PCJCMR was first founded in the 1950s with a focus on building positive relationships between Chrisitans and Jews. With the growth of a large, wonderful and diverse Muslim community in the United States, we have added development of relationships between and among Christians, Jews and Muslims to the tasks we consider crucial.  We hope to build dialogues between the faith communities on the local level, be advocates for peace and justice on issues that relate to the three faith communities, and sponsor educational opportunities.  We invite your ideas and participation in our work.  We are an informal group of members, ministers, and congregations of the Presbyterian Church (USA); we are not an offical agency of the Presbyterian Church. For further information about our denomination, click on the logo above or any of the PCUSA links below.

   
 

2010 General Assembly to Debate Controversial New Report on the Conflict in the Middle East

Four years have past since the contentious debate over divestment, and now, on the eve of next month's General Assembly, the denomination's highest governing body will again be considering a set of controversial proposals concerning the conflict in the Middle East.

Following the 2008 Assembly, a new committee was formed to deal with the issue. It was to be a broadly representative committee, including people who came from widely different sectors of the church, and therefore taking into account the diverse body of opinion on this controversial topic.

The Middle East Study Committee was, in fact, composed for the most part of people with a passionate, pro-Palestinian bias. In our opinion this bias is now clearly reflected in the committee's report. Not surprisingly, criticism of the committee's recommendations is widespread, suggesting that discussion about it at the Assembly will be contentious.

We are working with others to insure that our church does not approve the committee's flawed report, especially it's most controversial and ill advised recommendations.

We urge our readers to visit the website of Presbyterians for Middle East Peace. This group of Presbyterian pastors and elders has done a careful analysis of the MESC report and its recommendations, together with the additional overtures that will be voted on at the Assembly. We also urge you to sign the petition that this group is circulating, urging defeat of the MESC proposals.

We also urge you to attend the General Assembly breakfast sponsored by this group; members of PCJCMR, including Byron Shafer (who was also a member of the MESC itself and is intimately familiar with its work) and Katharine Henderson, President of Auburn Seminary, will be featured speakers.

We also urge you to read the thoughtful letter now being circulated within our denomination, signed by leading pastors and other widely respected Presbyterians. The letter is a cogent analysis of the flaws of the MESC report and the several reasons for rejecting it.

A Time for Christian Realism
by John Wimberly

Critique of "A Steadfast Hope: The Palestinian Quest for Just Peace (The Israel/Palestine Mission Network of the Presbyterian Church USA)"

This fatally flawed report, widely distributed within the Presbyterian Church, set the stage for equally flawed recommendations now before the General Assembly.

Our critique is also available in Microsoft Word and PDF formats so it can be easily printed and distributed to others.


Click here for PCJCMR's Mission Statement as approved, November 30, 2004.

Where We Stand

Committed to a positive, constructive and respectful relationship with Jews and Muslims, our involvement in this issue reflects deep personal conviction, and is mindful of the 1987 statement of principles approved by the General Assembly of our church: "A Theological Understanding of the Relationship Between Christians and Jews." That statement outlined a foundation for such positive relationships.

For the full document.

What others say about Jewish Christian Relations



For further information about PCJCMR please email Charles Henderson.