Denominational leaders, ACSWP delegation exchange letters over fallout from Hezbollah visit

LOUISVILLE — Several weeks of intense dialogue between Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) leaders and members of an Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy (ACSWP)-led delegation that held a controversial mid-October meeting with Hezbollah officials in southern Lebanon has culminated in an exchange of letters.

A joint statement to the Presbyterian News Service on Dec. 13 included the two letters and a brief report of the delegation’s Oct. 14–31 visit, which included stops in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel/Palestine and Egypt.

The Oct. 17 meeting between the Middle East “fact-finding” delegation and leaders of Hezbollah — which is on the U.S. government’s list of terrorist organizations — created a deluge of protests from numerous Jewish groups and Presbyterians around the country. The meeting was widely televised on Arab networks.

Two high-level PC(USA) staffers — General Assembly Council Deputy Executive Director Kathy Lueckert and ACSWP Coordinator the Rev. Peter Sulyok — were subsequently relieved of their duties.

In their Dec. 1 letter to GAC Executive Director John Detterick, General Assembly Stated Clerk Clifton Kirkpatrick and General Assembly Moderator Rick Ufford-Chase, seven ACSWP elected members defended the meeting as an opportunity to “listen to those voices not usually heard by Presbyterians in order to gain a wider perspective and a deeper understanding of the conflicts in the Middle East.” But they said they regretted the “pain and difficulties” the visit created for the denomination.

During the Hezbollah meeting Stone, a retired professor at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, said, “As an elder of our church, I’d like to say that according to my recent experience, relations and conversations with Islamic leaders are a lot easier than dealings and dialogue with Jewish leaders.”

The Dec. 6 response from Ufford-Chase, Detterick and Kirkpatrick thanked the ACSWP members for their expressions of regret and in turn apologized for a post-visit statement they issued denouncing the visit and calling Stone’s comments “reprehensible.”

The denominational leaders told ACSWP: “We appreciate your sensitivity to our Church’s important witness for peace and justice in the Middle East and to its deep commitment to the well-being of both Palestinians and Israelis. We share that commitment with you.”

The full text of the ACSWP members’ letter — signed by Dianne Briscoe, Esperanza Guajardo, the Rev. Sue Dickson, the Rev. Ronald Kernaghan, the Rev. Gordon Edwards, Stone and the Rev. Nile Harper, ACSWP chair:

The elected members of the Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy (ACSWP) who participated in the recent Middle East fact-finding trip acknowledge that their meeting with the Hezbollah party in south Lebanon created great pain and difficulties for you and for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).

We regret the rupture in relationship and dialogue with leaders of the American Jewish community caused in part by the media reports of our conversation with Sheikh Nabil Qaouk, the spiritual leader of Hezbollah. The purpose of our trip was to listen to a variety of different voices and especially to those voices not usually heard by Presbyterians in order to gain a wider perspective and a deeper understanding of the conflicts in the Middle East. A brief report from the ACSWP trip is available at www.pcusa.org/ACSWP.

The meeting with Hezbollah was arranged by our Presbyterian hosts, The Evangelical Synod of Lebanon and Syria, and seemed to be in keeping with our fact-finding purpose. In retrospect, we understand that the visit with Hezbollah leadership was untimely and unwise given the larger context of religious and political tensions within our country. Nevertheless, we accept responsibility for our actions in carrying out the meeting.

It is our fervent prayer that we may join together with you in working for peace, unity and justice within the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and in the larger world.

The full text of the letter from Ufford-Chase, Detterick and Kirkpatrick in response:

We write this letter specifically to thank you for your letter of December 1, 2004 expressing regret over the consequences of your meeting with the Hezbollah Party in Lebanon and for the copy of the report on the highlights of your visit to the Middle East. We are grateful for the partnership in the gospel that we have with you and your colleagues in the Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy and for the important role that ACSWP plays in the life of our Church.

We appreciate your sensitivity to our Church’s important witness for peace and justice in the Middle East and to its deep commitment to the well-being of both Palestinians and Israelis. We share that commitment with you. We also appreciate the full report on your visit, the helpful fact finding you have done for the church, and the many ways in which your trip strengthened our partnerships in the Middle East and brought hope to those who have suffered for far too long. We affirm the continuing policy research that ACSWP does for the General Assembly, both in this nation and around the world.

We acknowledge that our letter was hurtful to you, and we are sorry for that hurt. We are eager to move on to work for the peace, unity and purity of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in order that we may together give faithful witness to the compassion and justice of Christ for all the peoples of the world.

The text of the “Brief summary of highlights” from the trip (for more information, visit the Web site www.pcusa.org/acswp):

In every country we visited (Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Palestine, Israel, Egypt), we heard deep appreciation for the balanced policy of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) supporting negotiated peace, with safe borders for Israel and Palestine, rejection of all forms of terrorism, the right of self determination, and self defense, the end of the occupation, removal of The Wall, and praise for the planned, selective, phased economic divestment action of the General Assembly. Christian, Muslim and some Jewish leaders praised General Assembly courage.

ACSWP met with leaders from the Evangelical Synod of Lebanon and Syria, Faculty of the Near East School of Theology, The Metropolitan Maronite Bishop (Catholic) of Beirut, the General Secretary of the Middle East Council of Churches. From all these people we heard appreciation for historic Presbyterian partnership; praise for the courageous Presbyterian General Assembly action for planned, selective economic divestment, and gratitude for our coming to meet with and listen to all parties and voices involved in the Middle East regional struggles for peace with justice.

In South Lebanon at the Ebel Al-Saki Presbyterian Church in the small village of Marjiyoun where every family has lost one or more members to the long war of Israeli occupation--here we saw how Presbyterians and Muslims live, cooperate, and work together to rebuild their region. In Damascus, Syria we worshipped in the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of St. Paul and the congregation of over 100 came out into the street to welcome us; we shared in prayer, scripture, song and preaching, testimony, food and fellowship that moved us to tears. In Jerusalem at the Lutheran Church of the Redeemer inside the old city we prayed with Arab Christians, Mennonite peace workers, Israeli Jews, and many others receiving communion together and making many new friends. In Cairo, Egypt we joined in worship with brothers and sisters from the Synod of the Nile who shared their vision for growing mission, church outreach into Muslim communities through acts of love in health care, schools, and economic development. They challenged us to new partnerships.

We met for a full day with five national level leaders from Iraq: the Armenian Orthodox Bishop of Baghdad; the Greek Orthodox Archbishop of Baghdad; the Syrian Orthodox Bishop of Baghdad; the Senior Presbyterian Pastor from Baghdad; and the Pastor of the Evangelical (Presbyterian) Church in Tikrit. They all spoke of the lack of safety, lack of police security, fear of people to venture out to church, lack of dependable water, electricity, and basic public services. However, they emphasized that their churches, schools, health care clinics are struggling to reopen and serve the great needs of their members and the general public. They gave detailed lists of ways in which Presbyterians could engage in partnership with Iraqi Christians. It was a clear call to compassionate partnership. There are real mission opportunities here.

ACSWP spent a day in Bethlehem meeting with staff of the Center for Palestinian Residency & Refugee Rights, visiting a refugee community, the Bethlehem International Center, talking with people in the streets and shops, and later that evening meeting with leaders from the Palestinian Authority. In Bethlehem we found that many shops and local businesses have been closed. Many have gone bankrupt. Local residents travel only with great difficulty. The Wall of Separation runs in such a way as to limit access to the surrounding area. Tourism is almost dead. The large Jewish settlements are visible from Bethlehem as well as the limited access highways that connect them. These roads cannot be used by Palestinians. They must endure slow travel with long delays at Israeli military checkpoints.

The group spent a full afternoon touring regions of Jerusalem and surrounding communities through which the newly constructed Wall of Separation has been built. We saw firsthand how the Wall divides Palestinian sections of East Jerusalem. We witnessed how Palestinians must travel for several hours to make necessary detours to reach schools, jobs, health care, and other facilities. We learned that a simple mile-long trip that would have taken fifteen minutes before The Wall now takes over one hour. We passed through the three Israeli military checkpoints between Jerusalem and Bethlehem — a short eight-mile trip — that now can take two hours for Palestinians to travel. We also heard some Israelis indicate they felt safer since The Wall went up. Others indicated they thought The Wall was a barrier to real peace and stability.

On the evening of October 23, ACSWP hosted a reception in Jerusalem at the Notre Dame Conference Center for about 40-50 invited guests representing all viewpoints on the Middle East. Over 100 people turned out and stayed until 11:30 p.m. People were hungry for the opportunity to have open conversation in a safe place with no strings attached. Who came? Jewish Rabbis, human rights workers, pastors, priests, NGO staffers, Quaker and Mennonite peace leaders, Muslim, Jewish and Christian religious leaders, a real mix and cross section of the Middle East peoples. Existing partnerships were strengthened. New opportunities for collaboration were discovered. Listening and learning. Ideas for future partnerships emerged. Bridges of communication were opened.

We met for dialogue with a group of over 50 Coptic Christians, Evangelical Christians, and the Islamic Brotherhood. Conversation began with the Grand Mufti (highest religious official of Islam in Egypt) putting hard questions to us about U. S. foreign policy with focus on the war in Iraq and perceived lack of serious leadership for peace processes between Israel and Palestine. We shared General Assembly policy actions which were well received. There was great interest in General Assembly action toward a planned, selective economic divestment. As the evening moved ahead, there was a warming trend and dialogue led toward friendship and future communication.

A great point of learning came in several meetings with representatives of the Synod of the Nile. The PC(USA) has longstanding partnerships in Egypt. The Nile Synod has a new Moderator who spoke with passion for their new vision of expanding mission including creating five new centers of health, education and social service for people in large and growing communities in and around Cairo. Each center will seek to create a new Christian congregation at the center of its outreach services. Education, health care, and economic development are seen to be avenues of doing the gospel of Christ. The moderator challenged us to take back the invitation to Americans to join with energy in the emerging initiatives through which they believe God is doing a new thing.

We met with Muslim scholars, government representatives and imams in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Egypt. The delegation had private interviews with President Lahoud of Lebanon, President Assad of Syria, the Minister of Foreign Affairs in Egypt and the Grand Imam of Al Anzhar University in Cairo. We also engaged in dialogue with The Islamic Institute for Interfaith Relations in Damascus and The Muslim Brotherhood in Cairo. There is great interest in continued dialogue between Christians and Muslims, a deep respect for the Arab Christian community as a stabilizing influence in Middle Eastern societies, and a desire among moderate Muslims to engage evangelicals and Christian Zionists in conversation. Muslim leaders expressed a deep reverence for Jesus Christ and were eager to discuss questions of justice and peace in the Middle East from the perspective of the teachings of Jesus. It was a moving experience to hear sincere expressions of concern for the suffering of Israelis. We heard several clear statements that acts of terror committed against civilians are a violation of the teaching of the Koran. Some of the Islamic leaders who spoke against terrorism have done so at great personal risk.

Related articles from The Layman Online (layman.org):

PCUSA leaders back off
their earlier denouncement
of pro-Hezbollah remarks

By John H. Adams
The Layman Online
Wednesday, December 15, 2004

Three leaders of the Presbyterian Church (USA) have backed off a previous joint statement in which they denounced as "reprehensible" the comments made by a member of a delegation that met with Hezbollah, a radical Islamic organization that has been blamed for the murders of hundreds of Israelis and 270 Americans.

Stated Clerk Clifton Kirkpatrick, Moderator Rick Ufford-Chase and John Detterick, executive director of the General Assembly, used that term shortly after the 24-member Presbyterian group met in Lebanon with the Southern Lebanon "spiritual leader" of Hezbollah.

One member of the delegation, Ron Stone, a retired ethics professor at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, told Al Jazerrah television, "As an elder of our church, I'd like to say that according to my recent experience, relations and conversations with Islamic leaders are a lot easier than dealings and dialogue with Jewish leaders."

As a result of the meeting with Hezbollah, Israeli leaders in the Mideast refused to meet with the Presbyterian delegation. Furthermore, the meeting with Hezbollah - as well as comments by Stone and Nile Harper, chairman of the Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy - hatched a firestorm of protests from Jewish groups and Presbyterians who disagree with the PCUSA's call for punishing Israel because of its dealings with the Palestinians.

Numerous Presbyterian and Jewish groups have issued statements urging the PCUSA to abandon the 2004 General Assembly's resolution that called for divestment of denominational funds from corporations that do business with Israel.

The Presbyterian News Service reported today that Kirkpatrick, Detterick and Ufford-Chase have had follow-up discussions with members of ACSWP and have exchanged letters about the situations.

Jerry Van Marter, the coordinator of the news service, reported that there have been several weeks of "intense dialogue" between the PCUSA's leaders and members of ACSWP. He did not indicate whether those meetings had been open to the denomination's staff reporters, but independent media in the denomination, including The Layman, were not invited to cover the discussions.

Van Marter's account included copies of a letter written by seven elected members of ACSWP, a response letter from Kirkpatrick, Ufford-Chase and Detterick and an ACSWP summary of the Mideast trip.

The two letters included apologies – of a sort.

In their letter dated Dec. 1, seven elected members of the Advisory Committee acknowledged that the meeting with the "Hezbollah leadership was untimely and unwise given the larger context of religious and political tensions within our country." They acknowledged that the meeting "created great pain and difficulties for you and for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)."

The ACSWP letter was signed by Dianne Briscoe, Esperanza Guajardo, the Rev. Sue Dickson, the Rev. Ronald Kernaghan, the Rev. Gordon Edwards, Stone and Harper.

Kirkpatrick, Ufford-Chase and Detterick responded by expressing "regret over the consequences of your meeting with the Hezbollah Party in Lebanon … We acknowledge that our [previous] letter was hurtful to you, and we are sorry for that hurt. We are eager to move on to work for the peace, unity and purity of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) in order that we may together give faithful witness to the compassion and justice of Christ for all the peoples of the world."

In their summary of the "fact-finding" mission to the Mideast, ACSWP described meetings it had with Christians and Muslims in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Palestine, Israel and Egypt – "where we heard deep appreciation for the balanced policy of the Presbyterian Church (USA)."

In most cases, the summary named names and places – with a smattering of references to unnamed Jewish leaders. The report seemed to suggest that those unnamed leaders agree with the PCUSA's policy in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

For example, the report said that "some Jewish leaders" praised the 2004 General Assembly for calling for the "removal of The Wall … and selective, phased economic divestment" from corporations that do business with Israel.

It claimed that some "Jewish Rabbis" and "Jewish Rabbis" and "Jewish religious leaders" – without specifying how many of either – attended a reception for Christians, Jews and Muslims sponsored by ASCSP. The summary issued a glowing report on the reception: "Existing partnerships were strengthened. New opportunities for collaboration were discovered. Listening and learning. Ideas for future partnerships emerged. Bridges of communication were opened."

The summary included several references to the wall Israel's government is constructing to protect Jews from Palestinian suicide bombers. The ACSWP seven viewed the wall as an economic hardship for the Palestinians and a barrier to peace.

They did not mention – or quote any Israeli – that suicide bombings have decreased during the construction of the wall.

And their summary did not mention the meeting with Hezbollah.

Presbyterian News Service coverage, text of letters, ASCWP summary of Mideast trip.

Former PCUSA employee
defends two fired from staff

By John H. Adams
The Layman Online
Wednesday, December 15, 2004

Mary Ann Lundy, who lost her job with the Presbyterian Church (USA) after getting the denomination to sponsor and help finance the 1993 Sophia-worshiping Re-Imagining Conference, has taken up a new cause.

She is now trying to rally her friends and current employees of the PCUSA staff at the denomination's national headquarters in Louisville to protest the firings of Kathy Leuckert and Peter Sulyok.

Lundy, who went to work as deputy general secretary of the World Council of Churches soon after she lost her PCUSA job – "I was fired up," she quipped – compared the plight of Leuckert and Sulyok to the backlash that occurred after the Re-Imagining Conference.

Now retired from the WCC, Lundy wrote a letter that was posted on the Web site of the Witherspoon Society, an independent group of self-described "progressive" Presbyterians. She compared what happened to Leuckert and Sulyok to her situation after The Layman published a report about the Re-Imagining Conference in 1993.

Lundy's letter denounced "the unfairness of holding only staff accountable for an event which involved elected leadership, for the use of scapegoating in order to appease critics of the church, for 'wimping out' instead of standing firm when there is criticism of faithful and courageous action; in short, the sacrificing of national staff when the going gets rough!"

The Re-Imagining Conference of 1993, in which Lundy and other PCUSA staff members were deeply involved, caused an enormous backlash from the pews that reduced contributions to the denomination by millions of dollars. The 1994 General Assembly declared that the Re-Imagining movement went beyond the bounds of Christian faith.

John Detterick, the executive director of the General Assembly Council, fired Leuckert, his top deputy, and Sulyok, the staff leader for the Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy [ACSWP], shortly after some of the committee members met with Hezbollah during a Mideast trip.

Detterick has not disclosed his reasons for firing the two, but he said recently that it was not related to the Hezbollah meeting.

However, Lundy said she believed the firings of Leuckert and Sulyok were related to the Hezbollah trip.

"The background for the decision is the last General Assembly when action was taken to study the possibility of divestment of stock in corporations that are involved in the Israeli demolition of homes and buildings in Palestine," she said in a letter to "friends." "So far only study has taken place and no action, but Jewish religious bodies and political organizations have registered their opposition and made threats against the PCUSA headquarters and more recently to burn churches.

"In the fall of this year the Committee on Social Witness Policy, staffed by Sulyok whose supervisor is Leuckert, made the decision to travel to the Middle East on a fact-finding mission. They spoke with leaders in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Egypt, and Israel and spoke with pro-Palestinian groups. At least one Israeli official declined to meet with them. Though they were instructed not to meet with the media, one elected member did so and an uproar ensued, whereupon Peter and Kathy were abruptly fired. Ironically, this happened 11 years to the day after the Re-Imagining Conference!"

A number of Lundy's statements in the letter were erroneous. The General Assembly did not call for the "possibility" of divestment – it called for actual "selective phased divestment of funds in multinational corporations doing business with Israel." There was no mention in the resolution of limiting its scope to companies that are involved in the demolition of homes and buildings in Palestine.

Furthermore, no Jewish religious bodies or political organizations have made any threats against the PCUSA headquarters. To the contrary, most have said that the PCUSA's one-sided policy on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a threat to their own efforts for peace in the region. The denomination has reported only one arson threat: an unsigned, handwritten letter that included a swastika – normally regarded as an anti-Jewish symbol.

Lundy concluded her letter by urging her friends to write to Detterick "protesting his action and to the Chair of the General Assembly Council who is Nancy Kahaian, particularly asking for a hearing for the staff members and an investigation of John Detterick's action." The General Assembly Council has decided to conduct an investigation.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.