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17-June-1998 
GA98071 
 
           Debatable Items Keep Health and Educational  
          Issues Committee Working until the 11th Hour  
 
                         By Julian Shipp 
 
CHARLOTTE, N.C.--A handful of controversial items kept the Assembly 
Committee on Health and Educational Issues working until the 11th hour June 
17th. 
     Among the articles from the committee for the 210th General Assembly 
(1998) to consider are  recommendations that the Assembly boost funding for 
the Presbyterian Health, Education and Welfare Association (PHEWA) and 
instruct PHEWA "to enlarge its membership and include all organizations 
that desire affiliation with the organization provided they operate under 
the PHEWA/National Ministries Division (NMD) Covenant, the Memo of 
Understanding between PHEWA and its networks and who will work to implement 
GAC policy."   
     In response to Overtures 98-53 (Presbytery of Cincinnati) and 98-80 
(Presbytery of Prospect Hill) on implementation of the Assembly's policy on 
abortion, the committee accepted a substitute motion which recommends that 
this year's Assembly direct the General Assembly Council (GAC) to nominate 
four of its members to examine resources recommended or produced by 
Assembly entities on abortion and problem pregnancies. The four would look 
at the 1992 abortion policy using the Bible, the Book of Confessions, and 
the 1992 declared policy of the denomination as benchmarks. 
     Two members would hold the position identified as "A" and two would 
take the position distinguished as "B" in the narrative section of the 
policy statement. The four would then meet yearly with an envoy from the 
Women's Ministry Program Area and a representative of Presbyterians 
Pro-Life to determine the extent to which the materials  "reflect the 
diversity of positions about problem pregnancies and abortion found 
herein."   They would then submit a full narrative from the GAC to the 
212th General Assembly (2000).  
     The Health and Educational Issues Committee will also bring a 
recommendation on two business items related to the National Network of 
Presbyterian College Women (NNPCW).  Overture 98-64 (National Capital 
Presbytery) requests that a line item be added to the PCUSA Mission Budget 
to provide full funding for the organization in future years. The committee 
recommends the overture not be approved. 
     Instead, the committee recommends approval of Commissioners' 
Resolution 98-10 as amended to read, "That the 210th General 
Assembly...withdraw sponsorship and funding to the NNPCW, inviting them to 
fully integrate with Campus Ministries or to organize as a special 
organization of Presbyterians." 
     According to National Ministries Division (NMD) officials, NNPCW 
presently receives funding from the division's Higher Education, Social 
Justice, Evangelism and Church Development offices and the Women's 
Ministries Program Areas. Discussion during the committee's open hearings 
included concerns over the sexuality perspective in the NNPCW curriculum 
titled "Young Women Speak: Issues for Study by College Women."   Proponents 
of NNPCW, however, said the organization offers a much-needed space for 
youth dialogue on a variety of issues. 

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