Saturday Fellowship at EAD

Join the PC(USA) 

Office of Public Witness 

for an informal evening of Fellowship

Date: Saturday, March 22
Time: 7:00-11:00 PM
Where: The Jefferson Room
              Doubletree Crystal City Hotel

Come join the fun on Saturday Night of Ecumenical Advocacy Days.

A time for Presbyterians and friends to share fellowship and desserts, watch NCAA Basketball, and play table games. A cash bar will be provided. 

Please register at the CPJ Day Registration table, the PC(USA) Exhibit at EAD, or at the door of the event.

Donation (cash or check):     $10.00

Washington Report to Presbyterians Fall 2013

The Fall 2013 Washington Report to Presbyterians is here!  

THE LATEST NEWS FROM THE PC(USA) OFFICE OF PUBLIC WITNESS INCLUDES:

• Faith Leaders Call for Common Good Budget Deal
• A Preview of the 2014 Advocacy Training weekend, March 21-24
• A Feature on our Summer Fellows, both 2013 and our alumni – where are they now?
• Peacemakers Make a Difference on Syria
• A short recap of the Presbyterians for Earth Care Conference
• Action Alert: Boycott the Occupation of Palestine

Download the complete Report from our website.

A New Generation of Justice Advocates

Director for Public Witness, J. Herbert Nelson, recently wrote about our internship and fellowship ministries for the Executive Director's weekly update.  See the message below.

A new generation of justice advocates: Youth and young adults on fire for justice-advocacy work

August 8, 2013

Greetings to members of the Presbyterian Mission Agency Board, mid council executives, and friends,

From the opening worship to the closing block party celebrating the 30th anniversary of the formation of the PC(USA) and the 25th anniversary of the opening of the Presbyterian Center in Louisville, Big Tent was fantastic. I heard that sentiment from scores of Presbyterians who attended the national gathering last week in Louisville.

Among the participants at Big Tent were hundreds of youth and young adults—that population so vital to church and society that is currently one of the directional goals for the denomination’s mission. J. Herbert Nelson, director of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s Office of Public Witness in Washington, DC, has written a timely—and hopeful—message highlighting the church’s commitment to training young adults in justice advocacy at the highest levels of society. I hope you will read it with great interest. 

Faithfully yours,

Linda Valentine

***

“But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you.” (John 14:26)

In January 2012, the PC(USA) Office of Public Witness (OPW) made a three-year commitment to focus on developing youth and young adult justice advocates. Our office committed to visiting venues in which youth and young adults gather. The purpose is to share the good news of the gospel that Jesus Christ is calling each one of them to a new and exciting way of life that includes the work of justice advocacy. In John 14:26, the New Revised Standard Version uses the word advocate to describe the Holy Spirit. (The Revised Standard Version had used counselor.) The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) indicates that the word advocate comes from two Latin words, ad and vocare, meaning “called or summoned to another.” More specifically, the OED continues, advocate means “called or summoned to plead another’s cause in court.” In this text, Jesus reminds us that God sent us an advocate, one called to plead our case in the court of judgment. The Spirit is an advocate. We who are filled with the Spirit are therefore called to a similar task as we work for the coming kingdom of God. In our discipleship, we stand between humanity’s brokenness and the need for redemption through the lives we lead for Jesus Christ in the world. It must be noted that we do not serve as redemptive voices because of our righteousness. Instead, we serve by God’s grace. 

God’s grace in our efforts to work with young adults is most evident through our internship program. We are producing young adults for various fields of committed service to the kingdom of God in both sacred and secular venues. Through our OPW fellowship program we are producing church workers, university development officers, community activists, government leaders, and others who are equipped to carry the Spirit of the gospel of Jesus Christ as public theologians. Recently I had an opportunity to preach for two weeks at the Montreat Youth Conference. It was gratifying to hear the affirmation of over 1,400 young people and their leaders who expressed excitement regarding our work in Washington, DC. Inquiries regarding our internship and fellowship programs were numerous. Graduating seniors who will attend DC-area universities even expressed their interest in volunteer possibilities. Additionally, we are witnessing a growing number of high school and campus ministry groups scheduling visits to our office for information and issue briefings. In short, youth and young adults are on fire for justice-advocacy work.

We are thankful to all who have contributed to the internship and summer fellowship programs. Our cost for an intern/fellow is approximately $6,500. Your contributions are providing meaningful opportunities for young people. We pray for your continued prayers and support for the ongoing work of the PC(USA) Office of Public Witness.

J. Herbert Nelson

The Presbyterian Church Office of Public Witness advocates for the approved General Assembly policies having implications for the federal government. The office is located at 100 Maryland Avenue, Washington, DC 20002.

Partnering for education and vocational discernment

TO:                  Educational Institutions: colleges, universities, seminaries, and theological schools

FROM:            J. Herbert Nelson, Director for Public Witness

                        Leslie Woods, Representative for Domestic Poverty & Environmental Issues

RE:                  On Becoming Partners in Training Servant Leaders

DATE:             August 23, 2012

We celebrate with you as you begin a new academic year of education and vocational discernment. We join with you in faith and eagerness to prepare new servant leaders and ministers for the church and broader society.  Because of this commitment to formation and vocational discernment, we would like to introduce to you our Internship and Summer Fellowship for Public Witness programs.

The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Office of Public Witness in Washington, DC, believes that the formation of servant leaders and advocates is essential to our ministry.  Having maintained a presence in our nation’s capital since 1946, this office serves as the prophetic social witness and advocacy office of the PC(USA), representing the General Assembly’s statements on social justice and peace to national decision-makers and to Presbyterians across the country. In 2010, we revamped our internship program to provide more opportunities for young adults (and the young in spirit) to experience a broad range of experiential, professional, and vocational learning, and to study and engage in the ecumenical and interfaith political advocacy community in Washington, DC.

Our commitment to ecumenical and interfaith political advocacy is the cornerstone of our work. Members of our staff, together with other faith partners, advocate for legislation that achieves, or at least moves us toward economic justice and poverty alleviation; comprehensive immigration reform; an end to gun violence; Middle East peace; greater support and access for persons with disabilities; a torture-free world; fair (not free) trade policies; just and sustainable food and farm policies; environmental justice, and a host of other issues.

Further, we engage the PC(USA) in this work, empowering Presbyterians at all levels of the church to exercise their rights and responsibilities as Christian citizens of a wealthy and diverse nation.  We believe that this is an excellent training ground for persons desiring to learn more about social justice work in the twenty-first century.

As you prepare your students to be responsible citizens and leaders in society and/or the church, whether ordained or lay, we hope you will consider us as a partner in your task to educate, equip, inform, and transform the minds and lives of the theological students in your care.  Our Internship and Fellowship for Public Witness programs are excellent opportunities for your students to gain new experience and new knowledge, and we are happy to comply with institutional requirements, including field education/supervised ministry requirements, so that students may receive academic credit for their service with us.

Please invite your students to visit our website or to contact our Internships coordinator, Leslie Woods at leslie [dot] woods [@] pcusa.org, by email or by phone at (202) 543-1126.  Please distribute this information to interested students and encourage them to apply.  We look forwarding to partnering with you in the education and formation of your students.

And Who is My Neighbor? The PC(USA)’s Call for Justice in International Economic Policy and Trade

OPW Summer Fellow Ginna Irby addresses the OPW’s policy, action, and theological concerns surrounding trade justice, specifically focusing on the pending Free Trade Agreement with Colombia.  

30 Years of AIDS: Reaffirming the PC(USA)’s Commitment to HIV/AIDS Issues

Beatitudes Society, and Office of Public Witness Fellow, Matthew Dimick, examines the implications of the overtures concerning HIV/AIDS passed by the 219th General Assembly, how they fit into the history of the church, and where we stand today in the face of an epidemic (with special attention to the changing face of HIV/AIDS in the USA). Below are his reflections on this presentation.

June marked the thirtieth year of HIV/AIDS in this country. For thirty years, the U.S. and the Global community have groaned under the weight of this disease. In thirty years, HIV and AIDS showed the world the harms of poverty, gender inequality, violence, homophobia, and inequity. HIV has never simply been a body illness, it has been an indicator of social illness--social inequality. 

The first cases of HIV preceded my birth by five years. It is odd to think that this epidemic is older than me, and yet affects so many people in my own personal life. I started doing HIV work because of a sense of Christian charity--I saw my role in addressing HIV/AIDS as something a good Christian should do, as fitting into my role in the history of my community. But as I have worked and researched, my charity has turned to a passion for justice.  Those affected are no longer simply numbers to me but rather names of neighbors, children, brothers and sisters in Christ. 

I gave the above presentation during the "Second Tuesday,” a monthly briefing held at the office. As I prepared this presentation and reflected on the thirty years of the epidemic, it also meant looking at the last thirty years of commitment from the Presbyterian Church which began with a statement from the 195^th General Assembly calling the church to “become an advocate of God’s justice by expressing the concern of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) at the immensity and complexity of this escalating epidemic.”

In addition to reminding those who attended about the PCUSA’s continued commitment to the ailing needs of those suffering from HIV/AIDS, I argued that we are called to look at systemic causes as well.

I drew particular attention to two communities: the incarcerated and older adults. (See above slides for some statistics on these two groups.)

Already, the Presbyterian Church has ministries serving the spiritual needs of the incarcerated. As we learn more about the needs of those in our criminal justice system, how do we advocate for their health needs?

Intentionally, I drew attention to the needs of older adults in the church. Many older adults lack information on HIV and the need for safe-sex practices. To quote a recent AARP article, “We need to move beyond the late-night jokes on Viagra and recognize that sexuality and intimacy continue to be an important part of everyone’s lives, even after someone turns 60.” 

The challenge I issued to those in attendance and now issue to those reading this blog is to get tested for HIV. Regardless of your risk, or if you are married—experiencing testing, being opening about it, and knowing your status are steps in reducing stigma.  (Visit http://www.hivtest.org/ to find a free testing site near you.)

The global church has yet a role to play in ending this pandemic. There is such a need for the global church! I am convicted and compelled by the words of Donald E. Messer from Breaking the Conspiracy of Silence:

"The Church of Jesus Christ is called to be in the very heart of this global pandemic of pain and suffering. We have no choice; there is no escape; the body of Christ has AIDS." 

*note: the Presbyterian HIV/AIDS Awareness Day is now also on December 1^st (World AIDS Day)

Update on the Federal Budget: What’s Ahead for the Social Safety Net

As part of his work at the OPW this summer, Beatitudes Society Summer Fellow Chris McCain discusses proposals for the FY2012 federal budget and their potential implications for programs that support poor and vulnerable populations.

On preparing and sharing his presentation, Chris writes:

As a moral document, the federal budget expresses the values and priorities of the American people. In the current debt-ceiling negotiations, both Congress and the President have proposed plans that, to varying degrees, would make significant cuts or changes to Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security, and other programs that serve low-income and vulnerable populations. For the most part, if any of these changes are passed, many people would experience a decrease in benefits or a complete dis-enrollment from programs they depend on for their livelihoods.

As a person of faith who seeks to heed Jesus' call in Matthew 25 to pay particular attention to "the least of these" in our midst, I am very concerned that the forthcoming deficit reduction package would place disproportionate burdens on those who can least afford it -- the poor, sick, disabled, and elderly. To whatever extent possible, we must not allow this to happen.

In this presentation, I explain and examine the social implications of some of the basic proposals that have been suggested by Democrats and Republicans. From the budget proposal introduced by the GOP and passed by the House of Representatives to possible changes to the Medicaid program which serves poor and disabled persons, I discuss several ideas that may make their way into a final compromise bill. While I firmly believe that reducing the long-term deficit is essential for our country's fiscal health and an important step toward stabilizing and growing the U.S. economy, it is critical that it be done morally and responsibly.

The fight over the federal budget will not be over anytime soon. Even if Congress meets the August 2, 2011, deadline to increase the national debt ceiling, the debate over the size and scope of the federal government will continue. To that end, I encourage you to contact your senators and tell them that the health and well-being of our brothers and sisters, as well as future generations, depends on essential investments and that a deficit reduction deal must include new revenues from those in society who can afford to pay.

Click here to download a PDF of Chris's PowerPoint presentation.