Presbyterian Church (U.S.A) Blogs

Office of Public Witness

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

The OPW Says Goodbye to Nora Leccese, Domestic Policy Advocate

Dear Presbyterian Community, This Friday August 17th will be Representative for Domestic Policy, Nora Leccese’s last day with the Office of Public Witness .  Nora has been with the OPW since September 2015 and has made a tremendous contribution to our work in D.C. the past three years. She began her work as a fellow, but… Read more »

Reflections on the Launch of the Poor Peoples Campaign

By Jamila Cervantes, Emerson National Hunger Fellow with the Office of Public Witness From behind the bars of the Birmingham Jail, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote, “I am cognizant of the interrelatedness of all communities and states. […] We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of… Read more »

Just Transition: A Pathway to Environmental Justice

By Jamila Cervantes, Emerson National Hunger Fellow with the Office of Public Witness In response to a question on energy policy during a Democratic town hall in Ohio in 2016, then presidential candidate Hillary Clinton said, “We’re going to put a lot of coal miners and coal companies out of business.” Though this response was… Read more »

Our Faith, Our Vote: Resources for Presbyterians to Engage with the 2018 Midterm Elections

In line with a legacy of affirming the right for all citizens to participate in the democratic process, the 223rd General Assembly passed an overture calling on the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) to oppose, “any efforts to restrict participation in elections, including, but not limited to, voter suppression initiatives and racially based and/or partisan gerrymandering.” The… Read more »

A Checklist for a SCOTUS Nominee who Upholds the values of Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) General Assembly

 “1Woe to those who decree iniquitous decrees, and the writers who keep writing oppression, 2 to turn aside the needy from justice and to rob the poor of my people of their right, that widows may be their spoil, and that they may make the fatherless their prey!” Isaiah 10:1-2 NRSV   As President Trump puts together a list… Read more »

OPW Signs on to Letter Urging Retailers to Put Pesticides at Top Of Sustainability Agenda

June 28, 2018 Rodney McMullen Kroger 1014 Vine Street Cincinnati OH, 45202     Dear Mr. McMullen, On behalf of the undersigned organizations, which represent millions of customers, sustainable and responsible investors, and other stakeholders, we are urging the food retail sector to put pesticides at the top of its sustainability agenda. We urge your… Read more »

PC(USA) 223rd GA Condemns President’s EO that Detains Families Indefinitely

The 223rd Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) General Assembly “condemns the President’s June 20th Executive Order ‘Affording Congress an Opportunity to Address Family Separation’ that further criminalizes migration through the expansion of family detention on military bases and other government property, potentially indefinitely.” Watch Rev. Jimmie Hawkins statement HERE The president’s order does nothing to address the plight… Read more »

Take Action on World Refugee Day: Tell Congress to Welcome Refugees

JOIN WORLD REFUGEE DAY NATIONAL CALL-IN DAY JUNE 20   TELL CONGRESS TO WELCOME REFUGEES: CLICK HERE OR CALL 1-866-961-4293* *PLEASE CALL THREE TIMES TO BE CONNECTED WITH YOUR REPRESENTATIVE AND BOTH OF YOUR SENATORS.   Right now, it is more important than ever for all of our elected officials to hear that their communities welcome refugees. More than… Read more »