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PRESBYTERY OF THE TWIN CITIES AREA STATED MEETING March 10, 2018

DOCKET

We gather for fellowship, worship and the work of the presbytery. Page 8:30 a.m. Registration and Coffee 9:00 a.m. Meeting Called to Order with Prayer T.J. Parlette Forming of the Roll Declaration of Quorum Approval of Docket Approval of Minutes of Stated Meeting of January 20, 2018 Introduction of New Clergy and First Time Commissioners Seating of Corresponding Members The Rev. John McCall, PC(U.S.A.) Co-Mission Worker in Taiwan Announcements Omnibus Motion/Consent Agenda 3 Welcome by Host Pastor Richard Buller Our community in faith, in response to God’s call, is formed in Worship. 9:15 a.m. Worship 9 We welcome Rev. John McCall to our pulpit this morning. Our worship today includes the celebration of the Lord’s Supper

and the Necrology Report.

We address the vision and mission of our presbytery. 10:20 a.m. Officer Reports Executive Presbyter Jeff Japinga 15 Moderator T.J. Parlette Chair of Presbytery Leadership Team Sue Rutford 10:35 a.m. Board of Trustees Suann Nichols 25 10:45 a.m. Nominating Committee Manley Olson 29 10:50 a.m. Committee on Congregational Vitality Mike Quady 30

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We focus on denominational issues and matters related to the 223rd General Assembly. 11:00 a.m. Administrative Commission David Liddle 31 Eden Prairie Presbyterian Church 11:05 a.m. Commissioning of our GA Commissioners and YAAD T.J. Parlette 33 11:15 a.m. Bills and Overtures Committee Peter Soulen 47 11:35 a.m. Report of the Stated Clerk, Part I Barbara Lutter 34 Overture To Change the Geographical Boundaries of

the PTCA and Dismiss First Presbyterian Church, LeRoy, Minnesota to the Presbytery of North Central Iowa

We recognize and honor ministries at important times. 11:40 a.m. Commemoration of Special Anniversaries Carol Reed 35 11:45 a.m. Celebration of the Retirement of Teaching Elder Brenda Alexander 36 We enjoy a time of fellowship around tables. 11:55 a.m. Lunch Blessing Richard Buller Noon Lunch We are called to mission through the discipline of partnership. 1:00 p.m. “The Spirit at Work in Asia” 39 Rev. John McCall, PMA Mission Co-Worker in Taiwan 1:15 p.m. Commissioning of Our PTCA Mission Team Brenda Alexander 40 Ken Wooley Corinne Freedman Ellis 1:30 p.m. Commitment to Combat Racism Sarah Bigwood 42 As our meeting draws to an end, we prepare to go forth in the name of the Lord. 1:40 p.m. Report of the Stated Clerk, Park II Barbara Lutter 43 1:45 p.m. Adjourn with Prayer T.J. Parlette

The next regular stated meeting of Presbytery will be Tuesday, May 08, 2018 at Westminster Presbyterian Church, Minneapolis, MN beginning at 4:00 p.m.

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OMNIBUS MOTION/CONSENT AGENDA

I. COMMITTEE ON MINISTRY 1. Request by Reverend Karen Larson to Transfer Her Membership to the Presbytery of

the Twin Cities Area. [See Attachment A] Subject to the successful completion of the background check:

a. To recommend to presbytery that it concur with the Committee on Ministry's

examination (G-2.0503) of the Reverend Karen Larson on her "Christian faith and views in theology, the sacraments, and the government of this church."

b. To recommend to presbytery that the Presbytery of Central Nebraska be requested

to dismiss the Reverend Karen Larson to the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area, AND

that upon receipt of her credentials, the Reverend Karen Larson be enrolled as a member-at-large of the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area.

2. Request of the Reverend Judith Landt to be Honorably Retired. To recommend to presbytery, based upon the request of the Reverend Judith Landt, that she be designated “Honorably Retired” as of January 22, 2018.

3. Laurene Lafontaine: Permission to Labor Outside the Jurisdiction in the Presbytery of Edinburgh of the Church of Scotland. To recommend to presbytery that, effective September 23, 2017 to September 22, 2018, the Reverend Laurene Lafontaine be granted permission to labor outside the jurisdiction of the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area and within the jurisdiction of the Presbytery of Edinburgh of the Church of Scotland as fulltime assistant minister at Mayfield Salisbury Parish Church, Edinburgh, Scotland. It is noted that, under the provisions of G-2.0503(a), “The presbytery shall review annually the work of all Ministers of the Word and Sacrament engaged in validated ministries outside the congregation.”

4. Request of the Reverend Jo Taliaferro to Transfer her Membership to Salem

Presbytery in North Carolina. To report to presbytery that the Reverend Jo Taliaferro has been dismissed to Salem Presbytery in North Carolina, effective January 22, 2018.

5. Request of Reverend Denise Dunbar-Perkins to Perform the Sacrament of Communion

at Clearwater Forest Chrysalis Retreat. To report to presbytery that the Committee on Ministry has approved the request of the Reverend Denise Dunbar-Perkins, a member in good standing of the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area, to perform the Sacrament of Communion at Clearwater Forest for the Chrysalis Retreat on February 25, 2018.

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6. Administrative Commission for the Ordination and Installation of the Reverend

Brittany MacMillan at Westminster Presbyterian Church, Austin, MN. To report to presbytery that the following arrangements have been approved for the ordination and installation of the Reverend Brittany MacMillan as full-time associate pastor of Westminster Presbyterian Church, Austin, MN:

Date: March 25, 2018, Sunday Time: 2:00 p.m. Place: Westminster Presbyterian Church

802 4th St. SW Austin MN 55912

AND that the following persons be appointed as members of the Administrative Commission:

Teaching Elders 1. Rev. Michael Olmstead, Westminster

Presbyterian Church, Austin, MN 2. Rev. T.J. Parlette, First Presbyterian

Church, Rochester, MN 3. Rev. Kate Johnston, Member-at-Large

Ruling Elders 1. Lynn Wanzek, First Presbyterian

Church, Hayfield, MN 2. Elizabeth Remfert, First Presbyterian

Church, Rochester, MN 3. Jodi Vortherms, Westminster

Presbyterian Church, Austin, MN AND

that the moderator of the presbytery, T.J. Parlette preside and propound the Constitutional questions.

7. Administrative Commission for the Installation of the Reverend Brennan Blue at the

St. Luke Presbyterian Church, Wayzata MN. To report to the presbytery that the following arrangements have been approved for the installation of the Reverend Brennan Blue as full-time senior pastor of St. Luke Presbyterian Church, Wayzata, MN:

Date: March 4, 2018 Time: 10:30 a.m. Place: St. Luke Presbyterian Church

3121 Groveland School Rd Wayzata, MN 55391

AND that the following persons be appointed as members of the Administrative Commission:

Teaching Elders 1. Rev. Alika Galloway, Member-at-Large 2. Rev. David Shinn, Westminster

Ruling Elders 1. Walter Rockenstein, Vice-Moderator, Westminster, Minneapolis, MN

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Presbyterian Church, Minneapolis, MN

3. Rev. Jeff Japinga, Executive Presbyter PTCA

4. Rev. Jim Brasel, Honorably Retired

2. Janie Warner, St. Luke, Wayzata, MN 3. Tamara Rogers, St. Luke, Wayzata, MN

AND that the vice moderator of the presbytery, Walter Rockenstein, preside and propound the Constitutional questions.

8. Request of Reverend Brenda Alexander to be Approved for Placement on the Pulpit

Supply List for 2018. To report to presbytery that the Reverend Brenda Alexander been approved for the 2018 Pulpit Supply list.

9. Renewal of Three–Quarters Transitional Pastor Position and Change of Terms at First Presbyterian Church, Kasson, MN with Reverend Dan Yeazel. To report to presbytery that the Committee on Ministry has concurred with the action of the session of First Presbyterian Church, Kasson, MN, to renew the three-quarter time transitional pastor position, for the period February 26, 2018 to February 25, 2019, according to the following terms: Salary & Housing $ 40,976 Board of Pension Dues $ 4,507 (11% of salary & housing) Continuing Ed. Allowance $ 1,200 Mileage Allowance $ 1,500 Professional Expenses $ 400 (accountable reimbursement plan)

plus unspent 2017 allowances Continuing Ed. Leave 2 weeks per year

10. Request of House of Hope Presbyterian Church, St. Paul, MN for Approval of the Reverend Dr. Andrew L. McDonald as Fulltime Transitional Pastor/Head of Staff effective April 1, 2018. Subject to the successful completion of the background check:

a. To concur with the judgment of the Session of House of Hope Presbyterian Church,

St. Paul, MN, that the Reverend Dr. Andrew L. McDonald is suitable for the position of fulltime transitional pastor/head of staff with the following stipulations:

1) That the transitional pastor complete Week 1 interim training prior to taking the

position, AND

2) that the transitional pastor complete Week 2 interim training during the first 6 months of the position at House of Hope,

AND

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3) that the transitional pastor work regularly over the course of the interim

pastorate with a mentor who is an experienced transitional pastor in the Presbytery.

b. To recommend to presbytery that it concur with the Committee on Ministry's

examination (G-2.0503) of the Reverend Dr. Andrew L. McDonald "on his Christian faith and views in theology, the sacraments, and the government of this church."

c. To report to presbytery that the House of House of Hope Presbyterian Church, St.

Paul, MN, and the Reverend Dr. Andrew L. MacDonald have agreed to the fulltime transitional pastor/head of staff position effective April 1, 2018, according to the following contractual terms:

Cash & Housing $ 110,000 Free Use of Manse No Medical/Dental Suppl. Yes Soc. Sec. Offset No Opt. Retirement Contrib. No Automobile Allowance IRS rate, vouchered up to $ 1,500 Cont. Ed. Allowance $1,500 per year, cumulative over three years to

$4,500 Other Prof. Expenses $2,500, vouchered Cont. Ed. Leave Two weeks per year, cumulative over three years

to six weeks Vacation One month Pension Full Moving Expense Yes, up to $ 10,000, vouchered moving expenses

include reimbursement of rental expense to end current lease under current lease terms

Sabbatical No Parental Leave Yes, per House of Hope Employee manual.

Presbytery guideline is not less than 8 weeks with full salary and benefits, timing in relations to delivery date, adoption or guardianship to be negotiated between clergy & session. Extension of one (1) week may be negotiated as vacation time or leave without pay. Pension benefits to continue on regular salary basis.

Either party may terminate this agreement upon thirty (30) calendar days written notice.

AND

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that the Presbytery of Homestead be requested that, if the way be clear, the Reverend Dr. Andrew McDonald be dismissed to the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area,

AND that the Reverend Dr. Andrew L. McDonald be granted permission to labor within the bounds of the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area as full-time transitional pastor/head of staff of House of Hope Presbyterian Church, St. Paul, MN, until his credentials have been received,

AND that, upon receipt of his credentials, the Reverend Dr. Andrew L. McDonald be enrolled as an active member of presbytery.

AND that the Reverend Dr. Andrew L. MacDonald be appointed moderator of the session of House of Hope Church, St. Paul, MN, effective April 1, 2018.

(NOTE: Position Description was approved at the November 6, 2017 Presbytery Meeting.)

Attachment A

Karen Larson Membership Questions

1. Please tell us briefly about yourself. I was ordained September 30, 2012 by the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area, after graduation earlier that year from United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities. I served one year as an interim associate pastor at Westminster Presbyterian, Minneapolis. Then I was called to O’Neill, Nebraska to serve two churches there – First Presbyterian of O’Neill and Bethany Presbytery of rural Ewing.

2. How have your understandings grown?

Certainly, ministering with congregations has deepened my sense of how God works in and through people in surprising ways. Because so many people have given me access to the truth about their lives, it is becoming easier to love people first – without having to like them or their ideas or their behavior.

3. Tell us something about your spiritual journey. Living alone in a small town, far from family and friends, I discovered that God is (and has always been) my most loyal companion. (My dog comes in second.) I developed a more intentional devotional practice – walking, prayer, meditation, scripture, journaling, exploration of nature, etc. This practice gave me the strength to be more fully and comfortably myself in my ministry, drawing my identity from God rather than the approval of others. It also opened me up to some deep and honest friendships.

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4. How do you view your theological, spiritual and leadership compatibility with the congregation to which you are being called to serve? Based on what I have learned so far, ZUCC places a high value on hard work and the larger community, which I care a lot about too. Their outdoor pizza and music nights provide hospitality and connection for more than a thousand people every week in the summer, which fills me with awe! Yet, the worshipping congregation is small, stagnant and cynical about its future. I think they are ripe for their theology to catch up with their praxis. In addition, there has been conflict in the past between pastors. I think they will respond to a non-anxious, non-defensive leadership.

5. What are some of the theological challenges facing the church/presbytery today? As progressive Christians, we have put a lot of energy into being open and welcoming, into recognizing and affirming the varied ways the Spirit speaks in the world. In conservative rural Nebraska, I found myself constantly pointing out the wideness of God’s love and mercy, over against restrictive fundamentalist theologies of who is in and who is out. At the same time, we can’t stop at welcome. I am challenged to invite people into a deeper relationship with God and faith that will change lives and society.

6. How would you like to serve/be served by the presbytery? I would like to draw on Presbyterian resources for ministry and possibly serve on a committee in order to maintain my network and serve my denomination. I plan to draw my congregation closer to its own denominational support structure too, but I have heard that if I am a member of the presbytery, and not my current congregation, I am not allowed to serve on UCC conference communities. I will look into the possibility of dual membership, which I have heard another Presbyterian pastor serving a UCC church is currently pursuing.

7. How are you willing to be a colleague in ministry within this Presbytery? I am part of a Presbyterian clergy cluster in SE Minnesota, which meets monthly to share what’s going on in our churches and lives. I hope to refresh relationships with colleagues in the wider presbytery by attending presbytery meetings.

II. COMMITTEE ON PREPARATION FOR MINISTRY

1. Annual Consultations: The committee reports that the following annual consultations have been held with the following candidates/inquirers, that they have filed their annual written report with the presbytery, and that the committee has voted to continue them on the rolls:

Phil Romine House of Hope, St. Paul, MN Stephanie Friant Grace-Trinity Presbyterian, Minneapolis, MN

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WORSHIP

Prelude

Prayer of Invocation

One: Eternal Light, All: Shine into our hearts;

One: Eternal Goodness, All: Deliver us from evil;

One: Eternal Power, All: Be our support;

One: Eternal Wisdom, All: Scatter the darkness of our ignorance;

One: Eternal Love, All: Have mercy upon us,

One: That with all our heart and mind and strength we may seek your face and be brought by your infinite mercy into your holy presence through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Hymn “The Rice of Life” #524

Call to Reconciliation 1 John 1: 8-9

God’s Word assures us: “If we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in

us. If we confess our sins, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive our sins and cleanse

us from all unrighteousness.” In humility and faith, let us confess our sin to God.

Unison Prayer of Confession

Merciful God, in your gracious presence we confess our sin and the sin of this world.

Although Christ is among us as our peace, we are a people divided against ourselves as

we cling to the values of a broken world. The profit and pleasures we pursue lay to

waste the land and pollute the seas. The fears and jealousies that we harbor set

neighbor against neighbor and nation against nation. We abuse your good gifts of

imagination and freedom, of intellect and reason, and turn them into bonds of

oppression. Lord, have mercy upon us; heal and forgive us. Set us free to serve you in

the world as agents of your reconciling love in Jesus Christ. Amen.

Words of Assurance 1 Timothy 1: 15, 17

Here are words you may trust, words that merit full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into

the world to save sinners. To all who confess their sins and resolve to lead a new life, he

says, “Your sins are forgiven.” He also says, “Follow me.” Now to the one who rules all

worlds, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

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Reading from the Gospel – Luke 10: 38-42

Sermon “The Life of the Party” Rev. John McCall

Duet: “Presto” M. Clementi/L. Teal Hsu-hui Wang, piano and Eric Moen, Saxophone

Invitation to the Table

Duet: “Sicilienne” Gabriel Faure`

Great Prayer of Thanksgiving

One: The Lord be with you. All: And also with you.

One: Lift up your hearts. All: We lift them to the Lord.

One: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God. All: It is right to give our thanks and praise. (the prayer continues as we remember those called from this life…)

The Lord’s Prayer

Communion of the People

Prayer after Communion

Hymn “When God Restored Our Common Life” #74

Benediction

And so my friends, go forth in the name of the Lord,

We continue our gathering so that we may bear witness to Christ, in faithfulness to

the Scriptures, in harmony with the church of the ages, and in unity with all Christ’s

people.

Let us move forward in peace to love and serve the Lord. Amen.

Postlude

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NECROLOGY REPORT FOR YEAR ENDING 2017

“We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Thessalonians 1:3 (NIV)

The deaths of the following servants of the church have been reported to the office of the Stated Clerk and we remember them with celebration.

Teaching Elders Ordination Date Date of

Death

Mary (Molly) McMillan 06-01-78 02-16-17

Joan Jacobus 11-09-80 02-21-17

Melvin Steinbron 09-1953 06-25-17

Richard G. Douse 1952 09-28-17

Darlene Stensby 6-19-83 10-03-17

Richard Headen 11-15-69 11-06-17

Church Elder/Deacon Name Ordination Date Date of

Death

Apple Valley, Spirit of Life None

Austin, Westminster Elder/Deacon Joseph Smith 01-28-68 & 01-26-92 01-22-17

Elder/Deacon Kenneth Tribbett 02-03-74 & 01-23-66 03-12-17

Elder/Deacon Jackie Robinson 02-03-80 & 02-1959 04-07-17

Elder/Deacon Tommy Lerum 02-04-62 & 01-1958 06-15-17

Elder/Deacon Shirley Moore 02-08-82 & 02-02-75 11-22-17

Elder/Deacon Leslie Buck 02-02-86 & 01-27-91 12-14-17

Elder Leslie Colling 02-05-78 09-19-17

Deacon Myrna Phillips 02-04-07 10-25-17

Baldwin, First Elder Paul Willink 1973 09-04-17

Deacon Nancy Park 2009 03-29-17

Belle Plain, First Elder Vera Hormann 02-13-83 08-29-17

Elder David Fabel 01-14-68 12-04-17

Bloomington, Oak Grove Elder Elizabeth Vanatta 1992 02-07-17

Elder Charline Miller 1974 03-01-17

Elder Lois James 2002 05-21-17

Deacon Chuck Borsos Unknown 02-11-17

Deacon Blanche Loscheider Unknown 03-03-17

Deacon Ron Clark Unknown 07-04-17

Deacon Bill Boehne 2004 09-11-17

Deacon Donna Castle 1973 09-26-17

Deacon Mary Crow Unknown 04-14-17

Brooklyn Center, KPCM None

Buffalo, Buffalo Elder Ron Grittman 01-1964 06-06-17

Elder Carol Sorenson Unknown 08-25-17

Burnsville, Church/Apostles None

Chaska, Shepherd of Hill Deacon Carol Dauwalter 01-04-87 11-14-17

Claremont, First None

Columbia Heights, CAN Elder Chonghae Chung ? 10-23-17

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Coon Rapids, Church/Master None

Eden Prairie, Eden Prairie None

Ellsworth, First Elder David C. Herum 02-21-60 01-06-17

Elder James Robey 01-22-84 08-30-17

Golden Valley, Valley Elder Dean Chenoweth 01-27-74 7-28-17

Elder/Deacon Dar Daily 01-10-82 & 01-10-93 08-20-17

Deacon Barbara Johnson 01-18-04 04-13-17

Deacon Kenneth Smith, Sr. 01-12-92 04-23-17

Deacon Marian “Niki” McKeon 01-09-83 12-14-17

Hager City, Laurel Elder Elvira Auchampach 01-01-84 09-11-17

Elder Donald Johnson 01-24-62 11-18-17

Hastings, First Deacon Ken Kaiser 02-11-90 06-01-17

Deacon Virginia Krier 02-20-00 06-28-17

Hayfield, First Elder Roger Jacobson ? 09-07-17

Howard Lake, First None

Hudson, First Elder Peter Todd 01-13-74 09-16-17

Deacon Arne Amundson 05-02-99 03-18-17

Kasson, First None

Le Roy, First None

Le Sueur, Le Sueur None

Long Lake, Calvin Elder Mabel Norton 01-01-71 05-01-17

Elder Oiva Pesonen 02-03-63 09-12-17

Maple Plain, First Elder Lee Gualtieri 06-19-88 01-16-17

Mpls, Aldrich Deacon Tom Goggin 01-01-10 10-28-17

Mpls, Andrew-Riverside None

Mpls, Bryn Mawr Elder Eudora Johnson 1983 06-13-17

Mpls, Grace-Trinity Elder Robert Gulliver 12-08-74 10-15-17

Mpls, Knox None

Mpls, Kwanzaa None

Mpls, Lake Nokomis Elder Marty Christensen 02-06-11 06-16-17

Mpls, Westminster Elder Marion Etzwiler 11-10-13 09-24-17

N. St. Paul, North Elder Wayne Leisman 03-27-66 05-06-17

Elder/Deacon Helen Enyeart 04-17-94 & 05-23-04 08-08-17

Deacon Carolyn Morrisette 08-16-09 09-16-17

Deacon Walter Doehne 01-28-62 12-04-17

Oronoco, Oronoco None

Owatonna, Associated Elder Rod Kyllo ? 06-16-17

Pine City, First None

Plainview, Community None

Plymouth, Plymouth Elder Karl L. Larson Unknown 04-28-17

Red Wing, Red Wing Elder/Deacon Dale Stucki 1956 & 1974 04-20-17

Elder Catherine Ullrich 1965 04-30-17

Deacon Dorothy Stromme 2011 09-18-17

Rochester, Community Deacon Mary Henderson 01-07-96 01-18-17

Deacon Duane Olson 1982 02-07-17

Deacon Carol Calehuff 1978 08-03-17

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Rochester, First Elder Jeannine Karnes 02-04-90 05-25-17

Elder John Tillotson 02-08-87 08-11-17

Elder Gordon Danielson, Jr. 02-04-73 10-02-17

Deacon Jean Shaw 2003 01-20-17

Deacon Ramona Hoagland 02-04-73 05-12-17

Deacon Patricia Gastineau 02-02-64 10-25-17

Deacon Aura Jean Peterson 02-03-85 12-21-17

Rockford, United Elder Don Jenson 01-26-86 12-28-17

Roseville, North Como Elder Anita Clingman 01-25-98 05-28-17

Elder Jean Sargent 02-07-71 05-31-17

Elder Carolyn Peterson 04-07-02 07-10-17

Elder William Trautz, Jr. 01-22-95 07-25-17

Elder John Taylor 01-09-94 11-02-17

St. Croix Falls, First Elder Elaine MacDonald 02-06-05 01-14-17

Elder Donna Tebben 1994 05-07-17

Elder Steve McKenzie 1956 07-19-17

St. Louis Park, Peace Elder Lee Thomlinson Unknown 11-25-17

Deacon Lois Newman Unknown 03-02-17

Deacon Jeff Kurth Unknown 06-26-17

Deacon Jeanne Tollefsrud Unknown 10-31-17

St. Paul, Central Elder Douglas Knowlton Unknown 07-05-17

Deacon Juneal Fisk Unknown 02-02-17

Deacon Juanita Tatum Unknown 08-30-17

Deacon Carrie Eyler Unknown 11-21-17

St. Paul, Cherokee None

St. Paul, Dayton Ave. None

St. Paul, Edgcumbe None

St. Paul, House of Hope Elder/Deacon Lowell Thornber Unknown & 11-12-00 09-13-17

Elder Mary Ellen Stewart 01-16-85 03-28-17

Elder Wendy White 01-14-87 09-02-17

Deacon Lowell Weber 12-30-90 03-10-17

Deacon Thomas Osborn 12-07-75 03-29-17

Deacon Richard Frye 12-17-78 04-03-17

Deacon Douglas Carlson 01-01-89 08-29-17

Deacon Harold Baker 11-24-91 09-17-17

Deacon Allan John Campbell 01-16-83 12-17-17

St. Paul, Mac-Plymouth Elder/Deacon Mary Stibbe 05-1978 & 05-1973 12-12-17

Elder Charles Oase 02-1981 02-10-17

Elder Pam Newsome 01-2009 12-27-17

Deacon Annabeth Hoskin 01-1971 01-24-17

St. Paul, Randolph Heights None

Shakopee, First None

Shoreview, Church/Way Elder/Deacon JoAnn Ling 2003 & 1991 04-16-17

Elder Betty Bole 2012 11-20-17

Elder Phillip Hogan Unknown 06-02-17

Deacon Joan Laine 2013 11-27-17

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S. St. Paul, First Elder Wayne Otto 07-1978 02-25-17

Deacon Dee Ann Roberts 11-25-73 04-13-17

Deacon Stacy Waibel 08-08-04 05-17-17

Deacon Myrna Shannon 02-04-68 07-11-17

Deacon Gail Rich 12-11-77 10-13-17

Stillwater, First Elder/Deacon Harriett Strohbehn 05-08-77 & 03-18-84 01-14-17

Elder/Deacon Deborah DeSteno 08-14-05 & 08-16-09 06-17-17

Elder/Deacon Don Irwin 05-01-77 & 08-16-81 10-10-17

Elder Robert VonBehren Unknown 04-25-17

Wayzata, St. Luke Deacon Shirley Bartee 01-09-94 08-04-17

White Bear lake, First Elder Ethel Shubat 01-01-77 01-27-17

Elder Jack Reddan 01-01-75 03-24-17

Deacon Grace Flynn 04-23-88 01-25-17

Deacon Doris Howe 04-23-87 03-23-17

Woodbury, Trinity None

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EXECUTIVE PRESBYTER REPORT Where We’re at Work Today Winter in Minnesota can be a disconnecting time, including for a Presbytery. From mid-November through the end of the year, first Thanksgiving and then Advent and Christmas holiday planning and living focuses our attention on our local congregation, friends, and our families. In January, bad weather often keeps us inside and off the roads…or on a plane to warmer climates. It’s been an especially bad cold and flu season this winter. And now, mid-February has already cast us into Lent and the season leading up to Easter, and our focus again turns to local congregational life and personal spiritual practices. As it should. These realities, however, can make even getting together a challenge and thus can sap momentum from broader issues. Both Committee on Ministry meetings this calendar year have gone fully online due to weather. So have CCV meetings. CPM cancelled its January meeting because of the weather. And when both PLT and the Board of Trustees met in February, it was with a shortened bench. But that doesn’t mean work isn’t being done. Behind the scenes—in committees and in individual conversations—there is significant thinking and work happening around this Presbytery’s two significant goals: supporting our congregations and equipping our leaders. I’ll be the first to say that good communication around our work is both necessary and challenging. We—the staff and committees of the Presbytery, starting primarily with me—can do a better job of ongoing communication, to be sure. That’s because you need to know what’s happening, for two reasons:

1. You deserve that knowledge. One of the questions I get most often is, What does a presbytery do? There is much good work going on in groups and committees across the Presbytery, work we often don’t talk about until it is nearly fully formed; and other actions that connect me directly to individuals or individual congregations. Too often, the choice is between acting on specific needs and preparing communication about those actions.

2. We need your ideas and participation. It’s difficult to give input to an effort you don’t know is happening. And so here’s a bunch of what’s happening. I encourage your input, both in affirmation and improvement. It’s easy to say, that’s a dumb idea. But unless it’s a subject matter that absolutely does not have legs, then I encourage you to respond with improvements, not dismissals.

I’ve elected to use this report of the executive presbyter to bring together in one place some of the broader work that continues to be shaped and formed in this presbytery. This isn’t every discussion from every committee nor regular administrative decisions. These are broad initiatives; bigger-picture items. Some of these initiatives are already being implemented;

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others may never be a part of our life, at least in the form you will see them here. I’ve broken these initiatives into four descriptive categories rather than simply by our Presbytery committee structure. See what you think about the work of your Presbytery; there’s some Bold North stuff going on here, too, I think. MEETINGS & MEANS (by which we do our work) How should we come together as Presbytery in ways that best honor both our

constitutional responsibilities and our mission and vision? It’s no secret: Presbytery attendance has been falling over the years, to numbers we’ve not seen before in this Presbytery. The January 2018 meeting, on a calm weather day, attracted fewer than 100 members and commissioners. There are multiple reasons for declining attendance, many of them no more in our control than the attendance challenges of our local congregations. But that doesn’t imply shrugging our shoulders and moving on, any more than a congregation shrugs its shoulders regarding Sunday worship attendance. The question, however, is not simply, or even primarily, how can we get more people to come to Presbytery meetings? Rather, it’s what those meetings are for—the clear responsibilities and opportunities for Presbytery; how those responsibilities are best lived out collaboratively; and the value of collegiality itself, of living out the Psalmist’s affirmation of “how good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity.” And to do this vital work, how many times should Presbytery meet, and when should Presbytery meet, and what should be on its docket—all to invite stronger attendance and to help us live out our mission and values?

WHAT’S HAPPENING:

The PLT has engaged in significant conversation over meeting values, practices, and content, and talked about timing as well. It could have a proposal for the May Presbytery meeting. Further, it collected significant information at the January meeting of Presbytery to inform its work.

MY VIEW: (Note: In a number of places, I’m going to offer my opinion on a possible way forward. Writing it here does not make it the preferred answer, or the likely direction, or even correct. It’s intended to encourage discussion and, at the right time, action.)

Right now, I see a couple of directions on number of meetings. Option 1: Four Presbytery meetings a year (mid-to-late August; November; February, and May; Option 2: Five presbytery meetings a year (September, January, May), perhaps with a tilt more toward business, and two meetings a year (November, March) dedicated to learning, with minimal business, and perhaps with a shorter time window.

A four-to-five-hour total window for each meeting, with blocks of time dedicated to: the constitutional business of the Presbytery and its committees; fellowship (including a meal); education and learning around congregational support or leadership development; and worship. Those blocks of time could be narrowed

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or expanded depending on need, but each meeting would include blocks of times dedicated to these four key areas.

Greater empowerment of key committees to make decisions on Presbytery’s behalf.

Improved and more frequent communication between meetings, so that actions and initiatives of committees and groups within presbytery get the visibility they need.

The unresolved question: when to meet? Daytime? Evenings? I don’t know that there is one right answer to that, and there are benefits and risks to every possible answer. If you asked me for my answer, I’d keep the mixed-format meetings in a pattern similar to what we currently have: non-winter meetings on Tuesday afternoon-evening and winter meetings on Saturday morning-afternoon. But I am also not firmly committed to that, and continue to listen to alternatives.

What committees should continue forward to help us carry out our mission and vision? We

have a robust committee structure for a robust Presbytery that in many ways no longer exists, at least with the members and budgets of decades past. And thus we hear at every meeting, and in direct communication in-between, of our inability to fill vacant committee positions, or the inability of committees to gain much traction in their work. That said, our task is not to formally try to re-structure our way out of this problem.

WHAT’S HAPPENING:

The PLT, primarily through vice-moderator Rocky Rockenstein, is meeting with each PTCA committee around its work on and contributions of the Presbytery around our goals of supporting congregations and equipping leaders. The goal is not to tell committees what their work should be, but to align our work and limited resources in common ministry.

PLT will look to revamping a Nominations Committee whose task will not only be the nomination of gifted individuals to Presbytery committees, but a deep examination of our structures and capabilities, with recommendations somewhere in the next year about how we do our work collaboratively.

MY VIEW:

Take the challenge of membership coming for the Nominations Committee, to re-vitalize both its membership and mission. PLT has authorized stated clerk Barbara Lutter and me to begin the process of re-thinking and re-populating the Nominations Committee and to bring those proposals back to PLT, and we will, so that by the time we hit May, we hope to have pulled together a slate for Nominations that will be up to this dual task.

Once Nominations has been able to dig into this question, we will better be able to re-shape and align our committee structures.

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How we push toward a more aware commitment to anti-racism. The Presbytery has issued statements at crucial times in the life of our Presbytery and the communities we serve regarding our commitment to racial equality, but have been slower to follow-up on these urgent moments for longer-term efforts. The PLT has empowered an Anti-Racism Task Force and set aside budget dollars to support common efforts, and that task force, delayed to be sure, is now working, focused on congregational empowerment on issues of racism. Additionally, to be an organization committed to anti-racism, we must examine our own institutional structure, and that is why the PLT is discussing an institutional anti-racism audit of the structures and practices of the Presbytery. All of these efforts are in support of the Presbytery’s commitment to racial justice and anti-racism practices.

WHAT’S HAPPENING: As noted, a task force is ongoing, with reporting later this year, and the PLT has instructed the executive presbyter to research and bring specific information and means by which an institutional audit of the PTCA’s structures and practices can be conducted. MY VIEW: I’m working on my assignment, though I doubt I will have a firm proposal for our March meeting.

MONEY The Financial Oversight of the Presbytery. Over the last year, the service we’ve received by

our accounting, payroll, and remittance provider, the Synod of Lakes and Prairies, has hampered our ability to provide the Presbytery with regular and complete accounting, and has prevented the Presbytery from investing some of our funds more strategically.

WHAT’S HAPPENING:

You will find a lengthy report from the Board of Trustees in the March Presbytery packet. It describes the present situation, and what got us here; the actions the BoT took over the past six-to-eight months; and its actions going forward.

At its February meeting, the BoT reviewed a Strategic Investment document we’ve not previously had, and while that report is being finalized, also took an action which will enable us to invest our money more strategically and for better return and use.

MY VIEW:

I don’t have to like where we are in order to affirm the choices made thus far. I think giving the Synod every opportunity to put their staffing and practices in order was the right thing to do. And engaging outside assistance for now is also the right thing to do, though nobody wants the extra costs. We must have an accurate accounting and balance sheet of our funds.

We must keep asking, every month, how we are doing and what positive steps have been accomplished, and report these findings to presbytery every meeting.

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The Budget of the Presbytery. Presbytery is supported almost entirely by per capita

payments and generous mission contributions from our congregations. Without that collective funding, we could not be Presbytery. And we can’t say thank you enough, and shouldn’t stop trying. That said, there are key questions we need to face with the budget going forward. For 2018, we balanced the budget with nearly $70,000 taken from reserves. We continue to allocate more than $150,000 for discretionary spending by committees, primarily Mission & Witness and Congregational Vitality, in the form of grants to congregations and support of outside ministry agencies. We support a 3.0 full-time equivalent staff, down significantly from a decade ago, many of whom are working beyond their paid hours and still struggling to meet the full expectations of presbytery. Declining membership will result in declining per capita support and, potentially, mission support as well. And there is a proposal to this summer’s General Assembly to raise the per capita support of the Office of General Assembly by $4.00 per member; that’s about $60,000 in additional per capita for this Presbytery, at current membership levels. We’re nearing a crossroads. We said in November, in presenting the current budget, that “a budget is a moral document.” That makes these conversations not primarily a discussion over dollars, but over vision and calling and stewardship; in short, a theological discussion, too.

WHAT’S HAPPENING:

Not a lot right now, which should not be concerning. But this is something PLT will want to begin addressing sooner rather than later in the 2019 budget cycle.

MY VIEW:

PLT needs to have a focused discussion on funding for the Presbytery budget, and whether there is a limit—both in years and in amounts—to the funds we want to take from admittedly a still-robust reserve. We also need to discuss the tradeoffs of funding staff and funding committee spending/support of outside mission agencies. We give that responsibility now to committees, but long-term strategies from PLT should inform the decisions of those committees.

This conversation should start in PLT now, in order to inform the Budget Task Force process once that group is formed.

Spending from the Congregational Development and Strategic Initiative Funds. In January

2016, the Presbytery approved a comprehensive plan to combine most Presbytery dollars into two mission-oriented funds: the Congregational Development fund and the Presbytery Strategic Initiative Fund. The Congregational Development Fund was envisioned as a $2 million endowment, the principal to be held with grants made available based on earnings. In March, 2017, the first $100,000+ in grants to congregation from the Congregational Development Funds were awarded through a process overseen by the Committee on Congregational Vitality; the process for another round of funds, with up to $100,000 in awards, will be announced in the coming weeks. The Presbytery Strategic Initiative Fund was envisioned as a to-be-spent-out fund for broader Presbytery-supported projects; to

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date, no monies have been disbursed from this Fund, nor has there been public discussion about who can access those funds and how. In part, that is due to a general hold on those funds until resolution of the legal case with the Eden Prairie Presbyterian Church and its claim on Presbytery funds, especially for payment of legal fees; in part, it is due to our ongoing accounting issues; and in part, the Presbytery simply hasn’t talked about this enough to generate the interest and imagination for projects.

WHAT’S HAPPENING:

We are awaiting a response from the United States Supreme Court on our petition before them before we set this hold on our funds fully aside.

We also know there are some important re-development conversations going on right now, one in the context of an Administrative Commission, the other an early exploration with a session and the executive presbyter. In both cases, were re-development proposals were to be fashioned, they would (similar to new church development proposal) require broader presbytery support, including significant dollars from the Strategic Initiative Fund.

MY VIEW:

Currently, there are no application or access procedures for the Presbytery Strategic Initiative Fund. The PLT is responsible for its oversight and should begin work now on the specific parameters for who can access those funds and how. It either needs to have that discussion for itself, or assign a small group to prepare a document for discussion and eventual approval.

The discussions on re-development, referred to above, raise a strategic question for the Presbytery: how (if at all) might the Presbytery partner with declining congregations in new ways and with new practices that may produce revitalization and long-term viability of these worshipping communities. Right now, without outside intervention and support, we have congregations who are not sustainable in the long-term. The real question is, is the Presbytery prepared to invest significant dollars in re-vitalization (in addition to or in place of new church development) and, if so, who decides which locations are these the right places with the right strategies for this kind of investment of Presbytery funds. And right now, there is no ongoing body asking those more comprehensive questions. Which raises the question: because strategic re-development is such a unique and important question, how do we draw up possible plans that are both big enough, strategic enough, and specific-to-location enough? Do we simply leave that with the executive presbyter (who is involved with two of these early conversations)? Who appoints this strategic group specifically on re-development? I think we need a unique group, apart from the work CCV is doing around congregational development, and I think PLT ought to appoint the group (or decide how it is to be appointed). It’s time we decide; we can’t wait. If we do, the requests will come in a more ad-hoc way, as they are developing now. Obviously, this overlaps the mission area of the report that follows.

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MISSION Presbytery Connections with Congregations: Briefly, we’ve lagged in having a formal and

structural way for the Presbytery to connect with its congregations since a 2015 re-structure report that ended the liaison function of the Committee on Ministry and assigned a congregational connection function to the Committee on Congregational Vitality. CCV has been unable to act on that assigned function, leaving connections to happen on an ad-hoc basis, often in response to more urgent situations. If that involves some kind of more urgent congregational need or request, it has been the Committee on Ministry who has responded to the congregation, often through responses of the co-chairs of COM, the executive presbyter, or both.

WHAT’S HAPPENING:

PLT has created a Congregational Connections Task Force (see its January 2018 report to Presbytery). Jeff Japinga is chairing. This group has met twice, has a third meeting on the calendar for early March, but likely, this is a long-term effort, with no report until the September meeting of Presbytery.

PLT has authorized an effort that would put representatives of PLT in conversation with every session over the course of 2018; this was also reported in the January report). Four persons—Sue Rutford, Rocky Rockenstein, Barbara Lutter, and Jeff Japinga—have agreed to carry this responsibility, asking for additional support when/if needed. They are currently formulating a plan by which this will happen.

COM co-chairs David Parker and Carol Reed continue to respond to individual congregational needs on an ad-hoc basis as requested, especially to urgent congregational or pastoral needs, often with the help and support of the executive presbyter. Additionally, the executive presbyter continues to consult with congregations on an as-requested basis, either in response to a congregational request (teaching, preaching, consulting, crisis intervention, etc.) or to seek congregational support for a presbytery initiative.

MY VIEW:

We need to institutionalize some of these activities in a more formal way, so that we’re not relying on just a few people, and so that the Presbytery can be more effective (and more timely) in its work with and support of congregations.

See item, below, on the creation of new working teams.

Your EP is likely to use some of his personal development funds this spring to do some intentional reflection about the roles, functions, and practices of a 21st century presbytery—hopefully, it becomes one of those get-away, creative, go-beyond-the-boundary discussions. More to come on that.

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Strategic Initiatives Fund: A brief discussion of the content and use of the Presbytery Strategic Initiative Fund can be found above, under the “MONEY” subheading. There are some suggestions there on ways forward. But there are other opportunities.

MY VIEW:

Here’s one. A member of one of our congregations asked me, why does the church not intentionally and actively engage in research and development, as industry and education do, and in doing so find ways for our congregations to try new things? The congregant has offered to participate in planning and fund-raising for an R&D group, if we can put a plan together. I have had a couple of preliminary conversations with other denominations here in Minnesota; my view is that this doesn’t happen strictly within the Presbytery, or even the Presbyterian Church, but ecumenically with multiple denominations and spurred by a large lead gift, likely from a foundation. (Lilly?) Here again, I can keep having these conversations individually (and at least for initial approaches, I am the visible representation of the Presbytery) and do some legwork and thinking individually. But it cannot stop there.

Here again, we need a more structured and formal (and collaborative) approach to our future. My intention is to work with CCV initially on this and the re-development / new church development question, and with their input and that of PLT, seek the right place in our structure to explore these possibilities, whether that’s a standing committee or a unique working group to do so.

Responding to Congregational Needs: One of two key Presbytery directions is support of

congregations. It’s the right goal, but one we are not structurally equipped to carry out with significant effectiveness. Currently, congregational support happens on a more ad-hoc basis, primarily through responses from committees and individuals contacted by congregations. That does not need to stop; and, in fact, informal networks of congregations and leaders ought to be encouraged, and perhaps funded in new ways. The question is, how can the Presbytery be more intentional in its goal of supporting congregations, without spending enormous effort and time on another restructuring. The alternative seems to be the creation of two or three working teams with responsibilities in very particular areas: crisis intervention; vision, mission, and refocusing discussions; and leadership development.

WHAT’S HAPPENING:

The very early, early stages of discussion, in the Committee on Ministry, on the creation of such teams, if warranted, and who might then serve. These would not be committees whose primary function was to meet, but teams whose primary function was to respond to congregational needs. Thus, members would need to have passion for, and be trained in, the particular work assigned to the team. Further, each team might be assigned a certain amount of money from the Strategic Initiative Fund to carry out its mission.

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MY VIEW:

This idea comes not a moment too soon, and we should start to move on it. As with any good idea, however, the challenge will come both in finding the people to plan and then finding the bandwidth (people and finances) to implement. COM is the origin group and likely the overseeing committee, though it may need to establish a working group.

Responding to congregational needs is not simply a COM or CCV responsibility. Every committee faces this same challenge and opportunity. The PLT’s overtures to committees, through meetings with vice moderator Rocky Rockenstein, will help. But all of our committees need to hold this value of supporting congregations and equipping leaders in their planning and work, and find ways to integrate their work.

MISCELLANEOUS Communications. Our current communication structure and practice is relatively

unchanged from three-to-four years ago. In 2013, following the dismissal of its communication staff person, the Presbytery entered into a contractual relationship with the Synod of Lakes and Prairies for communication services, primarily the production of a weekly electronic newsletter with supplemental offerings on Facebook and Twitter. Simultaneously, a Communication Task Force was created to look at the overall communication strategy of the Presbytery. Its report, completed in 2015, has largely gathered dust as the Presbytery has focused on broader mission efforts. It’s now time to revive our communications discussion.

WHAT’S HAPPENING:

PLT has approved an interim strategy for E-Merge, using our current contract with the Synod but moving production to every other week and using the time of dedicated Synod personnel for the writing and publication of creative ministry stories out of our congregations.

The above is at best a stop-gap measure. Newsletters, print or electronic, are quickly becoming dinosaurs in the age of Twitter and Instagram. Whatever we do must be adopted and adapted for smart-phone communication. We must get more visually oriented. We need to put a more comprehensive strategy in place.

MY VIEW:

I think this falls to me. Get with it, Jeff. This list is not meant to be either comprehensive or exclusive. There are other specific programs, grants, and initiatives, especially out of our committees, that will help lead the Presbytery in living out its stated mission. Some are specific events; others are strategic directions. A lot of this work happens behind the scenes, part of the quiet commitment of so

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many people in this Presbytery. Here are just some examples, with the acknowledgement that not all the work of Presbytery committees is included here:

The call from the Committee on Ethics to insist on 100% compliance on Boundary Training for all Presbytery teaching elder members of this Presbytery by the end of 2018.

The mission trip this spring, sponsored by the Mission and Witness Committee.

The work of COM, through is coordinator Heidi Bolt, to equip leaders through relationship, by bringing together interim pastors; chaplains; and retired pastors. A grant from the Omaha Presbyterian Seminary Foundation funds the chaplain gatherings. The goal would be to shape long-term strategies for support of teaching elders in these non-parish categories.

The funding by the PCUSA of a third 1001 New Worshipping Community in this Presbytery.

The work of the Board of Trustees with our congregation in Pine City around a complicated Trust document.

Another year of recommendations for national Self Development of People grants made by our Presbytery SDOP committee.

The personal, dedicated partnership support and guidance provided by the Called Positions subcommittee to every congregation experiencing pastoral transition.

And the hundreds of individual contacts happening between our members and commissioners that provide support and deepen hope.

We have plenty of work to do in this Presbytery. Many of our congregations have steep challenges, both in the short- and long-term. But we also have plenty of work already being done. You may see it, and you may not. But it’s out there, and it’s making a difference. This report is intended to provide you with a brief overview of what’s being done, and what yet needs to be done, as this Presbytery seeks “to nurture, guide, and govern those who witness as part of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), to the end that such witness strengthens the whole church and gives glory to God.” (Book of Order G-3.0101) And it’s intended to ask of everyone in this Presbytery the question, To what ministry am I being called, both in my own congregation and is support of the wider church? We have great opportunities, and need the full support of the people of this Presbytery. You might just get a phone call or email about one of these initiatives. What’s missing from this list? As members and as commissioners, it’s our collective responsibility to help identify those initiatives that will help us better live out the collective commitments we have together made as a Presbytery, and to prioritize that which we are already doing so the most important matters get the most energy. Let’s keep talking, and working, toward these and other goals, as the Spirit leads us.

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BOARD OF TRUSTEES As your Board of Trustees (BOT), Executive Presbyter (EP), and Presbytery Treasurer, we take seriously both our individual and collective responsibilities to manage the business and financial affairs of our presbytery with accuracy, integrity, and accountability. We are accountable to the congregations, leaders, and committees of our presbytery to provide timely, accurate, and informative financial information upon which the presbytery can make decisions, support congregations, and equip leaders. We also believe that, whenever possible, these decisions should be made in a spirit of transparency to the presbytery with full disclosure and information provided to the presbytery. We acknowledge that we have not provided that level and type of financial reporting to the presbytery and its leaders for the last couple of years, and that we may not have always been as open about the issues that we knew were before us and challenges we were facing. Our motive was not secrecy or arrogance, but a deep desire to reach solutions, not just talk about problems. You deserve that commitment, and you deserve clearer communication. In this report, we want to inform the presbytery of some recent decisions by the BOT, at the recommendation of the Treasurer, and with the support of the EP, that impact our financial reporting and business information services, and to share with the presbytery where we are working to improve our financial reporting accuracy and timeliness. For more than a decade, the bookkeeping and financial services of our presbytery (and of many other presbyteries in our Synod) have been administered by the Financial Services Office of the Synod of Lakes and Prairies. Following the retirement of longtime financial services director Jay Wilkinson in early 2016, it gradually became clear that the new staff team for the Synod was unable to provide the financial accounting services adequate for the needs of our presbytery at a level we had come to expect. The BOT, EP, and Treasurer worked with the synod, and especially with Synod Executive Elona Street Stewart, to identify and resolve these issues. As a member presbytery of our Synod and as a resident partner in the Synod office building, we felt we had a responsibility to exercise every diligent effort to make that relationship work for the benefit of both our presbytery and the Synod. Three-and-a-half months ago, the Synod chose to replace its financial services staff. A new Director of Financial Services, Jim Koon, began his work at the synod full-time on January 22,

2018. He is working diligently to improve the effectiveness, timeliness, and accuracy of the synod’s financial services work and its support of its presbyteries. The BOT, EP, and Treasurer continue to believe that providing financial services to member presbyteries of our Synod is a valuable way that our middle governing body supports the work of its presbyteries. We in this presbytery have benefited in many ways from their support and services, and we are committed to doing what we can to support the Synod as they rebuild the staff and functions of the office.

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By January of this year, however, having not received a monthly financial report since September and without a clear timetable on when the Synod might restore full capacity, it had become clear that, at least in the short term, it was no longer possible both to wait for the Synod and to honor our fiduciary responsibilities. Our Presbytery’s bookkeeping and financial services are in need of more in-depth attention than the Synod’s Director of Financial Services is able to give to them at the present time. For that reason, the BOT has decided to move our bookkeeping and financial services support functions from the Synod of Lakes and Prairies Financial Services office to the firm of BerganKDV effective January 1, 2018. BerganKDV is the firm that our presbytery has used for several years for regular financial audit services. Although BerganKDV will begin services for us effective with the first of the year, we are just now finalizing contract details so we can move ahead with them. It will not be until the end of March at the earliest that we are able to receive actual income and expense financial statements from them. In the meantime, we have also been told by the Synod that we can expect 2017 financial statements in late February or March. We believe that BerganKDV’s support will be an important part of achieving the goals and values of accurate, timely, and informative financial reporting to the presbytery. While this move will cause some temporary delays in financial reporting to our presbytery, we believe the long-run benefits out-weigh the short-term inconveniences. The additional costs of this service should also be measured against the improved information we are able to offer to the presbytery and our leaders in the future. We look forward to a complete reporting to the presbytery concerning our financial position, results of operations (income and expenses) and our complete financial details. In the meantime, we are working to ensure that receipts are deposited, checks are written, and payroll is paid. While this continues to be done through the Synod finance office for now, the processes for doing those operations at the Synod have been changing and we are working to adjust our procedures to meet those changes. We are aware that there are some distributions and payments that have not been made as scheduled or anticipated over these last several months and we are working to catch up on those responsibilities. Our presbytery payroll services will continue to be administered by the Synod through their contract vendor. We are not shifting this responsibility to BerganKDV. We believe there are significant advantages, including cost benefits, to our payroll remaining handled in cooperation with the Synod and other presbyteries and congregations, and in fact, payroll was not impacted to the extent of more general financial reporting. Improving the administration of payroll has been a significant focus of the new Director of Financial Services at the Synod over these last several months, particularly during year-end changes. We will also be continuing to utilize the Synod for our congregational remittance processing (payments from congregations for per capita, special offerings, designated mission support, etc.). We believe the special accounting needed to manage these remittances from

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congregations and forward them appropriately to the denomination is best done by those familiar with Presbyterian process and special terminology and with an existing system in place. That said, we are also aware that the remittance function has not been managed without problems over these last two years, and will carefully monitor this function. However, we have confidence that the Synod Financial Services office is working diligently to strengthen these processes and procedures as well for accurate and timely remittance processing. The Investment Committee of the BOT is also moving ahead with the Presbyterian Foundation to implement a managed investment portfolio for our presbytery’s cash (as recommended by the Synod’s Financial Services Director). While the Investment Committee has been developing this strategy to optimize our investment needs for several months, they have been hindered in implementing the investment objectives until we were able to present an accurate balance sheet showing the source and nature of the funds to be invested. Recognizing that those details are not immediately available, they have been given the green light to invest now, with the knowledge that we will make the accounting system catch up to their investment decisions at a later date. This also has delayed the ability of key Presbytery leadership teams to act on how the Presbytery might invest its funds in ministry and mission, especially as envisioned for the Strategic Initiative Fund (also known as Bucket 2). Once a clear balance sheet is attained, and we are clear as to the funds available for the Strategic Initiative Fund, ongoing conversations can move from possibility to proposal for the whole of the Presbytery to consider. There remain a number of particular issues relating to our 2017 income and expenses (including several concerning the remittance processing functions for congregations) that require more in-depth research and resolution. The Treasurer has a list of these issues, most of which will require detailed work with the synod financial services staff to resolve. We will follow up on these matters as time on the synod’s work schedule permits. Many of our other balance-sheet issues (items that are omitted, mis-stated, or incorrectly shown on the financial statements) that need research and resolution will be done under our contract with BerganKDV. It is also essential that we share with the presbytery the same message that was shared with us by the Synod concerning the staff changes at the Synod. Those decisions were “personnel decisions based on synod administrative policies and were not related to discoveries of fraud, suspected fraud, theft, or other illegal or unethical activities.” We have not seen, nor do we believe that there is, any malfeasance or wrongdoing on the part of any employee, volunteer, or other person with regard to our financial matters. Both the Synod and the Presbytery continue to have in place policies and procedures with checks and balances that reduce the risk of any financial wrongdoing by anyone involved with our financial affairs in the future. Over these last two years, as leaders entrusted with the financial affairs of the Presbytery, we have been making the decisions which we thought were most prudent and beneficial given the information that we had at the time. We also made decisions based on connectedness, hope,

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and faith. We continue to hold each of these values close as we make decisions now with the information that is currently before us. We welcome your questions and comments as we work to faithfully serve our presbytery. Suann Nichols Jeff Japinga Steve Robertson Chair, Board of Trustees Executive Presbyter Presbytery Treasurer

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NOMINATING COMMITTEE

For Action:

Committee on Preparation Ministry

5/21=3 Lois Glewwe, ruling elder, South St. Paul

5/21=3 Kate Johnston, teaching elder, member-at-large

For Information:

Most terms on Presbytery committees expire in May. At the May 8 meeting, the Presbytery will

be electing people to fill these vacancies. There will be vacancies on all committees and we will

likely need about 25 people to fill them. The greatest needs are for ruling elders for the

Committee on Ministry, ruling elders or church members for the Committee on Ethics and the

Committee on Preparation for Ministry and teaching elders, ruling elders or church members

for the Committee on Representation and Self Development of People Committee.

For committee descriptions and meeting times go to http://ptcaweb.org/

For questions or more information contact Manley Olson, Nominating Committee Chair

manleyolson@gmail.com (651)644-2848

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COMMITTEE ON CONGREGATIONAL VITALITY The Committee on Congregational Vitality is preparing to receive applications for 2018 Congregational Development Grants. The Congregational Development Fund was established by the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area “to encourage or expand congregational ministry supporting innovative, and perhaps risky, ministry initiatives at the congregational level.” Grants are available to churches and worshiping communities, with the goal of supporting revitalized congregations, new forms of ministry in our presbytery, growing and healthy partnerships, and most importantly, changed lives. The Committee on Congregational Vitality has been tasked by the Presbytery to solicit and evaluate proposals and recommend recipients. Application forms for this year’s grants will be available beginning with the meeting of the Presbytery on March 10. The timeline for this year’s grant program is as follows:

March 12 to May 18, 2018—Application window

Mid-May to Mid-July—Consideration of applications

Mid-July to Mid-August—Awarding of Congregational Development Grants Successful applications will build on the current gifts, passions, abilities, and callings of congregations by enabling innovative new or expanded ministries. More information, including the application form and criteria for decision-making, will be available at the Presbytery meeting, on the Presbytery website, through eMerge, and in a direct communication with all congregations. The Committee on Congregational Vitality is working on other programs/initiatives to support your congregation:

A fall communications workshop to enhance communications inside and outside your church.

A plan to better utilize local demographic information available to you through the presbytery’s MissionInsite resource.

Examination of new and existing programs on vital churches, as a part of our “Vitality Is…” emphasis.

If you have questions or comments please contact CCV Chair Michael Quady or members of the committee: Rev. Gilo Agwa, Rebecca Erickson, Rev. Scott Larson, Ken Latham, Kathleen Vallenga, and Rev. Heidi Vardeman.

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EDEN PRAIRIE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH ADMINISTRATIVE COMMISSION

As we reported in September, the AC takes seriously its charge to defend the Book of Order, the Trust Clause, and the PCUSA’s Constitutional rights. As a church, the PCUSA has the Constitutional right to organize and govern itself free of governmental interference, and it is free to decide how best to resolve intra-denominational disputes such as this one. In violation of the First Amendment, the Minnesota courts substituted their own judgment and secular civil law for the mutual covenants of the Book of Order that bond all Presbyterians together, and ruled that Eden Prairie does not hold its property in trust for the denomination. To right this wrong, the AC decided to file one final appeal to ask the U.S. Supreme Court to honor the Presbytery’s First Amendment rights and overturn the decisions of the Minnesota courts. Since the AC’s last report in September 2017, there have been a couple of developments that the AC wants to share with Presbytery. First, in late October 2017, our lawyers filed our petition with the U.S. Supreme Court, seeking judicial review of the decisions of the Minnesota state courts. As we reported in September, review of this matter by the U.S. Supreme Court is the last option for judicial review of this matter and the likelihood of the Court granting our petition is small. The U.S. Supreme Court receives approximately 8,000 petitions per year and grants about 80 of them. In fact, most of the time, the Court denies petitions without the responding party ever filing a brief. EPPC took that approach here originally and informed the Court that it was waiving its right to file a brief in response to the Presbytery’s petition. This is not unusual. To the contrary, Supreme Court practitioners advise doing this so as not create the impression that the issues raised in the petition are important. This leads us to the next development. In the middle of November, after EPPC told the Court it did not plan to file a brief, the Court ordered EPPC to prepare and file a response to the Presbytery’s petition. This was a positive development because the Court routinely denies petitions without getting a response but almost never grants a petition without getting a response from the other side. It takes only a single justice (or a single clerk of a single justice) to request a response so we do not want to read too much into this. But this is a good sign that at least one justice views this case as potentially significant and would like to hear more before voting on the Presbytery’s petition. EPPC’s brief in opposition to the petition was originally due in early January but EPPC has requested two deadline extensions, which we did not oppose. EPPC’s brief in opposition is now due on March 5. After EPPC files its brief, we will get the opportunity to file another brief to address any arguments made by EPPC. Once the Presbytery’s reply brief is filed, the Court will distribute the petition and briefs to the entire Supreme Court for review. The Justices will hold a conference to vote on the petition, likely on March 29 or April 13, though it could be as early as the conference on March 23.

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If the Court denies the petition, the case is over and EPPC’s victory in the state courts will stand. If the Court grants the petition, it will issue a briefing schedule and set the case for oral argument in the Fall of 2018. After oral argument, the Court will issue its ruling. The Court can sustain the decisions of the lower courts, in which case EPPC will win and the Court will effectively re-write the law relating to church property issues yet again. Alternatively, the Court can reverse the lower court’s decision and decide that the EPPC property—as with all property held by congregations of the PCUSA—is held in trust for the denomination as set forth in the Book of Order. If that happens, the Presbytery will, in effect, be given control of the EPPC property in accordance with the PCUSA’s polity and the Presbytery will need to work through the process of reversing the various decisions made and actions taken by EPPC and its leaders over the last eight years that brought us to this situation. We are fortunate that the appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court is being handled pro bono by the Weil law firm out of its New York and Silicon Valley offices. The Weil firm has previously provided pro bono representation to the PCUSA and some other presbyteries, including in matters relating to property and the Trust Clause. Weil has assigned one of its Appellate and Supreme Court attorneys to lead their team and we are in great hands. While there is still much that has to happen to reverse the lower courts, we are a couple of small steps closer than we were when we last reported to you in September. We will update you once we know the result of the Court’s conference on our petition.

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COMMISSIONING OF COMMISSIONERS AND YAAD TO GENERAL ASSEMBLY

CALL TO DISCIPLESHIP

We are called by God to be the church of Jesus Christ, a sign in the world today of what God intends for all humankind.

The great ends of the church are the proclamation of the gospel for the salvation of humankind; the shelter, nurture, and spiritual fellowship of the children of God; the maintenance of divine worship; the preservation of the truth; the promotion of social righteousness; and the exhibition of the Kingdom of Heaven to the world. QUESTIONS FOR THE DELEGATES COMMISSIONING PRAYER CHARGE BLESSING

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STATED CLERK’S REPORT, PART 1

Request of First Presbyterian Church, LeRoy, Minnesota to be dismissed to the Presbytery of North Central Iowa

Background. In December, 2017, the session of the First Presbyterian Church, LeRoy, Minnesota expressed a desire to be dismissed from the PTCA to the Presbytery of North Central Iowa. Executive Presbyter, Jeff Japinga, met with the session and the pastor, and learned that the congregation and its leaders believe that they will be able to build closer connectional relationships with a presbytery that shares its context of small- town, agriculturally-based ministry. Leadership of the Presbytery of North Central Iowa confirmed their willingness to accept the First Presbyterian Church, LeRoy, Minnesota, as a member. Transfer of a congregation from one presbytery to another is a multi-part process. G-3.0303b authorizes the presbytery to dismiss congregations to another presbytery “in consultation with their members.” The synod, subject to the approval of the General Assembly, makes decisions about the geographic boundaries of a presbytery, including acts to divide, unite or combine presbyteries or portions of presbyteries, per G-3.0404 and G-3.0502e. In order to effect the dismissal of the congregation from the PTCA to the Presbytery of North Central Iowa, the geographic boundary between the two presbyteries must be changed so that LeRoy is within the bounds of the Presbytery of North Central Iowa. This action should come to GA in the form of an Overture from the Synod of Lakes and Prairies, upon the request of our presbytery and the concurrence of the Presbytery of North Central Iowa. Therefore, the following Action is proposed. Proposed Action The Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area requests that the Synod of Lakes and Prairies Overture the General Assembly as follows: The Synod of Lakes and Prairies overtures the 223rd General Assembly (2018) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) to change the geographic boundary of the Presbyteries of Twin Cities Area and of North Central Iowa by moving the Township of LeRoy, County of Mower, Minnesota, from the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area to the Presbytery of North Central Iowa; and by this action, to effect the transfer of First Presbyterian Church in LeRoy, Minnesota, from membership in the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area to the Presbytery of North Central Iowa.

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2018 FIVE YEAR CHURCH ANNIVERSARIES

Anniversary Church

160 First Presbyterian Church, Belle Plaine, MN 155 United Presbyterian Church, Rockford, MN 150 First Presbyterian Church, LeRoy, MN 145 First United Presbyterian Church, Baldwin, WI 125 First Presbyterian Church, South St. Paul, MN 120 First Presbyterian Church, Hayfield, MN 105 Randolph Heights Presbyterian Church, St. Paul, MN 60 St. Luke Presbyterian Church, Wayzata, MN 35 Laurel Presbyterian Church, Hager City, WI 35 Trinity Presbyterian Church, Woodbury, MN

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RETIREMENT OF TEACHING ELDER

Lord, you have been our refuge from one generation to another. Before the mountains were brought forth, or the land and the earth were born, from age to age you are God

Ps. 90:1-2

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless God’s holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all God’s benefits, Who forgives all your sins and heals all your infirmities; who redeems your life from the grave and crowns you with mercy and loving-kindness; who satisfies you with good things, and your youth is renewed like an eagle’s.

Ps. 103:1-5

Presentation of Retiree Carol Reed Presentation of Gift Carol Reed Prayer Carol Reed

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REV. BRENDA K. ALEXANDER

Ordained PC(USA) Nov. 10, 1985

After teaching 12 years in a Christian Reformed psych hospital and school, I eagerly chose to become Presbyterian when God called me to a different arena to serve in ministry. Ordained in 1985, I served churches in Michigan, Illinois and Minnesota in roles of associate pastor, solo pastor, senior pastor-head of staff, director of spiritual care at Presbyterian Homes and most recently as a transitional pastor with 2nd generation Korean believers. In presbytery work, I served on the Education Committee in the Detroit Presbytery, the Personnel Committee in Blackhawk Presbytery, and COM, AIM, and Mission and Witness in the PTCA. I co-chaired the Peacemaking and Stewardship Committee at the 1994 General Assembly. Highlights of those years include:

Guiding First Presbyterian of White Bear Lake in a major re-build of the entire building, relocating worship and all activities to other community sites for a year and then moving back in. I enjoyed the creative task of overseeing the sanctuary and stained glass window designs.

In Illinois at Middle Creek, I found myself called to an active rural congregation, ready and eager to grow in their faith. Two years after the PC(USA) welcomed baptized children to the Table, I led a two-year theological and practical study that joyfully celebrated families coming to the Lord’s Supper. The church doubled in size.

A similar learning process was conducted with the English Ministry in Brooklyn Center at the Korean Church, whose children loved coming to Communion. I also experienced incredible joy in being in a multicultural setting, learning much about Korean heritage and finding our love for Jesus and the church bridged nearly every difference and fear.

Challenges include:

In Illinois, I followed a 40-year pastorate, who built a home next door to the church and expected to attend after retirement. I was the 5th pastor in 150 years. By including interim tasks in the first 3 years, I was able to stay 10 years, work with the COM to insist the former pastor and family worship elsewhere, and bring them to embrace new ideas and PC(USA) changes that offered meaningful ministry in this setting.

At Presbyterian Homes- Johanna Shores, I helped to create rituals that brought closure when the beloved chapel was torn down, when residents moved into their new rooms, and when the multi-use fellowship hall was designated as the chapel. In a Baptist setting, I developed liturgical year services which were attended and appreciated.

I served as the PTCA Moderator (2003-2004) during a particularly contentious time of theological in-fighting. It was challenging to hear the Spirit’s leading amid the intense, ugly words.

While in Blackhawk Presbytery (Illinois) I moderated the Personnel Committee at a time when the staff was non-functional. With the assistance of church consultant, Speed Leas, we set up an accountability process for all presbytery staff. A year later, the presbytery

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severed relationships with all but 2 of the staff. The presbytery survived and eventually healed without a lawsuit, due to the careful process followed.

I am grateful for 33 years of creative and demanding ministry. I now look forward to what God has next for me. Thanks be to God!!

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Mission co-worker in Taiwan

Presbyterian Church of Taiwan

About John McCall’s ministry

John McCall has been serving in Taiwan for over 16 years. He spends a lot of time on trains,

buses, and subways as he travels throughout Taiwan teaching courses on ministry and spiritual

formation at the three seminaries of the Presbyterian Church of Taiwan. John leads groups of

pastors in different parts of Taiwan that meet monthly to find encouragement and challenge. “I

have the privilege of accompanying both seminary students and pastors as they seek to be

Christ’s light and salt in this land,” he says. Most every weekend John is in a different church or

presbytery teaching and preaching and equipping the leadership of the Taiwanese church. Many

of these churches are indigenous, located in the high mountains, on the coast, or in Taiwan’s

teeming cities.

Taiwan, the size of Maryland and Delaware combined, has more people than Australia. It is

located south of Japan, north of the Philippines, and just 100 miles from the south coast of

China. The Portuguese called Taiwan “Formosa,” which means “beautiful island.” From its

rugged coasts to its high mountains to its bustling cities, Taiwan truly is beautiful. It is a high-

tech country with many folks involved in the computer and smart-phone industry. It has a

number of different people groups with at least 14 indigenous groups. Scholars believe that

some of these groups may have been on Taiwan for at least 10,000 years. There are also

immigrants who arrived from southern China over 400 years ago, Hakka people who also

emigrated from China, and those who came over with Chiang Kai-Shek in 1949. The diversity

of people groups, languages, and cultures makes Taiwan a dynamic multi-cultural country. On

any given Sunday in the Presbyterian Church of Taiwan one can hear at least 15 different

languages being spoken in worship. The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s partner church in

Taiwan, the Presbyterian Church of Taiwan, is the largest Protestant denomination on the island.

Only 3 percent of the population is Christian in this predominately Buddhist country.

Presbyterian missionaries from England arrived in Taiwan about 140 years ago and were soon

followed by Canadian Presbyterians. The PC(USA) began work in Taiwan after World War

II. The Presbyterian Church of Taiwan seeks to share Christ’s love through ministries of

evangelism, health care, student work, social justice, and theological education.

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COMMISSIONING OF PTCA MISSION TEAM

Description of the 2018 PTCA Mission Trip Ken Wooley

Introduction of the 2018 PTCA Mission Team Brenda Alexander

Jon and Laura Arthur, FPC, Hudson

Neal Hubbard, FPC, South St. Paul

Larry and Barb Janski, Buffalo Presby.

Rev. Kirk Johnston, FPC, Hayfield

Terrance Johnston, FPC, Hudson

Ginger Kirby, FPC, Rochester

Ronda Marshall, Community, Rochester

Sue Tourville, FPC, South St. Paul

Hjordi Van Ausdal, FPC, Hudson

Ken Wooley, FPC, Hudson

Rev. Brenda Alexander, PTCA

Responsive Litany Corrine Freedman Ellis

One: There are different gifts

All: BUT THE SAME SPIRIT WHO GIVES THEM.

One: There are different ways of serving God,

All: BUT IT IS THE SAME LORD WHO IS SERVED.

One: Each one of us is given a gift by the Spirit

All: TO USE FOR THE COMMON GOOD.

One: Together we are the body of Christ, belonging to the Presbytery of the Twin

Cities Area

All: AND INDIVIDUALLY MEMBERS OF THE BODY OF CHRIST.

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Questions to the Mission Team:

Do you accept the responsibility of representing this presbytery in doing the work of our Lord in

Louisiana? If so, answer, “I do.”

Will you work to exemplify Christ’s teachings by loving one another and by translating Christ’s

message with excitement and care, turning strangers to friends and friends to brothers and

sisters? If so, answer, “I will.”

Will you serve in this special work with energy, intelligence, imagination and love, treasuring

your experiences as opportunities to teach and to grow? If so, answer “I will.”

Question to the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area

(PTCA members, please stand as you are able.)

Do you, members and friends of the Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area, accept these people as

missionaries chosen to extend our Christian love and concern to others in Denham Springs,

Louisiana? If so, please answer, “We will.”

Prayer

Gracious God, we present our hopes for these specially commissioned this day. In every age

you have chosen servants to speak your word in unique and special ways. We thank you for

these people whom you have called to serve you. Give them each special gifts to do their

special work. Fill them with the Holy Spirit so they may accept all they confront, and be

faithful and joyful in their task. Bring them safely home and then let their experience further

enrich us so that we, too may better serve you. We pray in Christ’s name. Amen.

Charge

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ANTI-RACISM TASK FORCE UPDATE

The Anti-Racism Task Force is hard at work developing a strategy for the Presbytery. We've met four times since the beginning of the year and will continue to meet once a month to educate ourselves and continue developing strategies. Our long term goals are to:

Identify and connect with congregations already doing anti-racism work,

Identify and eliminate practices and procedures within the PTCA organization which oppress and marginalize our members and prevent the PTCA from building a diverse social and religious institution,

Assist congregational leaders wanting to start conversations within their congregational communities about how to identify and eliminate practices and procedures which oppress and marginalize, and

Assist clergy and church leaders wanting to start conversations with other community leaders, such as school administration, police departments, or social service organizations, on how to identify and eliminate institutional practices which oppress and marginalize.

Our Task Force Members currently include; Rev. Sarah Bigwood, Rev. Anna Kendig, Rev. Greg Bolt, Rev. Paula Sanders, Mr. Rollie Baldwin, Rev. Karen Kennerly, Rev. Mary Koon. We are adding people as we go because we are interested in serving a movement more than serving on a committee. Please contact Rev. Sarah Bigwood at sarah.bigwood@valleychurch.net or 763/588-0831 if you are interested in participating in anti-racism work in the PTCA. If you are already doing anti-racism work, we want to hear from you, too!

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STATED CLERK’S REPORT, PART II

Annual Statistical Reporting to General Assembly:

The presbytery’s annual reporting was completed on time, with the following reports submitted to the Office of General Assembly, including the submission of the Minister Summary, Church Summary, Miscellaneous Form and MGB Cost Form. If your curiosity prompts you to request more information about these forms and reports, please ask me. The deadline for annual statistical reporting by congregations (through the clerks of session) to the Office of General Assembly was February 15, 2018. 59 congregations completed their reporting, an increase from the number of congregations reporting last year. In addition to the annual statistical reporting to GA, congregations also report certain information to the presbytery each year. Of our 61 congregations, five (5) did not report any data and about half of our congregations reported some, but not all, of the requested data. It is your stated clerk’s goal to achieve 100% of our congregations reporting, on time, next year. Clerk of Session training will occur in the fall, including tips and guides for the easy tracking and reporting of the data required. Dismissal of Administrative Commission with Gratitude:

St. Luke Presbyterian Church, Wayzata, Minnesota. Following the stated meeting of January 19, 2018, Moderator T.J. Parlette appointed Rev. Alika Galloway, Member at Large; Rev. David Shinn, Westminster, Minneapolis; Rev. Dr. Jeffrey S. Japinga, Executive Presbyter; Rev. James Brasel, Honorably Retired; Janie Warner, Ruling Elder, St. Luke, Wayzata; Tamara Rogers, Ruling Elder, St. Luke, Wayzata; Walter Rockenstein, Ruling Elder, Westminster, Minneapolis to serve on the Administrative Commission to install Rev. Brennan Blue as senior pastor of St. Luke Presbyterian Church, Wayzata. In fulfillment of its charge, the Administrative Commission met on March 4, 2018. Rev. Brennan Blue was installed on that date, with Vice-Moderator Walter Rockenstein propounding the constitutional questions. Having completed its work, the Administrative Commission is dismissed with the deep gratitude of the presbytery. Updates of the Work of Administrative Commissions:

2. Dayton Avenue Presbyterian Church, St. Paul. The administrative commission continues to consult with the congregation and community partners to explore alternative uses for the church building, and to discern the future ministry of the congregation, including possible redevelopment.

3. Eden Prairie Presbyterian Church, Eden Prairie. The administrative commission reports

directly to the presbytery at this meeting.

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4. Le Sueur Presbyterian Church, Le Sueur. The congregation’s final worship service was held January 28, 2018. The session continues to serve, pending the presbytery’s action on the plan for the final disposition of assets, and the dissolution of the congregation both corporately and ecclesiastically. The AC plans to bring its recommendation to the presbytery for action at the May, 2018 stated meeting. The administrative commission reports the resignations of Meg Newswanger and Larry Cumpston; the remaining members appointed by Moderator T.J. Parlette are Teaching Elder Frank Vardeman, Honorably Retired, Chair; Ruling Elder Eileen Wells-Pautz, Le Sueur Presbyterian Church, Le Sueur; and Ruling Elder Ann Wasescha, First Presbyterian Church, Stillwater.

Request for Information:

At the January 19, 2018 stated meeting, the Treasurer Steve Robertson requested that congregations provide the presbytery office with names and contact information of persons who have charge over the finances of the congregation, such as the Treasurer. Please provide that information to the presbytery office at your earliest convenience. And, as always, please do not hesitate to contact me if I can be of support or assistance to you, your committees, your session, or your congregation!

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COMMITTEE ON ETHICS

$10 CUB CARDS for Northside Women’s Space

What if you had but a few dollars to your name, and had to choose between paying rent or buying food? What if you were a single mom, with just enough food for your two hungry children but nothing for hygiene or other essential personal needs? What do you do then? These are often the terrible choices facing women served by Northside Women’s Space (NWS), a ministry dedicated to helping women get out of the sex trade. To help support that work, the Committee on Ethics is sponsoring a drive to collect Cub Foods gift cards. Right now, $10 Cub Cards are mostly depleted at Northside Women’s Space (NWS); it’s their greatest need. The PTCA’s Committee on Ethics (COE) is partnering with NWS and the Mission and Witness (M&W) Committee to benefit those caught up in the sex trade. What often drives women to the street are unmet human necessities like food, basic toiletries and electricity for themselves and their families. Let’s do our part to change that story. Congregations are encouraged to consider this effort through their mission committee or by simply taking a gift-card-collection on a Sunday morning. This is one way we can help NWS intervene with women's immediate needs while also growing its mission to get women out of the sex trade and address the problem of generational poverty. NWS is also working with Thistle Farms, a Tennessee operation that trains women in small business ownership. (https://thistlefarms.org/) https://www.facebook.com/WomensSpace

Bring your gift cards to the Presbytery meeting on May 8!

WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

Northside Women’s Space at Liberty Community Church is a mission of the PTCA. (See next page).

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BILLS AND OVERTURE REPORT

RECOMMENDATIONS The committee unanimously recommends that the presbytery vote on sending the following five items to the 223rd General Assembly (2018): three overtures, one concurrence, and one amendment to the Rationale of the overture that the PTCA voted to send to GA last fall:

A list of action items is below, including our committee’s advice as to whether each item should be approved or not. Bottom line: if you believe a particular item should pass, please vote “yes;” if not, please vote “no.”

Proposed Overtures/Concurrence/Amendment to Rationale of Overture Y N

1. Overture: On Establishing Minimum Guidelines for Paid Parental Leave for All Staff Throughout the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), including Pastors, Certified Christian Educators, and Certified Associate Christian Educators

6 0

2. Overture: On Advocacy for Climate Change Action and a Thriving Lower-Carbon Economy

6 0

3. Concurrence with OVT-014 from Pby of the New Covenant: On Engagement with the Issue of Climate Change

6 0

4. Overture: On Adopting the “Letter from Birmingham City Jail,” written by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., as a Contemporary Statement of Faith (But Not with Constitutional Standing).

6 0

5. Amendment to the Rationale of Overture-015 (which PTCA voted to send on Nov. 6, 2017): to add our presbytery’s original longer title to this overture as a new first sentence of its Rationale, since the title got shortened on www.pc-biz.org (details below)

6 0

Notes/discussion for each of the above items will follow this brief report. REPORT The committee reports the following:

I. If anyone sees any major problems with passing any of these items, please contact the B&O Committee right away at bando@ptcaweb.org. Perhaps we could work out a suitable amendment before the presbytery meeting and save everybody time.

II. Today (March 10) is the last stated meeting of our presbytery to send any items to the 223rd General Assembly (2018) for all non-constitutional issues. (The deadline for sending new overtures & concurrences regarding constitutional issues, e.g., amending the Book of Order or proposing a new authoritative interpretation to the Book of Order, already expired in mid-February.) Before the PTCA meets on May 8, all GA deadlines to send overtures & concurrences will expire.

III. If our presbytery sends an overture or concurrence that you strongly support, please consider volunteering to serve as an Overture Advocate for our presbytery. You

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could have the opportunity to give an opening speech about that overture/concurrence to the Assembly Committee to which it is assigned (which could be roughly between 1 and 5 minutes long, depending what the chair of the Assembly Committee decides), and also serve as a resource for members of the Assembly Committee as they discern how to respond to each overture. You would be “on duty” mainly during the first half-week of the General Assembly, when Assembly Committees initially process all items on the General Assembly’s docket and formulate recommendations for the full General Assembly to vote on later in the week. (It is likely that Overture Advocates will need to pay for their own costs of travel, hotel, and meals.)

IV. You can see overtures and concurrences that have already been received by the Office of the General Assembly listed on https://www.pc-biz.org in the order in which the original overtures were received:

A. Click on the word “Search” in the upper left-hand corner on the menu bar. B. Then make sure that “Event” (in the middle near the top of the screen) is set to:

“223rd General Assembly (2018).” C. Then click on the “Search” button below in the middle of the screen. D. [Eventually, each overture will be assigned to an Assembly Committees with

specific subject areas (e.g., “OVT-001” could become something like “Item 06-01” for Assembly Committee #6, etc. But this has not happened yet.]

Respectfully submitted by Peter Soulen, Chair Below are the Committee’s comments on all five items (in the order listed above), followed by the full text of each of the first four items (overtures and a concurrence). COMMENTS BY THE COMMITTEE ON ALL ITEMS: Item #1—Overture: On Establishing Minimum Guidelines for Paid Parental Leave for All Staff Throughout the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), including Pastors, Certified Christian Educators, and Certified Associate Christian Educators This overture originated from the session of the Presbyterian Church in Oronoco as two proposed amendments to the Book of Order. Last January 20, the PTCA voted to refer these overtures back to the Bills & Overtures Committee to try to rewrite them to achieve the same result without amending the Book of Order. Principles expressed in this overture are: Each council needs to provide benefits to all personnel under its jurisdiction in accordance with a personnel policy. This means that, for each pastor and certified educator to receive paid parental leave (PPL) benefits, all personnel under the jurisdiction of presbyteries (including pastors) and all personnel under the jurisdiction of sessions (including Certified Christian Educators and Certified Associate Christian Educators) must receive similar benefits.

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Instead of amending the Book of Order to provide PPL benefits to pastors, Certified Christian Educators, and Certified Associate Christian Educators, this overture uses the existing process of administrative review in our Book of Order (c.f., G-3.0101, G-3.0108). Through administrative review, a council may ask questions of any next lower council to persuade the lower council to amend its own policy (e.g., the GA may ask pointed questions of a synod, and a synod may brow-beat a presbytery, but the General Assembly may not review a presbytery). However, a higher council does not have the authority to order a next-lower council to amend its policy unless it contradicts the Constitution (e.g., Book of Order, authoritative interpretation of the Book of Order, or decision of the General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commission, c.f. G-3.0501c). We Presbyterians have a connectional church—not a rigid top-down hierarchical church. This overture asks the General Assembly to:

Provide PPL benefits for all staff working under the GA’s jurisdiction;

Strongly encourage all councils to provide similar PPL benefits to all staff and personnel working under their own jurisdictions; and

Initiate a denomination-wide administrative review of PPL benefits. o Since the General Assembly can only review all synods, part of the review of

each synod would be to review:

Each synod’s PPL benefits package,

Whether all presbyteries under each synod’s jurisdiction have reviewed their own PPL benefits; and also

Whether each presbytery under each synod’s jurisdiction has reviewed the PPL benefits policies of all sessions under its own jurisdiction.

This could become part of the next annual process of reviewing the minutes of each council. While no council can be forced to change its PPL policy through administrative review, administrative review can initiate dialog within a council to put moral pressure on a council to change its policy. (Last January 20, after hearing how several pastors in our presbytery have suffered by not having PPL benefits, our own presbytery voted to ask COM to present a proposal for a PTCA paid parental leave policy at its next meeting on May 8.) If GA commissioners conclude that this overture does not look like it will result in councils beginning to provide substantive PPL benefits this year, the Rationale for this overture also contains two other options to proceed: the original proposed amendments to the Book of Order, and also the possibility of the Board of Pensions acting to provide PPL benefits. With roughly half-a-dozen overtures regarding PPL being sent to the General Assembly this year, we hope that this issue will receive the urgent attention it deserves.

Thanks go to Rev. Margaret Thomas, Rev. Neal Lloyd (former member of the PTCA), and ruling elder Diana Barber for constitutional language. Thanks also go to Rev. Lisa Johnson (pastor of the Presbyterian Church in Oronoco) for helpful suggestions in wording.

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NOTE: If you have a story that shows why our denomination needs to start regularly providing paid parental leave, please email it to bando@ptcaweb.org. These stories should be more effective when shared face-to-face with an Assembly Committee (instead of written in the Rationale). The Bills & Overtures Committee will collect all stories we are emailed and share them with our presbytery’s Overture Advocate (when one has been decided).

Item #2—Overture: On Advocacy for Climate Change Action and a Thriving Lower-Carbon Economy This overture is sponsored by the session of Cherokee Park United Church, written by ruling elder Ms. Tomie Evans.

A. This overture introduces many specific ideas that individuals and congregations can do to lobby federal elected officials to advocate for climate action. (Divestment is not the only option to promote action on climate that Presbyterians can pursue.)

B. In particular, this overture introduces the program of “fee-and-dividend,” which has already been implemented in Canada’s province of British Columbia. This program collects a fee on the carbon content of fuels, etc., at each wellhead, mine, and border (which is eventually passed on to consumers), and then returns all money collected by the fee in monthly paychecks to all families, which families may use to offset the higher fees and to make their own investments to avoid burning carbon (e.g., buying a more fuel efficient vehicle). Fee-and-Dividend is mathematically similar to proposals for “cap-and-trade,” but many economists think that “fee-and-dividend” would be easier to implement and more effective in moving the economy off of fossil fuels faster. The concept of fee-and-dividend has been gaining acceptance among members of Congress (although not yet a majority in either the U.S. House or Senate).

C. This overture provides a wealth of references to resources, the large scope of which is usually found in the endnotes of General Assembly Special Committee reports instead of presbytery overtures. We compliment the author and editors for condensing a great deal of material into a reasonably concise overture.

D. The committee believes that this overture is clear in what it is asking the General Assembly to do, and that the General Assembly has the authority to carry out each of this overture’s requests.

Item #3—Concurrence with OVT-014 from Pby of the New Covenant: On Engagement with the Issue of Climate Change This concurrence is also sponsored by the session of Cherokee Park United Church and written by ruling elder Ms. Tomie Evans.

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The Rationale of this proposed concurrence is based on the text of the overture in Item #2 above. Passing this concurrence would mean that, if overture Item #2 does not receive a concurrence before the GA’s deadline, General Assembly commissioners would still be able to refer to the Rationale of our concurrence to OVT-014 to consult a greater number of resources, and be introduced to ideas that could be “mixed & matched” with items from other climate-overtures and concurrences so that the General Assembly could formulate a more comprehensive response to promoting a lower-carbon economy. All comments by the committee above for the overture in Item #2 also apply to this concurrence. Item #4—Overture: On Adopting the “Letter from Birmingham City Jail,” written by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., as a Contemporary Statement of Faith (But Not with Constitutional Standing). This overture is sponsored unanimously by the session of Shepherd of the Hill Presbyterian Church in Chaska. It was written/reviewed by teaching elders Doug Mitchell and Dean Seal, along with ruling elders Louis Davis, Dr. Vivian Jenkins Nelsen, and Peter Soulen of Westminster-Mpls.

2018 marks the 50th anniversary of the assassination of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., four months after he began what he called a “Poor People’s Campaign” to gather together a multi-ethnic coalition to lobby the federal government for changes to public policy that would help all struggling Americans.

This overture asks the General Assembly to “adopt Letter from Birmingham City Jail” written by Dr. King “as a contemporary statement of faith, a reliable aid for Christian study, liturgy, and inspiration (with the understanding that only the current Book of Confessions has constitutional standing).”

Asking the General Assembly to adopt a particular contemporary statement of faith is not as unusual as it may seem. When preparing materials for worship, study, or use by the denomination, the General Assembly does not limit itself only to quotations from our Book of Confessions. For example: In 1993, the 205th General Assembly commended the Book of Common Worship prepared by the OGA’s Theology and Worship Ministry Unit (which was published in the same year). Also, the General Assembly adopted “A Declaration of Faith” in the same way as proposed in this overture. [“A Declaration of Faith” was written in the 1970s by the so-called “southern church” before it merged with the so-called “northern church” in 1983 to become today’s Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). When this “Declaration” continued to fail to get ratified by the requisite number of presbyteries to be added to the Book of Confessions like “The Confession of 1967” was, the General Assembly decided to lift up the “Declaration” by adopting it in this way, which did not require another vote by presbyteries.]

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Although Dr. King was raised and educated as a Baptist, the Rationale shows that the concepts he teaches in his Letter are consistent with teachings from our own Book of Order and Book of Confessions (particularly the “Theological Declaration of Barmen,” “The Confession of 1967,” and the “Confession of Belhar”). Compared with the Letter, perhaps nothing else Dr. King ever wrote is as famous, contains the key concepts he taught, and has been published so widely (so that it is probably not subject to protected copyright). Adopting this Letter this year, on the 50th anniversary of Dr. King’s assassination, would be a good way to lift up the life and great works of Dr. King, and inspire the rest of us to labor for social justice.

If this overture is approved, we will send a pdf-file of the full text of the Letter as a resource for commissioners. To save the PTCA some paper, we provide just a link to the Letter in this report: https://www.africa.upenn.edu/Articles_Gen/Letter_Birmingham.html.

Item #5— Amendment to the Rationale of Overture-015 (which PTCA voted to send on Nov. 6, 2017): to add our presbytery’s original longer title of this overture as a new first sentence of its Rationale, since the original title got shortened on www.pc-biz.org.

Motion—To add as a new first sentence to the Rationale of OVT-015:

“Our presbytery’s initial lengthy title for this overture was: ‘On Amending G-2.0509 and D-10.0401d to Restore Victims Rights to the Process for When Former Ministers of the Word and Sacrament Who Renounced Jurisdiction While Being Accused in a Disciplinary Case Wish to Work In or For the PC(USA) Again.’”

On November 6, 2017, our presbytery voted to send an overture to the GA with the lengthy title: “On Amending G-2.0509 and D-10.0401d to Restore Victims Rights to the Process for when Former Ministers of the Word and Sacrament who Renounced Jurisdiction while Being Accused in a Disciplinary Case Wish to Work in or for the PC(USA) Again.” (It has received concurrences from several other presbyteries, so it will be heard by the General Assembly this year.) This overture was written to immediately place a central guiding principle of this overture (to restore victims rights) in all readers’ minds in the title, and then quickly go on in the Rationale to present a detailed history of both of these sections of the Book of Order, how they are currently not consistent with 5 out of 7 purposes of discipline for victims as stated in the Preamble to the Rules of Discipline, and several other detailed sections with endnotes. When the Office of the General Assembly received this overture, and designated it on www.pc-

biz.org as OVT-015, they shortened the title to: “On Amending G-2.0509 and D-10.0401d When Former Ministers of the Word and Sacrament Who Renounced Jurisdiction While Being Accused in a Disciplinary Case Wish to Work For the PC(USA) Again.” The Bills & Overtures Committee believes that the most likely reason why OGA shortened the title of our overture is that the www.pc-biz.org website might not be able to process a title with so many characters in it. The Committee is concerned that, if the central principle for this overture that was in its original title is not added to the beginning of its Rationale (“Restore Victims Rights”), then many GA commissioners might not understand the overture—they will have to struggle through a great

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deal of detailed history and information about the Rules of Discipline (which are not familiar to many presbyters) without comprehending the main point. Given that every General Assembly is asked to wrestle with a wide variety of complicated topics, not passing this motion to add this clarifying statement to our Rationale would probably make it less likely that the Assembly Committee on Church Polity and Ordered Ministry would have a more productive debate on this topic this year. (In the 2016 General Assembly, there was considerable confusion both in committee and in plenary, leading to a final, hasty, muddled result that did not take victims rights into account. We don’t need the 2018 General Assembly to be similarly confused.) Passing this motion will authorize us to ask OGA to add our original lengthy title to the beginning of our overture’s Rationale, which would help commissioners understand the main point of what we’ve asked—to act to restore victims rights. (This motion would use similar capitalization to what the OGA is using in their shortened title.) Adding one sentence of clarity in the Rationale could save commissioners a great deal of effort, and hopefully lead to constructive change on this issue.

Following these Committee’s remarks are the full texts to all overtures/concurrences listed in Items #1 through #4, in the same order as in the Committee’s Recommendations.

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Proposed Overture to the General Assembly: On Establishing Minimum Guidelines for Paid Parental Leave for All Staff Throughout the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), including Pastors, Certified Christian Educators, and Certified Associated Christian Educators The Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area overtures the 223rd General Assembly (2018) to: Create (or amend existing) compensation guidelines for paid parental leave for all staff working under the General Assembly’s jurisdiction, where:

this benefit is available to all parents of a new child, regardless of how the child came to be in the family (including, but not limited to: birth, adoption, and fostering);

at least 12 weeks of parental leave are fully paid;

full leave is given in the case of miscarriage, still birth, or infant death; and

if two parents are present, parental leave may be taken concurrently or consecutively. Strongly encourage all councils of the church that they also implement similar minimum compensation guidelines for paid parental leave for all staff and personnel under their own jurisdictions. Use its authority to review the acts of lower councils (G-3.0101; G-3.0108) to:

Inquire of all synods if they themselves have adopted minimum guidelines for paid parental leave for all staff working under their jurisdictions that are “prudent and equitable, and… faithful to the mission of the whole church” (c.f., G-3.0108);

Inquire of each synod if it has similarly reviewed each presbytery’s paid parental leave policy for all personnel under its jurisdiction (e.g., all staff and installed pastors), and whether each presbytery under each synod’s jurisdiction has similarly reviewed each session’s paid parental leave policy for all personnel under its jurisdiction (e.g., all staff including Certified Christian Educators and Certified Associate Christian Educators).

Rationale: Introduction: Our presbytery feels that establishing paid parental leave throughout our denomination, including all of the scenarios listed above, is necessary.

Too many leaders and staff in our denomination who are also trying to start families have suffered too much under inequitable practices as a result of having no standard paid parental leave; also Paid parental leave is part of standard benefits packages in many professions outside the church where many members of the PC(USA) work, and as well as for pastors in some of our sibling denominations:

UMC: In the United Methodist Church, congregations are required to give 8 weeks off, fully paid, and conferences (Methodist equivalent of presbyteries) pay for pulpit supply during those 8 weeks. A pastor may request up to 12-13 weeks off, although those additional weeks can be unpaid, also during which congregations become responsible for pulpit supply.

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ELCA: While there is no denomination-wide parental leave policy, each synod (Lutheran equivalent of presbytery) adopts its own policy. Most synods suggest, but do not require, that pastors be granted 6 weeks off. Congregations are required to find and fund pulpit supply. This overture began as a set of two overtures, to propose amending two sections of the Book of Order [text to be added in italics]: To amend G-2.0804 as follows: “the call [to pastors] shall include participation in the benefits plan of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), including both pension and medical coverage, or any successor plan approved by the General Assembly, and paid parental leave of at least 12 weeks. To amend G-3.0303c as follows: establish minimum compensation standards for pastoral calls and Certified Christian Educators and Certified Associate Christian Educators within the presbytery, to include Board of Pensions participation and paid parental leave of at least 12 weeks: Instead of amending the Book of Order this year, and instead of advocating for only pastors and certified educators, this overture proposes that the General Assembly establish this benefit for all personnel under its jurisdiction, strongly encourage all councils of the church to do the same, and then use each council’s authority to review the acts of a lower council to inquire whether all synods have adopted similar paid parental leave benefits for their own personnel, and whether each synod has reviewed the paid parental leave policies of all presbyteries under its jurisdiction, and whether each presbytery under each synod’s jurisdiction has reviewed the paid parental leave policies of all sessions under its jurisdiction. Our Book of Order describes administrative review as a process where higher councils may question the substance of acts of lower councils, e.g., not merely “checking a box” to see if a lower council has adopted and implemented a sexual misconduct policy (c.f., G-3.0106), but to review the substance of such policies to inquire (perhaps going so far to ask tough, pointed questions) if the proceedings of a lower council “have been correctly recorded, have been in accordance with this Constitution, have been prudent and equitable, and have been faithful to the mission of the whole church” (G-3.0108). However, instead of waiting for all councils of our denomination to act, and even longer for all to go through the formal administrative review process, it may be that the quickest way to establish paid parental leave for all leaders and staff in our denomination would be to ask the Board of Pensions to establish this new benefit, and charge additional dues as necessary. According to the Board of Pensions (personal communication), only 254 children under age 1 (by birth or adoption) were added to the BoP benefits plan in a five year period between 2012-2016, so it appears that roughly only 50 people per year in our denomination would need to utilize this benefit to care for a new child. In recent years, efforts to establish paid parental leave policies for church professionals and staff have been woefully inadequate throughout our denomination:

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The 221st General Assembly (2014) encouraged presbyteries and churches to create parental leave policies with the minimum of six weeks and 100% pay without using other forms of paid leave.1 The 222nd General Assembly (2016) also voted to encourage the six agencies of the General Assembly (Board of Pensions, Foundation, Office of the General Assembly, Presbyterian Investment and Loan Program, Inc., Presbyterian Mission Agency, and Presbyterian Publishing Corporation) to improve their paid parental leave policies in accordance with the advice of the 221st General Assembly. 2

The time to act to establish paid parental leave benefits for all staff of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is now. Theological Basis: As a denomination, we have affirmed the importance of supporting families. However, in practice, congregations are put in the precarious position of choosing between either taking care of a new family, or taking care of the financial well-being of the congregation. With respect to pastors, for example, many churches cannot afford paid parental leave for their pastor(s) in addition to the cost of pulpit supply, yet many pastors cannot afford to be unpaid when they welcome a new member into the family. These choices are difficult ones that often lead to solutions which leave either the staff member or the congregation neglected, and lack witness to the love God, Parent of us all, has for the world. It is also vital to support staff and leaders in small, struggling, or otherwise financially insecure churches. Without a paid parental leave policy, the PC(USA) forces parents to make a choice between proper health-care for themselves and their children, and adequate income to provide for their families. Without a paid parental leave policy, we uphold false narratives that describe men as “bread-winners” and require them to leave the child-raising to their spouses. Without a paid parental leave policy, we continue to uphold antiquated and unequal traditions which not only reinforce gender stereotypes, bringing harm to families and children, but fail to account for the many different kinds of families our denomination lifts up and celebrates. However, in our Brief Statement of Faith, we confess as a Church, that the Holy Spirit:

“calls women and men to all ministries of the church. In a broken and fearful world

the Spirit gives us courage to pray without ceasing,

to witness among all peoples to Christ as Lord and Savior, to unmask idolatries in Church and culture,

1 https://www.pc-biz.org/#/search/5121

2 https://www.pc-biz.org/#/search/3000035

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to hear the voices of peoples long silenced, and to work with others for justice, freedom, and peace.

In gratitude to God, empowered by the Spirit, we strive to serve Christ in our daily tasks

and to live holy and joyful lives, even as we watch for God’s new heaven and new earth,

praying, “Come, Lord Jesus!”

With a paid parental leave policy, we have the opportunity to live into this calling of courage in our ministries and in our daily lives as we grow our families and support one another in love. With a paid parental leave policy, we unmask the idolatry of unequal practices and are free to live holy and joyful lives – lives wherein all parents can bond with their children without fear of destitution, and the whole community can grow in love. Supporting Statistics: Numerous studies have shown the benefits of paid parental leave for both parents and their children. An increase of 10 weeks paid maternal leave has been associated with a 10% decrease in neonatal and infant mortality rate,3 and parental leave has been shown to be a cost-effective method for improving child health more generally.4 However, the benefits to child health and the decrease in infant mortality are only seen with an increase in paid parental leave.5 Moreover, studies that have analyzed the long-term benefits of paid parental leave have found benefits to women’s mental health in older age and a decrease in high school dropout rates among their children.6 Returning to the example of pastors: At least half of the contemporary seminary graduates are women, and a large portion of graduates (male and female) are in their child-bearing years.7 Some of these female colleagues must negotiate lower pay to receive adequate paid maternity leave in their calls, if they can get the maternity leave. Some of our female colleagues are being told they must prove they are worth the maternity leave. Many men have no leave guaranteed at all. This is a matter of gender justice in our denomination. Because women are the ones giving birth, most studies have focused on the relationship between a mother and her child.

3 Jody Heyman, Amy Raub, and Alison Earle, “Creating and Using New Data Sources to Analyze the Relationship

Between Social Policy and Global Health: The Case of Maternal Leave,” Public Health Reports 126(Suppl 3) (2011): 127-134. 4 Christopher J. Ruhm, “Parental Leave and Child Health,” Journal of Health Economics 19, no. 6 (November 2000):

931-960. 5 Sakiko Tanaka, “Parental Leave and Child Health Across OECD Counties,” The Economic Journal 115, no. 501

(February 2005): F7-F28. 6 Mauricio Avendano, Lisa F. Berkman, Agar, Brugiavini, and Giacomo Pasini, “The long-run effect of maternity

leave benefits on mental health: Evidence from European countries,” Social Science & Medicine 132 (May 2015): 45-53; Pedro Carneiro, Katrine Løken, and Kjell Salvanes, “A Flying Start? Materinity Leave Benefits and Long Run Outcomes of Children,” IZA Discussion Paper No. 5793. 7http://pres-outlook.org/2017/09/pastoral-pipeline-will-enough-ministers-serve-presbyterian-church/

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However, increases in paid parental leave continue to be met by increases in use of that leave among all parents, allowing parents of all genders to spend more time on their child’s care, which has demonstrated health benefits for the child. Indeed, it has been shown that when fathers – or non-birthing parents - are offered comparable paid parental leave, the length of leave they take increases and their involvement in a child’s care after the leave period increases.8 It is wholly regrettable that non-birthing parents (historically, men) have been denied such crucial bonding and care time with their families for so long.

Across the United States, a mere 14% of people have access to paid family leave.9 As stated above, this justice issue looms large for many workers, and the PC(USA) is not currently acting as a faithful leader. In working toward a solution, it is the profound hope of many young church staff and leaders that the denomination will see the opportunity to lead the world to a more faithful, loving approach to family leave.

8 Arnalds, A., Eydal, G., and Gíslason, I. “Equal rights to paid parental leave and caring fathers – the case of

Iceland,” Icelandic Review of Politics and Administration 9, no. 2 (2013): 323-344. 9 http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/03/23/access-to-paid-family-leave-varies-widely-across-employers-

industries/

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Advocacy for climate change action and a thriving lower-carbon economy

The Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area respectfully overtures the 223rd General Assembly (2018) to:

Invite all of our congregations to advocate for creation care by encouraging members and friends to regularly engage in respectful conversations with their federal elected officials to advocate for climate action. Congregations’ acts of engagement can include: Approaching all conversations with the intent to build bridges of trust and respect Organizing ongoing calling, writing, and requesting visits with their elected officials, requesting climate action now. Encouraging and supporting youth to independently engage with their representatives.

Educating their members and surrounding communities about climate impacts and solutions

Encourage congregations to learn about and consider including in their conversations the concepts of “Carbon Fee and Dividend”, a just and effective approach to carbon pricing: An annually rising fee per ton of CO2 is collected at the wellhead, mine, and border – the fee drives businesses to avoid cost, selecting and innovating for lower-carbon energy, products, and food. A monthly dividend paid to all families comes from returning all of the fee, strengthening families and keeping three-fifths of the country even or a little ahead. The buying power of the fee leads to more local mainstreet jobs. Border tariffs protect our industry and compel other countries to follow our lead Invite congregations, presbyteries, synods, affinity groups, and the General Assembly to share their climate advocacy resources, successes, and encouragement Ask the Stated Clerk of the General Assembly to inform the denomination and the larger public of this resolution.

Rationale

Prayer This is a prayer inviting all of us to be the collective hands, feet, voice, and ears of Jesus. By listening for common values and building bridges of trust, appreciation, and optimism, we, one conversation at a time, open hearts to the blessing of all of us choosing to care for all of us – all Creation. It is a prayer for grace – God’s love in motion, through our 9,451 congregations growing the community of voices supporting leadership by Congress. It is a prayer for a more just and healthy climate, economy, and families – and better relationships with our neighbors.

1A PC(USA) joined faith community call for leadership and building bridges

On January 11, 2017, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), via its Office of Public Witness, has joined other faith communities, including the Young Evangelicals for Climate Action, in a “Religious Community Letter to Trump Transition Team.”[1] The letter calls for leadership:

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“...The United States can and must play a leadership role in addressing these environmental challenges which threaten our planet, our security, the health of our families, and the fate of communities throughout the world.”

And the letter calls us: “As people of faith, we are uniquely able to serve as bridge-builders by finding common ground and reaching across political divides. … We are rooted in the practice of emphasizing our common values in order to advance cooperation and overcome partisanship at both the national and international levels.”

Better Angels [2] is an organization that has shown success in facilitating and teaching other how to facilitate respectful “Red – Blue” conversations. Begun in 2016, it is a citizen's movement to unify our divided nation.

1B Congregations’ organizing ongoing outreach to their federal elected representatives

Showing our elected officials the political will for climate action requires relationship building, persistence, and their hearing from enough of their constituents that climate is important. Example activities include: Organizing members to each make one respectful phone call every month, with choices of an appreciation and a request for climate action. One call per month by many members can lead to multiple calls each and every day – those “rain drops” add up and make a difference, showing support for climate action Writing to elected officials at the local office or email to the DC office (note DC letter processing delays) Letters to the editor for your local paper (read by thousands or 100s of thousands) builds support. Asking for visits with an elected official or staff. When planning a visit invite those that will share a faith, civic, business, or military perspective, a climate impact, or a connection with your elected official.

1C Youth

Our youth have a powerful voice, are willing to be both respectful and direct, have the most at stake, and they have successfully swayed the hearts of representatives.[3] Consider supporting independent youth advocacy through church, school or other organizations such as iMatter or 4H. iMatter[4] helps youth prepare a climate report card and engage with city councils. 1D Educating members and surrounding communities on climate impacts & solutions There are many reputable sources on climate include the PC(USA)’s own work (see section 3 below). Two additional perspectives of the current and growing harm from climate across the whole country are provided, and in Drawdown, a breadth of encouraging solutions. The NOAA billions report [5] shows accelerating climate impacts on everyone. From 1980, the data, maps, and time series show a steady increase of 10s to 100s of billions of dollars of extreme weather costs across the USA.

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Our Children’s Trust lawsuit[6] by 21 youth vs the US Government includes a 32 page declaration by Dr. James Hansen in 2015[7] describing accelerating climate change and the need for urgent action. Drawdown[8] provides rigorous validation of effectiveness and financial viability of climate solutions. The top 100 range from energy, farming, and transportation, to educating and enhancing the rights of women and girls.

2 Carbon Fee & Dividend: Just & effective carbon pricing

What policy will be just and effective? Regulations could mandate change, however, they are difficult to apply to every business in a whole economy, lack support, and provide no relief for families. How do we quickly transition all developed and developing countries to a just and thriving lower-carbon economy?

Because business causes about 90% of the US carbon foot print[9] we need all businesses to have a compelling reason to avoid carbon in their buying, to improve their efficiency, and to offer lower-carbon energy and products.

Carbon pollution’s impact on society is an externalized, or “not paid” cost of all the businesses that produce or consume carbon, leading to emissions. Businesses, through their “carbon” supply chains (from fossil fuel to energy or products), externalize the carbon cost and capture or internalize the profits.

Since it’s the core behavior of business to avoid higher costs, economists recommend using price to internalize the cost of carbon and correct a “failure in the marketplace.” The CEO of the French Public Service Pension, Philippe Desfossés, says via World Bank: “I support putting a price on carbon because it fixes a market failure.”[10]

However, some carbon pricing systems such as Cap & Trade[11] or Carbon Taxes with offsets[12] may have prices that are too low, have regulatory gaps, cause harm to communities, have limited coverage, or enable polluters to buy their reductions rather than change.

Just and Effective Principles

A just and effective economy-wide carbon pricing system needs to satisfy at least the following principles: Effective Price: A price that continuously drives changes in business behavior across the entire economy No Gaps: An inescapable approach impacting every business and consumer dependent on fossil fuels Just: Keeping families and communities safe from the harmful impacts of increased cost Global: Compelling change to the world economy without a treaty, and compliant with WTO rules These principles are met by the combination of the carbon fee, dividend, and border rules

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2A The Carbon Fee

A carbon fee[13] is a start small, and annually rising cost per ton of CO2 added to the price of fossil fuels at the mine, well head, or border. The fee is collected as a federal “excise tax”, but payed out each month as a dividend (below). The fee internalizes the societal cost of carbon for every business across the whole economy. The carbon fee is: Effectively priced: Predictable fee increases each year without limit Fairly applied across all fossil fuels, based on the CO2 content, at the source and border Driving business to continuously invest to avoid the constantly rising costs of their fossil fuel based supply chain, innovating in energy, transportation, manufacturing, agriculture, and so on No Gaps: fee is applied to all fossil fuel carbon at the source: well head, mine, and border. Simple, transparent, unavoidable. No regulatory tradings or cap systems subject to special interests The carbon fee leads to: 50% less CO/year after 20 years, based on projections by REMI, the Regional Economic Modeling Inc’s studies, based on their tax policy work since 1985.[14] Also based on REMI’s study, 230,000 fewer premature deaths over 20 years due to the reduction in fossil fuel use, reducing harm to those communities downstream, often low income and people of color.[14] 2B Monthly Dividend: Strengthening families and communities A monthly dividend[13] is paid to all families by dividing the fee evenly and returning all of the fee’s revenue each month. The dividend: is Just. Carbon Dividend is perhaps the only climate policy that immediately and directly contributes to the strength of families and communities Can be spent for basic needs or, for example, to help further reduce a families carbon use and cost, such as investing in more efficient light bulbs, home insulation, or transportation. Can be a source of funds pooled by a community choosing to self fund and locally control community justice projects, avoiding the risks to projects from changing federal, state, and grant agency priorities The carbon dividend leads to: Keeping over three fifths of US families even or a little ahead of added costs [14] Increased spending power, leading to 2.8 million more local mainstreet jobs over the 20 year [14] Impact example: slow and steady – and you get a dividend. From 2009 – 2011 gasoline increased about a dollar/gallon[15]. A fee of 10$/ton of CO2 adds about nine cents to a gallon of gas each year, taking over 10 years to do the same and increasing the dividend [16] 2C Border Tariff: Effectively leading a world-wide lower-carbon economy Global: With border rules, the Carbon Fee & Dividend compels global carbon pricing Where a country is not pricing carbon the border adjustment would add the fee to energy imports and tariff imported products. We would also compensate our exporters to countries

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that do not price carbon to maintain parity. Countries will find the desire to avoid our import tariff a compelling reason to also price carbon[17]. WTO supports environmental trade policy that treats trading partners the same as our own country[18]

Carbon Fee & Dividend compared to Cap and Trade – support from Dr. James Hansen

An excellent explanation offered by James Hansen[19] where Cap and Trade is compared to Fee and Dividend is available as excerpts from his book “Storms of My Grandchildren” as provided by Clive Ellsworth [20] Based on Citizen’s Climate Lobby’s comparison: Cap and Trade[11] requires two complex regulatory systems to work and not be unintentionally “leaky,” have unintended bias, and not be “gamed.” The fees must be high enough and the cap low enough, and cover enough of the economy to have an impact.

Carbon Fee proved by British Columbia since 2007

Revenue neutral carbon pricing effectiveness is proved:

Canadian province British Columbia implemented carbon pricing in 2007. Their carbon pricing policy’s experience shows the policy reducing emissions and improving their economy [21]

Conservative statesmen and economists support Carbon Dividends

The Conservative Case for Carbon Dividends[22] also calling for returning all revenue from a carbon fee to citizens, is from former Sectaries of State & Treasury, James Baker and George Shultz, many presidential economic advisers, and others.

Build on growing political will in Congress

US House Representatives Carlos Curbello (R) and Ted Duetch (D) are both from districts in south Florida where high King Tides bring sunny day ocean water flooding to the local streets[23]. In 2016 they worked together and founded the House Climate Solutions Caucus[24]. Members wishing to join do what they did: find a partner across the aisle and join together. The caucus continues to grow and has positively impacted key votes[25]. Citizen’s Climate Lobby hosts a June lobby day when about a thousand volunteers meet with over 500 representatives, senators, or staff. Meetings are ranked as productive, uninterested, or in between. It is the experience of Citizens’ Climate Lobby that generally Democratic offices are in favor of climate action and, over the last few years, conversations with Republican offices have shown increased engagement. In 2014, Republican office meetings were 3 to 1 to the good – 3 times more productive vs uninterested. Improving each year, in 2017, those meetings were 20 to 1 to the good – 20 times more productive meetings vs uninterested.[26]

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3 PC(USA) foundation and an Invitation to share resources Congregations, presbyteries, synods, affinity groups, and the General Assembly are invited to share their climate advocacy resources, successes, and encouragement. Appreciation is also given for our ongoing creation care work, including the work represented by:

The Power to Speak Truth to Power (1981) [27] Hope for a Global Future (1996) [28] Declaration for us to become Carbon Neutral (2006) [29] US Energy Policy and Global Warming (2008) [30] Presbyterians for Earth Care (formerly PRC) is a nationwide network that cares for God’s Creation [31] [32]

Links

[1 https://www.presbyterianmission.org/story/pcusa-signs-climate-justice-letter-president-elect-

trump/] [2] http://www.better-angels.org/ [3] https://citizensclimatelobby.org/rep-jack-bergman-congressman-climate-conscious-youth/ [4] http://www.imatteryouth.org/ [5] http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/billions/ [6] http://www.ourchildrenstrust.org/ [7] http://www.ourchildrenstrust.org/s/150812HansenExpertDecSupportingYouth-hdnc.pdf [8] http://www.drawdown.org/solutions [9] https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/sources-greenhouse-gas-emissions [10] http://blogs.worldbank.org/climatechange/pension-fund-ceo-pricing-carbon-fixes-market-failure [11] https://citizensclimatelobby.org/laser-talks/carbon-fee-vs-cap-trade/ [12] https://citizensclimatelobby.org/laser-talks/offsets/ [13] http://www.citizensclimatelobby.org/basics-carbon-fee-dividend/ [14] http://www.citizensclimatelobby.org/remi-report/ [15] https://www.statista.com/statistics/204740/retail-price-of-gasoline-in-the-united-states-since-1990/ [16] https://citizensclimatelobby.org/remi-report/#remigraphs (figure 1.1, last pane) [17] https://citizensclimatelobby.org/laser-talks/border-tax-adjustment/ [18] https://citizensclimatelobby.org/laser-talks/wto-and-the-border-adjustment/ [19] http://csas.ei.columbia.edu/2014/07/24/cap-and-tax-versus-fee-and-dividend/ [20] http://www.mediafire.com/view/5f3j6rq78mfmr6a/FeeAndDividend.CliveEllsworth.July2014.pdf [21] https://publicpolicy.wharton.upenn.edu/live/news/1520-analyzing-british-columbias-carbon-tax [22] http://www.clcouncil.org/ [23] http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/article76193132.html [24] http://www.citizensclimatelobby.org/climate-solutions-caucus/ [25] https://citizensclimatelobby.org/bipartisan-majority-defeats-measure-block-climate-impact-study/ [26] https://community.citizensclimatelobby.org/learn/lobbying/june-meeting-analysis/

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[27] http://www.pcusa.org/media/uploads/acswp/pdf/power_to_speak_truth_to_power.pdf [28] http://www.pcusa.org/site_media/media/uploads/acswp/pdf/hope-for-a-global-future.pdf] [29] http://climate.org/archive/topics/national-action/presbyterians-climate-neutral.html [30] http://www.pcusa.org/site_media/media/uploads/acswp/pdf/energyreport.pdf [31] http://presbyearthcare.org/ [32] https://www.presbyterianmission.org/ministries/environment/earth-care-congregations/

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For

[OVT-014] On Engagement with the Issue of Climate Change—From the Presbytery of New Covenant.

www.pc-biz.org/#/search/3000234

The Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area concurs with Overture 14 to the 223rd General Assembly (2018) as published:

Recommendation

The Presbytery of New Covenant overtures the 223rd General Assembly (2018) of the PC(USA) to:

1. Express its profound concern about the detrimental effects of climate change on all God’s creation, including those living in poverty, the elderly and children, and those least responsible for the emissions of greenhouse gases. 2. Proclaim that we recognize the Gospel’s call to shift to a just, compassionate, and sustainable energy plan. 3. Acknowledge that this compels us to implement strategies and actions that engage climate change and offer the realistic prospect of changing our destructive behaviors that contribute to the issue. 4. Call upon congregations and councils of the church to develop ways for those who disagree on climate change to be in dialogue with one another, seeking together to find and represent the will of Christ; affirm the need for dialogue and discernment, not only within and among our congregations, but also all parties outside our denomination, seeking faithful individual and collective responses to address climate change, trusting that we share a common belief in the need to respond. 5. Affirm that we have a duty to assure that our response to climate change does not endanger the economic progress and improvements in living conditions that have been made among all of God’s people, most notably the impoverished, but instead enables that progress to continue. 6. Affirm that is both possible and practical to effect meaningful change; urge individuals, congregations, councils of the church, and institutions (including the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Foundation, Board of Pensions, Presbyterian Mission Agency, Office of General Assembly, camps, conference centers, colleges, and theological seminaries) to initiate, continue, and build upon steps to reduce our carbon footprint and to continue adoption of lower-carbon and zero-carbon technologies and lifestyles. 7. Commend the Committee on Mission Responsibility through Investment (“MRTI”) for its long history of corporate engagement on climate change issues. 8. Instruct MRTI to continue that engagement, applying the long-standing PC(USA) principles related to corporate engagement and consideration of divestment. 9. Acknowledge that our response must not be limited to corporate engagement, and that engagement also requires us to develop, advocate, and implement faithful responses that

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alter harmful individual, institutional, and corporate behaviors that contribute to climate change. 10. Affirm the steps already taken by the Presbyterian Foundation, Board of Pensions, and Presbyterian Investment and Loan Corporation, Inc. to leverage investments to help care for God’s creation and mitigate the adverse effects of climate change by urging these groups to establish and enhance programs to target climate change solutions, such as the “Restoring Creation Loan” program, which allows congregations to renovate their buildings using energy-efficient products to conserve energy, lower costs, and reduce carbon emissions. 11. Commend congregations that have committed to the “earth care pledge” and encourage all congregations to consider joining the Earthcare Congregation Network of the PC(USA). 12. Advocate for the reduction of greenhouse gases through the use of alternative, cleaner energy sources, such as natural gas, nuclear, wind, solar, and industrial-scale power storage, even if only as a bridge to the long-term future. 13. Direct the Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy, in collaboration with Congregational Ministries Publishing, The Thoughtful Christian, and other organizations with parallel goals, to develop a policy paper and educational materials to assist congregations and councils of the church to understand the impact of climate change and in taking individual and collective action to slow climate change, including: shareholder activism; investments in renewable energy; advocacy at local, state, federal, and international levels for policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (including policies to price greenhouse gas emissions); and local efforts to reduce carbon footprint, consistent with the 2006 call for denominational carbon neutrality, and the 2008 “Power to Change” recommendations. 14. Direct the Stated Clerk of the PC (USA) to inform the denomination and the larger public of the passage and implementation of this overture.

Rationale

With agreement to all of Overture 14’s Recommendations, and noting recommendations 9 and 13:

9. Acknowledge that our response must not be limited to corporate engagement, and that engagement also requires us to develop, advocate, and implement faithful responses that alter harmful individual, institutional, and corporate behaviors that contribute to climate change. 13. Direct the Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy, in collaboration with Congregational Ministries Publishing, The Thoughtful Christian, and other organizations with parallel goals, to develop a policy paper and educational materials to assist congregations and councils of the church to understand the impact of climate change and in taking individual and collective action to slow climate change, including: shareholder activism; investments in renewable energy; advocacy at local, state, federal, and international levels for policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (including policies to price greenhouse gas emissions); and local efforts to reduce carbon footprint, consistent with the 2006 call for denominational carbon neutrality, and the 2008 “Power to Change” recommendations.

And in particular the call in Recommendation 13 to:

advocacy at local, state, federal, and international levels for policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (including policies to price greenhouse gas emissions);

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The Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area offers the following Rationale:

Advocate at all levels, and in particular, the federal level for policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (including policies to price greenhouse gas emissions) by:

Inviting all of our congregations to advocate for creation care by encouraging members and friends to regularly engage in respectful conversations with their federal elected officials to advocate for climate action. Congregations’ acts of engagement can include: Approaching all conversations with the intent to build bridges of trust and respect Organizing ongoing calling, writing, and requesting visits with their elected officials, requesting climate action now. Encouraging and supporting youth to independently engage with their representatives. Educating their members and surrounding communities about climate impacts and solutions Encourage congregations to learn about and consider including in their conversations the concepts of “Carbon Fee and Dividend”, a just and effective approach to carbon pricing: An annually rising fee per ton of CO2 is collected at the wellhead, mine, and border – the fee drives businesses to avoid cost, selecting and innovating for lower-carbon energy, products, and food. A monthly dividend paid to all families comes from returning all of the fee, strengthening families and keeping three-fifths of the country even or a little ahead. The buying power of the fee leads to more local mainstreet jobs. Border tariffs protect our industry and compel other countries to follow our lead Invite congregations, presbyteries, synods, affinity groups, and the General Assembly to share their climate advocacy resources, successes, and encouragement Ask the Stated Clerk of the General Assembly to inform the denomination and the larger public of this resolution.

Prayer This is a prayer inviting all of us to be the collective hands, feet, voice, and ears of Jesus. By listening for common values and building bridges of trust, appreciation, and optimism, we, one conversation at a time, open hearts to the blessing of all of us choosing to care for all of us – all Creation. It is a prayer for grace – God’s love in motion, through our 9,451 congregations growing the community of voices supporting leadership by Congress. It is a prayer for a more just and healthy climate, economy, and families – and better relationships with our neighbors.

1A PC(USA) joined faith community call for leadership and building bridges

On January 11, 2017, the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), via its Office of Public Witness, has joined other faith communities, including the Young Evangelicals for Climate Action, in a “Religious Community Letter to Trump Transition Team.”[1] The letter calls for leadership:

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“...The United States can and must play a leadership role in addressing these environmental challenges which threaten our planet, our security, the health of our families, and the fate of communities throughout the world.”

And the letter calls us: “As people of faith, we are uniquely able to serve as bridge-builders by finding common ground and reaching across political divides. … We are rooted in the practice of emphasizing our common values in order to advance cooperation and overcome partisanship at both the national and international levels.”

Better Angels [2] is an organization that has shown success in facilitating and teaching other how to facilitate respectful “Red – Blue” conversations. Begun in 2016, it is a citizen's movement to unify our divided nation. 1B Congregations’ organizing ongoing outreach to their federal elected representatives Showing our elected officials the political will for climate action requires relationship building, persistence, and their hearing from enough of their constituents that climate is important. Example activities include: Organizing members to each make one respectful phone call every month, with choices of an appreciation and a request for climate action. One call per month by many members can lead to multiple calls each and every day – those “rain drops” add up and make a difference, showing support for climate action Writing to elected officials at the local office or email to the DC office (note DC letter processing delays) Letters to the editor for your local paper (read by thousands or 100s of thousands) builds support. Asking for visits with an elected official or staff. When planning a visit invite those that will share a faith, civic, business, or military perspective, a climate impact, or a connection with your elected official. 1C Youth Our youth have a powerful voice, are willing to be both respectful and direct, have the most at stake, and they have successfully swayed the hearts of representatives.[3] Consider supporting independent youth advocacy through church, school or other organizations such as iMatter or 4H. iMatter[4] helps youth prepare a climate report card and engage with city councils. 1D Educating members and surrounding communities on climate impacts & solutions There are many reputable sources on climate include the PC(USA)’s own work (see section 3 below). Two additional perspectives of the current and growing harm from climate across the whole country are provided, and in Drawdown, a breadth of encouraging solutions.

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The NOAA billions report [5] shows accelerating climate impacts on everyone. From 1980, the data, maps, and time series show a steady increase of 10s to 100s of billions of dollars of extreme weather costs across the USA. Our Children’s Trust lawsuit[6] by 21 youth vs the US Government includes a 32 page declaration by Dr. James Hansen in 2015[7] describing accelerating climate change and the need for urgent action. Drawdown[8] provides rigorous validation of effectiveness and financial viability of climate solutions. The top 100 range from energy, farming, and transportation, to educating and enhancing the rights of women and girls.

2 Carbon Fee & Dividend: Just & effective carbon pricing

What policy will be just and effective? Regulations could mandate change, however, they are difficult to apply to every business in a whole economy, lack support, and provide no relief for families. How do we quickly transition all developed and developing countries to a just and thriving lower-carbon economy?

Because business causes about 90% of the US carbon foot print[9] we need all businesses to have a compelling reason to avoid carbon in their buying, to improve their efficiency, and to offer lower-carbon energy and products.

Carbon pollution’s impact on society is an externalized, or “not paid” cost of all the businesses that produce or consume carbon, leading to emissions. Businesses, through their “carbon” supply chains (from fossil fuel to energy or products), externalize the carbon cost and capture or internalize the profits.

Since it’s the core behavior of business to avoid higher costs, economists recommend using price to internalize the cost of carbon and correct a “failure in the marketplace.” The CEO of the French Public Service Pension, Philippe Desfossés, says via World Bank: “I support putting a price on carbon because it fixes a market failure.”[10]

However, some carbon pricing systems such as Cap & Trade[11] or Carbon Taxes with offsets[12] may have prices that are too low, have regulatory gaps, cause harm to communities, have limited coverage, or enable polluters to buy their reductions rather than change.

Just and Effective Principles

A just and effective economy-wide carbon pricing system needs to satisfy at least the following principles: Effective Price: A price that continuously drives changes in business behavior across the entire economy No Gaps: An inescapable approach impacting every business and consumer dependent on fossil fuels Just: Keeping families and communities safe from the harmful impacts of increased cost

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Global: Compelling change to the world economy without a treaty, and compliant with WTO rules These principles are met by the combination of the carbon fee, dividend, and border rules

2A The Carbon Fee

A carbon fee[13] is a start small, and annually rising cost per ton of CO2 added to the price of fossil fuels at the mine, well head, or border.

The fee is collected as a federal “excise tax”, but payed out each month as a dividend (below). The fee internalizes the societal cost of carbon for every business across the whole economy. The carbon fee is:

Effectively priced: Predictable fee increases each year without limit

Fairly applied across all fossil fuels, based on the CO2 content, at the source and border

Driving business to continuously invest to avoid the constantly rising costs of their fossil fuel based supply chain, innovating in energy, transportation, manufacturing, agriculture, and so on

No Gaps: fee is applied to all fossil fuel carbon at the source: well head, mine, and border.

Simple, transparent, unavoidable. No regulatory tradings or cap systems subject to special interests

The carbon fee leads to:

50% less CO/year after 20 years, based on projections by REMI, the Regional Economic Modeling Inc’s studies, based on their tax policy work since 1985.[14]

Also based on REMI’s study, 230,000 fewer premature deaths over 20 years due to the reduction in fossil fuel use, reducing harm to those communities downstream, often low income and people of color.[14]

2B Monthly Dividend: Strengthening families and communities

A monthly dividend[13] is paid to all families by dividing the fee evenly and returning all of the fee’s revenue each month. The dividend:

is Just. Carbon Dividend is perhaps the only climate policy that immediately and directly contributes to the strength of families and communities

Can be spent for basic needs or, for example, to help further reduce a families carbon use and cost, such as investing in more efficient light bulbs, home insulation, or transportation.

Can be a source of funds pooled by a community choosing to self fund and locally control community justice projects, avoiding the risks to projects from changing federal, state, and grant agency priorities

The carbon dividend leads to:

Keeping over three fifths of US families even or a little ahead of added costs [14]

Increased spending power, leading to 2.8 million more local mainstreet jobs over the 20 year [14]

Impact example: slow and steady – and you get a dividend.

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From 2009 – 2011 gasoline increased about a dollar/gallon[15]. A fee of 10$/ton of CO2 adds about nine cents to a gallon of gas each year, taking over 10 years to do the same and increasing the dividend [16]

2C Border Tariff: Effectively leading a world-wide lower-carbon economy

Global: With border rules, the Carbon Fee & Dividend compels global carbon pricing

Where a country is not pricing carbon the border adjustment would add the fee to energy imports and tariff imported products. We would also compensate our exporters to countries that do not price carbon to maintain parity. Countries will find the desire to avoid our import tariff a compelling reason to also price carbon[17].

WTO supports environmental trade policy that treats trading partners the same as our own country[18]

Carbon Fee & Dividend compared to Cap and Trade – support from Dr. James Hansen

An excellent explanation offered by James Hansen[19] where Cap and Trade is compared to Fee and Dividend is available as excerpts from his book “Storms of My Grandchildren” as provided by Clive Ellsworth [20]

Based on Citizen’s Climate Lobby’s comparison: Cap and Trade[11] requires two complex regulatory systems to work and not be unintentionally “leaky,” have unintended bias, and not be “gamed.” The fees must be high enough and the cap low enough, and cover enough of the economy to have an impact.

Carbon Fee proved by British Columbia since 2007

Revenue neutral carbon pricing effectiveness is proved:

Canadian province British Columbia implemented carbon pricing in 2007. Their carbon pricing policy’s experience shows the policy reducing emissions and improving their economy [21]

Conservative statesmen and economists support Carbon Dividends

The Conservative Case for Carbon Dividends[22] also calling for returning all revenue from a carbon fee to citizens, is from former Sectaries of State & Treasury, James Baker and George Shultz, many presidential economic advisers, and others.

Build on growing political will in Congress

US House Representatives Carlos Curbello (R) and Ted Duetch (D) are both from districts in south Florida where high King Tides bring sunny day ocean water flooding to the local streets[23]. In 2016 they worked together and founded the House Climate Solutions Caucus[24]. Members wishing to join do what they did: find a partner across the aisle and join together. The caucus continues to grow and has positively impacted key votes[25]. Citizen’s Climate Lobby hosts a June lobby day when about a thousand volunteers meet with over 500 representatives, senators, or staff. Meetings are ranked as productive, uninterested,

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or in between. It is the experience of Citizens’ Climate Lobby that generally Democratic offices are in favor of climate action and, over the last few years, conversations with Republican offices have shown increased engagement. In 2014, Republican office meetings were 3 to 1 to the good – 3 times more productive vs uninterested. Improving each year, in 2017, those meetings were 20 to 1 to the good – 20 times more productive meetings vs uninterested.[26] 3 PC(USA) foundation and an Invitation to share resources

Congregations, presbyteries, synods, affinity groups, and the General Assembly are invited to share their climate advocacy resources, successes, and encouragement.

Appreciation is also given for our ongoing creation care work, including the work represented by:

The Power to Speak Truth to Power (1981) [27] Hope for a Global Future (1996) [28] Declaration for us to become Carbon Neutral (2006) [29] US Energy Policy and Global Warming (2008) [30] Presbyterians for Earth Care (formerly PRC) is a nationwide network that cares for God’s Creation [31] [32]

Links

[1 https://www.presbyterianmission.org/story/pcusa-signs-climate-justice-letter-president-elect-

trump/] [2] http://www.better-angels.org/ [3] https://citizensclimatelobby.org/rep-jack-bergman-congressman-climate-conscious-youth/ [4] http://www.imatteryouth.org/ [5] http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/billions/ [6] http://www.ourchildrenstrust.org/ [7] http://www.ourchildrenstrust.org/s/150812HansenExpertDecSupportingYouth-hdnc.pdf [8] http://www.drawdown.org/solutions [9] https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/sources-greenhouse-gas-emissions [10] http://blogs.worldbank.org/climatechange/pension-fund-ceo-pricing-carbon-fixes-market-failure [11] https://citizensclimatelobby.org/laser-talks/carbon-fee-vs-cap-trade/ [12] https://citizensclimatelobby.org/laser-talks/offsets/ [13] http://www.citizensclimatelobby.org/basics-carbon-fee-dividend/ [14] http://www.citizensclimatelobby.org/remi-report/ [15] https://www.statista.com/statistics/204740/retail-price-of-gasoline-in-the-united-states-since-1990/ [16] https://citizensclimatelobby.org/remi-report/#remigraphs (figure 1.1, last pane) [17] https://citizensclimatelobby.org/laser-talks/border-tax-adjustment/ [18] https://citizensclimatelobby.org/laser-talks/wto-and-the-border-adjustment/ [19] http://csas.ei.columbia.edu/2014/07/24/cap-and-tax-versus-fee-and-dividend/

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[20] http://www.mediafire.com/view/5f3j6rq78mfmr6a/FeeAndDividend.CliveEllsworth.July2014.pdf [21] https://publicpolicy.wharton.upenn.edu/live/news/1520-analyzing-british-columbias-carbon-tax [22] http://www.clcouncil.org/ [23] http://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/article76193132.html [24] http://www.citizensclimatelobby.org/climate-solutions-caucus/ [25] https://citizensclimatelobby.org/bipartisan-majority-defeats-measure-block-climate-impact-study/ [26] https://community.citizensclimatelobby.org/learn/lobbying/june-meeting-analysis/ [27] http://www.pcusa.org/media/uploads/acswp/pdf/power_to_speak_truth_to_power.pdf [28] http://www.pcusa.org/site_media/media/uploads/acswp/pdf/hope-for-a-global-future.pdf] [29] http://climate.org/archive/topics/national-action/presbyterians-climate-neutral.html [30] http://www.pcusa.org/site_media/media/uploads/acswp/pdf/energyreport.pdf [31] http://presbyearthcare.org/ [32] https://www.presbyterianmission.org/ministries/environment/earth-care-congregations/

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A Proposed Overture to the 2018 General Assembly: On Adopting the “Letter from

Birmingham City Jail,” written by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., as a Contemporary

Statement of Faith (But Not with Constitutional Standing)

The Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area overtures the 223rd General Assembly (2018) to adopt Letter from Birmingham City Jail by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.,i as a contemporary statement of faith, a reliable aid for Christian study, liturgy, and inspiration (with the understanding that only the current Book of Confessions has constitutional standing).ii Rationale We Presbyterians are obligated to work for the Great Ends of the Church, which are: the proclamation of the gospel for the salvation of humankind; the shelter, nurture, and spiritual fellowship of the children of God; the maintenance of divine worship; the preservation of the truth; the promotion of social righteousness; and the exhibition of the Kingdom of Heaven to the world. (F-1.0304).iii In accordance with the Book of Confessions, we are called specifically to work to abolish all racial discrimination, to work for peace and practice the forgiveness of enemies, and to advance the common welfare to end poverty (C67 9.44-9.46), recognizing that the church must obey Jesus Christ as the one Word of God, and not merely become “an organ of the State” (TDB 8.11, 8.24), “even though the authorities and human laws might forbid [the church from obeying Jesus Christ] and punishment and suffering be the consequence” (CB 10.9). Fifty years ago, a man gave his life in the service of others, consistent with these teachings from our Book of Confessions: the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., President of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). On December 4, 1967, Dr. King announced his intention to organize a “Poor People’s Campaign,” so that the poor from many different races (e.g., “Indians, Mexican-Americans, Puerto Ricans, Appalachians, and others”) would lobby the federal government to change inadequate public policies, including “low minimum wages,” “a degrading system of inadequate welfare,” “subsidies of the rich and unemployment and underemployment of the poor,” “a war mentality,” “slums and starvation, and racism.”iv In April 4, 1968, Dr. King was assassinated at the Lorraine Hotel in Memphis, Tennessee.v Many find inspiration from the life and teachings of Dr. King, of which his Letter from Birmingham City Jail “has probably been reprinted more than anything else Dr. King wrote.”vi,vii In Dr. King’s Letter, he describes how Christ led him to organize nonviolent resistance to systemic injustice within the context of a specific event in Birmingham, Alabama, which is described below.

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In November 1962, citizens of Birmingham voted to change their city’s form of government from a system of being governed by three elected commissioners (each with oversight of specific areas) to a mayor/city council system. Eugene “Bull” Connor, Commissioner of Public Safety who had oversight over Birmingham’s fire and police departments, ran for mayor, but lost the election on April 2, 1963.viii On April 3, 1963, the day after the election, the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights (ACMHR) and the SCLC began coordinated non-violent confrontations in Birmingham, Alabama to demonstrate opposition to the city’s practices of racial discrimination, “including sit-ins at libraries and lunch counters, kneel-ins by black visitors at white churches, and a march to the county building to mark the beginning of a voter-registration drive.” Dr. King was arrested, along with 50 Birmingham residents, on Good Friday, April 12, 1963. He was denied consultation with an attorney from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored Peoples (NAACP) without guards present.ix Eight white Alabama clergymen, seven Christian (including the moderator of a Presbyterian synod), and one Jewish, published “A Call for Unity” in a newspaper on April 12.x The “Call for Unity” said, in part:

[W]e are now confronted by a series of demonstrations by some of our Negro citizens, directed and led in part by outsiders. We recognize the natural impatience of people who feel that their hopes are slow in being realized. But we are convinced that these demonstrations are unwise and untimely. We agree rather with certain local Negro leadership which has called for honest and open negotiation of racial issues in our area… We commend the community as a whole, and the local news media and law enforcement officials in particular, on the calm manner in which these demonstrations have been handled. We urge the public to continue to show restraint should the demonstrations continue, and the law enforcement officials to remain calm and protect our city from violence. We further strongly urge our own Negro community to withdraw support from these demonstrations, and to unite locally in working peacefully for a better Birmingham. When rights are consistently denied, a cause should be pressed in the courts and in negotiations among local leaders, and not in the streets. We appeal to both our white and Negro citizenry to observe the principles of law and order and common sense.xi

A copy of this newspaper was smuggled into jail, and Dr. King wrote the Letter from Birmingham City Jail in response. Dr. King described his writing of the Letter as follows: "Begun on the margins of the newspaper in which the statement appeared while I was in jail, the letter

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was continued on scraps of writing paper supplied by a friendly black trusty, and concluded on a pad my attorneys were eventually permitted to leave me."xii Among the many teachings of Dr. King’s Letter are the following: (1.) All Americans are impacted by injustice.

I think I should indicate why I am here in Birmingham, since you have been influenced by the view which argues against "outsiders coming in." I have the honor of serving as president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an organization operating in every southern state, with headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia…. I, along with several members of my staff, am here because I was invited here. I am here because I have organizational ties here. But more basically, I am in Birmingham because injustice is here. Just as the prophets of the eighth century B.C. left their villages and carried their "thus saith the Lord" far beyond the boundaries of their home towns, and just as the Apostle Paul left his village of Tarsus and carried the gospel of Jesus Christ to the far corners of the Greco Roman world, so am I compelled to carry the gospel of freedom beyond my own home town…. Moreover, I am cognizant of the interrelatedness of all communities and states. I cannot sit idly by in Atlanta and not be concerned about what happens in Birmingham. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. Never again can we afford to live with the narrow, provincial "outside agitator" idea. Anyone who lives inside the United States can never be considered an outsider anywhere within its bounds.xiii

(2.) Insisting that those who labor under crushing poverty should wait and be patient for the

convenience of those who are not in such poverty will not resolve poverty. “Wait” too often means “Never,” and justice delayed is justice denied.

You deplore the demonstrations taking place in Birmingham. But your statement, I am sorry to say, fails to express a similar concern for the conditions that brought about the demonstrations. I am sure that none of you would want to rest content with the superficial kind of social analysis that deals merely with effects and does not grapple with underlying causes. It is unfortunate that demonstrations are taking place in Birmingham, but it is even more unfortunate that the city's white power structure left the Negro community with no alternative.

We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed. Frankly, I have yet to engage in a direct action campaign that was "well timed" in the view of those who have not suffered

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unduly from the disease of segregation. For years now I have heard the word "Wait!" It rings in the ear of every Negro with piercing familiarity. This "Wait" has almost always meant "Never." We must come to see, with one of our distinguished jurists, that "justice too long delayed is justice denied." We have waited for more than 340 years for our constitutional and God given rights. The nations of Asia and Africa are moving with jetlike speed toward gaining political independence, but we still creep at horse and buggy pace toward gaining a cup of coffee at a lunch counter. Perhaps it is easy for those who have never felt the stinging darts of segregation to say, "Wait." But when you have seen vicious mobs lynch your mothers and fathers at will and drown your sisters and brothers at whim; when you have seen hate filled policemen curse, kick and even kill your black brothers and sisters; when you see the vast majority of your twenty million Negro brothers smothering in an airtight cage of poverty in the midst of an affluent society; when you suddenly find your tongue twisted and your speech stammering as you seek to explain to your six year old daughter why she can't go to the public amusement park that has just been advertised on television, and see tears welling up in her eyes when she is told that Funtown is closed to colored children, and see ominous clouds of inferiority beginning to form in her little mental sky, and see her beginning to distort her personality by developing an unconscious bitterness toward white people; when you have to concoct an answer for a five year old son who is asking: "Daddy, why do white people treat colored people so mean?"; when you take a cross county drive and find it necessary to sleep night after night in the uncomfortable corners of your automobile because no motel will accept you;… when you are harried by day and haunted by night by the fact that you are a Negro, living constantly at tiptoe stance, never quite knowing what to expect next, and are plagued with inner fears and outer resentments; when you are forever fighting a degenerating sense of "nobodiness"—then you will understand why we find it difficult to wait. There comes a time when the cup of endurance runs over, and men are no longer willing to be plunged into the abyss of despair. I hope, sirs, you can understand our legitimate and unavoidable impatience.xiv

(3.) Christians are obligated to distinguish between just laws and unjust laws.

You express a great deal of anxiety over our willingness to break laws. This is certainly a legitimate concern. Since we so diligently urge people to obey the Supreme Court's decision of 1954 outlawing segregation in the public schools, at first glance it may seem rather paradoxical for us consciously to break laws. One may well ask: "How can you advocate breaking some laws and obeying others?" The answer lies in the fact that there are two types of laws: just and unjust. I would be the first to advocate obeying just laws. One has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws. I would agree with St. Augustine that "an unjust law is no law at all."

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Now, what is the difference between the two? How does one determine whether a law is just or unjust? A just law is a man made code that squares with the moral law or the law of God. An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law. To put it in the terms of St. Thomas Aquinas: An unjust law is a human law that is not rooted in eternal law and natural law. Any law that uplifts human personality is just. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust. All segregation statutes are unjust because segregation distorts the soul and damages the personality. It gives the segregator a false sense of superiority and the segregated a false sense of inferiority…. Hence segregation is not only politically, economically and sociologically unsound, it is morally wrong and sinful. Paul Tillich has said that sin is separation. Is not segregation an existential expression of man's tragic separation, his awful estrangement, his terrible sinfulness? Thus it is that I can urge men to obey the 1954 decision of the Supreme Court, for it is morally right; and I can urge them to disobey segregation ordinances, for they are morally wrong. Let us consider a more concrete example of just and unjust laws. An unjust law is a code that a numerical or power majority group compels a minority group to obey but does not make binding on itself. This is difference made legal. By the same token, a just law is a code that a majority compels a minority to follow and that it is willing to follow itself. This is sameness made legal. Let me give another explanation. A law is unjust if it is inflicted on a minority that, as a result of being denied the right to vote, had no part in enacting or devising the law. Who can say that the legislature of Alabama which set up that state's segregation laws was democratically elected? Throughout Alabama all sorts of devious methods are used to prevent Negroes from becoming registered voters, and there are some counties in which, even though Negroes constitute a majority of the population, not a single Negro is registered. Can any law enacted under such circumstances be considered democratically structured? Sometimes a law is just on its face and unjust in its application. For instance, I have been arrested on a charge of parading without a permit. Now, there is nothing wrong in having an ordinance which requires a permit for a parade. But such an ordinance becomes unjust when it is used to maintain segregation and to deny citizens the First-Amendment privilege of peaceful assembly and protest. I hope you are able to see the distinction I am trying to point out. In no sense do I advocate evading or defying the law, as would the rabid segregationist. That would lead to anarchy. One who breaks an unjust law must do so openly, lovingly, and with a willingness to accept the penalty. I submit that an individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the highest respect for law.

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Of course, there is nothing new about this kind of civil disobedience. It was evidenced sublimely in the refusal of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to obey the laws of Nebuchadnezzar, on the ground that a higher moral law was at stake. It was practiced superbly by the early Christians, who were willing to face hungry lions and the excruciating pain of chopping blocks rather than submit to certain unjust laws of the Roman Empire. To a degree, academic freedom is a reality today because Socrates practiced civil disobedience. In our own nation, the Boston Tea Party represented a massive act of civil disobedience. We should never forget that everything Adolf Hitler did in Germany was "legal" and everything the Hungarian freedom fighters did in Hungary was "illegal.”xv

(4.) There is a better way than either accommodating injustice or advocating violence: Non-

violent resistance.

You speak of our activity in Birmingham as extreme. At first I was rather disappointed that fellow clergymen would see my nonviolent efforts as those of an extremist. I began thinking about the fact that I stand in the middle of two opposing forces in the Negro community. One is a force of complacency, made up in part of Negroes who, as a result of long years of oppression, are so drained of self respect and a sense of "somebodiness" that they have adjusted to segregation; and in part of a few middle-class Negroes who, because of a degree of academic and economic security and because in some ways they profit by segregation, have become insensitive to the problems of the masses. The other force is one of bitterness and hatred, and it comes perilously close to advocating violence. It is expressed in the various black nationalist groups that are springing up across the nation…. Nourished by the Negro's frustration over the continued existence of racial discrimination, this movement is made up of people who have lost faith in America, who have absolutely repudiated Christianity, and who have concluded that the white man is an incorrigible "devil." I have tried to stand between these two forces, saying that we need emulate neither the "do nothingism" of the complacent nor the hatred and despair of the black nationalist. For there is the more excellent way of love and nonviolent protest. I am grateful to God that, through the influence of the Negro church, the way of nonviolence became an integral part of our struggle. If this philosophy had not emerged, by now many streets of the South would, I am convinced, be flowing with blood…. In any nonviolent campaign there are four basic steps: collection of the facts to determine whether injustices exist; negotiation; self purification; and direct action. We have gone through all these steps in Birmingham. There can be no gainsaying the fact that racial injustice engulfs this community. Birmingham is probably the most thoroughly segregated city in the United States. Its ugly record of brutality is widely known. Negroes have experienced grossly unjust treatment in the courts. There have

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been more unsolved bombings of Negro homes and churches in Birmingham than in any other city in the nation. These are the hard, brutal facts of the case. On the basis of these conditions, Negro leaders sought to negotiate with the city fathers. But the latter consistently refused to engage in good faith negotiation. Then, last September, came the opportunity to talk with leaders of Birmingham's economic community. In the course of the negotiations, certain promises were made by the merchants—for example, to remove the stores' humiliating racial signs. On the basis of these promises, the Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth and the leaders of the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights agreed to a moratorium on all demonstrations. As the weeks and months went by, we realized that we were the victims of a broken promise. A few signs, briefly removed, returned; the others remained. As in so many past experiences, our hopes had been blasted, and the shadow of deep disappointment settled upon us. We had no alternative except to prepare for direct action, whereby we would present our very bodies as a means of laying our case before the conscience of the local and the national community. Mindful of the difficulties involved, we decided to undertake a process of self purification. We began a series of workshops on nonviolence, and we repeatedly asked ourselves: "Are you able to accept blows without retaliating?" "Are you able to endure the ordeal of jail?" We decided to schedule our direct action program for the Easter season, realizing that except for Christmas, this is the main shopping period of the year. Knowing that a strong economic-withdrawal program would be the by product of direct action, we felt that this would be the best time to bring pressure to bear on the merchants for the needed change.xvi

(5.) The worst stumbling blocks to establishing social justice may not be extremists like members

of the Klu Klux Klan, but moderates in white churches who seem content to do little.

I must make two honest confessions to you, my Christian and Jewish brothers. First, I must confess that over the past few years I have been gravely disappointed with the white moderate. I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro's great stumbling block in his stride toward freedom is not the White Citizen's Counciler or the Ku Klux Klanner, but the white moderate, who is more devoted to "order" than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice; who constantly says: "I agree with you in the goal you seek, but I cannot agree with your methods of direct action"; who paternalistically believes he can set the timetable for another man's freedom; who lives by a mythical concept of time and who constantly advises the Negro to wait for a "more convenient season." Shallow understanding from people of good will is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will. Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection.

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I had hoped that the white moderate would understand that law and order exist for the purpose of establishing justice and that when they fail in this purpose they become the dangerously structured dams that block the flow of social progress. I had hoped that the white moderate would understand that the present tension in the South is a necessary phase of the transition from an obnoxious negative peace, in which the Negro passively accepted his unjust plight, to a substantive and positive peace, in which all men will respect the dignity and worth of human personality. Actually, we who engage in nonviolent direct action are not the creators of tension. We merely bring to the surface the hidden tension that is already alive. We bring it out in the open, where it can be seen and dealt with. Like a boil that can never be cured so long as it is covered up but must be opened with all its ugliness to the natural medicines of air and light, injustice must be exposed, with all the tension its exposure creates, to the light of human conscience and the air of national opinion before it can be cured. … I had also hoped that the white moderate would reject the myth concerning time in relation to the struggle for freedom. I have just received a letter from a white brother in Texas. He writes: "All Christians know that the colored people will receive equal rights eventually, but it is possible that you are in too great a religious hurry. It has taken Christianity almost two thousand years to accomplish what it has. The teachings of Christ take time to come to earth." Such an attitude stems from a tragic misconception of time, from the strangely irrational notion that there is something in the very flow of time that will inevitably cure all ills. Actually, time itself is neutral; it can be used either destructively or constructively. More and more I feel that the people of ill will have used time much more effectively than have the people of good will. We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people. Human progress never rolls in on wheels of inevitability; it comes through the tireless efforts of men willing to be co workers with God, and without this hard work, time itself becomes an ally of the forces of social stagnation. We must use time creatively, in the knowledge that the time is always ripe to do right. Oppressed people cannot remain oppressed forever. The yearning for freedom eventually manifests itself, and that is what has happened to the American Negro. Something within has reminded him of his birthright of freedom, and something without has reminded him that it can be gained…. I had hoped that the white moderate would see this need…. But,… I must honestly reiterate that I have been disappointed with the church. When I was suddenly catapulted into the leadership of the bus protest in Montgomery, Alabama, a few years ago, I felt we would be supported by the white church. I felt that the white ministers, priests and rabbis of the South would be among our strongest allies. Instead, some have been outright opponents, refusing to understand the freedom

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movement and misrepresenting its leaders; all too many others have been more cautious than courageous and have remained silent behind the anesthetizing security of stained glass windows. In spite of my shattered dreams, I came to Birmingham with the hope that the white religious leadership of this community would see the justice of our cause and, with deep moral concern, would serve as the channel through which our just grievances could reach the power structure. I had hoped that each of you would understand. But again I have been disappointed. I have heard numerous southern religious leaders admonish their worshipers to comply with a desegregation decision because it is the law, but I have longed to hear white ministers declare: "Follow this decree because integration is morally right and because the Negro is your brother." In the midst of blatant injustices inflicted upon the Negro, I have watched white churchmen stand on the sideline and mouth pious irrelevancies and sanctimonious trivialities. In the midst of a mighty struggle to rid our nation of racial and economic injustice, I have heard many ministers say: "Those are social issues, with which the gospel has no real concern." And I have watched many churches commit themselves to a completely other worldly religion which makes a strange, un-Biblical distinction between body and soul, between the sacred and the secular.

… In deep disappointment I have wept over the laxity of the church. But be assured that my tears have been tears of love. There can be no deep disappointment where there is not deep love. Yes, I love the church. How could I do otherwise? I am in the rather unique position of being the son, the grandson and the great grandson of preachers. Yes, I see the church as the body of Christ. But, oh! How we have blemished and scarred that body through social neglect and through fear of being nonconformists. There was a time when the church was very powerful—in the time when the early Christians rejoiced at being deemed worthy to suffer for what they believed. In those days the church was not merely a thermometer that recorded the ideas and principles of popular opinion; it was a thermostat that transformed the mores of society. Whenever the early Christians entered a town, the people in power became disturbed and immediately sought to convict the Christians for being "disturbers of the peace" and "outside agitators."' But the Christians pressed on, in the conviction that they were "a colony of heaven," called to obey God rather than man. Small in number, they were big in commitment. They were too God-intoxicated to be "astronomically intimidated." By their effort and example they brought an end to such ancient evils as infanticide and gladiatorial contests. Things are different now. So often the contemporary church is a weak, ineffectual voice with an uncertain sound. So often it is an archdefender of the status quo. Far from being disturbed by the presence of the church, the power structure of the average community is consoled by the church's silent--and often even vocal--sanction of things as they are.

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But the judgment of God is upon the church as never before. If today's church does not recapture the sacrificial spirit of the early church, it will lose its authenticity, forfeit the loyalty of millions, and be dismissed as an irrelevant social club with no meaning for the twentieth century. Every day I meet young people whose disappointment with the church has turned into outright disgust. Perhaps I have once again been too optimistic. Is organized religion too inextricably bound to the status quo to save our nation and the world? Perhaps I must turn my faith to the inner spiritual church, the church within the church, as the true ekklesia and the hope of the world. But again I am thankful to God that some noble souls from the ranks of organized religion have broken loose from the paralyzing chains of conformity and joined us as active partners in the struggle for freedom. They have left their secure congregations and walked the streets of Albany, Georgia, with us. They have gone down the highways of the South on tortuous rides for freedom. Yes, they have gone to jail with us. Some have been dismissed from their churches, have lost the support of their bishops and fellow ministers. But they have acted in the faith that right defeated is stronger than evil triumphant. Their witness has been the spiritual salt that has preserved the true meaning of the gospel in these troubled times.xvii

(6.) Love your enemies, and respect your opponents—as demonstrated in Dr. King’s tone of his

Letter.

My Dear Fellow Clergymen:…. I am sure that none of you would want to rest content with the superficial kind of social analysis that deals merely with effects and does not grapple with underlying causes…. You may well ask: "Why direct action? Why sit ins, marches and so forth? Isn't negotiation a better path?" You are quite right in calling for negotiation. Indeed, this is the very purpose of direct action…. I hope you are able to see the distinction I am trying to point out…. I must make two honest confessions to you, my Christian and Jewish brothers…. I am not unmindful of the fact that each of you has taken some significant stands on this issue. I commend you, Reverend Stallings, for your Christian stand on this past Sunday, in welcoming Negroes to your worship service on a nonsegregated basis. I commend the Catholic leaders of this state for integrating Spring Hill College several years ago…. But despite these notable exceptions, I must honestly reiterate that I have been disappointed with the church. I do not say this as one of those negative critics who can

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always find something wrong with the church. I say this as a minister of the gospel, who loves the church; who was nurtured in its bosom; who has been sustained by its spiritual blessings and who will remain true to it as long as the cord of life shall lengthen.

…Before closing I feel impelled to mention one other point in your statement that has troubled me profoundly. You warmly commended the Birmingham police force for keeping "order" and "preventing violence." I doubt that you would have so warmly commended the police force if you had seen its dogs sinking their teeth into unarmed, nonviolent Negroes. I doubt that you would so quickly commend the policemen if you were to observe their ugly and inhumane treatment of Negroes here in the city jail; if you were to watch them push and curse old Negro women and young Negro girls; if you were to see them slap and kick old Negro men and young boys; if you were to observe them, as they did on two occasions, refuse to give us food because we wanted to sing our grace together. I cannot join you in your praise of the Birmingham police department. It is true that the police have exercised a degree of discipline in handling the demonstrators. In this sense they have conducted themselves rather "nonviolently" in public. But for what purpose? To preserve the evil system of segregation. Over the past few years I have consistently preached that nonviolence demands that the means we use must be as pure as the ends we seek. I have tried to make clear that it is wrong to use immoral means to attain moral ends. But now I must affirm that it is just as wrong, or perhaps even more so, to use moral means to preserve immoral ends. Perhaps Mr. Connor and his policemen have been rather nonviolent in public, as was Chief Pritchett in Albany, Georgia, but they have used the moral means of nonviolence to maintain the immoral end of racial injustice…. I wish you had commended the Negro sit inners and demonstrators of Birmingham for their sublime courage, their willingness to suffer and their amazing discipline in the midst of great provocation…. Never before have I written so long a letter. I'm afraid it is much too long to take your precious time…. If I have said anything in this letter that overstates the truth and indicates an unreasonable impatience, I beg you to forgive me. If I have said anything that understates the truth and indicates my having a patience that allows me to settle for anything less than brotherhood, I beg God to forgive me. I hope this letter finds you strong in the faith. I also hope that circumstances will soon make it possible for me to meet each of you, not as an integrationist or a civil-rights leader but as a fellow clergyman and a Christian brother. Let us all hope that the dark clouds of racial prejudice will soon pass away and the deep fog of misunderstanding will

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be lifted from our fear drenched communities, and in some not too distant tomorrow the radiant stars of love and brotherhood will shine over our great nation with all their scintillating beauty. Yours for the cause of Peace and Brotherhood, Martin Luther King, Jr.xviii

About Dr. King The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was a remarkable human being, and one of the greatest theologians of the 20th century. Born in 1929 in a lineage of pastors, he graduated high school at 15 and graduated college at 19. At Crozier Theological Seminary, he was elected president of his predominantly white senior class, graduated seminary at age 22, and won a fellowship that supported his doctoral studies at Boston University, where he completed his PhD in systematic theology at age 26.xix When he met and married Coretta Scott in Boston, they could have stayed in the North where racial discrimination was not as extreme. However, they chose to move to Montgomery, Alabama, returning to the South where they had both been born, and Dr. King was installed as pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church.xx,xxi On December 1, 1955, in the same year Dr. King completed his doctorate, Ms. Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery city bus to a white man.xxii Although Dr. King (to his surprise) was elected to be the leader of a boycott of Montgomery buses, he struggled with whether such a boycott was Christian. He then remembered reading David Thoreau’s essay “Civil Disobedience” in his earlier years, where Thoreau said: “We can no longer lend our cooperation to an evil system.” The evening of the first day of the boycott (December 5), Dr. King gave what he later called the most decisive speech he ever made, spelling out his principles:

[O]ur method will be that of persuasion and not coercion. We will only say to the people, “Let your conscience be your guide.”xxiii Our actions must be guided by the deepest principles of our Christian faith… Once again we must hear the words of Jesus echoing across the centuries: “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, and pray for them that despitefully use you.”xxiv

The Montgomery bus boycott lasted for 381 days. During that time, at least 90 people were arrested and sentenced to jail or fined. The homes and churches of boycotters were firebombed, and boycotters were often assaulted themselves. Dr. King’s own home was firebombed. Even after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Alabama’s laws requiring segregated seating on buses was unconstitutional, and the city of Montgomery thereafter passed an ordinance to remove restrictions on where black passengers could sit on buses, violence continued. Someone fired a shotgun through the front door of Dr. King’s family’s house. Snipers fired upon buses, and shot a pregnant woman in both of her legs. Five black churches and the home of a white pastor who had supported desegregation were destroyed by bombs. Klansmen lynched a black man, claiming that he was dating a white woman. Nevertheless, laws that

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mandated segregated seating on buses were changed, and Dr. King’s work began to become nationally known.xxv Dr. King’s biography after the Montgomery bus boycott reads as follows:

In 1957 he was elected president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an organization formed to provide new leadership for the now burgeoning civil rights movement. The ideals for this organization he took from Christianity; its operational techniques from Gandhi.xxvi In the eleven-year period between 1957 and 1968, King traveled over six million miles and spoke over twenty-five hundred times, appearing wherever there was injustice, protest, and action; and meanwhile he wrote five books as well as numerous articles. In these years, he led a massive protest in Birmingham, Alabama, that caught the attention of the entire world, providing what he called a coalition of conscience, and inspiring his "Letter from a Birmingham Jail", a manifesto of the Negro revolution; he planned the drives in Alabama for the registration of Negroes as voters; he directed the peaceful march on Washington, D.C., of 250,000 people to whom he delivered his address, "l Have a Dream", he conferred with President John F. Kennedy and campaigned for President Lyndon B. Johnson; he was arrested upwards of twenty times and assaulted at least four times; he was awarded five honorary degrees; was named Man of the Year by Time magazine in 1963; and became not only the symbolic leader of American blacks but also a world figure. At the age of thirty-five, Martin Luther King, Jr., was the youngest man to have received the Nobel Peace Prize. When notified of his selection, he announced that he would turn over the prize money of $54,123 to the furtherance of the civil rights movement. On the evening of April 4, 1968, while standing on the balcony of his motel room in Memphis, Tennessee, where he was to lead a protest march in sympathy with striking garbage workers of that city, he was assassinated.xxvii

In conclusion, adopting Dr. King’s Letter from Birmingham City Jail would be a way that the General Assembly could make a meaningful tribute to Dr. King, 50 years after he began a “Poor People’s Campaign” and also 50 years after his assassination at age 39. Lifting up Dr. King’s Letter would help inspire and encourage all of us to carry on Christ’s demanding work to establish social justice.

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All website resources were retrieved on February 18, 2018. i The Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change (“The King Center”) in Atlanta, Georgia, established by Mrs. Coretta Scott King in 1968, “is dedicated to educating the world on the life, legacy and teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., inspiring new generations to carry forward his unfinished work, strengthen causes and empower change-makers who are continuing his efforts today” (http://www.thekingcenter.org/about-king-center). It has posted a copy of the letter to which Dr. King was responding, as well as the published text of Dr. King’s letter, at: http://www.thekingcenter.org/archive/document/letter-birmingham-city-jail-0. The Letter can also be found at: https://www.africa.upenn.edu/Articles_Gen/Letter_Birmingham.html. ii There is precedent for the General Assembly to adopt statements of faith that do not have constitutional standing. “The 197th General Assembly (PCUSA, 1985) made its own the action of the 177th General Assembly (PCUS, 1977) with reference to A Declaration of Faith which is as follows: “That ‘A Declaration of Faith’ be adopted as a contemporary statement of faith, a reliable aid for Christian study, liturgy, and inspiration . . . ” (Minutes, PCUS, 1977, Part I, p. 168), with the understanding that only the current Book of Confessions has constitutional standing. https://www.presbyterianmission.org/resource/declaration-faith/ iii The Book of Confessions speaks of the need to establish social justice in many places. For example, the Westminster Larger Catechism teaches that the Sixth Commandment forbids “the neglecting or withdrawing the lawful or necessary means of preservation of life” (7.246, cf. Matt, 25:42-43; James 2:15-16). See also: WLC 7.251; C67 0.17 (“Man is free to seek his life within the purpose of God:… to work for justice and peace in society”), CB 10.7, and BSF 11.4 lines 66 and 70-71. iv http://www.thekingcenter.org/archive/document/mlk-public-statement-poor-peoples-campaign v http://www.thekingcenter.org/about-dr-king vi King, Martin Luther. A Testament of Hope: the Essential Writings and Speeches of Martin Luther King, Jr. Edited by James Melvin Washington, HarperOne, an Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, 1986, page 302. vii Several versions of the Letter, with different breaks between paragraphs, have been published. Dr. King once wrote: “Although the text remains in substance unaltered, I have indulged in the author's prerogative of polishing it.” (c.f., https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Letter_from_Birmingham_Jail). Quotations below, and paragraph references, are from the version: https://www.africa.upenn.edu/Articles_Gen/Letter_Birmingham.html. viii https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bull_Connor ix https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birmingham_campaign x https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Letter_from_Birmingham_Jail. A copy of this letter, along with the names and titles of the bishops (Catholic, Methodist, and Episcopalian), a rabii, the moderator of the Alabama Synod of the Presbyterian Church in the United States, and a Baptist pastor who signed it, may be found at: http://www.thekingcenter.org/archive/document/letter-birmingham-city-jail-0. xi Ibid. xii https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Letter_from_Birmingham_Jail xiii Letter, paragraphs 2, 3, and 4 xiv Letter, paragraphs 5, 11, and 12 xv Letter, paragraphs 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, and 18 xvi Letter, paragraphs 23, 24, 6, and 7 xvii Letter, paragraphs 19, 20, 21, 25-31, and 33-36

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xviii Letter, salutation, paragraphs 5, 9, 16, 19, 27-28, 36-41, and closing xix https://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1964/king-bio.html xx Ibid. xxi https://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1964/press.html xxii https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montgomery_bus_boycott xxiii The first of our Historic Principles of Church Order is that “God alone is Lord of the conscience, and hath left it free from the doctrines and commandments of men which are in anything contrary to his Word, or beside it, in matters of faith or worship” (F-3,0101a; c.f. WCF 6.109) xxiv https://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1964/press.html xxv https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montgomery_bus_boycott xxvi Dr. King was also influenced by Mahatma Gandhi, a Hindu and an Indian nationalist who led nonviolent resistance against the British government so that they would permit India to have home rule. Dr. King said, “Gandhi was probably the first person in history to lift the love ethic of Jesus above mere interaction between individuals to a powerful and effective social force…. I found in the nonviolent resistance philosophy of Gandhi… the only morally and practically sound method to oppressed people in their struggle for freedom.” See: https://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1964/press.html xxvii https://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1964/king-bio.html