 
Assembly orders PHEWA to open its membership By John H. Adams The Presbyterian Layman |
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CHARLOTTE – The General Assembly ordered the Presbyterian Health, Education and Welfare Association (PHEWA) to open its membership to organizations that have different views about health policies. Commissioners also increased PHEWA’s budget so that the association could serve these other groups. As a result of the commissioners’ votes, Presbyterians Pro Life (PPL), one of the independent organizations that has long sought approval to join PHEWA, is now poised to be considered for membership with PHEWA’s 10 current “networks’’ of health and social action units. PPL’s executive director Terry Schlossberg said PPL wanted to join PHEWA so that it could speak for the pro-life view on abortion. She said PHEWA never gave PPL the courtesy of a response. Presbyterians Affirming Reproductive Options, a pro-choice organization, is a member of PHEWA. General Assembly policy on abortion recognizes both pro-choice and pro-life perspectives, but opposes abortion as a method of birth control. Commissioners approved $219,644 in new money over a three-year period. Dismantling PHEWA rejected An effort that would have effectively dismantled PHEWA (requiring each network to have 250 participants, while none has more than 80) died in the General Assembly’s Health and Education Committee. But the commissioners did approve strong language that requires PHEWA and the denomination’s National Ministry Division to “live under” the Covenant of Agreement for Shared Ministry. During committee debate, critics of PHEWA said the organization violated that covenant when its board endorsed ordination of practicing homosexuals, contrary to General Assembly policy. In a series of votes, the General Assembly supported the substance of a General Assembly committee’s study that recommended that PHEWA be more accountable to the General Assembly and the denomination’s National Ministries Division. No more defiance of policy That means, in simple terms, no more statements defying the denomination’s policy, such as PHEWA endorsement of ordination for gays and lesbians and its political role in trying to shape national social service policy that might contradict General Assembly policy. The study committee’s report said the PHEWA Board of Directors had not accepted new members in 10 years because staff members complained that they did not have the time or resources to handle additional networks. While that may be the case, the study committee reported, not welcoming new members “can create the perception that other existing and emerging networks are not favored by being included in PHEWA.” Contradicting PCUSA policies During testimony before the General Assembly’s Health and Education Committee, William Forbes, chair of the study committee, acknowledged that PHEWA had taken positions contradicting denominational positions, but he defended PHEWA as an important ministry in health and social action concerns. The PHEWA overture approved by the 210th General Assembly also included closer financial monitoring of PHEWA’s spending, including annual reports of its subsidies to member groups. The overture also recommends that member groups “work toward being financially independent and self-sustaining.” |
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The Presbyterian Layman, July/August 1998 contents |
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