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About Presbyterian Voices for
Justice
and one of its predecessors, the Witherspoon Society |
Our officers are
listed on their very own page.
Your WebWeaver has just updated this list -- it's high time!
[10-29-09] |
For recent news of the Witherspoon Society
and our members |
Tell your friends
about Presbyterian Voices for Justice --
and invite them to join us!
Our new
brochure is available here in PDF format, so you can print
copies to share with others -- in your congregation, your
presbytery, wherever you go!
Or if
you'd like a stack of them to share with others, just contact
Doug King, our communications coordinator. Just be sure to
include your name, mailing address, and the quantity you need.
Send an
E-mail, or phone 608-782-5275.
[8-20-10] |
Voices of Sophia
and Voices of Women
[8-19-10]
We've just
posted a short account of the beginnings and witness of Voices
of Sophia, now a vital part of Presbyterian Voices for Justice.
It was written by Sylvia Thorson-Smith for the Peacemaking Issue
of The Journal of Sacred Feminine Wisdom, Fall, 1996.
We're happy to share it here,
both in easy-to-print PDF
format, and in easy-to-open
HTML.
We'd be very happy
to hear your comments,
or additions or corrections!
Just send us a note! |
A short history of The Witherspoon
Society is now available --
right here online!
[7-28-10] You may be lying
awake nights wondering ...
What was this Witherspoon
Society, that has now become part of Presbyterian Voices for Justice?
Or maybe you're a long-time member, wanting to retrace
the life of an organization that you've supported for years.
Either way, you'll learn much from a 40-page history of
the Witherspoon Society, which was written in 2003 by Gene TeSelle, and is
now posted here in PDF format, with a few corrections and updates from
the original edition.
The title:
"A Network of the Concerned":
the Witherspoon Society
and its Challenge to the Church
It covers the first 30 years of Witherspoon's involvement in
service and witness in the Presbyterian Church (USA). We encourage
you to take a look, and let us know if you have any comments, questions,
suggestions for changes ...
just send a note!
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What Did John Witherspoon Mean by
"Property"? Would
he defend property rights against health care reform?
[4-17-10]
With all the discussion these days (or maybe “ranting
and raving” would be more appropriate) about individual property rights
standing against the authority of government to limit them for the
common welfare (as in requiring some people to obtain health insurance,
for instance) Gene TeSelle reminds us of John Witherspoon’s famous
statement in 1776 that if people give up their right to “property,” they
will “at the same time deliver the conscience to bondage.” It sounds
like a great argument for the Tea Party folks, but TeSelle shows that
Witherspoon’s intention was quite different.
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We have a new name!
[2-17-10]
We are delighted to announce the
new name of the merged organization of Witherspoon Society and
Voices of Sophia: Presbyterian
Voices for Justice. We offer our thanks and
congratulations to Anne Barstow for offering the winning entry
in our contest to find a new name -- and our thanks to all the
others who have offered very good ideas as well.
We believe it is clear about
who we are as a merged organization, maintaining both the
“Voices” aspect of the former Voices of Sophia and the
broad-reaching “Justice” concerns of the former Witherspoon
Society. And it makes clear that we are Presbyterian in
membership and outlook. Also, it has a short and easy acronym!
We look forward to continuing our discernment of God’s “voice”
for justice in church and society.
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Voices/Witherspoon Board
approves a new Mission Statement.
[12-3-09]
In a conference call on November 19, 2009, the
Voices/ Witherspoon Board voted unanimously to adopt a new
statement of our mission, to reflect the merger of our two
organizations and the changing demands of our times.
We welcome any comments you’d like to share about
this new statement! Just send a note to
dougking2@aol.com, or call our Membership Coordinator, Gusti
Newquist, at (520) 325-1001.
Another request: As you reflect on this mission
statement, it might suggest new ideas for a new name for our
merged organization. Or even an idea for a new logo, for which
we have so far received no suggestions!
Click here for more about this gigantic contest – and
join in!
The new mission statement reads:
We are a spirited and passionate community of
women and men in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) who are
called to proclaim the Gospel vision of God’s extravagant
love and justice in church and society. We seek the wisdom
of the Spirit for following Christ’s example and for living
into the hope of sustained gender equality, racial
reconciliation, full human rights for LGBT persons, economic
justice, environmental wholeness, an end to war and all
forms of violence, and a justice-loving shalom over all the
earth. We commit to risking the transformation of our own
selves and our organization to live into this vision, even
as we invite both church and society to meet this challenge.
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The Mission of the Witherspoon
Society
At our Witherspoon executive
committee meeting on Sept. 17-20, 2003, we adopted a somewhat revised statement
of our mission. As you'll see at the end, it's a work in progress,
and we would value your comments.
Just
send a note! [posted 10-6-03]
Mission
We are a network of concerned Presbyterians responding
to God's call to do justice, and to work with hope for healing and
wholeness in a world increasingly broken.
Our mission is:
 | to listen and learn
from those who have been silenced; |
 | to nurture the prophetic voice of
the church through reflection, discernment, and action; |
 | to equip Presbyterians for faithful
participation in the church and the world; |
 | to challenge unjust relationships of
power; |
 | to advocate for peace, justice, the
integrity of creation, and the full inclusion of all God's people in
church and society. |
Through our witness, we seek to revitalize the church's
proclamation and action, informed by the full witness of the Bible and the
confessions, animated by our hope for the reign of God.
NOTE: The Executive Committee plans to engage in a
process of reflection and planning to name some actions and programs that
will each of the specific mission areas listed above. But that may take a
while!
You may want to look at
the statement that this will replace, just for comparison.
And again, if you have thoughts on this,
please send a
note!
|
This mission
statement was adopted in 1994, and has been replaced by
the revised version adopted in September,
2003.
We are a society of justice-seeking
Presbyterians, responding to the God who calls us through the power
of the Holy Spirit into wholeness, as a community that lives out
the radical vision of the Gospel of Jesus the Christ in a
world increasingly broken.
We profess our mission to be:
 | nurturing the prophetic voice of
the church
through study, action and reflection,
|
 | equipping faithful Presbyterians for responsible
participation at all levels of the church,
|
 | advocating for peace, justice, the integrity of
creation, and the full inclusion of all God's people in church
and society. |
Through our witness we seek to revitalize the
church's life and focus, so that it may be biblically and confessionally faithful in the
world.
from the Mission Statement of the Witherspoon
Society
|
Another
glimpse of John Witherspoon
[3-31-06]An old friend and frequent visitor to
this website, the Rev. John Mann, is now serving as a Church of Scotland
pastor in Glasgow.
He
recently visited Paisley Cathedral in Glasgow, where a plaque commemorates
the life of Witherspoon.
He adds, "I find that the words inscribed on the
memorial that were spoken by him so many years ago to be particularly
timely in our current social and political climate."
Witherspoon's words (in case it's a bit hard to read
them):
If your cause is just, you may look with
confidence to the Lord, and entreat him to plead it as his own.
|
To learn a little more about John Witherspoon, from whom we take our
name, click here. |
Witherspoon
history now available -- right here
online!
[5-10-03]You may be lying
awake nights wondering ...
What is this Witherspoon
Society?
Or maybe you're a long-time member, wanting to retrace
the life of an organization that you've supported for years.
Either way, you'll learn much from the new history of
the Witherspoon Society, just completed by Gene TeSelle.
The title:
"A Network of the Concerned":
the Witherspoon Society
and its Challenge to the Church
It covers the 30 years of Witherspoon's involvement in
service and witness in the Presbyterian Church (USA).
How to get a copy:
You can buy a copy at the Witherspoon booth at General
Assembly.
Or contact Gene TeSelle:
 | Send an e-mail to
teselle@bellsouth.net |
 | or write to him at 1925 19th Avenue South, Nashville, TN
37212, |
 | or call him at (615) 297-2629. |
Cost: $5.00 each. |
Witherspoon
members: We're looking for e-mail addresses!
[5-10-03]We have established a
list-serve (or e-list, if you prefer) through which we send occasional
important notices to all Witherspoon members -- if we have their
e-mail addresses. If you haven't received any such notices in the
past few months, from a Yahoo group list called WITHERSPOON MEMBERS (how
creative can we get??)
please send a note and we'll add you to that list. Don't get
left out! And if you'd like an e-mail update every
time new material is posted to this website,
just send
another note about that!
Many thanks! |

A new logo for
Witherspoon
[11-30-02]
As the new liturgical year begins,
Witherspoon begins a new phase in its history. Justice, with its many
faces, has always been at the heart of Witherspoon's mission. And joy -
in doing the work we sense we are called to do. So, raise the banners
and let justice roll down! Join us as we enter Advent, with
anticipation, excitement and renewed commitment to the radical message
which is God's love for all creation. |
Witherspoon
president Jane Hanna sees the pain of September 11th and its aftermath
as a call to us -- as individuals and as a nation -- to seek "a
better way" of being in relation to the rest of the
world. [2-18-02] |
The
Witherspoon Society is asking members to
renew their membership, and for new folks to join up.
We are also seeking
funding for a vital initiative during the coming year, including a
staff person to plan and coordinate local conferences on "the whole
Gospel church" and the Confession of 1967.
Please look at these two notes, and respond as
generously as you can! [posted here 12-27-01]
|
A new Witherspoon Society membership brochure is
available. Request one for yourself, or to share with a
friend. Request a quantity to spread around your
neighborhood! Just send a note,
telling us how many you want and where we should send them. (If
you'd like a white, unfolded version to make your own copies, mention
that, too!) [11-28-01] |
Issues Analyst Gene TeSelle has uncovered a couple
interesting documents from Witherspoon's past. One is a statement
drafted in 1985, describing the
purposes of the group and the issues on which its attention was
focused.
The second document, a sort of modern poem composed
around the time of the group's founding nearly 30 years ago, is a
fascinating reflection of its time. Gene would like help in
finding the author of the poem. So please check out "A
Stern Prayer for Parlous Times." [posted 12-10-01] |
Witherspoon President Jane Hanna, in her "President's
Corner" column for the Fall 2001 issue of Network News,
points to how our basic biblical perspective can steady us in this time
of crisis -- and how the crisis calls us back to our true mission as a
church. [11-7-01] |
Meet our new
Executive Committee members! [8-18-01] |
Witherspoon Society
annual report
By action of the 212th General Assembly, the Stated
Clerk asks each "affinity group" related to the Presbyterian
Church to submit an annual report of its purposes, activities, funding,
and so on. Among the minority of groups to send such a report was
the Witherspoon Society, and we share our report here.
The list of groups which have and have not responded
to the request is interesting. [7-13-01] |
Find out how to become a member, and
send a convenient membership form from here.
|
Exploring
the Whole Gospel concept [5-9-01]
The Witherspoon Society began exploring its notion
of an emphasis on Whole Gospel Congregations, with a gathering on May 5,
2001, at the Presbyterian Church in Claremont, CA. Some thirty
people, including members of the executive committee and members of the
congregation, spent about 6 hours in conversation with Dr. John B. Cobb,
Dr. Doug Ottati, and Dr. Jane Dempsey Douglass. |
Local
groups are getting organized, doing good things. |
Jane
Hanna, Witherspoon's new President, reflects on the Society's past
and present commitment to a vision of the Gospel as calling us to work
for the common welfare -- for justice -- as well as for personal
freedom and happiness. |
New
Witherspoon chapter blossoms in Silicon
Valley.
Second
meeting of this group passes two resolutions on Amendments A and O
|
The Witherspoon officers met
on Sept. 21-23, 2000, in Santa Fe, and began developing plans for future
projects.
Click here for details and photos. |

Some of our current activities include ...
 | building a network among people who are committed to shaping a more just
and peaceful world, and a more open Church |
 | being involved in the Church's annual General Assembly, with a booth in
the exhibit area where you can stop by to get information, and to find
friends and fellowship |
 | hosting a luncheon at each General Assembly, with a major speaker, and
honoring congregations and individuals who live out our mission |
 | and hosting the annual Witherspoon Society Party and Dance -- a
great meeting place for friends, a time to relax in the middle of the
pressures of the Assembly |
Local Witherspoon chapters meet in some presbyteries
during the year, and work with other groups dealing with justice issues within
the Presbyterian community.
If you're interested in starting such a group, or in connecting with
Witherspooners in your area, contact our Membership Coordinator for help,
brochures, and whatever else we can provide. Click
on the envelope to send a note to Membership Coordinator Trina Zelle.
Or just fill out a membership form, and do it
all by e-mail (except sending your check!)
If you have concerns, questions, suggestions for the group, please send a
quick note to Witherspoon President Jane Hanna.
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Last edited on
08/20/10
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Some blogs worth visiting |
PVJ's
Facebook page
Mitch Trigger, PVJ's
Secretary/Communicator, has created a Facebook page where
Witherspoon members and others can gather to exchange news and
views. Mitch and a few others have posted bits of news, both
personal and organizational. But there’s room for more!
You can post your own news and views,
or initiate a conversation about a topic of interest to you. |
|
John Shuck’s
new "Religion
for Life" website
Long-time and stimulating blogger John Shuck,
a Presbyterian minister currently
serving as pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Elizabethton,
Tenn., writes about spirituality, culture, religion (both organized
and disorganized), life, evolution, literature, Jesus, and
lightening up.
Click here for his blog posts.
Click here for podcasts of his radio program, which "explores
the intersection of religion, social justice and public life." |
|
John Harris’ Summit to
Shore blogspot
Theological and philosophical
reflections on everything between summit to shore, including
kayaking, climbing, religion, spirituality, philosophy, theology,
The Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), New York City and the Queens
neighborhood of Ridgewood -- by a progressive New York City
Presbyterian Pastor. John is a former member of the Witherspoon
board, and is designated pastor of North Presbyterian Church in
Flushing, NY. |
|
Voices of Sophia blog
Heather Reichgott, who has created
this new blog for Voices of Sophia, introduces it:
After fifteen years of scholarship
and activism, Voices of Sophia presents a blog. Here, we present the
voices of feminist theologians of all stripes: scholars, clergy,
students, exiles, missionaries, workers, thinkers, artists, lovers
and devotees, from many parts of the world, all children of the God
in whose image women are made. .... This blog seeks to glorify God
through prayer, work, art, and intellectual reflection. Through
articles and ensuing discussion we hope to become an active and
thoughtful community. |
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Got more blogs to recommend?
Please
send a note, and we'll see what we can do! |
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