One means of dissent for congregations within our system is the ability to withhold benevolences, the per capita contribution to the Presbytery, Synod and General Assembly. According to our Constitution, the power to decide the disbursement of a congregation’s benevolences lies solely with the local Session (Book of Order G-10.0102a,c,d,g,h,i,j,o,p). If a congregation disagrees with one or more aspects of a Presbytery, Synod or GA ministry, they are able to withhold funds from that ministry. This power has been affirmed by multiple General Assemblies by their multiple refusals to offer any changes to this Session prerogative. Likewise, several General Assembly Permanent Judicial Commissions have also affirmed this ruling.

However, several recent actions have restricted this right of congregations:

• The Stated Clerk of the PCUSA has written Opinions containing strong condemnation of those who redirect funds from denominational Per Capita.
• Presbyteries have forced churches to defend those rights in expensive church court cases.
• Pastors have been refused entry into some Presbyteries for not being willing to declare unqualified support of Per Capita payment.

Churches similar to ours seek to withhold Per Capita funds to protest against several specific ministries. Among them are the following:

• The Washington Office has repeatedly misconstrued or inappropriately stated denominational positions on multiple issues, speaking for our denomination with positions the General Assembly has never taken. One example is the most recently approved denominational position on abortion, which the Office ignored in its condemnation of the Supreme Court decision on partial birth abortion.
• The Presbyterian Health, Education and Welfare Association (PHEWA) has long-running outspoken opposition to various GA-approved denominational positions (particularly on ordination and abortion). PHEWA was ordered in 1998 to open their membership to Presbyterians Pro-Life (PPL). They were even given increased funding to cover the cost of taking in other organizations (read PPL). Presbyterians Pro-Life has never been allowed to join this organization.  Although PHEWA is still non-compliant, they continue to receive this Per Capita support.
• The National Network of Presbyterian College Women, after years of controversy over their Re-Imagining theology, and lesbian lifestyle-promoting programs and materials (including direct website connections to homo-erotic pornography) was de-funded by the 1998 GA, only to be re-funded by that same GA, after staff and Moderator manipulation. They are still funded by Per Capita.
• The Advisory Committee on Social Witness and the Advisory Committee on Women’s Concerns produce some of the most controversial and divisive position papers to the General Assembly for approval. There is little or no evangelical representation included on the committees. A more broadly representative membership might help to produce more even-handed, less controversial papers. Per Capita funding for these Advisory Committees is expected for those from across the entire spectrum of denominational viewpoints.
• “In God’s Image” sexuality curriculum for our children was disapproved by General Assembly in 1998. That assembly mandated a rewrite of the curriculum to a more Biblically-based and morally faithful form.
  • At least three other assemblies have further ordered this rewrite be completed. To date our denomination still has no Biblically-base Presbyterian curriculum to use in teaching our children.
  • The staff in Louisville continue to sell the previously disapproved curriculum, inserting (only if specifically requested) some Biblical references which might be included when using the original disapproved curriculum.
• National Council of Churches and the World Council of Churches have received financial support far in excess of the comparative size of the PCUSA membership rolls for many years, and in spite of the negative reaction to these agencies expressed by numerous members over many years.
  • This objection reached its height in 2000 when $400,000 of extra denominational funds were used to bail out the NCC.
  • Now the NCC and WCC are receiving large parts of their financial funding from various secular, leftist, anti-American, and anti-capitalists groups to cover their expenses, further diluting their Christian witness.

The irony is that while the above ministries continue to be supported, several ministries which more traditional churches do support have been cut back. Specifically our denominational missions activities have received drastic cuts recently:

• Thirty-four missionaries and several support staff were cut in 2002, saving $1.6M in Per Capita.
• More mission funds have been cut since 2002, with missionaries told in 2005 that they must raise their own funding.
• Finally, with the entire Worldwide Mission Division being reorganized, the General Assembly Council-approved 2007-2008 Budget cut fifty-five more missionary positions.