Summary of Executive Council Meeting
Episcopal News Service. September 18, 1977 [77299]
GREENWICH, Conn. -- The 41-member national Executive Council of the Episcopal Church met here Sept. 16-18 at Seabury House. The following actions were taken by the Council :
Heard Matthew Costigan, treasurer, report on the "very favorable trends" in the statistical and financial reports of the Church, including the fact that in 1976 there was a net increase of almost 34,000 members over the 1975 total, and the net disposable budget income increased at a rate of 6.4 percent -- all of which indicates "an ever increasing level of support by parishes to their dioceses," he said.
Ratified the execution of nine described deeds in Puerto Rico in order to satisfy certain legal questions which have been raised.
Established the Archbishop Janani Luwum Scholarship Fund -- with approximately $3,000 now on hand -- the income and/or principal of which is to be used for scholarships for Ugandan theological students.
Gave preliminary consideration to the proposed 1978 general church program budget, looking toward the adoption of the budget at the Dec. 7-9 Council meeting.
Rescinded the February, 1977 appointment of Price, Waterhouse & Co., as auditors and voted to retain instead the firm of Vignola and Carrico.
Set up the Roberts A. Seilhamer Fund, which totals $5,000, with the income only to be used for the general and charitable purposes of the Church.
Confirmed the May 18 mail vote which rescinded the provisions for retirement allowance of lay missionaries and substituted a provision which provides $130 per annum for each year of service (not more than $5,200 and not less than $2,600), making an additional cost of approximately $35,000 per year.
Authorized an increase in the special pension allowance for Mrs. Charles E. Perry from $1,200 to $1,560 per year.
Rescinded its action of October, 1970, on the lay retirement plan, and authorized the president to appoint an administrative committee for the plan, which will give voice and vote on the committee to representatives of The Episcopalian, The Episcopal Church Foundation, The Seabury Press, and the Office of the Executive Secretary and Treasurer of the General Convention (1/4 vote each).
Established a trust fund -- of approximately $1,700,000 -- for theological education for Latin America and the Caribbean, with the methods of disbursements to be determined at the December Council meeting.
Heard the treasurer, Matthew Costigan, identify by title the funds which are available for disbursement, the program budget receipts so far this year, and a summary of receipts for the four special offerings through Aug. 31.
Renamed the Allocations Committee, now to be known as the Loans Committee, for the coordination of loans for several Church institutions, the membership to consist of the senior administrative officer; the treasurer; the executives for National and World Mission, Education for Ministry, and Church in Society; the United Thank Offering co- ordinator; and a representative from the Episcopal Church Foundation and the Episcopal Church Building Fund.
Nominated William C. Breed, III, Greenwich, Conn., president of Edgewood Management Company, to the Committee on Trust Funds.
Heard a report from Bishop George T. Masuda of North Dakota for a special committee -- composed of the chairmen of the seven standing committees of the Council -- on the implementation of the Partners in Mission Consultation last April.
Approved a charter for the standing committee on National and World Mission.
Approved a Companion Diocese Relationship between the Diocese of Arkansas and the Diocese of Ibadan, Nigeria of the Church of the Province of West Africa, to be continued for three years.
Approved a Companion Diocese Relationship between the.Diocese of Southwestern Virginia and the Diocese of Bradford, England of the Church of the Province of York, to be continued until 1980.
Approved a Companion Diocese Relationship between the Diocese of Rhode Island and the Diocese of Windward Islands of the Church of the Province of the West Indies, for a period of three years.
Adopted a resolution regarding procedures established for the standard companion diocese resolutions.
Heard of overseas personnel appointments, reactivation, resignations, and retirements, and approved a resolution of appreciation for their service.
Requested that Bishop George T. Masuda of North Dakota, chairman of the standing committee on National and World Mission, be the liaison between the Council and Coalition 14.
Previewed a 20-minute, color film, "The Louisville Consultation," produced by the Church Center communication office, which records highlights of the April Partners in Mission Consultation, involving the Executive Council and invited Anglican partners from around the world.
Approved a charter for the board of the Presiding Bishop's Fund for World Relief.
Asked the Presiding Bishop to appoint an ad hoc committee -- composed of members of the Council, the Presiding Bishop's Fund board, and the Standing Commission on Ecumenical Relations -- to study issues raised last May by the Fund board concerning (1) policy regarding the relationship between the Fund and the National Council of Churches' Division of Overseas Mission and Church World Service, and (2) the proposal that the Council resume responsibility for the Episcopal Church's share of the base administrative cost of Church World Service as an agency, beginning in 1980.
Approved the participation of the Episcopal Church in a Partners in Mission consultation in Australia in April, 1978, with the Rev. Robert Wainwright, Rochester, N.Y., a Council member, to represent the Church.
Approved the acceptance by the Episcopal Church of an invitation from the Lusitania Church and the Reformed Spanish Church to participate in a Partners in Mission consultation in March, 1978, with representation by Bishop John M. Krumm of Southern Ohio or Bishop David B. Reed of Kentucky.
Approved a resolution which commended the President of the U.S. "for his moral and courageous leadership" in bringing the negotiations with the Republic of Panama to a successful conclusion, and urged the ratification of the treaties by the U.S. Senate.
Ratified the Volunteers for Mission program which was approved by General Convention in 1976 and approved the framework for the work of an advisory committee, composed of Robert Ayres, John Guest, and Elizabeth Rodenmayer.
Tabled until the Dec. 7-9 meeting a resolution on human rights so that members of the Council may have opportunity to become familiar with certain United Nations documents referred to in the resolution.
Approved support of a resolution from Province VIII with regard to refugee and immigration concerns of the Episcopal Church.
Endorsed the principle expressed in the Sao Paulo Document of 1966 providing for a "missionary in episcopal orders," which the Dioceses of Colombia and Central and South Mexico are suggesting with regard to suffragan bishops they propose to elect as missionaries with as few administrative duties as possible.
Approved an appropriation of up to $19,680 from the 1977 budget for the Diocese of Costa Rica to meet an expected deficit, provided the lapsed balance of the Council's budget is sufficient to meet the appropriation, and reaffirmed the partnership between the two churches.
Received from the United Thank Offering committee a list of its 94 grants as approved Aug. 26, totaling $1,675,929.53, noting that the 1977 offering was $1,562,087.01.
Approved a resolution expressing appreciation to Presiding Bishop John M. Allin and members of the staff who visited leaders of the Russian Orthodox Church last summer, and for the resulting strengthening of fraternal relationships.
Received copies of a paper, "Ecumenical Relations and Ordination of Women to the Priesthood in the Episcopal Church," by the Rev. William A. Norgren, associate ecumenical officer, which is to be published in the October issue of Midstream.
Agreed to include in the docket for the Dec. 7-9 Council meeting a study paper by a National Council of Churches panel to study ecumenical commitments in National Council purposes, together with material from the Trinidad meeting of the Anglican Consultative Council in 1976, with time for discussion at the December meeting.
Heard the National and World Mission committee report that a letter from Bishop Gray Temple of South Carolina, asking for steps to be taken to remove the Episcopal Church from the National Council of Churches, had been referred to the Standing Commission on Ecumenical Relations.
Adopted a resolution calling on the U.S. Congress and the various state legislatures to pass laws which will eliminate certain grand jury abuses in the U.S. and calling on the Church to educate its members on their rights and responsibilities with regard to the grand jury system.
Voted its "deep concern" for Maria Cueto and Raisa Nemikin, staff members who are in jail for contempt of court for refusing to testify before a federal grand jury investigating certain terrorist bombings, and for all Hispanic people; and commending them to the Church "for our prayers and such spiritual and physical aid as the Church ought to render."
Approved a stockholder resolution to be filed with Morgan Guaranty Trust Co., asking for certain information on its policy with regard to loans to the South African government.
Adopted a resolution authorizing the filing of a stockholder resolution with U.S. Steel, asking the corporation not to expand its mining activities in South Africa until that government commits itself to end its apartheid system and has taken steps to bring about the achievement of equal rights for all.
Approved a stockholder resolution to be filed with Kennecott Copper Corp., asking the company to provide a detailed report on its mining and smelting operations in South Africa.
Asked the standing committee on Church in Society to consider whether to recommend the Church's affiliation with the Coalition for Abortion Rights.
Expressed a concern for full employment by urging Episcopalians to call upon politicians on the local and national levels to develop programs which will promote meaningful employment opportunities for all citizens who wish and are able to work.
Appropriated $10,000 per year -- Oct. 1977 to Aug. 1979 -- for the next two years to develop a program to help solve the crisis of energy and ecology.
Asked the staffs of the Coalition for Human Needs, the Presiding Bishop's Fund for World Relief, and the United Thank Offering "to collaborate in the consideration of grants directed to their respective bodies, and to advise the respective chairmen of the Council committee of the progress made in such collaboration."
Rescinded the action of April 27-29 on the Venture in Mission budget, substituting a resolution approving the 1976-77 budget at $400,405, with the $200,405 not already approved to be taken from the reserve deposits, and the entire amount to be repaid from the receipts of the Venture in Mission program.
Accepted the report of the Venture in Mission executive committee and authorized that committee to proceed with the implementation of the report.
Designated the year from Advent 1977 to Advent 1978 as a "year of study and commitment" in connection with the Venture in Mission program, and asked that every member of the Church study and pray for commitment to Christ's mission within the individual, the Church, the community, and the world.
Approved a 1978 budget for Venture in Mission up to $936,500, with the funds to come from the reserve deposits and to be paid back from receipts in the Venture program.
Received a report from the standing committee on Stewardship/Development which called for certain changed in the proposed budget for 1978.
Heard a presentation on communication by Dr. William F. Fore, assistant general secretary for communication of the National Council of Churches.
Approved a charter for the standing committee on Education for Ministry.
Adopted a resolution which took notice of the Sept. 14-16 meeting of the Concerned Churchmen Congress in St. Louis, expressed deep regrets for the actions of separation on the part of some Episcopalians, and called on the Church to "continue to talk with our estranged colleagues and not to close any doors to those who choose to separate themselves, with the hope that we will be reunited in God's church."
Heard Presiding Bishop John M. Allin say that Venture in Mission "is the program of the Church and provides the primary criteria for all of our programs," and heard him say the mission opportunities in the Venture program will help "to reconcile and restore relations in situations and amid circumstances at home and abroad."
Heard that Presiding Bishop John M. Allin has appointed several new Episcopal Church Center staff: Henry Clyde Redshirt, staff officer for Indian work; Judith Gillespie, United Thank Offering coordinator; Clinton Best, senior accountant; Alfred Johnson, public affairs officer; Barbara Price, data processing supervisor; and Betty Louise Stevens shifted to Venture in Mission.
Heard of the retirement of Beverly Schrader, data processing supervisor, after more than 13 years on the staff; of Mildred Weatherbee, administrative assistant to the Executive for National and World Mission, whose service of 35 years was noted with appreciation in a resolution; and of Ruth G. Cheney, who retired as Executive for Program, who service of more than 14 years on the staff was noted in a resolution.
Approved a message of love for Oscar C. Carr, Jr., former Executive for Stewardship/Development of the Church Center staff, who has been a patient at the Sloan Kettering Cancer Clinic in New York City.
Adopted a resolution expressing the gratitude of the Church for Louise and William Travis who recently retired after eleven years as hosts and managers of Seabury House at Greenwich, and welcomed the new manager, Vaughan Moore.
Received a report from the Rev. James R. Gundrum, executive secretary of the General Convention -- and secretary of the Executive Council -- on recent meetings of various boards, committees, and commissions of the Convention.
Heard a brief report from the Rt. Rev. Faid Ibrahim Haddad, Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Jerusalem, who is on a speaking tour in the United States.
Confirmed the 1978 dates for meetings of the Executive Council at Seabury House, Greenwich, Conn. -- except for the February meeting -- as follows: Feb. 15-17, in New Orleans, La.; May 17-19; Sept. 15-17 (weekend); and Dec. 13-15.
Approved the appointment by Presiding Bishop John M. Allin, president, of Barbara Ann Lucas to be assistant secretary of the Council.
Approved a resolution authorizing the Presiding Bishop to consult with the Administration Committee concerning any matters relating to the maintenance and development of the Episcopal Church Center, with the understanding that the committee will report "proposals of substance" to the Council.
Approved the creation of a new staff position to be known as Assistant to the Presiding Bishop, with primary responsibilities in the area of press relations and communication, and authorized the Presiding Bishop to fill the post.
Took official action to renumber the articles in the Charter and By-Laws of the Council to conform to amendments adopted last February and April.