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Summary of Actions of The Executive Council

Episcopal News Service. May 19, 1978 [78142]

GREENWICH, Conn. -- The 41-member Executive Council of the Episcopal Church met here at the Seabury House conference center, May 17-19, and transacted the following business:

Church in Society:

• Approved participation in a shareholder resolution that would amend the Code of Regulations of Procter & Gamble to halt purchase of Ugandan coffee until the violations of human rights in Uganda are redressed.
• Joined a National Council of Churches resolution of concern about the growth of Nazism in the United States.
• Also joined in an NCCC resolution deploring the resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan.
• Voted to support, with participation and a call for prayer, the United Nations Conference on Disarmament, May 23-June 28.
• Instructed the secretary of the Council to inform the Rev. and Mrs. Howard Lull of the Church's stand on civil disobedience and of the Council's pastoral concern for their proposal.
• Asked the United States to seek United Nations action against genocide in Cambodia.
• Condemned proposed federal legislation on disclosure of Church lobbying activities.
• Declined to join a proposed NCCC resolution on ethical implications of energy policy.
• Voted against participation in the Religious Coalition for Abortion Rights on the gound that the Coalition stand was inconsistent with that of General Convention.
• Declined to join a proposed NCCC statement on American Indian Affairs.
• Requested the Administration/Financial Control committee to set aside one hour at the September Council meeting for a report on the Appalachian People's Service Organization.

National and World Mission

• Heard Bishop G. Edward Haynsworth of Nicaragua/El Salvador report on the collaborative style of working among 21 Episcopal Church jurisdictions overseas.
• Heard Bishop William Davidson of Western Kansas describe the work of the voluntary association of 15 jurisdictions in the Episcopal Church in the U.S., known as Coalition 14.
• Heard Bishop John Charles Bothwell of the Diocese of Niagara in the Anglican Church of Canada report on the activities of the Anglican Council of North America and the Caribbean (ACNAC), of which the Episcopal Church is a part.
• Heard a brief presentation by the Rev. David Birney of the National and World Mission staff on the new Volunteers for Mission program and the announcement that the Rev. Page Bigelow of Maplewood, N.J., will be the full time coordinator of the program for six months.
• Approved a resolution accepting the report of the Iberian Churches' Partners in Mission Consultation which recommended that Presiding Bishop John M. Allin inform the U.S. Episcopal bishops of the request before the Lambeth Conference that the Iberian dioceses "be fully integrated into the Anglican Communion."
• Accepted by title a report from the Board of the Presiding Bishop's Fund for World Relief which announced recent grants and certain administrative and financial matters considered by the Board.
• Adopted a resolution concerning Church World Service, the relief agency of the National Council of Churches, which put the Council on record as agreeing to consider the recommendation that the Episcopal Church's share of the base administrative cost of CWS be included in the General Church Program and Budget beginning in 1980; and a resolution asking Church World Service to clarify certain matters pertaining to its policies and services.
• Approved a resolution calling for an ad hoc committee to help unify and coordinate initiatives within the Episcopal Church on immigration and refugee concerns, and to convey to Church World Service a pledge of the Episcopal Church's support of ecumenical refugee and immigrant centers, urging that Federal funds be made available for CWS to continue such work.
• Accepted the report of the ARENSA -- Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela -- Partners in Mission Consultation and endorsed in principle the resolutions contained in it.
• Received as information a report on overseas personnel changes which noted the reactivation of the Rev. Don Griswold who is leaving the National and World Mission staff at the Episcopal Church Center to accept an assignment at the Church of the Holy Family, Monterrey, Mexico, and to work with development plans for the Diocese of Northern Mexico; and the resignation of the Rev. Onell A. Soto as Executive Secretary of Province IX in order to join the National and World Mission staff.
• Postponed until the first item of business at the September 15-17 meeting of the Council a consideration of the report of the Ecumenical Committee on Conference, with the request that the report be mailed to Council members in advance of that meeting.
• Approved the revised constitution of the Anglican Council of North America and the Caribbean.
• Received a report endorsing the action of a recent consultation in the Dominican Republic which recommends that the annual reduction in funds for Brazil through 1983 be used for new work in overseas Episcopal dioceses.
• Accepted the invitation of the Church in the Province of the West Indies to participate in its second Partners in Mission Consultation in Jamaica, Feb. 2-7, 1979.
• Accepted an invitation from the Anglican Council of South America to participate in a Partners in Mission Consultation of the Dioceses of the Southern Cone in Salta, Argentina, Oct. 20-25, 1979.
• Approved a resolution calling for the reactivation of the Executive Council's Committee on Partners in Mission Consultation, or for the appointment of a new committee, to review the Episcopal Church's consultation in 1977, to begin planning the next conference; and that the Presiding Bishop inform the partners who attended the 1977 consultation of the results to date.
• Voted to inform the Convention of the Diocese of Washington that its memorial to the Joint Doctrinal Commission "to urge all branches of the Catholic Church to ordain women to the priesthood and episcopate" is not within the purview of the Executive Council.
• Received a report from the Rev. David B. Birney through the National and World Mission Committee on overseas leadership development.
• Accepted the report of the Rev. Robert M. Wainwright of Rochester, N. Y., on the Partners in Mission Consultation with the Church of England in Australia.
• Voted to refer to the Taiwan Episcopal Church for a recommendation a request to ask the President of the United States "to continue to uphold the principles of human rights while pursuing the normalization of relationships with Communist China."
• Approved the granting of the balance of the Esther H. Woodward fund -- $19,319.42 -- to the Gulf South Research Institute as a follow-up of a previous grant for its research on leprosy.
• Voted to table a resolution which would have had the Council join the Governing Board of the National Council of Churches in deploring the killing and mutilation of persons in Southern Lebanon by Israeli troops, and would have called on the U. S. Congress to stop furnishing anti-personnel weapons to Israel and insisted that Israel abide by the provisions of the U. S. -Israel Arms agreement.

Education For Ministry

• Received as information a report from the Education for Ministry Committee on the agenda of its meeting.
• Received by title a report from the Board for Theological Education.
• Received a report from the steering committee of the Church's Teaching Series and appropriated up to $40,000 in both 1978 and 1979 from the Constable Fund for the completion of the seven-volume series, scheduled for the spring and fall of 1979.
• Extended appreciation to the Church's Teaching Series' steering committee, The Seabury Press, and the Office of Religious Education for their work in progressing toward the completion of the project.
• Received a paper on "An Overview of Evangelism, Renewal and Church Growth and First Steps in Getting Started for Congregations -- A Feasibility Study," and appropriated up to $15,760 from the Constable Fund to develop and implement the proposal.
• Heard the Rev. David Perry and the Rev. Fred Howard, coordinators in the Office of Religious Education at the Episcopal Church Center, make a presentation on the work of the 15 Regional Religious Education Coordinators who act as resource consultants throughout the nine provinces of the Church.

Administration/Financial Control

• Received from Presiding Bishop John M. Allin a report on the administration's decision concerning the termination entitlements of two former employees, Maria Cueto and Raisa Nemikin.
• Denied a request from Robert S. Potter, an attorney, to speak to the Council on behalf of Miss Maria Cueto and Miss Raisa Nemikin to present their position with regard to compensation during the 10 months they were on leave of absence from the Episcopal Church Center staff.
• Approved Presiding Bishop John M. Allin's recommendation that the site and dates of the 1982 meeting of the General Convention -- originally set for Milwaukee, Wis., Oct. 9-21, 1982 -- be moved to New Orleans, Sept. 2-13, 1982.
• Received a report from the Personnel Committee that a policy on alcoholism among employees was under discussion and that the committee will pursue the complaints about working conditions of the secretarial staff at Seabury House during Council meetings.
• Referred to the General Convention officers and arrangements chairman a request from the Task Force on Women that if it is not possible to locate the 1982 Convention in a state that has approved the Equal Rights Amendment, the standards and principles of Project Equality be applied wherever the meeting takes place.
• Referred to the budget process a request from the Diocese of Virginia that the three black colleges be funded in 1980-1982 at least at the same level as this triennium.
• Received the report of the treasurer which was cautiously optimistic about the status of national Church finances.
• Welcomed the partners in the Church's auditing firm of Vignola and Carrico.
• Declared that they were unable to find money at this time to respond to a request for financial support for the Triennial Meeting of the Women of the Episcopal Church.
• Resolved to increase the residential loan fund by $9,698.42 and permit its use in the Washington D.C. area as well as the New York area.
• Authorized appropriation of up to $15,000 to the Commission on Theological Education in the Caribbean and Latin America for 1978.
• Elected Karen A. G. Loud of New York City as a member of the Committee on Trust Funds.

Stewardship/Development

• Received a report on the Stewardship/Development Committee meeting.
• Welcomed the Rev. Henry Free as stewardship officer.
• Approved accountability procedures for Venture in Mission funding.
• Heard Venture Cabinet Chairwoman, Mrs. Carter Chinnis report on changes and progress in the Venture in Mission.
• Heard Hiram W. Neuwoehner of St. Louis, Mo., outline publicity and interpretation plans for Venture.
• Authorized expenditure of up to $150,000 in 1978 to implement Venture publicity plans.
• Approved an internal change in the Venture budget to retain additional fund raising counsel staff ahead of schedule.
• Declined to approve, without action by the standing committees, changes in the Venture Mission Opportunities list.

Communication

• Elected eight people to the Board of Trustees of the Seabury Press.
• Reviewed the relationship of Seabury Press to the Church program.

Miscellaneous

• Heard Presiding Bishop John M. Allin call on the Council and staff to find time-spaces for renewal and prayer in their busy schedules.
• Heard Presiding Bishop John M. Allin announce the assignment of the Rev. Canon and Mrs. Clarence Stacy of the Diocese of California as managers of the Seabury House conference center.
• Heard Presiding Bishop John M. Allin announce the appointment of the Rev. Henry J. Free, Jr., of the Diocese of Newark as the staff person in the Stewardship/ Development office.
• Received the news from Presiding Bishop John M. Allin that Bishop Richard Millard, coordinator of the Venture in Mission program, will become the Presiding Bishop's Suffragan Bishop for the Convocation of American Churches in Europe, effective July 1.
• Received from the Rev. James R. Gundrum, Executive Council Secretary, a list of communications received, with appropriate referrals noted.
• Received from the Rev. James R. Gundrum, in his responsibility as executive officer of General Convention to coordinate and facilitate the work of the Convention with that of Council, reports of meetings of several joint committees, commissions, boards and agencies of the Convention.781.42 (7)
• Approved resolutions presented by the Rev. Canon W. Ebert Hobbs of Cleveland, Ohio, on the Executive Council decision-making process, which call for standing committees to circulate their proposed agendas to Council members in advance of meetings, to report all actions of their committees to the Council at that meeting, and for the distribution of all correspondence addressed to members.
• Approved a resolution of appreciation to Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Hargrove of Shreveport, La., and to the Bishop and Diocese of Louisiana, for their hospitality during the February Council meeting in New Orleans.
• Welcomed Dr. Fredrica Harris Thompsett, Executive Director of the Board for Theological Education.
• Expressed, by standing and with applause, appreciation for Charles and Margaret Lawrence who will celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary on June 5.