Biweekly $7.95 March 4, 2015 Thinking Critically. Living Faithfully. FRED CRADDOCK’S MINISTRYIN CHERRY LOG, GEORGIA To rea!rm boldly the church’s commitment to a two-state solution with Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace, Presbyterians: each with secure borders, territorial integrity, and a fair share of natural resources. We also restate our profound condem- nation of the threats to a two-state solution, including: We can do violence and terrorism, the Israeli settlements, and any denial of the legitimate aspirations of either party — including their rights to a viable and secure homeland. better than To seek out opportunities in Palestine, Israel, and between Israelis and Palestinians for proactive investment in economic, educational, and interfaith ventures that promote divestment understanding across ethnic and religious divides and that oer the tangible signs of a future where both Israelis and We, the undersigned leaders in the Presbyterian Church Palestinians may dwell in justice, security, and peace. (U.S.A.), are deeply committed to a just and lasting peace between the Palestinian and Israeli peoples. We have watched the events of the past few months with great dismay: the murder of Israeli and Palestinian teenagers; Most of all, we pledge ourselves anew to work with Israelis the trauma of increasing rocket attacks by Hamas on Israeli and Palestinians, with American Jews and American civilians; the extensive suering and death of Palestinians Palestinian Christians and Muslims, to a!rm the aspirations from Israel’s military response; the discovery of tunnels for and address the deep needs of both peoples, and to work major terrorist attacks on Israeli civilians; and the unabated toward the day when “they shall all sit under their own vines expansion of settlements. More broadly, the rise of ISIS, the and under their own g trees, and no one shall make them persecution of Middle Eastern Christians, and a wave of afraid” (Micah 4:4). anti-Semitism and Islamophobia in Europe and North America all point to the same conclusion: that the extreme elements of this conict are gaining strength and inuence. Meanwhile, those committed to the well-being of all are tempted to join in the polarization or to sink into silence and despair. Supported by: Last June, the General Assembly of our church voted 5IF3FW+PBOOB."EBNTt5IF3FW%S1BVM"MDPSOt5IF3FW%S'SBOL"MMFOt5IF3FW%S'SFE very narrowly to approve the divestment of stock in three 3"OEFSTPOt+PIO-"OEFSTPOt5IF3FW%S4VTBO3"OESFXTt%S+BO#SVDF"SNTUSPOHt5IF companies deemed as complicit in the occupation of the 3FW+$"VTUJOt5IF3FW%S+BDL8#BDBt5IF3FW%S"OJUB#FMMt"MJTPO#FOOFUUt5IF3FW%S Palestinian territories. We are among the many Presbyterians &BSM#MBOEt5IF3FW.BSL#PZEt5IF3FW+FòSFZ(#SJEHFNBOt5IF3FW#MBLF#SJOFHBSt5IF 3FW)FOSZ(#SJOUPOt5IF3FW%S+PIO#VDIBOBOt5IF3FW%S+PO#VSOIBNt5IF3FW%S all over the country who have worked against this action, .JDIBFM1#VSOTt5IF3FW$VSSJF#VSSJTt5IF3FW"MCFSU(#VU[FS **t#BSSZ#ZSEt5IF3FW%S believing that divestment would strengthen the extreme $ZOUIJB$BNQCFMMt5IF3FW%S3PCFSU"OESFX$BUIFZt4UFXBSU$MJòPSEt5IF3FW%S+PTFQI positions on both sides of this conict without alleviating +$MJòPSEt5IF3FW.JLF$PMFt"MCFSU%B$PTUBt5IF3FW%S8JMMJBN1$SBXGPSEt+BNFT%BMF the suering of Palestinians — and further divide and t(BSZ%BWJTt5IF3FW)FMFO1%F-FPOt*BO$%FWJOFt-JOEB-%POBMEt#SFOU+&FMNBOt discourage the vast center of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) 4IFMCZ&UIFSJEHFt5IF3FW"OESFX$POOPST'PTUFSt5IF3FW%S#SZBO+BNFT'SBO[FOt+PIO that longs for justice with love for both peoples. We continue &(BòOFZ +St$IBQMBJO4JN(BSEOFSt.JDIBFM(J[[Jt.JLF(PPESJDIt5IF3FW%BWJE(SBZt5IF to dissent strongly from this divestment action, and many 3FW%S8JMMJBN))BSUFSt5IF3FW%S4UFQIFO")BZOFSt5IF3FW-BSSZ3)BZXBSEt+JN of the Presbyterians who ll our pews on Sunday mornings )FOEFSTPOt5IF3FW%S,BUIBSJOF3IPEFT)FOEFSTPOt.BEHF)VCFS)FOOJOHt5IF3FW%S share this conviction. .BSL)PTUFUUFSt5IF3FW+JN)PVTUPO)FODLFOt5IF3FW3PZ8)PXBSEt5IF3FW%S%PVH )VDLFt)BSSJFU)VHIFTt&EXBSE8)VNNFST +St5IF3FW%S&EXJO()VSMFZt5IF3FW Yet we are more convinced than ever that those who are $ZOUIJB"+BSWJTt+PBO+PIOTPOt5IF3FW%S4DPUU#MBDL+PIOTUPOt5IF3FW%BWJE'+POFTt %POBME(,JMQBUSJDLt5IF3FW$SBJH4,JOH 4St5IF3FW%S$ISJTUPQIFS.-FJHIUPOt5IF3FW concerned for justice and peace in the region must reject .JDIBFM--JOEWBMMt+JN-PTFZt5IF3FW%S"SOPME#-PWFMMt.T&NJMZ4-PWFMMt5IF3FW%S polarization, silence, despair, or inaction — starting with ,FOOFUI + .BDBSJ t5IF 3FW %S8 &VHFOF .BSDI t5IF 3FW %S -ZOO (BOU .BSDI t 4IFJMB .BSTIBMMt,FOU.D,BNZt5IF3FW%S%BWF.D,FDIOJFt5IF3FW%S#MBJS3.POJFt-BVSFZ ourselves. Only by working together — Muslims, Jews, and )BSUXFMM.VSQIZt5IF3FW%S/BODZ&.VUIt#BSCBSB/BODFt%BWJE/BUJPOt5IF3FW%S1BVM /B[BSJBOt,BUIJ/FVCFSUt3(VTUBW/JFCVISt5IF3FW%S"HOFT8/PSøFFUt.BSHBSFU. Christians; Americans, Palestinians, and Israelis — can we 0CSFDIUt5IF3FW%S4UFQIFO0HMFTCFFt4BN1BMNFSt5IF3FW%S#SJBO31BVMTPOt5IF3FW hope to nd the true path to a just and lasting peace for both (FPòSFZ 1GBò t 3 .BSL 1MVNC $3& t5IF 3FW .BSL 1MVOLFUU t5IF 3FW %FBO 1PHVF t +PF 1SVFIFSt$BSPM1ZFt5IF3FW$IBSMFT1ZFt3BDIBFM3BOLJOt5IF3FW%S'SJU[3JUTDIt5IF3FW peoples. To this end, we invite Presbyterians and all people of .BSZ3PEHFSTt,VSU3PFMPòTt(BSSZ4DIPPOPWFS 3&t5IF3FW%S'SFEFSJDL/4FBZt+JN- 4IJMUTt5IF3FW%S+PTFQI%4NBMMt5IF3FW+Fò4NJUIt"OOF.4PFOTt5IF3FW%S/ faith and moral conviction to join with us as we commit (SBIBN4UBOEJTI .48t5IF3FW5PEE4UBWSBLPTt$MJò4UFXBSUt4ZMWJB8BTIMJDL4UVEFONVOE ourselves to the following aspirations and goals: t3VTTFMM$4VMMJWBO +St%JBO%VLF5IPNBTTPOt5IF3FW$MJOUPO5PMCFSUt+PBOOF8BMMJTt+JN 8BMMJTt5IF3FW%S+PO.8BMUPOt5IF3FW3BOEPMQI8FCFSt5IF3FW+PIO8JNCFSMZt5IF 3FW%S(FPSHF#8JSUIt5IF3FW5JNPUIZ38PPESVòt5IF3FW1FSSZ8PPUUFOt5IF3FW%S To reclaim the church’s role as “repairer of the breach,” 5IPNBT:PSUZt&MEFS8JMMJBN(:PVOH nationally and locally, among ourselves and between Christians, Jews, and Muslims through deep and relational work that models peace and reconciliation with justice 1SFTCZUFSJBOTGPSB+VTUBOE1FBDFGVM'VUVSFJOUIF.JEEMF&BTU and compassion. [email protected] by John M. Buchanan Embargoed pensions I VISITED CUBA 19 years ago, long before the to make monetary payments to Cuban nationals or to release recent softening of relationships between the Cuban and money from accounts held in the United States in their names. American govern ments. As a representative of the Presbyterian Meanwhile the money sat in U.S. accounts where it Church (U.S.A.), I was visiting the Independent Presbyterian increased in value to nearly a million dollars. But that money Reformed Church of Cuba, which was established by Protes - was not getting into the hands of the people who had earned it. tant missionaries in the late 19th century. The IPR churches had Presbyterian Pension Board officials would not give up. thrived over the years and had built a theological seminary at Frank Maloney, chief operating officer of the Board of Pensions, Matanzas. went to work with legal counsel Jean Hemphill. They continued After Cuba became a communist state the churches learned to request the release of the funds and were denied each time by how to exist under the Castro regime’s strictures and subtle— the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury and sometimes not so subtle—persecution. There were some Department. PCUSA Board officials and officers visited U.S. arrests and imprisonments. Churches were mostly allowed to lawmakers—only to encounter the strong anti-Castro lobby in remain open, but evangelism efforts were forbidden, and it was Congress that opposes any political or economic accommoda- almost impossible to print and distribute literature. Govern - tion with the Castro government or the Cuban people. ment agents often came to worship services; a Christian’s pub- Progress came in the mid-1990s when a license was issued to lic affirmation of faith could have economical, professional, and pay the Cuban retirees $100 per month, but it was still held up educational consequences. by the prohibition against U.S. banks doing business in Cuba. At the time of our visit a warming of the relationship In the meantime, retired Cuban pastors were aging and start- between the two nations had come to a sudden end, and there ing to die. In 2006 the government licensed the church to pay was a reemergence of suspicion, hostility, and fear. Despite up to $500 per month and permitted board staff to travel to these demanding and sometimes dangerous circumstances, Cuba to find the pensioners and their survivors. Cuban Christians had remained faithful to their Christian com- Now, in the new atmosphere in U.S.-Cuban relations initiated mitments and their churches. by the Obama administration, the blocked accounts will be opened Then I made a distressing discovery. The Cuban Presby - and full payment made to surviving Cuban pastors and their heirs. terian Church was formerly an organic part of PCUSA, and The mainline denominational agency’s faithfulness and re - Cuban pastors had paid into the Presbyterian Pension and lent less commitment to justice reinforces my conviction that Benefits Plan—but they weren’t receiving the benefits. After these structures do absolutely critical work and faithful mission. the Castro revolution, the assets of American corporations that Meanwhile, the Cuban church has pointed the way to faithful were doing business in Cuba were expropriated, and our gov- work with its courageous and durable witness. During visits near- ernment placed an economic embargo on Cuba. Suddenly 50 ly two decades ago