Consultation on Mission Held in Dominican Republic
Episcopal News Service. April 13, 1978 [78106]
SANTO DOMINGO, D.R. -- A consultation on mission held here by Episcopal leaders from 20 countries explored the mission of the Church in the '80s and recommended that a broadbased program of education in and for mission must be implemented, if the Church is going to face adequately the tasks ahead.
The consultation was formed by the Coalition of Overseas Bishops, the Joint Commission on World Mission and the National and World Mission Standing Committee of the Executive Council. Representatives of the United Thank Offering and the Presiding Bishop's Fund for World Relief were also present.
The two-day meeting expressed concern about the lack of missionary information and education of the members of the Episcopal Church and suggested an educational program so that they can understand the issues such as hunger, oppression, disease and illiteracy.
In reference to the social problems of the world, Dr. Charles Lawrence, president of the House of Deputies of the Episcopal Church, said that "justice is as much an imperative of the Gospel as love; expressions of love without the demands for justice degenerate into sentimentality. " The sociology professor added that "whether in central cities of the United States or in the so-called Third World, the poor cry out for justice or at least some amelioration of injustice."
He concluded that the mission of the Church "must be identified with the poor and the suffering of the world even as our Lord so identified himself."
The Rev. Samuel Van Culin, Executive for National and World Mission of the Episcopal Church Center staff, delivered a paper on the involvements of the Episcopal Church overseas. He said that at the present time the Episcopal Church is involved in three basic kinds of relationships: with the overseas dioceses, with the partner dioceses of the Anglican Communion and with the Wider Episcopal Fellowship which includes other churches in full communion with the Episcopal Church.
For 1978 the General Church Program includes $3,760,093 for overseas episcopal dioceses, $656,815 for other Anglican responsibilities and $126,112 for the churches of the Wider Episcopal Fellowship.
Fr. Van Culin said that the policy of the Episcopal Church as expressed by Executive Council in 1959 is to help the overseas dioceses to "become independent, indigenous, self-supporting bodies."
He mentioned that at present there are 84 missionaries abroad. During this year from 9 to 11 persons will be appointed for overseas missionary work.
In another major address, the Rev. David Chaplin, principal assistant of the Anglican Consultative Council, made a review of the partnership in mission in the Anglican Communion pointing out the changes in the last several years. He said that from a centralized focus in the developed countries where decisions were taken, the churches of the Anglican Communion have come to understand better the meaning of partnership.
He said that the Partners in Mission process offers the opportunity to "assist the churches in the developing countries to become self-reliant and truly indigenous, and in the affluent West to re-educate the churches in their understanding of world mission and their missionary task at home."
Conceding that "we are still a long way from unity," Mr. Chaplin said that partnership "will be the best and most effective way in which we can express the partial unity we have so far found, and maybe enable us finally to receive the fuller unity we seek."
The insights gained at the consultation will be used by the Joint Commission on World Mission in its report to the next General Convention.