Annual Report

Witherspoon Society's 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.

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The list of groups which have and have not responded to the request is interesting.

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Presbyterian Church (USA)
Office of the General Assembly
100 Witherspoon Street
Louisville, KY 40202-1396

To Stated Clerk of the General Assembly
Clifton Kirkpatrick

In response to the 212th General Assembly request for information about Presbyterian affinity groups, the Witherspoon Society submits the following information:

1. The Witherspoon Society, founded in 1973, is a Federal Tax Exempt organization (ID #23-7317031), registered in Ohio. It has no office nor paid staff. Membership at the end of year 2000 numbered 802 home addresses, 24 institutional memberships (churches, seminaries, libraries), and 10 overseas memberships.

The official publication of the Witherspoon Society is Network News, a quarterly newsletter sent to each active member, and 120 copies to the 24 institutional members. An extra 700+ copies of the Spring issue are sent each year to GA commissioners and advisory delegates. An additional number, which varies, are sent in response to special orders. With few exceptions, all recipients of Network News are members of or congregations related to the Presbyterian Church (USA). (Enclosed is a copy of the latest circulation report to the U.S. Postal Service.)

2. Enclosed is a copy of the Treasurer's report of as December 31, 2000. Also enclosed is a copy of the organization's bylaws.

3. The goal of the Witherspoon Society is to support the social justice ministries of the Presbyterian Church (USA) at the congregational, presbytery, synod and national levels by building a network among Presbyterians committed to building a more just and peaceful world, and a more open church. It is the intent of the Society to promote the prophetic voice of the church, addressing issues of systemic injustice within both church and society.

The Witherspoon publication, Network News, communicates to members news of the Presbyterian Church USA, regional activities, advocacy for social issues of concern to members, theological perspectives, events calendar and a pre-Assembly issue covering matters to be considered at the General Assembly. A website provides up-to-date information.

Most of the activity of the Witherspoon Society takes place during the annual meeting of the General Assembly. We have a booth in the exhibit area where people can receive information about the Society and its issues of concern, meet and find friends, connecting with others working to promote peace and justice.

The Society has been providing a pre-assembly orientation the past several years for interested commissioners wishing to learn how to navigate Assembly procedures. We host a luncheon with a major speaker, and honor congregations and individuals who exemplify our mission. The annual Witherspoon Party and Dance has become a popular time for friends to relax and have fun in the midst of the busy assembly week.

Each year we sponsor a seminary intern, an opportunity for a seminary student to experience a General Assembly. For the past several years we have sponsored a seminar at Ghost Ranch.

There are several regional groups that meet periodically through the year for fellowship, worship and to address issues of the churches in their locales. The Witherspoon Society does not operate on boards or agencies of the denomination.

4. The Witherspoon Society is a national group of Presbyterian laypersons and clergy. We confess our loyalty to God in Jesus Christ by witness to him through the Presbyterian Church USA. We are committed by the gospel to peace, justice and the well being of all creation to witness on a broad range of local, national, international and ecclesiastical issues. Our witness in both church and society aims for renewal of the church's life and focus, that it may always be biblically and confessionally faithful in the world.

We seek to develop a network of concerned Presbyterians who are willing to work within the church to equip Christians for communicating our faith, resisting systems of injustice, and exploring new ways to express the gospel as a liberating word. We work to implement the more urgent concerns of the General Assembly, developing new ways for communication, reflection, mutual support, and action within the network.

Our mission is to nurture the prophetic voice of the church through study, action and reflection. We want to equip faithful Presbyterians for responsible participation at all levels of the church to advocate for peace, justice, the integrity of all creation, and the full inclusion of all God''s people in church and society.

We believe that our faith should be lived in our society, that God alone is Lord of the conscience, and that "Truth is in order to Goodness." We seek effective ecumenical connections for mission and encourage theological inquiry and education to equip us for mission in a changing world. We seek appropriate expression of our concerns within common worship, exploring more effective inspirational worship.

We are a network of justice-seeking Presbyterians responding to the God who calls us through the power of the Holy Spirit into wholeness, desiring to live the radical vision of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in a broken world.

Sincerely,

Jane Hanna, President
Witherspoon Society