Backers, Foes Meet Over Ordination
Episcopal News Service. August 25, 1976 [76291]
GREENWICH, Conn. -- Leaders on both sides of the issue of ordination of women to the priesthood and episcopate met in mid-August at Seabury House and came away determined to work for the preservation of unity within the Episcopal Church.
The Rt. Rev. John M. Allin, Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, called the August 18 meeting under the auspices of the Office of Pastoral Development, headed by the Rt. Rev. David E. Richards. The impact of the ordination vote at the September 11-23 General Convention in Minneapolis/St. Paul was the main topic of discussion and Bishop Richards reported that "consensus indicated a mutual desire and commitment to work toward the preservation of harmony within the Church. "
During the talks, both sides focused on the problems of false information and distortions -- accidental and intentional -- which tend to aggravate highly disputed issues. The group also tried to confront the fact that the Convention vote -- whichever way it goes -- is going to be painful to a number of people attending the sessions.
Growing out of these concerns, the Rev. James C. Wattley, executive secretary for the Coalition for the Apostolic Ministry (CAM) and the Rev. Helen M. Havens, president of the Episcopal Women's Caucus met with Bishop Richards to develop a plan to meet these needs.
Their plan calls for means for providing personal support during and after the decision-making period and a means of" aiding in the maintenance of mutual respect regardless of the nature of the solutions and outcomes."
The plan will be supervised by an advisory committee composed of a member of the Fellowship of Concerned Churchmen, the House of Bishops, CAM, the Episcopal Women's Caucus, the Coalition for the Ordination of Women, and the American Church Union.
They also agreed to provide a central source of accurate information and a means of rumor control during the Convention.
Those attending the meeting were: Mrs. C.W. Swinford, Lexington, Ky.; Mr. Perry Laukhuff, Norwalk, Conn.; the Rev. Evan R. Williams, Encino, Calif.; the Rev. Edwin A. Norris, Chicago, Ill.; the Rt. Rev. Paul Reeves, Savannah, Ga.; the Rev. Donald S. McPlail, Bayshore, N.Y.; the Rev. Patricia M. Park, Alexandria, Va.; Mrs. Sally Head, Saginaw, Mich.; the Rev. William R. Coats, Milwaukee, Wis.; the Rev. DeWitt Mallory Jr., New York, N.Y.; the Rev. Helen M. Havens, Houston, Tex.; the Rt. Rev. Richard M. Trelease, Albuquerque, N.Mex.; the Rev. George Regas, Pasadena, Calif.; the Rev. James C. Wattley, New York, N.Y.; the Rt. Rev. John M. Allin, New York, N.Y.; and the Rt. Rev. David E. Richards, Coral Gables, Fla.
"The House of Bishops' Committee on Pastoral Development together with the Fellowship of Concerned Churchmen, the Episcopal Women's Caucus, the Coalition for the Ordination of Women, the Coalition for the Apostolic Ministry, and the American Church Union -- in a manifestation of the love we have in Christ -- have developed a plan designed to contribute to the harmony of the 65th General Convention.
"This plan will offer two types of services to delegates, visitors and observers at the Convention by providing:
- "1. A means whereby individuals and groups involved and interested in certain issues may find a personal support, both during and after the decision making period; and by providing, as well, a means for aiding in the maintenance of mutual respect regardless of the nature of the solutions and outcomes; and
- "2. By providing a center where delegates, observers, and the media can rapidly both report all rumors, and receive authenticated information in order to know what is happening and in order to reduce the impact of false information. "