Ask Jane
Blest Be the Ties That Bind
By Jane Parker Huber
"Would you please explain the relationship between Presbyterian
Women and the area where it is lodged in the Presbyterian structure?
I visited the 4th floor of the Presbyterian Center (our denominational
headquarters) on a tour during the Churchwide Gathering of Presbyterian
Women, July 2000, and noticed several offices beyond what I expected
would be related to PW."-Irene, Washington
You are not alone in asking about this relationship. Presbyterian
Women is an independent organization/community of women in the
PC(USA), which is present in congregations, presbyteries, synods
and churchwide, and whose mission extends worldwide. Presbyterian
Women is part of the Women's Ministries Program Area (WMPA),
one of several program areas in the National Ministries Division
of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
There are a number of ways to address this relationship.
1. PW is one of the entities housed in and staffed
by WMPA in the Presbyterian Center in Louisville, Kentucky. This
puts PW in a collegial relationship with other entities housed
and staffed in the same program area-including the National Network
of Presbyterian College Women (NNPCW), the Advocacy Office for
Women's Concerns, the National Staff in the Synods (serving,
as their title suggests, outside of Louisville, but with a coordinator
in the Presbyterian Center), the coordinator for Issues of Domestic/Societal
Violence whose office is in Washington, and a representative
in the Presbyterian UN Office in New York.
2. PW is certainly the largest constituency staffed
by WMPA and yet it is separate in many ways. As an independent
organization, Presbyterian Women determines its own program and
budget, and elects its own leaders. This is accomplished in the
business meeting during PW's Churchwide Gathering held every
three years. PW contributes about $3,000,000 annually, collected
from individual women's pledges over and above their regular
pledges as members of particular congregations. This money is
given, with no strings attached, to the general mission of the
church. Then, through its two major additional annual offerings,
PW contributes about $1,000,000 through the Birthday Offering
and another $1,000,000 through the Thank Offering (including
Health Ministries). This makes Presbyterian Women unique among
all groups in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
3. In preparation for and during annual meetings of
the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), all
the entities of the Women's Ministries Program Area work together
on issues of concern to women coming before the assembly.
4. Because about 60 percent of church members are women
and PW represents a large number of them, Presbyterian Women
was granted a seat with voice and vote on the General Assembly
Council in 1995. This was also partly due to women's loss of
voice and vote with the dissolution of the Women's Ministry Unit,
when the denominational reorganization called "Shape and
Form" created the present three Ministries Divisions-Congregational,
National and Worldwide-superceding the first Structural Design
for Mission created following the 1983 Reunion. Some have questioned
the decision to grant GAC membership, voice and vote to Presbyterian
Women, while others (most) see it as a recognition of their numbers
and their generous, undesignated support of the whole mission
of the church.
5. It is important not to try to fit all women's concerns
and ways of working into one mold. The freedom to be who we are,
to work in our own way and to support each other are all essential
to acting "on behalf of women" and consistent with
the Purpose of Presbyterian Women.
Thanks for asking!
Jane Parker Huber is serving as the interim associate director
of the Women's Ministries Program Area, National Ministries Division,
PC(USA).
Send your question to "Ask Jane," c/o Horizons,
100 Witherspoon St., Louisville, KY 40202- 1396;
fax 502/569-8085; email Lbradley@ctr.pcusa.org.
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