Executive Council Meets In Pittsburgh
Episcopal News Service. June 22, 1989 [89112B]
PITTSBURGH (DPS, June 22) -- Episcopal Life, a new newspaper of the Episcopal Church, will make its debut in January 1990. The Episcopalian will cease publication with its December 1989 issue, after nearly 35 years of informing and serving the Church.
In lengthy and, at times, spirited debate, Executive Council members accepted, with minor amendments, three resolutions from the Standing Committee on Witness and Outreach that enable the Presiding Bishop and the Church Center staff to proceed with the creation of Episcopal Life and to assume all of the liabilities and assets of The Episcopalian, which has served as the national publication of the Church since 1955.
The Episcopalian, which is now published out of Philadelphia, will honor all of its contracts and agreements with advertisers, subscribers, and diocesan newspapers through the final December issue.
Council members were enthusiastic when shown a 24-page prototype version of Episcopal Life, developed during the past four months by a special sub committee on communications composed of Executive Council members, Episcopal Church Center staff, a consultant, and a variety of advisers from the Church. The new newspaper will contain condensed reports of national, international, and local news and features, as well as Life Lines, a pullout section that will focus on a ministry or aspect of the Church.
The developmental cost for the new publication is estimated at about $305,000, including, specifically, the cost of $115,000 for consultative services; $40,000 for the prototype; and $150,000 for future developmental costs.
According to the mission statement adopted for the paper, Episcopal Life is charged "to faithfully and fully support the whole life of the Church and its mission, to encourage all people in their commitment to Jesus Christ, and to:
- share news and opinions of interest in the Episcopal Church, the Anglican Communion, and the worldwide Christian and interfaith community;
- lift up, celebrate, and enable the great diversity of ministries within the Church;
- provide a forum for discussion;
- publish signed columns of divergent opinion and letters, and a regular column by the Presiding Bishop;
- report on significant developments in ministry and mission at all levels of the Church, including provinces, dioceses, and parishes and congregations;
- serve as a source of information on programs and initiatives of the General Convention, the Executive Council, and the Presiding Bishop."
The demise of The Episcopalian was prompted by a request from its Board of Directors last November requesting that the Church (through Executive Council) accept ownership of the newspaper, which in recent years has had continual financial problems.
Likening the demise of The Episcopalian and the creation of Episcopal Life to the rising of the phoenix -- the mythological bird that crashes in flames and then rises from its own ashes -- the Rt. Rev. Jerry McAllister, retired bishop of Oklahoma, said, "I am delighted, very positive, and grateful that this action has been taken. It holds great promise for the Church. This has been the vision the board of The Episcopalian has had for over three years -- to create a national publication."
McAllister, who has been president of the Board of Directors of The Episcopalian for the past two years, and the Rt. Rev. John MacNaughton, the bishop of West Texas who chaired Executive Council communications subcommittee, said The Episcopalian board will meet within 30 days to formalize transfer of ownership. They said the formal transfer should be completed by September 1, pending legal and financial arrangements. MacNaughton said the Episcopal Church Center then will operate and manage The Episcopalian until the new publication starts.
One of the priorities of Executive Council and its subcommittee has been pastoral concern for current personnel of The Episcopalian. Current employees may apply for any of the new positions, although employment by the new publication is not guaranteed.
According to the resolutions passed by Executive Council, current "employees of The Episcopalian, Inc., who remain during the transition (will be) brought under the established personnel policies of the Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society at the time of transfer of ownership, including having the employee benefits brought into parity... and that these promises will not be extended beyond Dec. 31, 1989." The estimated cost of attaining parity for benefits is $75,000 this year, although the costs for potential retirements, relocation, or separation costs are not yet included in estimates.
Also not included in the resolutions to Executive Council were specific budgets for 1989 and 1990, specific costs and plans for hiring a new staff, or marketing plans for circulation and advertising. Nevertheless, at the urging of MacNaughton and others, Executive Council approved proceeding with the publication plans, with the promise that "the money will be found."
At its February meeting, Executive Council imposed a moratorium on all of the 18 national Church publications until it could be determined which departments and ministries could be covered by a new, single publication. This was done primarily to save money in the current budget to pay for the preparations for the new paper. To date, the publication has cost $115,000 for consultant work and $40,000 to develop the prototype issue. Estimates are that an additional $150,000 would be needed for future development costs.
Presiding Bishop Edmond L. Browning said during the Executive Council meeting that he and his staff have developed a list of criteria by which all departmental publications will be judged. He indicated that ethnic-issi s publications will continue to be published.
The costs of assuming ownership of The Episcopalian include accounts payable of $130,000, a projected 1989 deficit of $75,000, repayment of a loan to the national Church totaling $60,000, and the $75,000 estimated cost of employee benefits parity, for a total buyout cost of $340,000.
The new publication will be owned and operated by the General Convention and Executive Council under the direction of a 10-member Board of Governors, which would establish and monitor editorial and advertising policies and ensure that the publication "effectively serves the needs of the Church at all levels."
The new editor in chief would report directly to the Presiding Bishop through the Executive for Communication at the Episcopal Church Center. The editor in chief would have direct oversight of all operations, including news, special sections, design and production, advertising, circulation, and administration, as well as liaison with diocesan publication s that "wrap around" the national paper.
Additionally, an Editorial Advisory Committee would meet with the editor in chief and regularly evaluate, advise, and review the content of the paper. Neither the Board of Governors nor the Editorial Advisory Committee would be involved in day-to-day management or operations.
Executive Council also unanimously passed with an ovation a resolution extending "on behalf of the whole Church... grateful thanks to the Board of Directors and staff of The Episcopalian for the invaluable contribution they have made, often at some significant sacrifice to themselves, to the life of the whole Church over many years."