Ruling elders and social witness

More than a decade ago, I was on an international flight and got into a conversation with another passenger about our recent travels. The woman was returning home from a trip to Israel. I told her I had been attending a gathering of Presbyterians in Ghana. “Oh,” she said. “I heard that American Presbyterians just passed a resolution that was very antisemitic.” I wasn’t sure what she was talking about, so I said, “Well, that doesn’t sound like our brand of Presbyterians. We have long supported interfaith dialogue and partnership with Jewish neighbors. That must have been someone else.” We laughed and the conversation moved on.

Once I was home, I discovered to my surprise that the woman on the plane had been referencing a resolution about Israel and Palestine approved by the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Some who objected to the measure had seen it as antisemitic, and that was the headline that made national news. 

Leaders in a local church may find themselves in a similar situation when an action or stance taken by the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) is distilled to a controversial soundbite. How might we respond to such situations? And why does the church get involved in controversial issues to begin with?

It all goes back to our theology. As Reformed Christians, one of our core beliefs is that God is present everywhere and in everything, working for justice, peace and reconciliation in all facets of life. In faithfulness, we seek to partner with God in all God is doing, even in complex social, political and economic arenas. Presbyterians affirm that God is present and active even in our conflicts! So, in dialogue with Scripture, we continually discern together how God is calling us to proclaim good news to the poor, release to the captives, recovery of sight to the blind and an end to oppression (Luke 4:18).

Our discernment in community — specifically the councils of the church (sessions, presbyteries, synods and the General Assembly) — is always ongoing. God may be heard differently in different moments and contexts. We make mistakes and get things wrong. We are called to new places and ideas, to change and growth. In the community of faith, we discern together the will of God for each season and situation, praying for God’s wisdom and correction when we get off course. 

The PC(USA) has approved a collection of social witness policies that represent the church’s collective discernment about social issues over time. Like books of the Bible, they were written at different times and speak to varied circumstances but represent the church’s efforts to be faithful to God’s leading on issues of social and public concern.

It is normal and even expected that not all Presbyterians will agree with the social witness policies discerned by church councils. Presbyterians affirm that God alone is Lord of the conscience, which means that believers are accountable to God alone and that the church cannot “bind the conscience” of any individual member. 

Simultaneously, the Book of Order balances the convictions of the individual and the discernment of the body. Church leaders choose “to exercise freedom of conscience within certain bounds” (G-2.0105). Put simply, as leaders we make commitments to participating in the councils of the church in which discernment takes place and to being guided by that discernment unless compelled by deep convictions of personal conscience. 

When it comes to social witness policies — and to public witness in general — ruling elders take special responsibility for understanding and representing the discernment of the body on behalf of the church, as well as participating in that discernment when they are called to do so. When confronted with soundbites or clickbait about the church’s public stances, we can lean on the conviction that faithful Presbyterians have sought to follow God’s leading in the past and will do so in the future. 

For Reflection:

• Have you ever felt the need to take a public stand based on your belief about what was faithful? 
• As a ruling elder and spiritual leader in the church, how can you facilitate experiences of faithful communal discernment within your session? Are there ways to extend this to the congregation and to the community? 
• How or where have you and/or your congregation encountered the social witness policies of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)? How can you lift up these denominational statements of communal discernment within your congregation?

For Further Reading: 

• Regarding Ruling Elders article: Rooted: the foundations of Presbyterian polity — basic operating principles, part one 
• God Alone is Lord of the Conscience: A Policy Statement Regarding Religious Liberty (1988)

The Rev. Dr. Aimee Moiso is the manager of social policy witness for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). She previously served as the associate director of the Louisville Institute and as a campus minister at Santa Clara University. 

Throughout 2026, monthly Regarding Ruling Elders articles will focus on some of the foundational aspects of ruling elder service and spiritual leadership in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).

Subscribe to receive notifications of monthly Regarding Ruling Elders articles. Visit the PC(USA) Leader Formation website for more resources for ruling elders and deacons. For more information, email Martha Miller, editor of Regarding Ruling Elders.