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Presbyterian Office of Public Witness

Ministry in the halls of power

Faith is not just personal; it’s political. Our leaders pass laws about how we treat one another, laws about money and more. The Bible addresses these issues as well in Scriptures like the Ten Commandments, the parable of the sheep and the goats, Sabbath rules and Jesus’ advice to the rich young ruler to sell his possessions and give to the poor. To say the Bible and Jesus are not political is to deny their influence and relevance to our lives in the 21st century.

A night of ‘trepidation and enlightenment’

The director of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Office of Public Witness recently found out what life is like behind bars. The Rev. Jimmie Hawkins, along with other clergy, was arrested earlier this summer while praying outside the U.S. Supreme Court Building in Washington, D.C.

Office of Public Witness engages Presbyterians with national leaders

The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s Office of Public Witness (OPW) has been on the front lines of advocacy in Washington, D.C., since 1946. Since that time, the office and its partners have worked to ensure that the church’s positions on important national and international issues are communicated to those who are elected to lead the nation.

Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival kicks off on Mother’s Day

After months of planning, the “Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival” officially begins on Mother’s Day. The campaign, a continuation of the initiative launched by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 50 years ago, is calling for direct action at statehouses across the country as well as the U.S. Capitol.

Presbyterian Ministry to the United Nations to launch Red Hand Campaign

Government leaders from several countries around the world are receiving mail from Presbyterian churches containing prints or paper cut-outs of red hands. It’s part of the Red Hand Campaign — an initiative to encourage countries to stop the practice of turning children into armed soldiers.

Jimmie Hawkins looks back at his first year with Office of Public Witness

The Rev. Jimmie Hawkins packed his bags in early 2017, said goodbye to his North Carolina congregation at Covenant Presbyterian Church in New Hope Presbytery, and made his way to the nation’s capital as the new director of the Presbyterian Mission Agency’s Office of Public Witness. His new appointment coincided with the swearing in of a new U.S. president.

Faith-based forum on supporting LGBTQ refugees deemed a success

A two-day faith-based forum on supporting LGBTQ refugees is being praised by those who participated in it. First Presbyterian Church in the City of New York hosted the recent symposium on the challenges facing LGBTQ refugees and asylum seekers. The church worked alongside several ministries within the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) to present the event, titled “Love Welcome.”

Office of Public Witness interns, fellows vital to PC(USA) public policy ministry

When Nora Leccese, who addresses domestic poverty and environmental issues for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Office of Public Witness (OPW), first came to the office through the Emerson National Hunger Fellows Program, she expected to be there for only five months. But she immediately met people in the office and in the broader interfaith community who were willing to speak out on issues like racism, sexism and homophobia.