wfn.org | [PCUSANEWS] GAC approves action focusing on military personnel

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Note #8496 from PCUSA NEWS to PRESBYNEWS:

04428
September 25, 2004

GAC approves action focusing on military personnel and their families

Move includes resolution and call for pastoral letter

by Evan Silverstein

LOUISVILLE - The General Assembly Council (GAC) approved action Saturday
supporting military personnel and their families.

	The action calls for developing a pastoral letter on how the church
can care for veterans and a resolution supporting active and reserve military
personnel and their families.

	The move was part of recommendations made by the National Ministries
Division Committee (NMDC) during a regular GAC meeting here.

	"While we as a committee certainly recognize different points of view
concerning our current military engagements, we nevertheless acknowledge our
pastoral responsibility toward those who are in military service," said
Allison Seed, NMDC's chair.

	The GAC will petition the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program and/or the
Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy (ACSWP) for a "quick response" in
developing the pastoral letter.

	It calls on the Presbyterian Council of Chaplains and Military
Personnel (PCCMP) to develop suggestions on how to care for returning
veterans and their families while gathering the best practices from
presbyteries to share with the church and encouraging compassionate ministry
by churches to military personnel and their families.

	The General Assembly Council partners with the PCCMP through the
National Ministries Division Committee.

	The action also empowers NMDC to conduct a worship service for the
GAC at its March 2005 meeting to recognize the new Military and Veteran
Administration (VA) Chaplains.

	The resolution charges the GAC to "encourage compassionate ministry
by our churches to military personnel and their families as they endure long
family separations and the risk of injury or death in war, and with
determination to embrace in ministry those who answer our nation's call to
military service."

	Ken Newbold, an NMDC member from the Presbytery of Coastal Carolina,
said motivation for the action was inspired by the warm welcome U.S. troops
received after returning from World War II and the Korean War.

	"But veterans of Vietnam did not receive such a similar reception by
our local churches and communities in America," said Newbold, who chairs
NMDC's Leadership subcommittee. "Therefore what we're trying to do is be
proactive in this action to make sure that when (military personnel) from
Afghanistan, from Iraq or wherever in the world they're serving, come home
they'll be well received."

	In other business, the GAC:

	Received information from the NMDC about the Mission Responsibility
Through Investment (MRTI) Committee's process for responding to action by the
PC(USA)'s 216th General Assembly instructing MRTI to "initiate a process of
phased selective divestment in multinational corporations doing business in
Israel, in accordance with General Assembly policy on social investing ..."

	Approved establishment of the Racial Ethnic Educational Support Work
Group, authorizing the chair of NMDC to make appointments to the work group,
which will have two objectives: To review the value of giving exclusive
support to historically related racial-ethnic schools and colleges without
providing support for other related institutions with significant
racial-ethnic enrollment. And to evaluate the value of providing "less for
the greater number of institutions" versus "more for a lesser number of
institutions" in the allocation of funds from the Christmas Joy Offering. The
action was in response to a referral from last summer's 216th General
Assembly of the PC(USA).

	Authorized the MRTI committee to file or co-file shareholder
resolutions with pharmaceutical companies on addressing HIV/AIDS globally,
particularly in Africa.

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