A. Background:
Presbyterian Women (PW) is the national women's organization
of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), hereinafter PC(USA). Its
members are first and foremost members of the PC(USA). PW came
into being in 1988, five years after the reunion of the Presbyterian
Church in the United States and the United Presbyterian Church
in the United States of American. It is a mission entity in the
PC(USA) with leadership
coordinating teams at all governing body levels from the congregation
to the General Assembly,
From reunion in 1983 until the organizing
Business Meeting of PW in 1988, a Working Team of the Women of
the Church (WOC) and United Presbyterian Women (UPW) proposed
designs to their constituencies which culminated in the approval
of the present structure. The 198th General Assembly (1986) received
the PW Purpose and Principles of Organization as information
only, pending approval by the uniting constituencies. The general
Assembly action affirmed the independence and responsibility
of Presbyterian Women to make its own decisions concerning leadership,
program and budget. Membership in the
Presbyterian Women is open to all women who choose to participate
in or be supportive to PW in any way.
The PW Purpose states: Forgiven and
freed by God in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit,
we commit ourselves: to nurture our faith through prayer and
Bible study, to support the mission of the church worldwide,
to work for justice and peace, and to build an inclusive,
caring community of women that strengthens the Presbyterian Church
(U.S.A.) and witnesses to the promise of God's Kingdom.
In 1986, UPW and WOC, as they looked
ahead to becoming PW, willingly became a part of the Women's
Ministry Unit where they were in partnership with Justice of
Women, Women Employed by the Church, and the Committee of Women
of Color. In 1993, the Women's Ministry unit was reorganized
into the Women's Ministries Program Area of the National Ministries
Division. There it continues to be lodged with staff as part
of the NMD program area. PW leaders in presbyteries and synods
were polled in the spring of 1994 and eighty-three percent (83%)
of the respondents were satisfied with PW's placement. With each
restructure or reorganization, Presbyterian Women made the decision
to be lodged in the unit or program area with other women's constituency
groups and emphases.
Funds owned and operated by PW but managed
by the GAC and its entities belong to PW in perpetuity. Should
the relationship between PW and NMD or its successor be dissolved,
these funds and earnings from investment of the funds will be
transferred to PW or its successor.
B. The Covenant Responsibilities
of Presbyterian Women Presbyterian Women will:
1. (as stated in their purpose)
a. nurture (their) faith through prayer and Bible study,
b. support the mission of the church,
c. work for justice and peace,
d. build a community of women that strengthens the PC(USA);
2. work cooperatively with the Women's
Ministries Program Area as a whole and with other offices within
the program area, being especially aware of the need to keep
staff in the synods up-to-date on decisions and actions of the
Churchwide Coordinating Team;
3. be an active presence on the General
Assembly Council through the PW Moderator's membership, voice
and vote;
4. be faithful stewards of the money
given by Presbyterian Women from throughout the church, whether
the money is given for the general mission of the church, for
ongoing work of PW, or for projects of Creative Ministries offerings;
5. ensure editorial autonomy for Horizons
magazine, the annual Bible study and all other publications of
PW Communications;
6. respect the limits of staff time
available from WMPA staff in the synods and other staff of the
program area;
7. understand the staff operate under
the rules of the GAC employee handbook and report via the regular
policies of the process of supervisors with WMPA and NMD;
8. be guided by general policies of
the GAC (for example: contract procedures, minority vendor policies,
and travel and meeting policies).
C. Covenant Responsibilities of the
General Assembly Council through the national Ministries Division
and its Women's Ministries Program Area
The GAC through the NMD and WMPA will:
1. assign national staff to give time
and support to the work of PW. This arrangement will be reviewed
triennially on the anniversary date of this covenant by the parties
of the covenant and revised by agreement if revision is needed.
2. make support systems available to
the personnel assigned to PW. Support systems include information
technology, human resources, payroll, office space, legal counsel,
and insurance coverage. This arrangement will be reviewed triennially
on the anniversary date of this covenant by the parties to the
covenant and revised by agreement if revision is needed.
3. provide support to PW by the GAC:
a. recognizing the full membership with voice and vote on the
GAC of the Moderator of PW Churchwide;
b. serving the funds and affirming the faithful stewardship of
money and offerings given by Presbyterian Women;
c. acknowledging and assuring editorial autonomy for all PW publications,
including Horizons magazine and the annual Bible study;
4. through specifically assigned staff
persons, seek ways to build tangible partnerships with PW for
joint programming with various program areas of the PC(USA) in
which the mission priorities of the church are served;
5. through the WMPA staff assigned,
maintain close connections with PW and be responsive to changes,
new developments, and program options;
6. Respect PW as an autonomous organization,
self-determining in its leadership, budget, and program.
Covenant