wfn.org | Sustainable development committee adopts church policy paper

[PCUSA.NEWS@ecunet.org]

03-July-1996 
 
GA96059 
 
    Sustainable Development committee 
    adopts Church Policy paper 
 
ALBUQUERQUE--Following a lengthy open hearing and what appears will be two 
accompanying minority reports, the Committee on Sustainable Development 
adopted a major church policy paper July 2 for action by the 208th General 
Assembly (1996). 
 
    "Hope for a Global Future: Toward Just and Sustainable Human 
Development," will be presented to the Assembly by the denomination's 
Advisory Committee on Sustainable Development (ACSWP). The document 
examines the social, economic, and ecological effects of  U.S. economic 
policies on some of the world's poorest nations and recommends direction 
for reform. 
 
    "It's a terrific, very in-depth study," commented Florence Johnson, 
Faith and Sustainable Development committee moderator. "The Advisory 
Committee on Social Witness Policy has worked very hard, as has our 
resource team and our committee." 
 
    Even so, approval of the document by the 44-member committee did not 
come without compromise. For example, Johnson said, one committee member 
felt many of the terms in the paper's section on reproductive health could 
be interpreted to mean "abortion," and a clarification in the minority 
report was called for. 
 
     The committee also questioned the financial implications of the study. 
Particularly, a proposed $133,286 from unrestricted mission funds to 
establish a four-year emphasis, including salary and benefits, for a 
full-time staff position to propel the paper's polices forward in the life 
of the church and nationally. 
 
     The committee soundly defeated the proposal, since no new money will 
be available for Faith and Sustainable Development should it be approved by 
the Assembly. Moreover, in order to implement the paper, the budget of one 
of the denomination's three divisions (most likely Congregational or 
National)  will have to be adjusted accordingly based on priorities. 
 
    "The rationale behind [eliminating the staff position] was the church 
does not have enough money and we're cutting back on a lot of things, so 
why form a new position?," Johnson said. "The committee was very firm about 
that." 
 
    However,  the committee did approve $22,500 for the document's printing 
costs. Johnson said some of the printing may be able to be performed 
in-house, thus saving more money. 
 
    While acknowledging the importance of stewardship, James Kuhn, a 
Presbyterian elder who was appointed to develop the paper in 1991, said he 
was "disappointed" that the committee voted not to  approve all of the 
paper's funding aspects. 
 
     "That's a very tough decision and a judgment call," Kuhn said. "But 
I'm sorry we didn't convince [the committee] that this is a higher priority 
item for them." 
 
 
Julian Shipp 

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