By JNS.org Speaking to a Jerusalem gathering of nearly 300 international Jewish journalists on Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blasted Presbyterian Church USA (PCUSA) for its vote to divest from Israel. “When the Middle East is fragmented in this horrible war, this savage, savage war between militant Shiites and militant Sunnis… the only place…
By Ryan Hill The majority of American Protestants, especially evangelicals, stand behind Israel in its conflict with Palestine. This weekend, one denomination may break that trend, antagonizing supporters of the tiny, Jewish state. The Presbyterian Church U.S.A. (PCUSA) will open its 221st General Assembly in Detroit on Saturday. One church committee has proposed divestment from…
It was the closest vote of the 2012 General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA). By the narrow margin of 333-331, commissioners turned aside a proposal to divest PCUSA holdings in three companies that sell non-lethal products to the Israeli military. Instead the commissioners chose an approach that emphasized “active investment” to build up the…
The Presbyterian Mission Agency Board, on the recommendation of the Mission Responsibility Through Investment (MRTI) committee, is recommending to the 221st General Assembly meeting this summer in Detroit that the denomination purge its investment portfolios of Caterpillar, Hewlett-Packard and Motorola Solutions stocks. Presbyterians speaking with voices on all sides of all issues were raised during…