Notes from the General Assembly, Pt. 2
The second round of committees was about halfway through their work when the announcement about the Supreme Court decision related to reproductive choice and access to abortion started make it’s way through the committee rooms via news alerts and social media posts. Most committees paused in their work or at their next scheduled break to acknowledge the news, offer prayer, and lift up the deep grief and mixed feelings that were being experienced. There was audible crying in room I was resourcing. It was gut-wrenching.
Friends, I know that there people of faith in our church and community who have different opinions about the practice of abortion, each grounded in their own discernment and understanding. There are some who find relief in the change this Supreme Court decision represents, and there are others who are grieving deeply the loss of personal privacy and autonomy over their healthcare decisions. What I appreciate about our Presbyterian stance is that it affirms the full humanity, dignity, spirituality, and intelligence of people who are pregnant to use their own faith and spiritual discernment to come to their own prayerful decisions about their lives and bodies, and it advocates for the application of that affirmation within our society. No person, we Presbyterians say, should be denied their God-given right and responsibility to discern what is necessary for their own health and welfare. It’s this stance that can allow us to live in community with one another even while we hold different personal understandings. It’s also this stance that will lead some to advocacy that protects access to legal, safe abortions and provides once again that access for all people around our country.
Not too long after the Supreme Court decision was released on Friday, I joined several other PC(USA) leaders in sharing our reflections that are grounded in faith, experience, and our Presbyterian tradition. Here is a link to that video.
One item of business that became a focal point on Friday was considered by the Health, Safety, and Benefits Committee and titled “On Reproductive Justice.” This item came to the committee through a process called a commissioners’ resolution. Under certain conditions commissioners can recommend new business that has not been recommended by presbyteries. This particular item of business was submitted on Sunday, June 19, and the rationale referencing the pending Supreme Court decision. The item was docketed for Friday, and it’s consideration was taken up right after the news announcement. There are seven action items that the assembly will consider, including ones that will create a theological reflection to guide the church on the issue and urge the Board of Pensions to continue to develop the policies and practices that will ensure that plan members are able to access reproductive health care and abortion, equitably, no matter the state they live in.
Other items forwarded to the full assembly from committees that met at the end of last week include:
From the Race and Gender Justice Committee: A list of 10 recommendations that built on the report from the Disparities Experienced by Black Women and Girls Task Force. These recommendations seek to address the immediate effects and long-term consequences of interpersonal and institutional violence perpetrated against Black women and girls in U.S. society and in the PC(USA).
From the Environmental Justice Committee: An extensive set of actions hoped to encourage Presbyterians to care for creation through the reduction of green house gas emissions. Among the actions is the approval of selective divestment from specific fossil fuel companies, namely, Chevron, ExxonMobil, Marathon Petroleum, Phillips 66, and Valero Energy, as opposed to categorical divestment. The overture FVPC member Linda Sonner was advocating for asked for categorical divestment, among other actions. There is likely to be extensive floor debate in the plenary on this issue, so stay tuned!
From the Addressing Violence in the USA Committee: An extensive set of actions designed to reaffirm and strengthen the PC(USA)’s commitment to be an active and prophetic leader in the national movement to end gun violence. Some of the recommendations align directly with priorities FVPC is already working on through our membership in the Fox River Valley Initiative and the activities of a number of our members in Moms Demand Action, such as safe storage laws and smart technology gun locks.
These items are just the very tip of the iceberg of all that is happening here in Louisville. You can browse through a number of articles written about the work happening on the PC(USA) news website. There are also good updates on a few Facebook accounts, including Spirit of GA with some great daily videos, Presbyterian Church (U. S. A.), and the Presbyterian Outlook, an independent news source covering the Presbyterian Church.
Please continue to hold all participant, staff, and volunteers in your prayers. After a little COVID spike very early on due to events held outside of our meeting plans and protocols, we have stayed very, very healthy. A gathering can be held safely with very tight guidelines!