Presbyterian Church (U.S.A) Blogs

Office of Public Witness

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

The Office of Public Witness Joins U.S. Civil Society Organizations in Call for Transparent Vote Count in Honduras

November 29, 2017 As U.S.-based civil society organizations, we call on the Honduran authorities to ensure that the vote count for presidential, legislative, and municipal elections is conducted in a completely transparent manner. The delays and lack of transparency that have characterized the process thus far have the potential to undermine faith in the legitimacy… Read more »

Office of Public Witness Signs on to Letter Urging Continued Support for Fight against HIV/AIDS – Dec 1 is World AIDS Day

World AIDS Day is December 1, and there are worrying signs that the commitment to continue the fight against HIV/AIDS is waning.  The letter below, signed on to by the Presbyterian Office of Public Witness and other NGO and faith communities, urges continued US commitment.   November 29, 2017 The Honorable Mitch McConnell Senate Majority… Read more »

Sustain the OPW, Invest in Justice Work

All the Israelite men and women whose hearts made them willing to bring anything for the work that the Lord had commanded by Moses to be done, brought it as a freewill offering to the Lord. (Exodus 35:29 NRSV) The past year has been marked by grave threats to the marginalized and repeated need for powerful mobilizations of… Read more »

Women on the Frontlines at the #COP23

At the COP 23, we are faced with two striking facts: first, that women comprise 80% of all climate refugees, and second that this burden is not borne equally around the world. On average, one woman in the Global North consumes 400 times the resources of a woman on the continent of Africa, and is… Read more »

“Indigenous Peoples Knowledge is as valuable as Western Knowledge”: The Doctrine of Discovery and Creation Care at the COP 23

Evidence of indigenous solutions to climate change are all over the COP 23; there is enormous double-hulled Fijian sailing canoe in the sleek glass and steel great hall of conference center. The canoe, or drua, is made of wood and fiber—the informational sign is careful to tell us that the boat contains no metal components…. Read more »

Mourning and Action after the Texas Shooting

“Let not your hearts be troubled, believe in God, believe also in me. That I go before you to prepare a place for you, that where I am, you may be also.” John 14:1 The shooting at First Baptist Church in Texas has left us all heartbroken. The victims range in age from 18 months… Read more »

What is in the Tax Plan?

Leaders in the U.S. House recently released a tax plan that would dramatically shape tax and spending policy for decades to come. This tax plan is moving extremely rapidly. The House is expected to vote the week of November 13 and the Senate is expected to vote on its tax plan after Thanksgiving. If passed,… Read more »

The Lay of the Land at the COP 23 Climate Summit

By OPW Domestic Policy Advocate, Nora Leccese I landed in Bonn as an official observer to the COP 23 on behalf of the PC(USA) on Monday, eager to participate and advocate on behalf of creation and all God’s people. This year, Fiji holds the Presidency of the 23rdConference of the Parties (COP) being held in… Read more »

OPW Signs on to Disaster Recovery Letter

November 1st, 2017   Dear Members of Congress,   We write as faith based organizations and allies to ask the U.S. expedite responses to hurricane affected communities in Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Cuba and the wider Caribbean. The 2017 hurricane season has dealt devastating blows to the Caribbean. Never in the history of… Read more »

Legislative Update: Continued Threats to Health Care

By Ben Pistora The September defeat of the Graham-Cassidy Bill has not brought an end to the health care debate in Washington DC. Rather, in the weeks since the most recent attempt to overturn the Affordable Care Act, numerous executive actions and legislative efforts to crater the effectiveness of the ACA have kept Americans’ worried… Read more »