PC(USA) Racial Ethnic & Women’s Ministries has a new name

Ministry name changed through action of General Assembly 223

by Rhashell Hunter and Gail Strange | Special to Presbyterian News Service

LOUISVILLE — Racial Ethnic & Women’s Ministries (RE&WM) of the Presbyterian Mission Agency has a new name. The ministry area is now Racial Equity & Women’s Intercultural Ministries (RE&WIM).

The change in language was approved by the 223rd General Assembly (2018) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), which agreed to no longer use the term “racial ethnic people.” Rather, the Assembly adopted the terms “people of color,” “communities of color,” “congregations of color” “leaders of color” as more appropriate.

The assembly also approved the name change of one of the advocacy committees. The Advocacy Committee for Racial Ethnic Concerns (ACREC) will now be referred to as the Racial Equity Advocacy Committee (REAC).

The rationale presented in support of the General Assembly action noted, “Being able to self-name and self-identify is important and empowering for people of color. And, it is always appropriate to ask individuals how they prefer to identify. Also, as language is not static but is ever evolving, terminology must be revisited regularly, and appropriate naming determined by people of color themselves.”

The Racial Equity Advocacy Committee (REAC) stated, “Unlike racial equality, racial equity results when you cannot predict advantage or disadvantage by race. Rather, the route to achieving equity will not be accomplished through treating everyone equally. It will be achieved by treating everyone equitably, or justly according to their circumstances, which we believe is the work of the committee advocating for people of color.”

To help with some of the new name changes, the following guide is provided:

Acronyms commonly used by Racial Equity & Women’s Intercultural Ministries of the Presbyterian Mission Agency

• ACWC — Advocacy Committee for Women’s Concerns
• ACSWP — Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy
• CCC — Conference for Coaches of Color (formerly the RE&NI Coaches’ Conference)
• CSC — Conference for Seminarians’ of Color (formerly the Racial Ethnic & New Immigrant Seminarians’ Conference)
• HPIECC — Historically Presbyterian Institutions Equipping Communities of Color (formerly Historically Presbyterian Racial Ethnic Institutions)
• IM&SCC — Intercultural Ministries & Support for Congregations of Color (formerly Racial Ethnic & New Immigrant Intercultural Ministries)
• LDRLC — Leadership Development & Recruitment for Leaders of Color (formerly Racial Ethnic Leadership Development & Recruitment)
• NACC — Native American Consulting Committee
• NAPC — National Asian Presbyterian Council
• NBPC — National Black Presbyterian Caucus
• NCKPC — National Caucus of Korean Presbyterian Churches
• NH/LPC — National Hispanic/Latinx Presbyterian Caucus
• NMEPC — National Middle Eastern Presbyterian Caucus
• NWC – New Worshiping Communities
• NWCC – New Worshiping Communities of Color
• PIN — Presbyterian Intercultural Network
• PIYAN — Presbyterian Intercultural Young Adult Network
• PW — Presbyterian Women in the PC(U.S.A.), Inc.
• REAC — Racial Equity Advocacy Committee (formerly the Advocacy Committee for Racial Ethnic Concerns)
• RE&WIM – Racial Equity & Women’s Intercultural Ministries (RE&WIM) (formerly Racial Ethnic & Women’s Ministries)
• RET — Racial Equity Torch (formerly the Racial Ethnic Torch)
• SCECC — Schools and Colleges Equipping Communities of Color (formerly Racial Ethnic Schools & Colleges)
• YWoC — Young Women of Color
• WoCC — Women of Color Consultation
• WoF — Women of Faith
• WLD&YWM — Women’s Leadership Development & Young Women’s Ministries

Also see PC-biz:
2018 G.A. Referral, Item 11-05, Advocacy Committee Name Change
https://www.pc-biz.org/#/search/3000271