Everything you'll need to know about ACSWP
- Mission Statement/ What is the role of the Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy?
- Who sits on the ACSWP?
- What is the relationship between the ACSWP and the Advocacy Committees?
- Who are the liaisons to the Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy?
- ACSWP Staff
- How do we relate ecumenically with partners?
Mission Statement
The Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy (ACSWP), as a servant of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), develops, interprets, and monitors policies that encourage and challenge the Church and society to reflect and act in faithful response to God's call to do justice.[Mission Statement of the Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy (ACSWP) approved at its meeting October 24-27, 2002 in El Paso, Texas.]
What is the role of the Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy?
The Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy is responsible for the process of developing and recommending social witness policy to the General Assembly. The term "social witness policy" refers to the positions adopted by the General Assembly to express its stance on and guide response to issues in the public order, including their relation to the church's own life and mission. These positions may take the form of policy statements, resolutions, study papers, or social involvement reports, as defined in the Manual of the General Assembly, Guidelines and Policies of the General Assembly, p. 55-58.
Who sits on the ACSWP?
The Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy (ACSWP) is a twelve-member committee, which represents a cross-section of members from the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and is elected by the General Assembly. Three members also serve on the General Assembly Mission Council. Current ACSWP members are:
Gloria Albrecht (Co-chair)
Clergy, professor, Detroit, Mich.; Presbytery of Detroit, Synod of the Covenant.
Arthur William Canada
Clergy, Charlotte, N.C.; Presbytery of Charlotte, Synod of the Mid-Atlantic; member of the General Assembly Mission Council.
David Cortés-Fuentes
Clergy, Claremont, Calif.; Presbytery of San Gabriel, Synod of Southern California/Hawaii.
Christine M. Darden
Elder, Hampton, Va.; Presbytery of Eastern Virginia, Synod of Mid-Atlantic.
Jean Demmler (Chair, Budget and Personnel Committee)
Elder, Denver, CO; Presbytery of Denver; Synod of the Rocky Mountains; member of the General Assembly Mission Council.
Marsha Fowler
Clergy, professor, Altadena, Calif.; Presbytery of San Gabriel, Synod of So. California and Hawaii
Roger J. Gench
Clergy, Washington, D.C.; National Capital Presbytery, Synod of the Mid-Atlantic; member of the General Assembly Mission Council.
Craig Howard
Clergy, Madison, Wisconsin; The John Knox Presbytery, Synod of Lakes and Prairies.
Kathryn Poethig
Member, Professor, Watsonville, Calif., New York City Presbytery, Synod of the Northeast.
William Saint
Member, Fairfax, Va.; Presbytery of the National Capital, Synod of the Mid-Atlantic.
Raafat Zaki
Clergy, Cumming, Ga.; Grace Presbytery, Synod of the Sun
What is the relationship between the ACSWP and the Advocacy Committees?
To ensure advocacy and monitoring functions in the areas of Racial Ethnic Ministries and Women’s Ministries, the General Assembly Mission Council provides for the Advocacy Committee for Racial Ethnic Concerns (ACREC) and the Advocacy Committee for Women’s Concerns (ACWC). These two advocacy committees work in close consultation and cooperation with the Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy (ACSWP). All three groups have direct access to the General Assembly and the General Assembly Mission Council, and their work is coordinated through the General Assembly Mission Council by the Office of the Executive Director.
Who are the liaisons to the Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy?
F. William (Bill) Gray
Advocacy Committee for Women's Concerns (ACWC)
In addition, the following staff are liaisons to the ACSWP
Sara Lisherness, Director, Compassion Peace and Justice
Leslie Woods
Associate, Presbyterian Washington Office.
Catherine Gordon
Associate, Presbyterian Washington Office.
Theology and Worship
Office of the General Assembly
Vernon Broyles
Volunteer Representative for Public Witness
ACSWP Staff
Christian Iosso
Coordinator, Social Witness Policy
Bonnie Hoff
Senior Administrative Assistant for Communication, Policy Research and Library Support.
How do we relate ecumenically with partners?
In addition, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has a Formula of Agreement relationship with three other denominations in the United States. They are:
Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (ELCA): Chicago, Illinois.
- ELCA's Department for Studies, which includes the ELCA's social statements, messages and social policy resolutions as well as various studies.
- The Journal of Lutheran Ethics.
Reformed Church of America (RCA): New York City, New York.
United Church of Christ (UCC): Cleveland, Ohio.
Information on the UCC resolutions going to the 2003 General Synod.
Social witness policy is never developed in a vacuum without listening to the voices of and involving ecumenical partners. For your convenience, we link with their social witness policy web pages. Some of our traditional ecumenical partners include:
- World Council of Churches (WCC): Ecumenical Center, Geneva, Switzerland.
- World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC): Ecumenical Center, Geneva, Switzerland.]
- National Council of Churches of Christ in the U.S.A.: New York, New York.
- Churches Center for Theology and Public Policy (CCTPP): Wesley Theological Seminary, Washington, D.C.