Well, ladies and gentlemen of the press, etc. This is Dr. Edler Hawkins, the moderator of the one hundred and seventy sixth General Assembly. Dr. Hawkins will be happy to answer all of your questions. We can keep him only about a half an hour. You fire them fast. I'm sure he'll give you accurate and concise responses. Brad, you got to to what are you doing here?

We have extensive work in countries all around the world, and there will be a meeting of the world alliance of churches holding the Presbyterian and Reformed system of government that will be meeting in Frankfurt in July. And we will be there for that.

I mean, Mr. Moderator will be in August,

in August, in Frankfurt. Do you think

the fact that you are a Negro played a part in your election here today?

I would hope not.

But you use your influence to seek stronger civil rights proposals.

I would. No doubt about that. This would be the responsibility of all of us.

The question was will Dr. Hawkins use his influence for a stronger civil rights position? Dr. Hawkins said he would.

T his is the position of our church and I would, of course, be very much concerned then in seeing to it that we fulfill our responsibilities in this area.

What is the question? What are you going to Africa? But you

know, this will be in July in East

Africa. Do you know when you think we would hope so?

Do you anticipate any controversy over the fact that the new appointments in

Pope and

I don't see why? No, I don't really it.

What do you think your reply? You will be participating in the demonstrations and what you expect from their position?

Well, obviously we have a long road to go in the area of civil rights with the present bill at its position of almost a stalemate in the Senate. It would be a first responsibility to see that the civil rights bill is prosecuted in the Senate as fast as it possibly can. We would hope that the full resources of the church would be behind this situation and position.

The question is about Dr. Hawkins Home Church, whether he has someone now to replace him, various associate or something else.

We have two full time associates at home. So the work is going on despite my absence

and we decided on a bike ride.

No, not yet.

You are right. I have. Yes. Would you say which ones?

White Castle in the Bronx community last year

or what was going to happen to that?

This was a picket line

with a picket line at the White Castle hamburgers. Yes, diners, I guess one you already know a lot of folks here in the new assembly. We like the freedom to play, but

I am not completely informed as to the full nature of this overture. There are some implications of it that suggest a reevaluation of the position of the church in many areas and some very important areas, and I would say that this is always a good thing as the church looks at itself. I do not know this specific segments and parts of the overture, and I'm not prepared to speak to those. But. The general spirit of looking again and examining the position of the church is also always good. I would say

now that you are a moderator, we can still be good people.

If the occasion required it, I would.

As far as you know, Democrats enjoy encouraging inroads in getting the other cross together, but

that hope very much that this might be done. I am convinced that we are at a point in history when the unity of the church is of prime importance, and I think anything that can be done to advance this is has high priority in the life of the church. I'm very conscious of the the position and the leadership of Dr. Blake in this, and I think that all of us are grateful for this

or any other questions. We just wanted to say the whole purpose of the public out of

this would be very difficult. It seems to me I would say that before we can really think seriously of that in a format that might come out in this, these discussions of that lead towards unity. There has to be a whole climate, it seems to me of of of spirit, of contact, of just knowledge, of of each other that must proceed. All of all of this. And I think it would be a tremendous experience just to meet His Holiness. These are the levels. It seems to me that we must begin in the area of church unity and we have not started too far on this road.

Dr. Hawkins, many churches, which I have come, have asked the question. We don't seem to have a racial problem in our community. What could we do in the interest of integration and civil right? How would you ask or an

honest person who's asking this question? I think I'd

say first to a person such as this that it's very difficult to conceive of a community that does not have a racial problem. If what they are saying more specifically, is that they do not have either any or very few minority people in their immediate area, this is one thing. But this is not to say that they do not partake in the total need. That seems to me as a is not only a national problem, but a worldwide problem that that concerns all people and I think they are involved, even though they do not immediately see it. I think it's a question of their understanding the total dimensions at which the problem of race moves and when they understand this, I think they see that they're involved, too.

I understand if you feel that membership and support for participation in the rally is a concern to others of the community in which many people think,

I think this is so yes, I think this is true.

You would encourage church members a lot.

I would. Yes, I think this kind of involvement helps to bring new levels of understanding that there's not much question in my own mind about this, really.

So just be prepared to comment above, and then would we have another question over here, please? Moderator, are you in charge of Syria right now? I think that would be the perfect combination of answering my questions would.

I wish I was a little more expert in all of the technicalities of the bill. My own feeling is that the bill, as it is presently projected, seems to pull together the things that are desired as as bare minimum in the struggle for civil rights. And I think the best judgment of of most people who are in this field is that the package, as it stands, is a

good package that ought to be passed. Anyone else with the question? The purpose of your visit to the community that you have organic communion in my home state?

And I think this is so. So much of a goal that is down the line that one really doesn't discuss this seriously in view of of the much more immediate things that need to be done in terms of basic understanding of the fellow communions and the there's so much of this kind of groundwork that needs to be laid. I think we need to give our attention here, mainly rather than talk about any kind of specific plans or organic coming together.

Hawkins, I have two questions. One. Do you feel that Catholics have been more active in the civil right? And the problem

with this is

it's very difficult to just say, I think we are grateful for the activity of any of the religious groups. This varies from community to community. It varies in relation to different parts of the country. It's not the kind of thing that you compare, really. I think to what we are really saying is that we're grateful for all communions that see their involvement in the cause of civil rights and that we are. Our main concern is to advance this beyond the point at which it presently is, and I think this would go for all communities.

The second thing you have in the first of your race to serve in this position at a very crucial time.

You feel you have a special calling every member of your great group in your group. I think one would

find it very difficult to respond to this in terms of any special insights and special wisdom. I think that one belonging to a minority group brings a certain kind of peculiar understanding that represents feeling tones as they have experienced some of the things that happen to people in our common life. If you think of this as something that's special or peculiar, yes. Beyond that, I would say no, because there are countless people cut across race lines who are deeply committed and who would bring great understanding to this area.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., whom church, just Bi-Racial and your associate is white,

one is one, is Spanish speaking.

And I wanted to ask, Are you the perfect father? And he knows the African and Pacific.

No other moderators have gone than for a number of years because of the fact that we have had considerable work in Africa, mainly in the Cameroon area, where a very substantial amount of Presbyterian work is going on in, particularly in the educational field. I happen to have been on a team in the African situation about four years ago, but a long time ago we have had moderators going to the African scene. It would be to contact, to visit, to share in the work of our fraternal workers and missionary missionaries who were in that that part, mainly this

time of year and special purposes or actually from outside your churches. The organizers of

the hope will will be that our own General Assembly will consider very seriously the possibility of discussions with other unions. The hope is that our General Assembly will throw its spirit behind the kind of thing that I've stated. Work is, is doing and advancing, and I think we have been of an ecumenical spirit for a long time, providing real leadership in this area. I do not have very much doubt that our General Assembly and our church generally will be pushing as hard as it possibly can for church union.

I think. The moderator has had a very difficult day, and he has very difficult days ahead, and I think he's going to need a little bit of rest now for a while. I wonder if we could say thank you, Mr. Moderator. There will be some teamwork this week with the moderator understated Gergen. Dr. Blake is here. We have about 10 minutes. I wonder if you'd like to have Dr. Blake make a comment at some point on where we stand at the General Assembly at this moment. I could wait. I think Dr. Blake is going to want to use the birth of the United Presbyterian Church to be appropriate. Give us your copy at home. Your reaction? Well, both candidates are very good friends of mine, and I'm delighted that one of them won. This is a subject upon which I am always and must be nonpartizan as it is my

task to serve each

successive moderator. Ed Hawkins and I have known each other for a long time, and he will be

one of the more

distinguished moderators that this General Assembly has honored itself by electing We have become colorblind. This is the end toward which we hope the churches and the community itself will come. We have not reached the end of the road, but I think this election is a mark, as was last year's actions of the way this church intends to go. Dr. Blake is a hard week to sell anymore. Well, not thank you, Mr. Advert. You're welcome. Actually, the.