A Report
by
Susan Wendelken
NOTE: As women report to
their own congregations, presbyteries and synods on their experience as this
year’s PW Churchwide Gathering, VOW is privileged to publish their
statements as they are sent to us. It is VOW’s continued hope that the
Churwide Coordinating Team will listen both to the positive and negative
concerns expressed by Presbyterian women to the end that the next Gathering
will be one that lifts up the Lordship of Jesus Christ — educating women on
alls sides of the issues that are brought before us and that demand our
involvement as women of distinctly Christian faith.]
I am truly thankful to the Women of Westminster for providing me the
opportunity to attend the 2003 Churchwide Gathering of Presbyterian Women,
held at the Kentucky International Convention Center in Louisville, the
headquarters for our P.C. (U.S.A.). Louisville is a charming city, although
I had little time to see anything other than the convention center and my
hotel room, because of the full schedule of events that was scheduled each
day from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Over 4000 women from around the world were in attendance, quite an
impressive sight in itself, as we gathered together in plenary sessions to
sing, pray, worship, and listen to featured speakers. Our days each began
with two-hour plenary sessions in the morning, followed by three-hour
breaks, during which time we had the opportunity to visit the Great Room
exhibit hall, the ‘Amazing Heritage History” Room, the Cokesbury Bookstore,
the Prayer Room and Labyrinth, and lunch. From 2:00 to 4:00, various
workshops were offered, followed by another three-hour break, including
dinner. (Lots of long breakstoo long, in my opinion!) Our ‘official”
activities of the day concluded with another plenary session from 7:00 to
9:00. However, my day was not yet done. On the first morning during one of
my visits to the Great Room exhibit hall, I happened to find a booth
sponsored by a delightful group of ‘kindred spirits” in the organization
called ‘Voices of Orthodox Women” (V.O.W.). They invited me to visit their
hospitality suite at the Seelbach Hilton, which happened to be the hotel
where I was staying. Each night after the plenary sessions, a group of the
more ‘conservative” women would gather to discuss the day’s events, sing a
few traditional hymns, voice concerns, and pray. I’m sorry to report that
during much of the planned PW Gathering activities, I really felt
philosophically, theologically, ideologically, and politically estranged by
both the speakers and the women who seemed to wholeheartedly support their
views, whereas I felt a common bond with the women I encountered at the
V.O.W. hospitality sessions. They were truly an encouragement to me.
Before I begin my discourse as to why I was disturbed by much of what
occurred at the Gathering, I will first describe the positive side of my
experience. This year’s theme was ‘God’s Vision/Our Calling.” Twin sisters,
Jacqueline Robinson and Jocelyn Thompson, both highly talented and trained
in voice and piano, led the group in singing. The songs were primarily
non-traditional: simple tunes in contemporary language, many of them of
non-western ethnic origin. While I am more comfortable with the traditional
hymns, the joy, ‘soul,” and enthusiasm with which these two sisters led the
singing were contagious. I would love to add one (or both) of them to our
music department at Westminster! One evening our group was treated to a
performance of the colorfully costumed Sinikithemba choir from South Africa.
The choir is made up of HIV-infected young adults, who sang from their
hearts songs of freedom, faith, hope and Jesus. Proceeds of the Gathering’s
Churchwide Offering will be used to help women and families affected by AIDS
in both the United States and Africa.
I especially enjoyed the series of Bible studies based on Ephesians 4:1-6,
led by Janice Catron, a Presbyterian minister. Her style of speaking was
soft, gracious, engaging, and easy to follow. Her thoughtful and scholarly
interpretation of scripture seemed to be consistent with our Reformed
theology as she integrated the themes of God’s vision for his people from
Genesis to Revelations as spiritual wholeness’shalom.”
Each participant at the Gathering was allowed to attend a total of three
afternoon workshops, which were divided into categories: (1) Prayer, Bible
Study, Spirituality; (2) Mission; (3) Justice and Peace; (4) Building
Community; and (5) Tools of Leadership. Two of the three that I attended
were not very useful or inspiring to me, although Houston Hodge’s course on
‘Forces that Divide and Unite Us” was quite an informative and balanced
overview.
The plenary sessions were built on themes: Globalization, HIV/AIDS, War and
Peace, Anti-racism, Healing and Wholeness. While I am truly concerned with
world’s troubles (e.g., AIDS, poverty, oppression, injustice, orphans in
Ethiopia, poverty in the Philippines, the Palestinian/Israeli conflict,
global economic policies, the homeless in Los Angeles), I did not come to
the Gathering to hear a one-sided assessment of the cause or solution to
these complex and politically charged issues. Unfortunately, that is exactly
what we were given, and I suppose that I am particularly disappointed and
incensed because my personal position on these issues is the polar opposite
of that of the zealous women who held the microphone.
Day after day we were indoctrinated with the propaganda that the United
States of America, its government, its president, its corporations, and its
military, (and maybe just ‘Males” in general) are the root cause of all the
problems in the world. It seemed that the speakers had taken a concept that
was pure, noble, and holy (that is, to discern God’s vision for the world,
and our calling to play a role in the fulfillment of His vision) and twisted
it into some distorted mutation that espoused their own personal political
or social agenda.
For example, Ross and Gloria Kinsler, missionaries in Costa Rica and
Guatemala, stated that ‘Economic injustice is the sole reason for terrorism
and violenceand the U.S. corporations are responsible for economic
injustice.” How absurd! They seem to be saying that we should do away with
our system of capitalism and free enterprise in favor of some communistic or
socialistic form of Utopian government. I would agree that our system is far
from perfect, but I don’t believe that the U.S government and our
corporations are the root cause of terrorism and violence. I would certainly
prefer that we ‘tweak” our own system rather that have a revolution to
overthrow it. History has demonstrated time and again that communism and
socialism simply do not work effectively, efficiency, or with any real
justice.
Probably the speaker who offended me most was Joan Chittister, a Catholic
author and member of the Benedictine Sisters of Erie. There was nothing
subtle in her speech, deceptively entitled ‘Ministry to a Wounded World.”
She blamed our government in general and our president in particular for
being ‘warmongers.” She suggested that our military was unnecessary, and
that the dollars in the defense budget should be spent to provide housing,
food, cars, childcare, medical care, and maybe a little extra spending money
to everyone except those who were receiving tax breaks, which she termed
‘welfare for the rich.” (Is this Democrat-Speak, or what?) She touched on
the subjects of capital punishment, gun control, strategic nuclear weapons,
‘the questionable war in Iraq,” and other politically charged topics. I
felt especially offended and outraged by her comments regarding our military
because my daughter Amanda is currently serving in the U.S. Marine
Intelligence. She spent six months last year in the Middle East and could be
sent again at a moment’s notice into harm’s way. My greatest admiration,
gratitude, and respect go out to all the men and women serving in our
military, and I truly appreciate their service in defense of our country, as
well as their defense of our American principles. I don’t always agree with
everything that our president or military leaders say or do, but I would
never denounce them for doing what they believe is right for our country,
especially after a crucial decision has been made, nor would I suggest the
overthrow of our government. Not once during the Gathering was a prayer
offered for our president, our country, or the men and women serving in our
military.
Statements regarding the redistribution of wealth, privatization,
‘womanist” theology, and self-aggrandizement all made me cringe. Even the
concepts of inclusivity, tolerance, and diversity have been so denigrated by
personal political agendas of the liberal PW leaders that their original
meanings are totally lost. They have metamorphosed the real meanings of the
words with meanings that embrace behaviors that are sinful in the eyes of
God. Sometimes subtlely, sometimes ‘in your face”, the homosexual lifestyle
was repeatedly affirmed. I respect the right of others to have political or
philosophical opinions different from mine, but I do not believe that
politics or philosophy is what PW should be about. At a time when the
PC(USA) is struggling for its very survival, I question the wisdom of a
leadership that would promote such an inflammatory and controversial
platform. What are they thinking?? The Gathering agenda was one of moral
elitism: totally one-sided, radical opinions; in essence, pure propaganda.
As a new moderator of the Women of Westminster, I was hoping to receive some
valuable insights, useful suggestions on leadership, encouragement, and
perhaps some new ideas that could be used in our church. I wanted to be
charged up with a ‘mountain top experience,” to be spiritually renewed.
While I did meet some wonderful women, and actually did glean a few good
ideas and new information, on the whole I was disappointed with the
Gathering. In fact, I was more than disappointed. I was so upset and angry
during a couple of the plenary sessions that I had to walk out in protest.
Because others in the audience seemed to be so enthralled with the speakers
and their visions of social justice, I was seriously beginning to wonder if
I were in a church gathering or some political rally.
I do appreciate our affiliation with the PW in the Indian Nations
Presbytery, but I have trouble supporting our national organization the way
it exists today. It is for this reason that I have recommended to our Budget
Committee that the contribution from the Women of Westminster to the PW
Churchwide Mission be significantly reduced, and that the mission be clearly
specified. The PW mission of social justice is not congruent with our
mission, the way I see it. We must pray for our church, stand firm in our
convictions, and trust that God is ultimately in control.