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Summary of resolutions passed by the Episcopal Church's Executive Council during its October 20-23 meeting in Helena, Montana

Episcopal News Service. October 23, 2008 [102308-02]

Executive Council

  • Approve appointment of Grant Thorton to perform the 2008 audit of all accounts under the management and control of Executive Council and DFMS.

Administration & Finance

  • Adopt revised official travel guidelines for the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society (DFMS) (AF069).
  • Direct that any net income from Episcopal Migration Ministries' International Organization for Migration operations be available to the Executive Council for use in the general budget (AF070).
  • Allocate 50 percent of the income from Trust Fund No. 815, the Vincent Astor Fund, be allocated to the Diocese of New York and 50 percent to the Diocese of Long Island for the period 2009 through 2011, pending receipt of appropriate accounting and narrative reports for previously disbursed funds (AF071).
  • Establish Trust Fund # 1027, St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, Charleston, South Carolina, as an investment account (AF072).
  • Establish Trust Fund # 1028, William B. Walker Fund, with income and accumulated appreciation to be used by the DFMS for the Leadership Training Program for expenses not already provided for in the program's budget (if the program is discontinued, the funds should be used for educational purposes as directed by the Executive Council in consultation with the donor during his lifetime at the discretion of the treasurer) (AF073).
  • Establish Trust Fund # 1029, Diocese of the Virgin Islands, St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, be established as an investment account (AF074).
  • Make available up to $700,000 of undistributed accumulated income and appreciation in calendar year 2009 from one or more of nine named trust funds established to support missionary work or mission work; provide financial assistance during 2009 in the Diocese of San Joaquin and other similarly situated dioceses for clergy salaries and other expenses; join the Presiding Bishop in recognizing the current members of the San Joaquin and Pittsburgh standing committees; commend the efforts by dioceses to exercise their pastoral and fiduciary responsibilities in regard to the ownership of properties and funds (AF075).
  • Require, effective January 1, 2010, agencies resident in the Episcopal Church Center to be responsible for their share of the increase in annual allocated costs for building services, telecommunications, mail center, and purchasing above the base year of 2007 after a $2,500 exemption; that the agencies that continue to pay for direct services used with the value of contributed services (not reimbursed) continue to be identified in annual DFMS budgets; and that any agency wishing to locate in the Church Center shall pay negotiated rent unless there are compelling reasons not to do so (AF076).
  • Authorize the director of the Partnerships Center to use income distributed during 2008 from Trust Fund No. 809, up to $354,132, for educational and theological programs as recommended by the Commission on Theological Education for Latin America and the Caribbean (CETALC) with any 2008 balance not awarded to be reinvested (AF077).
  • Create liaison relationships, beginning in the 2010-2012 triennium, between individual Executive Council members and three dioceses (each) to maintain regular contact with regard to common ministry and "faithfulness to God's mission," actions of Executive Council which impact the dioceses, and the response of the dioceses to the General Convention's budgetary asking (AF078).
  • Express gratitude to those dioceses that meet the full asking for the Episcopal Church budget as approved by the General Convention; encourage the General Convention Office to give priority to holding meetings of committees, commissions, agencies and boards (CCABs), House of Bishops, Executive Council, and other church-wide events in dioceses that meet the full asking; and encourage the office to exercise restraint in scheduling meetings in those dioceses that choose not to participate at the full level (AF079).
  • Approve the 2009 budget for the Episcopal Church (AF080).
  • Request presiding officers to appoint a task force to examine total compensation packages relating to the staff of the DFMS, including a review of historical practices, pension policies and a recommendation on practices going forward (AF081).
  • Designate housing allowance for clergy employees of the DFMS (AF082).

Congregations in Ministry

  • Recommend that educational communications be a priority in allocating money for informational technology in the next triennium; that there be at least one church-wide event focusing on life-long Christian formation, and that money be made available to produce and translate educational and formation materials (CIM032).
  • Recommend a resolution to the 76th General Convention to continue in the 2010-2012 triennium the work of the Task Force to Study Employment Policies and Practices for further study of how to treat independent 501(c)(3) schools and other institutions affiliated with Episcopal congregations or dioceses; monitor with Church Pension Group implementation [to be proposed] of the canon on mandatory lay pensions; and further study the situation of overseas diocese in connection with said canon (CIM033).
  • Submit a resolution to the 76th General Convention calling for a canonically required lay employee pension system to be established no later than January 2012 (and administered by the Church Pension Group) for employees who are scheduled to work a minimum of 1,000 hours annually for any domestic diocese, parish, mission or other ecclesiastical organization or body subject to the authority of the church (CIM034).
  • Commit to being proactive in assisting dioceses whose leadership has chosen to leave the Episcopal Church; attempt to meet with diocesan leaders and other interested persons in the Diocese of San Joaquin during council's January 30-February 2 meeting and with other dioceses that may find themselves in similar situations; request the presiding officers to appoint a strategy response team to assess needs and to determine appropriate responses; commend the response teams formed in the dioceses of San Joaquin and Pittsburg; urge that similar teams be formed using staff, province structures, nearby dioceses, and other appropriate resources; and ask the response teams report to CIM during its meetings and by email between meetings (CIM035) International Concerns.
  • Recognize a new companion diocese relationship between the Diocese of San Diego and the Diocese of El Salvador in the Anglican Church of the Central American Region (IARCA) until terminated by mutual consent (INC049).
  • Express appreciation for missionary appointments, made on behalf of the Presiding Bishop, of the Rev. Zachary Drennen (Diocese of West Virginia, educational liaison, Diocese of Katakwa, Anglican Church of Kenya), the Rev. Robert and Mrs. Deborah Edmunds (Diocese of Massachusetts, canon pastor to English-speaking congregation and bishop's chaplain and the bishop's executive assistant respectively, Diocese of Jerusalem, Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East), the Rev. Canon Samir Jamil Habiby (Diocese of New Hampshire, special assistant to the bishop, Diocese of Jerusalem, Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East), the Rev. Jeremy Lucas (Diocese of Alabama, associate dean and clergy training consultant, Diocese of Namibia, Anglican Church of Southern Africa), Peter Prewandowski (Diocese of Western Massachusetts, primary teacher, Diocese of Central Tanganyika, Anglican Church of Tanzania), the Rev. Lauren Stanley (Diocese of Virginia, re-assigned as communication liaison, Diocese of Renk, Episcopal Church of Sudan), the Rev. Robert and Mrs. Maurine Tobin (Diocese of Massachusetts, missionaries by special appointment, Diocese of Jerusalem, Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East), Christopher Wells (Diocese of Northern Indiana, lecturer at the College of the Transfiguration, Diocese of Grahamstown, Anglican Church of Southern Africa) (INC050).
  • Express appreciation for Young Adult Service Corps (YASC) appointments made on behalf of the Presiding Bishop of Elizabeth Boe (Diocese of New York, communication officer and program and policy development and management adviser, Diocese of Central Tanganyika, Anglican Church of Tanzania), Cortney Dale (Diocese of Kentucky, afternoon teacher, Diocese of Grahamstown, Anglican Church of Southern Africa), Audra Krislock (Diocese of Spokane, missionary, Diocese of Colombia), the Rev. Valerie Miller (Diocese of Southeast Florida, chaplain, Diocese of Honduras), Seth and Elizabeth Raymond (Diocese of Colorado, chaplain and cathedral outreach liaison officer, Diocese of Taiwan), Michael Young (Diocese of Northwest Texas, volunteer, Asian Rural Institute, Diocese of Nippon Seiko Kai, Japan) (INC051)
  • Express appreciation for Young Adult Service Corps (YASC) volunteers companions who faithfully completed their term of service, including Katherine Lemler (Diocese of Chicago, mission health intern, Diocese of the Dominican Republic), the Rev. Stephen Mazingo (Diocese of East Carolina, deacon to the bishop, Diocese of Matlosane, Anglican Church of Southern Africa), the Rev. Leigh Preston and Mr. Andrew Thompson (Diocese of Atlanta, missioner-in-charge and community development worker, respectively, Diocese of El Salvador), John Simpson (Diocese of North Carolina, diocesan coordinator for children ministry/clergy trainer, Diocese of Northern Uganda, Church of the Province of Uganda) (INC052).
  • Express appreciation to Judith Gregory (Diocese of Delaware, finance consultant, Diocese of Juba, Episcopal Church of the Sudan) for faithfully completion of her term of service (INC053).
  • Recognize an extension of the companion diocese relationship between the Diocese of Atlanta and the Diocese of Central Ecuador for a period ending on December 31, 2010, unless further extended or terminated by mutual consent (INC054).
  • Express "profound gratitude" for the work of United Thank Offering (UTO) and call presiding officers to appoint an ad hoc committee to "undertake a serious and extensive study of the current and future" of the United Thank Offering in terms of roles, purposes, function, operational procedures and vision, and ask for a report to the 77th General Convention in 2012 (INC055).
  • Express support for the work of the Commission for Theological Education in Latin America and the Caribbean (CETALC) in formulating a proposal to establish an international Anglican center for theological studies (INC056).
  • Commend Church Center staff for the way they have coordinated their work with overseas dioceses and partner churches, applaud the Presiding Bishop's appointment of Bishop Herbert Donovan as the Presiding Bishop's deputy for Anglican Communion relations and call for funding the full-time position with staff in the 2010-2012 budget (INC057).

National Concerns

  • Review a list of Jubilee Programs (NAC034).
  • Accept and approve recommendations of the Social Responsibility in Investments Committee to file shareholder resolutions on issues of access to health care, including health-care principles, contract supplier/vendor standards, and corporate governance (NAC035).
  • Change the name of council's Committee on Social Responsibility in Investments to the Committee on Corporate Social Responsibility (NAC036).
  • Submit resolution to the 76th General Convention calling for the Standing Commission on Structure of the Church to study current diocesan configuration (NAC037).
  • Submit resolution to the 76th General Convention commend the Presiding Bishop for convening a Summit on Domestic Poverty in May, 2008, and call upon Executive Council to engage continuing efforts in the church to address issue in the next triennium (NAC038).
  • Recognize "the extraordinary challenges" presented by the departure from the Episcopal Church of the bishops and numerous clergy and laity of the dioceses of San Joaquin and Pittsburgh; commend the Presiding Bishop, the President of the House of Deputies, and the staff of the Episcopal Church Center for the pastoral care and support offered the clergy and people of those dioceses as they work to restructure their dioceses; support the House of Bishops' approval of the depositions of William Cox, John-David Schofield and Robert M. Duncan; commend the Presiding Bishop's request that Episcopalians hold in prayer all persons departing or remaining in said dioceses and for God to "lead us to new paths of reconciliation and common mission" (NAC039).
  • Submit a resolution to 76th General Convention calling for Committee on HIV/AIDS to continue as a committee of Executive Council (NAC040).
  • Direct that an addendum dealing with labor-relations disputes and concern about fair-labor practices be included in contracts with hotels made by the General Convention Office when it is not able to book union hotels (NAC041).
  • Express a desire to seek reconciliation through conversation with the members of the Common Cause Partnership, request presiding officers appoint a task force to accomplish this, and encourage it to seek a person acceptable to all to facilitate such conversations in consultation with the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Secretary General of the Anglican Consultative Council (NAC042).