Presbyterian Church (U.S.A) Blogs

Office of Public Witness

Raising a Prophetic Voice through the Social Justice Policy of Presbyterians Since 1946

Lack of US Gun Control Contributes to Violence Abroad

This article was researched and written by Madalyn Sailors, our 2023 Summer Fellow for International Issues In July, the Mexican government continued its efforts to hold U.S. gun manufacturers responsible for facilitating the trafficking of weapons to drug cartels across the U.S.-Mexico border. It urged a U.S. appeals court to revive a $10 billion lawsuit… Read more »

A Day in the Life: Nancy Smith-Mathers Provides a Heartwarming Account of a Recent Visit to the United Nations

For God calls us to walk by faith, not by sight. What follows is a testament to the faith, dedication, and selflessness PC(USA) Mission Co-Workers Nancy and Shelvis Smith-Mathers have toward working tirelessly to end the current crisis in South Sudan. We walked into the meetings not knowing what to expect.  Usually, when we present… Read more »

Title 42 has ended, but U.S. Asylum Policy is Still Unwelcoming

On May 11, the Biden administration lifted the Title 42 rule that has governed U.S. asylum policy for more than three years. Title 42 was a COVID era policy that excluded migrants arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border. While Title 42 is changing, the administration’s approach to migration is not. The administration continues to pair expanded… Read more »

An Update on the Office of Public Witness: Issue Priorities, Ecumenical Advocacy Days, and Summer Interns

By Jimmie Hawkins The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) has empowered the Office of Public Witness to provide a ministry of advocacy on the federal level on both international and domestic policy positions. The Office of Public Witness serves as a resource for Presbyterians to lift a prophetic voice addressing issues of injustice globally. In Washington, OPW engages with… Read more »

Take Action to End Gun Violence Now!

It has happened again! This time the city of Nashville has been added to the list of cities and universities that have had to endure the unimaginable pain of losing loved ones to gun violence. It is unthinkable that six children of God were murdered at Covenant Presbyterian Church: The Covenant School. Just last month… Read more »

PCUSA Joins 20 faith groups calling for Cuba to be taken off State Sponsors of Terrorism List

March 13, 2023 Dear President Biden, As national religious denominations and faith-based organizations in the United States with ties to Cuban religious communities and the Cuban people, we write to express our deep concern for the effects that current U.S. policy is having across Cuba – on our Cuban partners and the general population.  We… Read more »

PC(USA) Joins Faith Letter Calling on US to Hold Israel Accountable for Human Rights Violations

March 10, 2023 Dear President Biden and Members of Congress, We write to you as leaders of U.S.-based Christian churches, agencies, and organizations committed to seeking a just peace for Palestinians and Israelis. Our institutions have been deeply involved in this pursuit for decades, inspired by the call and promise of Jesus Christ who said,… Read more »

Biden’s Asylum Transit Ban: A Concerning Road Ahead

The Biden administration has issued a proposed administrative rule that will effectively bar most of the migrants who arrive at the U.S.-Mexico border from asylum. Under the rule, a migrant who crossed the U.S.-Mexico border without authorization and who did not seek asylum in a third country that they traveled through on the way to… Read more »

A Reflection on Loss and Damage for a Season of Thanksgiving

By Lucy McDermott, Young Adult Volunteer My name is Lucy McDermott: I am the Young Adult Volunteer at OPW this year, working on the immigration and environment portfolios. A lot of my work over the past couple of weeks has centered around COP27, a large international climate summit attended by government and NGO representatives, including… Read more »