Guide to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Social Justice and Peacemaking Ministry Unit Records

Advocacy efforts for justice, peacemaking, and corporate responsibility were contained, prior to 1972, respectively, in the Presbyterian Church in the U.S. Board of Christian Education Division of Christian Action, and in the United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Board of Christian Education Office of Church and Society. Following UPCUSA restructuring in 1972, these functions were located in the Social Justice and Peacemaking Unit (SJPU). Following PCUS restructuring in 1973, similar work was located in the General Executive Board, Division of Corporate and Social Mission, Office of Corporate Witness and Social Affairs, staffed by Belle Miller McMaster.

Following the reunion of the UPCUSA and PCUS, members of the General Assembly Council spent 1986 seeking public input on reorganization, meeting in Richmond, Denver, Minneapolis, Memphis, and San Juan P.R. (Minutes, 1987, v.1, p.189). Combined justice advocacy efforts were housed beginning in 1987 in the PC(USA) General Assembly Council Social Justice and Peacemaking Unit, with 34 staff operating in five groups. These were: Human Development, operating the Presbyterian Hunger Program and Self-Development of People, among other efforts; Human Services, responsible for health, welfare, and the Jarvie Commonweal Service; the Washington Office; the Peacemaking Program; and Church and Public Issues, which operated the Criminal Justice Program (CJP) and Mission Responsibility Through Investment (MRTI), among other efforts. In 1988 the CJP convened a Criminal Justice Committee, chaired by Carrie Dorfman, to advise the work of the office. The 200th General Assembly directed the national agencies to send a letter on "nonviolent alternatives to prison violence" to national prison officials; this led to CJP's development of the document "Restorative Justice: Toward Nonviolence." (Minutes, 1989, v.1, p.44).

After restructurings through the 1990s and 2000s, residual criminal justice advocacy work was held by the National Ministries Division, Justice and Compassion, Associate for Corporate Witness. This office was closed in 2006. Ongoing advocacy work is continued by the PC(USA) Presbyterian Mission Agency, Compassion Peace and Justice area.