Meeting in the Dominican Republic Influences Decisions of Executive Council
Episcopal News Service. February 5, 2003 [2003-024]
James Solheim
(ENS) Clutching their passports, sun screen and Prayer Books, members of the Episcopal Church's Executive Council gathered in the Dominican Republic January 27-30 for a rare meeting outside the United States--and the setting made a substantial difference in some of the council's decisions.
Bishop Julio Cesar Holguin welcomed council members to the Iglesia Episcopal Dominicana and "a third world country" where he said about "20 percent of the eight million people live on less than $1 a day and the income of our middle class is below the poverty level in the United States." Despite the economic and political turmoil, the diocese has grown from 24 to 45 parishes in the last decade.
At the opening Eucharist at Epiphany Church in Santo Domingo, council members encountered a clear challenge. "God knows why you are here," said the Rev. Jean Monique Bruno in his sermon. "He sent you for a certain purpose…You are not only here to carry out the policy of General Convention, to give orientation to the Episcopal Church, to work on the unfinished business of the Executive Council. But mostly you are sent by the Lord to teach us, to witness to the Gospel, to proclaim to this country that the Lord God has a plan for it."
Bruno added that "the Dominican Episcopal Church needs the vital support of your physical presence and the prophetic word to continue the work entitled to her by the Lord." He noted that Bishop Holguin had issued a pastoral letter last December, endorsed by the clergy, "in which we expressed our concerns and preoccupations for the degradation of Dominican society. The pastoral letter was an SOS launched to all sectors of society" but "mainly aimed at those in power to remind them of their duties as representatives of the people" and to "denounce the corruption" in society. He described an economy that is "very fragile and uncertain," unemployment, a justice system that doesn't work, drugs that are destroying the young, and lack of access to good education and health care for the poor.
Mercy, love and justice for all
The council responded in several ways. They passed a strong resolution saying they had "heard of the plight of a large portion of the Dominican population who are poor and who often times have their circumstances aggravated by corruption in the government and private sectors…." The resolution exhorted "members of the judicial system to administer justice so that swift judgement can be provided to those who have been without a definitive sentence and imprisoned for far longer than can be morally justified. We ask the government authorities and judiciary to put into practice mercy, love and justice for all." Council member Louie Crew of Newark said that the resolution was "our answer to the plea in the sermon."
In a move that could have long-term implications for the Dominican Republic and other churches in the developing world, the council voted to add $472,000 to the proposed budget for the next triennium for dioceses that receive grants from the Episcopal Church. They also added $258,000 for Native American Ministries.
Introducing her amendment, Becky Snow of Alaska said that seeing the church in the Dominican Republic had convinced her "to think about the importance of our support for overseas dioceses." She said that it did not make sense to cut the support for those least able to absorb the cuts. "There is no excuse for not supporting this work so integral to our church."
The Rev. Patrick Mauney, director of Anglican and Global Relations at the Church Center, told council that there had been no increases in support for those dioceses since 1991 "despite very significant growth." He said that the grants "don't reflect current realities" and a thorough review "is way overdue."
More accountability
Council also adopted a policy for more accountability in the granting process. "To be eligible for funding beginning in 2004, annual compliance with requirements of the canons is required," including financial audits, accounts of the work being supported, and diocesan reports based on parochial reports. "We must have a handle on how our money is used--and this is a beginning," said the Rev. Robert Sessum of Lexington, chair of the international concerns committee. Treasurer Ralph O'Hara said that accountability is a growing concern--in the church and the corporate world.
Council had to address a developing conflict over the use of funds in one of the dioceses supported by block grant. It adopted a statement that said: "The Executive Council committees on administration and finance and international concerns considered a report by the Rt. Rev. Clayton Matthews, bishop for Pastoral Development, of recent concerns regarding the management of the financial affairs of the Diocese of Ecuador Central, particularly the use of grant monies contained in the national church's budget for that diocese. After further discussion with Bishop Matthews and the Chancellor to the presiding bishop, the committees expressed support for the manner in which Bishop Matthews and the Treasurer were currently handling discussions with the bishop of the diocese and disposition of the grant monies, including the unusual, but appropriate, steps to see that clergy salaries and pension premiums in that diocese are paid directly by the national church pending the successful completion of an independent audit of the finances of the diocese."
As council members gathered they were aware of "rumors of war" in Iraq. Presiding Bishop Frank T. Griswold repeated his concern that "the rhetoric is inflammatory. People are prickly and on edge." The Rev. George Werner, president of the House of Deputies and vice chair of the council, said, "We're in a time of dread."
Council unanimously endorsed Griswold's public statement on Iraq, "The challenges of global citizenship," released January 30, commending it to the whole church.
Controversy over GTS decision
Even before adopting the agenda, however, the council, on a resolution by James Bradberry of Southern Virginia, voted decisively to go into "private conversation" to deal with what he called "the issue of whether we have relevance as a council in the future." Some council members were confused, others were angry, over issues surrounding the decision they made at the last council meeting in Wyoming, asking a committee to create a letter of agreement that would further the possibility of a move of the Church Center to a new facility on the campus of the General Theological Seminary in New York.
"There were two bodies of opinion over what happened in Wyoming," said the Rev. Stephen Lane of Rochester in an interview. "One was that the negotiating committee was told to bring a letter of agreement to the January meeting of council--and the presiding bishop supported that decision. But others think that the committee was told to continue the process seeking the letter until or unless they ran into obstacles they couldn't surmount. The presiding bishop's memo of December 4 became that obstacle and the committee members said they couldn't continue."
As a result, some council members were feeling "a sense of betrayal," Lane said, because it appeared that the presiding bishop short-circuited the process and ended any further consideration in what Bradberry said was a "unilateral undermining" of the council's role. "And then the seminary jumped in and said that it was over," even before the council could respond, said Lane, while others thought the process had reached one of its possible outcomes.
When it came time for the council to vote on the resolution to "discontinue" the joint exploration, there were a dozen abstentions, a sign that "many still thought the decision had been taken out of the hands of the council," Lane said.
Asked if the trust levels between the management team and council had been damaged, Lane said that the expansion of the council's executive committee will make it easier to keep open the lines of communication and consultation between meetings of the full council. "It's a great idea and will prevent people from getting disconnected."
Mission-driven budget
During a presentation of the $125,441,000 budget, Griswold said it was a "constricted budget" based on a projected shrinkage of $10-12 million in the face of economic realities--but $2 million will address 20/20 energies to build increased membership and participation in the life of the church. For example, the budget provides funds for a national identity campaign, drawing on a series of ads produced by Grace Cathedral in San Francisco that reach out to "seekers" but also "reinforces a sense of who we are corporately." Dan England, the church's director of communication, showed a sample of the ads and council members responded with enthusiasm. "People are asking, Where's our church? So we decided to test the waters for this national campaign," he said.
O'Hara said that the budget represents a "very fine and exciting" effort to support priorities established by the council. Pat Mordecai, chief operating officer of the church, said it responds clearly to the energy of the church and its efforts to reach out to youth, revitalize and transform congregations, reaffirm commitment to diversity, promote peace and justice, reach out to those who do not know Christ, and reaffirm partnerships with other members of the worldwide Anglican Communion.
In other actions the council
*welcomed Bishop Lloyd Allen of Honduras who made a presentation on the five dioceses of Province IX in Latin America who are "ready to reclaim their place" in the church;
*thanked Tom Hart, director of the Office of Governmental Relations in Washington, DC who has resigned to accept a new position with an agency that will address issues of trade, debt and HIV/AIDS in Africa;
*expressed dismay over the bombing of the chapel at the Ahli Arab hospital in Gaza, an institution of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem.
*heard presentations by Episcopal Church missionaries Drs. Anita and Michael Dohn, who are working in preventative medicine, and Bob and Ellen Snow who are working on the diocesan staff.
*approved a final draft of the council's Blue Book report for General Convention.