Summary of Actions of the Executive Council
Episcopal News Service. June 14, 1984 [84125]
BURLINGAME, Calif. (DPS, June 14) -- The Executive Council of the Episcopal Church met here June 6-8.
The Council -- which sets policy and develops programs for the Church between the triennial meetings of the General Convention -- consists of 40 members: 20 elected by the Convention; 18 elected by the Church's nine internal provinces, the Presiding Bishop, the Most Rev. John M. Allin, and the President of the House of Deputies, Dr. Charles R. Lawrence. The Rev. Canon James R. Gundrum is secretary.
Most resolutions for Council action come through six standing committees and occasionally a special committee or sub-committee.
The Council took the following actions:
- Adopted and authorized promotion of Amnesty International's 12-Point Program for the Prevention of Torture and called upon the President and the Congress of the United States to commit this country to work for the abolishment of torture worldwide. Instructed the Secretary to communicate this to the President, Congress, and other appropriate national leaders.
- Reaffirmed its resolution of February 1982 calling for an international Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, and Stockpiling of Chemical Weapons and on their Destruction and urged the President to eliminate funding for chemical weapons.
- Affirmed the following as Jubilee Centers: St. Luke's Jubilee Center, Atlanta, Ga.; Sanford Christian Sharing Center, Sanford, Fla.; Trinity Episcopal Church, Muscatine, Ia.; St. Andrew's Church, Milwaukee, Wis.; The House of Prayer, Newark, N.J.; Grace Episcopal Church, Elizabeth, N.J.; St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church, New York, N.Y.; Trinity Cathedral, Pittsburgh, Penn.; Church of the Advent, Cincinnati, Oh.; Highland Educational Project, Northfolk, W. Va.; Appalachian Peoples' Service Organization (APSO), Blacksburg, Va.; St. Luke's on the Island, Wheeling, W. Va.; Trinity Episcopal Church, Morgantown, W. Va.; Holy Cross Jubilee Center, Shreveport, La.; and Turner House, Kansas City, Kan.
- Authorized a grant of $10,000 from the Vincent Astor Fund to the Diocese of Long Island for a Japanese Ministry at St. Luke's Church, Forest Hills.
- Agreed to resume support and funding for the Washington Office on Africa at its previously scheduled level, since that organization has withdrawn a recent publication as an unauthorized departure from its stated non-partisan policy.
- Heard a report from Luis Ornelas, liaison to the National Hunger Committee, expressing that group's feeling that the concerns of the hungry are not being raised enough in this country and requesting that those attending national political conventions be urged to raise the hunger issue there.
- Learned of the results of the following stockholder resolutions: after the withdrawal of a resolution calling on J. P. Morgan not to give loans to South Africa, Morgan, at its stockholder meeting, affirmed that it is not their policy to make such loans; a similar resolution directed at the Cigna Corporation was dropped, since they do not make loans to South Africa; a resolution requesting American Telephone and Telegraph not to accept nuclear contracts for its Sandia National Laboratories was disallowed by the Securities and Exchange Commission as being too similar to one offered last year. Of the four resolutions presented at stockholder meetings, that requesting Motorola not to sell to South Africa's military or police (presented for the second time) received insufficient favorable votes to qualify for a third presentation; that to Raytheon regarding military contracts received insufficient favorable votes to be repeated; that to Schlumberger on sales to the U.S.S.R. failed but with sufficient votes for re-submission; and that requesting Dresser to sign the Sullivan Principles failed but with 11.43 percent favorable vote, and Dresser has since agreed to sign the Principles.
- Received the Report of the Central America Task Force, commended the Presiding Bishop for his initiative and ordered staff and Council chairs to develop budget priorities to respond to the initiatives of the Report.
- Issued an Open Letter to the Church calling on all Episcopalians to "study, discuss and take action" on the Report.
- Reaffirmed support for the Contadora Central American Peace Initiative, called for cessation of all military activities in the countries, and urged support for non-violent solutions.
- Referred the Report to the planning committee of the Mid-Lambeth-Latin America Congress for inclusion in its deliberations.
- Referred the Report -- especially the pertinent recommendations -- to the Anglican Consultative Council, the Executive Council's Standing Committees, the Anglican Council of North America and the Caribbean, and the Council of Province IX and asked the latter two to give special attention to refugee concerns, bilingual ministry needs and theological education.
- Expressed appreciation to the Churches in Central America for their initiating and supporting the Task Force work.
- Thanked Bishop Armando Guerra of Guatemala; Canon Robert Carlson; the Rev. Sergio Carranza, provincial secretary; and Mr. Edley Hall for their witness on behalf of Province IX.
- Urged the United States to activate a category of "extended voluntary departure status" to govern sane Central American and other refugees residing in the U.S.
- Authorized establishment of Companion relationships between the Diocese of North Carolina and Belize, and the Diocese of Long Island and the Province of the West Indies, and renewed the relationships existing between Central Florida and Honduras, Colorado and Southern Malawi and Louisiana and the Virgin Islands.
- Expressed appreciation for the appointment as missionaries of: the Rev. B. F. Briener to the faculty of Selly Oaks College, England; The Rev. C. E. Colby to St. Alban's Parish, Bogata, Colombia; R. F. Folkerts, to St. Julian's Centre, Limuru, Kenya as warden; B. B. Jackman to the Province of Burundi, Rwanda and Zaire as provincial treasurer; the Rev. J. A. Langfeldt to the Diocese of Cyprus and the Gulf; and the Rev. H. C. McMurtry to St. John the Divine Parish, Guam.
- Expressed thanks to the following missionaries upon completion of their tours: The Rev. M. F. Brown, from Costa Rica; Stephanie Hodgkins from Tanzania; the Rev. P. D. Lawson from Cyprus and the Gulf; the Rev. R. I. Metz from the Philippine Episcopal Church; the Rev. J. Moriyama from Tanzania; the Rev. Karl Ruttan from Northern Zambia; the Rt. Rev. L. Shirley from bishop of Panama; the Rev. G. R. Sumner from Tanzania; and the Rev. J. H. Wengrovious from Southern Malawi.
- Expressed appreciation for the appointment of the following Volunteers for Mission: Bea W. W. Avant; Sr. Angela Washburn, WSHS; the Rev. Enrique Brown; Dr. Irene Jackson-Brown; the Rev. J. D. Canfill; J. T. Hardy, Mr. & Mrs. J. H. Thompson, Jr.; Ruth Harvey; Laurie E. Hirschenhofer; Ann Lovejoy Johnson; M.J. Mutscheller; Pedtger Prewandowski; J. M. J. Sanlei; Susan E. Sitler; and D. N. Wait.
- Expressed thanks to Dr. J. M. Highsmith and the Rev. Henry Sturtevant upon completion of their tours as Volunteers for Mission.
- Received "as the basis for policy of future partner relationships" the reports of Partners in Mission Consultations in East Asia, the West Indies, Ireland, and West Africa.
- Approved a grant of $4,500 from Trust Fund income for development of indigenous leadership in a recognized seminary in Nicaragua upon the recommendation of the Theological Commission of Latin America and the Caribbean.
- Approved revisions in the statement governing the process of working toward autonomy.
- Accepted recommendations for revision of the Handbook of Guidelines for the Support of Overseas Missionaries to bring it into line with Council actions since the last revision in 1979.
- Learned that the committee had engaged in a two-day session with the Standing Commission on World Mission of the General Convention to coordinate policy and program.
- Agreed to ask the Standing Commission on Ecumenical Relations to respond to a letter from the Diocese of Central Gulf Coast regarding World Council and National Council of Churches relationships.
- Asked the Presiding Bishop to assure the Episcopal Churchwomen of Province II that there appears to be no conflict between the work of the Church Periodical Club and Society for Propagating Christian Knowledge.
- Allocated $50,000 from the Constable Fund to aid in developing a Christian Education curriculum for American Indian/Alaskan Native children and youth by the Office of Ministries with Children in conjunction with the Dakota Curriculum Alliance Advisory Board.
- Heard a report on a meeting to form a lay professional support system and possible national steering committee.
- Learned of the cancellation of the proposed conference on draft counselling due to lack of registration and of the planning team's intention to survey youth via a questionnaire to be circulated at the August national youth event to determine whether this is an issue with them.
- Learned of meeting held in response to General Convention's resolution on sexuality to discover educational ways of connecting sexual issues with Christianity.
- Learned of Oct. 9-11 consultation on spiritual direction and healing.
- Heard report from the Rev. Fred Howard and the Rev. Sergio Carranza on leadership trainers' workshop scheduled for Province IX in June.
- Expressed support for the Central America Task Force and its findings and suggested that a core budget be set up to be divided among units according to responsibilities in order to put together the $500,000 they estimated follow-through on Task Force recommendations would take.
- Received a report from the Rev. Fred Borsch on the Episcopal Service Community and its pilot projects.
- Received a Council on Women's Ministries request for $198,000.
- Reported a request for doubling of funding to black colleges.
- Agreed to ask Barry Menuez, Executive for Education for Misssion and Ministry, to respond to a letter from Dorothy W. Frey on behalf of the Province II ECW regarding Episcopal resources on divorce, alcoholism, incest, and domestic violence.
- Approved appropriation of Venture in Mission undesignated funds to three projects: the Phillippine Episcopal Church, $100,000 to relieve General Church Program support; $50,000 to the South Pacific Anglican Council, Fiji development project; and $150,000 to supplement the Overseas Development Fund in support of projects already in hand.
- Learned that the Diocese of Alaska has completed a Venture in Mission campaign with pledges in hand for $60,000 above their $600,000 goal and that the diocese of El Camino Real is planning a $2.4 million campaign and Central New York one for $1.8 million.
- Learned that the new stewardship materials utilize the theme of SWEEP.
- Learned that five regional conferences on stewardship have been completed and that interest in the Council's Planned Giving Program is growing.
- Engaged, pursuant to a resolution from the February meeting, in a review of the budget-making process and philosophy to prepare members for the preparation and approval of the 1985 Program Development Budget and the 1986-88 proposal to the General Convention and accepted for guidance a nine-point paper on budget philosophy offered by the Presiding Bishop. (Attached, see page 30)
- Authorized changes in the lay missionary pension plan (last revised in 1970) to bring the plan into line with current economic needs and into line with clerical missionary pension plans.
- Agreed to extend the fall meeting one day (midday Oct. 29 through Nov. 1 instead of adjourning Oct. 31) in order to allow time for consideration of the 1985 budget and reviewing of the goals and objectives for 1986-88.
- Agreed to allow each committee to send one additional person -- along with the chairman -- to the budget development meetings with Church Center unit executives.
- Requested that each committee -- in rotating order and one at each meeting -- give an overview of its work and ministry.
- Asked the Presiding Bishop to appoint a committee to develop a mechanism for independent evaluation of programs funded by the Program Development Budget.
- Agreed that they, as a body, "should become more intentional about being a board of directors.
- Agreed to the dissolution of the American Council of St. Luke's International Medical Center, Tokyo, to protect the not-for-profit work the Council does on behalf of the Center while eliminating burdens imposed by tax administration.
- Commended Henry McCorkle on his retirement after 25 years of service to the Church through The Episcopalian.
- Authorized the allocation of $15,000 from the Constable Fund for the production of two 30-minute videotapes, one technical, the other of broader application, and other material for congregations and dioceses to use in preparing for the publication of The Hymnal 1982.
- Heard report on committee's meeting with the communication task force of the Diocese of California and recommendation that Council continue such cross-fertilization.
- Learned that the Presiding Bishop's Task Force on Satellite Communication has elected the Rev. Robert Browne of Indianapolis to its chair and has agreed to proceed slowly.
- Heard report on efforts of three major producers to meet the needs of local groups for centralized distribution of video programs of a religious nature for use on local cable television stations. A further report will be made to the October Council meeting.
- Viewed public service announcements on peace and on prevention of teenage suicide which have been accepted by all three networks.
- Heard about the establishment of the American branch of the Society for the Promotion of Christian Knowledge.
- Received the second issue of the journal of the Council on Women's Ministries.
- Welcomed Archdeacon Lincoln Eng of Oregon and the Rev. Lyle Noisy Hawk of South Dakota as newly-elected members of Council and learned that Archdeacon Eng would be assigned to the Stewardship committee and Fr. Nosy Hawk to the National Mission committee and that the Rev. Ricardo Potter would be permanently assigned to the Communication committee.
- Welcomed as guests of the Council Bishop Armando Guerra of Guatemala, Canon Robert Carlson of Honduras, Edley Hall of Costa Rica and the Rev. Sergio Carranza, secretary of Province IX.
- Greeted Patrick Gilbert of the Society for Preserving Christian Knowledge and the Rev. Roswell Moore and Archdeacon Clarence Stacey of the Province of the Pacific.
- Received, by consensus, a nine-point paper on budget philosophy drafted by the Presiding Bishop.
- Learned that overtures to relieve the plight of Sudanese Christians suffering persecution are being pressed through Anglican and international channels.
- Learned that the Rev. Howard S. Meeks of Central Florida had been elected bishop coadjutor of Western Michigan and Dean Don A. Wimberly of Florida had been elected bishop coadjutor of Lexington and sent greetings to those two dioceses meeting in convention.
- Noted copy of letter received from Archbishop of Canterbury to the Philippine Independent Church on its triennial assembly with hope for wider cooperation in the Anglican Communion.
- Expressed thanks to Sister Mary Yvonne and the Sisters of Mercy for their hospitality and assistance; to the Rev. Canon Roswell Moore, Henry Richards, the Rt. Rev. William Swing, and the Diocese of California for their assistance; and to the people of St. Francis and St. Barnabas Churches and all ministry sites visited for their hospitality.
- Expressed appreciation to and gave thanks for 40 years of ministry of the Most Rev. John M. Allin, Presiding Bishop.