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New Jersey Governor Whitman Discusses Welfare Reform


From PCUSA.NEWS@pcusa.org
Date 17 Sep 1997 13:00:36

12-September-1997 
97350 
 
    New Jersey Governor Whitman Discusses Welfare Reform 
    With New Brunswick Presbytery 
 
    by Helen Ash Kull 
    New Brunswick Presbytery 
 
FRENCHTOWN, N.J.--New Jersey governor Christine Todd Whitman addressed the 
Presbytery of New Brunswick Sept. 9, stressing the importance of government 
working together with local religious, business and civic groups to try to 
solve the problems that confront society. 
 
    "I believe that it is by reaching out to the existing groups that form 
the leadership within communities that we will actually be able to meet the 
challenges of the future," Whitman told the 200 assembled presbyters at 
Frenchtown Presbyterian Church.  "I look forward to addressing a body such 
as presbytery as to how we [the government] can tap into the resources of 
our religious community, and the caring, involved people in those 
communities." 
 
    Far from encouraging a separation of church and state, the governor, 
who is a Presbyterian, remarked on how significant it is for all public 
servants who serve the people "to be grounded in the principles of the 
Bible and the teachings of Christ." 
 
    The governor was invited to address the September presbytery meeting as 
part of its yearlong discernment process, "Being Stewards of God's Gifts: A 
Discernment Process of the Presbytery of New Brunswick on Ministries in 
Economic Life."  The program seeks to discover more about what God would 
have the church do about problems facing the people in their communities 
and state.  The governor's Democratic opponent in this fall's election, 
state senator James McGreevy, has accepted an invitation to address the 
October meeting of the presbytery. 
 
    Responding to a question regarding how the government, the religious 
and business communities and the poor may become partners in ending 
poverty, the governor cited her administration's creative approach to urban 
aid in the formation of the Urban Coordinating Council. 
 
    Members of the council work with existing leadership groups in selected 
communities to focus on the local needs and then employ pooled sources of 
urban redevelopment funds to make the necessary changes.  The public and 
private partnerships thus created help to maintain and sustain the 
improvement to the community, beyond any one government program or 
administration.  Whitman cited several such governmental initiatives in 
which local involvement was key to making a difference in the lives of the 
needy. 
 
    The presbytery embarked on its discernment process in response to 
shifting economic conditions in New Jersey that will directly affect how 
the church ministers to those in need.  Changes in welfare laws now give 
greater autonomy to state governments, and the funding of several federal 
programs is being decreased.  Additionally, the streamlining of 
corporations by downsizing and forced early retirement has resulted in many 
people being out of work. 
 
    Fully aware that the Bible includes a great deal of wisdom about 
economic life and that the ways in which communities share their economic 
resources is important to God, the Social Witness Committee of the 
presbytery devised the process to address these issues. 
 
    The Rev. Richard Weis, professor of Old Testament at New Brunswick 
Seminary and a member of the committee, prepared five one-hour Bible study 
sessions on faith and economic life for use by congregations.  Participants 
in the studies wrestled with issues regarding faith, justice and 
stewardship in light of current economic conditions and developed from 
their discussions questions regarding economic practices and policies. 
 
    The committee then distilled the resulting 80 questions down to five, 
which were addressed by Whitman and which will also be addressed by Senator 
McGreevy in October.  Videotapes of the two public servants' responses will 
be made available to all 43 congregations in the presbytery for further 
study and reflection. 
 
    At a related prepresbytery event, the Rev. Jim Watkins of the 
Presbyterian Peacemaking Program staff led a conversation based on insights 
from his experience as senior aide to a U.S. congressman and his own run 
for public office.  The discussion focused on methods of effective 
communication with public officials, appropriate ways to follow up on 
conversations with public officials and ways in which our faith calls 
people to responsible citizenship. 
 
(The Presbyterian News Service is indebted to the Rev. Joyce Emery of the 
New Brunswick Presbytery staff for arranging for coverage of this event.)  

------------
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