wfn.org | "Charitable Choice" and "Police Accountability" Discussions

[PCUSA NEWS <pcusa.news@ecunet.org>]

Dominate Fall ACSWP Meeting 
28-October-1999 
99369 
 
    "Charitable Choice" and "Police Accountability" Discussions 
    Dominate Fall ACSWP Meeting 
 
    Resolutions due to be presented to 2000 General Assembly 
 
    by Vicki Fogel Mykles 
 
DENVER-Members of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Advisory Committee on 
Social Witness Policy (ACSWP) tackled the complexities of "charitable 
choice" and police accountability during their October 21-24 meeting here. 
 
                               Charitable Choice 
 
    The emerging issue of charitable choice - the result of recent welfare 
reform legislation that allows government agencies to contract with 
religious organizations for certain welfare services -  raises both pro and 
con issues for congregations seeking involvement in ministries of outreach 
and compassion. 
 
    ACSWP is preparing a resolution on charitable choice for consideration 
by the 2000 General Assembly. 
 
    Speaking to issues surrounding the acceptance of public funds by 
faith-based communities, ACSWP member the Rev. Herb Meza of Jacksonville, 
Fla, highlighted first amendment concerns (the separation of church and 
state, individual rights for the free exercise of religious beliefs), the 
problems of government entanglement in church policy and building use, and 
the morality of possible proselytizing in the context of delivering 
government-sponsored human services. 
 
    "I agree with Meza's points," said ACSWP member Fred Davie, Jr. of Long 
Island City, N.Y. "But I still see the need for churches to be able to 
accept government funds [in order to provide needed social services]." 
Davie added a proviso saying that congregations using tax-payer dollars to 
fund social programs should never force an individual to accept a 
particular theology in order to obtain food or other basic services. 
 
    Presbyterian Washington Office director Elenora Giddings Ivory, a 
liaison to ACSWP,  said congregations choosing to work with government 
agencies should be encouraged to establish a separate IRS 501(c)3 
designation for their outreach ministry as a way to avoid the commingling 
of private and public funds. 
 
    Concerns were also raised over civil rights issues, the increasing 
magnitude of local need, the limited ability of  faith-based communities to 
meet all needs, the importance of involving mental health professionals in 
assessing needs and programs, the possible effects of an economic 
down-turn, the potential disappearance of government funds, and the lack of 
guidance available to congregations from a single source. 
 
    The committee affirmed the existing  guidelines for the use of public 
funds found in the 1988 General Assembly's policy statement, "God Alone is 
Lord of the Conscience" (DMS #OGA-88-107), saying that this document 
already provides a considerable amount of policy and direction with regard 
to the church's involvement with government. 
 
    The committee will most likely recommend that congregations make every 
effort to receive government funding for "charitable choice" programs, 
especially with regard to emergency relief, and to establish separate 
501(c)3 designations for such programs. 
 
    They will also strongly recommend that churches never make the 
acceptance of a particular theology a condition of receiving charitable 
assistance. 
 
    A packet of materials designed to inform governing bodies and 
congregations about the issues involved in charitable choice will be 
assembled. This packet will be available upon request. 
 
    ACSWP's charitable choice work group said they used the following 
background papers to inform their discussion: "A Pastor Struggles with 
Charitable Choice"  by Dana Jones, "Church & Society" magazine, March/April 
1999; "A Guide to Charitable Choice: An Overview of Section 104," U.S. 
Department of Social Services; "Implementation of Charitable Choice," 
Washington Office of the Presbyterian Church, U.S.A.; and "God Alone is 
Lord of the Conscience," the policy statement  adopted by the 200th General 
Assembly (1988), Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). 
 
                           Police Accountability 
 
    The 210th General Assembly (1998) instructed ACSWP, in consultation 
with the Advocacy Committee for Racial Ethnic Concerns, to study the 
phenomenon of police brutality as it relates to communities of color and 
hate crimes. 
 
    ACSWP members critiqued the revised draft paper on police 
accountability, written by consultant Mary E. Powers of the National 
Coalition on Police Accountability.  The committee had reviewed a first 
draft of the paper at its previous meeting in August. 
 
    The paper addressed issues such as police presence in communities of 
color, the excessive use of police force and brutality; the rising culture 
of police paramilitarism; the use/misuse of modern technologies (videotaped 
interrogations, DNA testing, patrol car, stun technology); wrongful 
convictions and the criminal justice system; police corruption; the need 
for more effective police conduct reviews and accountability; and the need 
for a more informed public and church and their involvement in the proper 
exercise and limits of police power. 
 
    ACSWP members suggested tightening a number of cited statistics and 
situations presented in the paper.  The committee  also requested 
assistance from the Church and Public Issues Office of the National 
Ministries Division (NMD) to revise the document's theological section. 
 
    In order to provide more balance to the document, the committee 
recommended including several Presbyterian police officers in conversations 
around issues raised in the paper. 
 
    Noting that the document was short on ideas for how congregations can 
examine the issues presented in the paper and respond effectively in their 
communities, ACSWP coordinator the Rev. Peter Sulyok suggested that a study 
guide be developed to accompany the resolution. 
 
    ACSWP will approve the final resolution on police accountability in 
January before submitting it to the 212th General Assembly (2000) for 
consideration. 
 
                                Other Reports 
 
    The committee also reviewed progress to date on several other projects, 
including: 
 
    ù Disability Concerns - anticipating the 25th anniversary of the 
General Assembly statement  "That All May Enter: Responding to People with 
Disability Concerns" in 2001, and working toward a new disabilities policy 
due in 2005, ACSWP member Lois McLendon Stroman of Dublin, Ga.,  reported 
that the new document will highlight the accomplishments of congregations 
that have achieved full compliance with the church's accessibility 
standards.  ACSWP recommended that funding sources be identified for 
churches working to upgrade accessibility, with particular attention to 
accessibility for those with visual and hearing impairments; for 
barrier-awareness educational programs to be conducted at all church 
levels; for a survey tool to be prepared to help congregations evaluate 
their accessibility status; and for resources to enable congregations to 
deal with the needs of persons with profound and severe mental retardation. 
 
    ù Gambling and Christian Faith - A study document on "Gambling and 
Christian Faith" was recently mailed to governing bodies with a feedback 
response form. Consultant the Rev. Robert Stivers, in consultation with the 
NMD's Corporate Witness office, is currently developing a draft paper that 
will be presented for consideration at ACSWP's January meeting.  The 
resolution is also scheduled to be submitted to next year's Assembly. 
 
    ù Problem Pregnancies - A six-member monitoring team is currently 
reviewing implementation of the church's constantly evolving policy on 
problem pregnancies and abortion - a review that was mandated by the 1998 
General Assembly. A report will be presented for consideration at ACSWP's 
January meeting in preparation for its presentation to the 2000 Assembly. 
 
    ù Sustainable Development: Trade Monitoring - Two of four study papers 
commissioned by ACSWP will be presented at the 212th General Assembly: 
"Globalization and the Economics of Life" by Gordon Douglass and "The 
Employment Effects of Free Trade and Globalization" by Pharis Harvey.  Two 
additional papers dealing with the environmental and cultural impacts of 
globalization will be presented to the 213th GA. 

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