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15-January-1998 
98015 
 
        Louisville Presbytery's Justice for Women Group 
    Alleges  Violation of Due Process in Poethig Dismissal 
 
    by Julian Shipp 
 
LOUISVILLE, Ky.--Justice for Women (JFW) of Louisville Presbytery is 
circulating a petition alleging that the General Assembly Council's (GAC) 
End of Term Review Committee violated due process before it recommended 
that Congregational Ministries Division (CMD) director the Rev. Eunice B. 
Poethig not be given a second four-year term. 
 
    During its meeting last November in Santa Fe, N.M. (see the Nov. 28, 
1997, edition of  "NEWS BRIEFS," No. 9748), the CMD Committee concurred 
with the unanimous recommendation of the End of Term Review Committee that 
Poethig not be retained. 
 
    According to Hedy Lodwick of Louisville, Ky., JFW co-convener, it 
appears the End of Term Review Committee failed to comply with procedures 
outlined in the GAC Manual of Operations in conducting its review of 
Poethig's job performance. 
 
    The manual, in Appendix 8, Section B, 2.f, reads: "The results of this 
review shall be shared by the review team in a two-to-three-hour 
face-to-face conference with the Director. Resources shall include: (1) a 
summary of the data gathered, (2) information from the review team, (3) a 
self-evaluation." According to Poethig, the process did not occur in this 
manner. 
 
    "What was shocking was that there was no discussion by the [End of Term 
Review Committee] and I had no advance indication from staff or others that 
I would [not be recommended for another term]," Poethig said. "The [GAC] 
Manual of Operations calls for a two-to-three-hour dialogue session, which 
I understand to be a discernment session. That never took place. ... They 
had already made up their minds that they weren't going to recommend a 
second term and therefore no discussion took place. The whole interview [on 
Nov.11] took less than 20 minutes." 
 
    Poethig told the Presbyterian News Service that the petition is 
entirely at the initiative of JFW. 
 
    Poethig agreed to serve as division director until September under the 
condition that she be allowed to reserve the option of a standard 30-day 
separation notice should she want it. However, the GAC must decide on the 
duration of her stay.  It meets Feb. 10-14 in Louisville. 
 
    The petition calls on the GAC to "to live up to its calling to order 
its life so as to be a model for the world and follow its own thoughtfully 
established guidelines as printed in its Manual of Operations." It further 
states: "all servants of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), regardless of 
position or gender, must have the assurance that in their particular 
situation they can rely on knowing that the church will indeed conduct 
business decently, and in good order, and always pastorally." 
 
    Lodwick told the Presbyterian News Service that JFW wants the GAC to 
"make amends" for the End of Term Review Committee's action and to publicly 
apologize to Poethig. Lodwick said the petitions must be returned before 
Feb. 1 in order to be received by the GAC. 
 
    "We think [the End of Term Review Committee] should have followed their 
own procedures," Lodwick told the Presbyterian News Service. "Dr. Poethig 
doesn't even know why she was not recommended for another term." 
 
    The Rev. John Evans of Davidson, N.C., a member of the Personnel 
Committee of the GAC Executive Committee and chair of  the CMD's End of 
Term Review Committee, declined to comment on the matter. However, during a 
previous Presbyterian News Service interview, he confirmed the brevity of 
the interview with Poethig and said he apologizes if Poethig thinks she was 
"not dealt with in a good way." Evans said Poethig deserves thanks for her 
service to the church, but added that many feel it is time for new 
leadership as the denomination enters the next century. 
 
    The Rev. John G. McFayden of Arlington, Ill., CMD Committee chair, said 
he was not aware of the petition at press time and could not comment on it. 
However, during November's CMD Committee meeting, McFayden said the 
decision to not renew Poethig's term "came after long hours of prayerful 
discussion" and that during its process, the CMD Committee "reviewed a 
great deal of data received from staff, committee members and others 
familiar with Poethig and her work." 
 
    The Rev. Kenneth J. Hockenberry, stated clerk of Louisville Presbytery, 
said that as of press time, no official action regarding Poethig has been 
taken by any other presbytery entity. 
 
    Before restructuring in 1993, Justice for Women was an advocacy network 
of the Women's Ministry Unit. The other three networks were the Committee 
on Women of Color, Women Employed by the Church and Presbyterian Women. 
Although Presbyterian Women is the only remaining group at the national 
level, there are still some presbytery- and synod-level advocacy networks 
throughout the church. 

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