So the YAV program sent us to Detroit, Michigan to the Presbyterian Church's 221st General Assembly to follow 3 food-justice related overtures. We are learning how food policy, or any policy changes on a denominational level. This is what we're following: You can read the full text about them by clicking on the links.
One is on Food Soverignty from Atlanta that encourages members on all levels of presbytery to pray for support, study and promote projects that encourage food sovereignty such as stopping large land grabs and promoting agrarian reform. This one seems vague but can have a lot of implications on having the national church force other churches and mission agencies to participate in a better food system like our church placements in Boston are doing.
A second one on recognizing the importance of childhood nutrition in the first 1000 days after a woman is pregnant to the child's second birthday. It is here where the child needs nutritious food or they will develop incorrectly. Premature death from malnutrition at this age is a huge killer in the developing world, and even effects women and children in the US. Sponsored in part by Bread for the World, Libby's organization, this overture asks Presbyterians to learn, advocate, and recognize the importance of government support such as SNAP (food stamps) and WIC for women and children at this stage, and asks the clerk to write a letter to congress advocating for US policy reform to support women at this stage.
The third one on Sustainable development and the precautionary principle. This one is also very vague, but like the first it would force the GA to ask all levels of Presbyterians to consider the environmental impact of their decisions for their property, policy, and other decisions.
I'm also interested in one sent from the Boston Presbytery on divestment from fossil fuel companies. Audrey's pastor Rob Mark is here as its official advocate. There is a lot of debate on Israel/Palestine peacemaking that seems to be the hot topic for the week, so I want to watch that as much as possible also.
Overtures are sent to General Assembly from one or more presbyteries and they serve a similar function as a petition in the US government that says enough people support ____ so you should think about doing ___ with your political power. Today I learned that individual presbyteries can send select people as overture advocates to go campaign for an overture. Overtures get sent to a committee based on it's subject matter. The committee holds an open hearing for outside comments, then designates a short time for the advocates to rally support for their overtures, and the committee discusses, maybe changes it, and votes. The committee's vote, either yes or no gets sent back to the plenary floor for the commissioned ruling elders (elders) and teaching elders (ministers) to vote to either support what the committee says about it, reject the committee's decision, or bring it up in discussion again. The three food related overtures all seem like good ideas people can get behind and I don't see much fuss happening. Divestment from fossil fuel companies might have more conflict.
I will keep you posted on what happens with them, but you can follow the PCUSA twitter feed and facebook to keep up with all that's happening.
One thing about GA. We went to the opening worship. There is something really special about sharing communion with thousands of other people from all over the country. That shows how large, open, and accepting God's table really is. God loves the damnyankees from Boston just as much as the southerners, midwesterners, immigrants, Michiganders...even the ministers, elders, young adults, LGBTQ folks, white priveliged folks, old folks. For some reason God sees value in all of us, loves us, claims us, marks us as his, and makes us who He created us to be if we just allow him to do this in our lives. We were reminded of this by the current moderator Neal Presa. The church is changing and finally being more accepting of differences. May God's work continue, and may God's message of Love go beyond political opinions this week.
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