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) serves the prophetic calling of the whole Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) by providing the General Assembly with careful studies of pressing moral challenges, media for discussion and discernment of Christian responsibilities, and policy recommendations for faithful action.
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:
Christine M. Darden (Co-chair)
Elder, Hampton, VA
Presbytery of Eastern Virginia, Synod of Mid-Atlantic.
Jean Demmler
Member, Denver, CO
Linda Eastwood
Rachael Eggebeen
Member, Tucson, AZ
Presbytery of deCristo, Synod of The Southwest.
Marsha Fowler
Minister, professor, Altadena, CA
Presbytery of San Gabriel, Synod of So. California
Kevin Richard Johnson
Minister, Detroit, MI
Presbytery of Detroit, Synod of the Covenant
Mary C. Jorgenson
Eric Mount
Minister, professor, Danville, KY
Presbytery of Transylvania, Synod of Living Waters
Kathryn Poethig
Member, professor, Watsonville, CA
Presbytery of New York City, Synod of the Northeast
Raymond R. Roberts
Minister, Westfield, NJ
Presbytery of Elizabeth, Synod of the Northeast
Noelle Royer
Steven Webb
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?
Advocacy Committee for Racial Ethnic Concerns (to be determined)
Advocacy Committee for Women’s Concerns (to be determined)
In addition, the following staff are liaisons to the ACSWP
Sara Lisherness,
Director
Compassion Peace and Justice
Mark Koenig
Director
Presbyterian Ministry at the United Nations
J. Herbert Nelson
Director
Office of Public Witness, Washington, DC
Catherine Gordon
Associate for International Issues
Office of Public Witness, Washington, DC
Nora Leccese
Interim Associate for Domestic Poverty and Environmental Issues
Office of Public Witness, Washington, D.C.
Office of the General Assembly
Vernon Broyles
Volunteer
Representative for Public Witness
ACSWP Staff
Christian T. Iosso
Coordinator
Ginna Bairby
Managing Editor, Unbound, and Social Witness Associate
Peggy Dahmer
Administrative Assistant
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.
