Four versus 57. Numbers talk. Great Commission versus Cultural Mandate.

That was the ratio of General Assembly business items dealing with evangelism or church planting (four) versus the number of business items (57) in five committees tasked with social-witness business.

Between the evangelistic mandate to make disciples and the cultural mandate to make the world a better place, Presbyterians tend to bend wildly toward the cultural mandate. They ventured far and wide this assembly, never lacking a word about everyone else’s business.

For much of Thursday, commissioners made one declaration after another about social-justice issues. The most controversial proved to be a commissioners’ resolution about the Arizona immigration law lately in the news.

Aliens and Arizona
A commissioners’ resolution introduced the subject of immigration and occasioned both a committee report and a minority report. Both spoke to the Arizona situation and read similarly, but the minority report styled the majority report as, at times, “abrasive, divisive and unhelpful.”

The vice-moderator of the majority report, Kirsten Gerling of Donegal Presbytery, called the majority report better. So Commissioner Ted Schuldt of North Puget Sound Presbytery asked, “How would you define better?”

“It was better than the other one because of the vote,” Gerling muttered under her breath.

“The what?” Schuldt asked.

“Because of the vote,” Gerling repeated. “The committee report got more votes in committee, so it was better.”

Someone else wondered, “How many in your committee have actually read the law?” prior to commenting on it.

The answer: “It was suggested by a couple of folks that we see the legislation, but then the request was withdrawn.” The committee was condemning legislation and proposing travel precautions apparently without first doing its homework.

Further, the original recommendation included counsel to “refrain from holding national meetings at hotels or non-PCUSA conference centers” in states with Arizona-like immigration laws. Thus, the report would ask others to experience a loss in bookings – but not a PCUSA conference center.

“It looks like we have strong progressive beliefs – except when we will be injured,” observed a commissioner. That led to the removal of the distinction.

Following a lively debate, the majority version was chosen over the gentler minority report, so that on immigration and Arizona, Presbyterians counsel:
· To refrain from holding events at hotels in states with laws like Arizona’s;
· To make refuges for or to accompany persons likely to be targeted for “immigration harassment”;
· To produce study materials;
· To head off or deal with similar legislation in other states; and
· To join other churches in praying for those who have died on their journey.

Arguments pro and con were extensive. John Fountain from Greater Atlanta expressed concern that the resolution “would place an economic burden mainly on those at the bottom of the pyramid, the same workers for which we express solidarity.”

But former GA Moderator John Fife reminded the body that “the [resolution] was brought by Hispanic congregations. Thus, those most greatly affected asked for the resolution. Racism must be confronted with action immediately!”

Pastor Al Sandalow of Central Washington posed a worrisome question. “If Pennsylvania passes an Arizona-like law,” he asked, “would we be unable to hold the 2012 General Assembly in Pittsburgh?” That occasioned a spate of shoulder shrugging until committee leaders turned to Stated Clerk Gradye Parsons.

Parsons paused a moment before he replied slowly, “The word is refrain—to ‘refrain from holding meetings’ there. We would have to look into it.” Parsons paused. “But it doesn’t say ‘shall’ anywhere.” Apparently compliance would depend on parsing the meaning of refrain, and Parsons appeared capable of re-imagining refrain’s meaning.

Later, The Layman asked Parsons again: “If Pennsylvania passes an immigration law like Arizona’s, what would you do about the 2012 General Assembly in Pittsburgh?”

“We would have to seriously look at our contract,” he replied.

“And –?”

“And we would follow the direction of the Assembly,” Parsons said for the record. Relocating GA away from Pittsburgh likely would be an expensive and embarrassing task to do in order to abide by this resolution.

The wide world of retorts
Other business of a social-witness nature was voluminous. Here a sampling of the variety of subjects only perfunctorily considered in plenary session and approved often on a voice vote following no discussion:
· A study paper and recommendations on compensation, including considering a ratio of permissible pay from highest to lowest, lifting the upper cap on compensation subject to pension dues, setting maximum terms of call for ministers, and urging them “to stand as a witness against excessive compensation in church and in society.”
· The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, which is a United Nations document.
· A request that “presbyteries explore local resources and conduct training in cultural proficiency on the intersection of race with gender.”
· The promotion of “educational opportunity for all children in the United States,” addressing “issues of systemic factors that undermine children’s education.”
· A Resolution to Study Violence Against Women and Children on the Mexico-U.S. Border.
· Capping interest on credit cards, and setting up loans with lower rates for those in poverty.
· Holding perpetrators, whether clergy or laity, responsible for violence against women and girls, rather than rushing to forgiveness.
· Lifting up a call to restore creation.
· Affirming the Charter of Compassion.
· Working in conjunction with the Presbytery of South Louisiana “to develop resources on the implications of coastal wetlands loss for God’s creation and God’s community.”
· “Encourag[ing] the church at every level … to become informed and active in preventing gun violence,” but allowing the legal use of firearms.
· Calling for an immediate moratorium on capital punishment.
· Increasing structures and efforts to promote cultural proficiency.
· Appointing a committee of 11 persons to study the nature of the church for the 21st century, at a cost of nearly $60,000.
· Initiating and supporting an ecumenical, long-term response to the Deep Water Horizon oil disaster, including various advocacy measures.

A paper rejected
A rare thing happened in response to a paper received from the Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy (ACSWP). It was disapproved, with an 80 percent majority.

The paper was intended to update a 1981 paper, and ACSWP had taken 10 years to make the revisions. However, the assembly commented that “the original paper, the Nature and Value of Human Life (1981), is in many ways superior as a tool for moral discourse.”

Commissioner Marie Bowen from Pittsburgh Presbytery shared her experience. “I have followed this paper for five years,” she noted. Bowen attended ACSWP meetings in order to track the paper’s progress. “This paper is not well-written. It is rambling. It seems not to have a main point. It does not address the topic. It is not an adequate response to the task given. The [assembly] committee has made a right decision.”