Guide to the United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Emergency Ministry on Conscience and War Records

The Emergency Ministry on Conscience and War (EMCW) was established in 1969 by the United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. EMCW was created in response to perceived concerns following a 1968 General Assembly pronouncement about initiating a study on church involvement in conscientious objection to the Vietnam War. EMCW was administered through the Office of Church and Society of the Board of Christian Education (BCE), and its funds were derived from the World Refugee and Emergency Service Committee. The aforementioned study was based upon church recognition that draft board members were considered to be unsympathetic toward dissenting views, the draft law itself was considered unjust and discriminatory, and the church had failed to respond consistently and forcefully in support of conscientious objectors. When the study was completed in 1969, it was recommended that ministry on conscience and war should be continued and expanded, and the church should deploy its resources to increase education about war by providing study materials, media, and staff services.

The fundamental strategy of EMCW was to emphasize the pastoral and counseling orientation in giving impartial aid to draft registrants and their families. The three levels of aid were providing information and education about the draft, helping the registrant develop competent ethical analysis skills, and giving direct aid to conscientious objectors to war through prison visitations and aid to emigrants to Canada.

The 1969 General Assembly suggested that unallocated funds from the Council of Theological Education be used to enable internships and field work for EMCW. Bruce D.D. Stuart was a middler at Princeton Theological Seminary and interned with EMCW during 1969. He continued his work with EMCW until 1971.