"Pam, when you retire from here ... Got'cha," the Rt. Rev. Ronald Haines, Bishop of Washington, told Pamela Chinnis, retiring president of the House of Deputies, during the meeting of the Executive Council in Bethesda, Md., April 27-30. Mrs. Chinnis is a member of the Church of the Epiphany, Washington, D.C., and therefore a member of the Diocese of Washington.

Mrs. Chinnis told the council that she experienced ambivalence as she anticipated her last meeting with Executive Council. Having served either on Executive Council or as president of the House of Deputies since 1979, she said she feels some sense of relief but knows that next fall she will wonder what is on the council's agenda.

Having served with three Presiding Bishops, Mrs. Chinnis gave several examples of how the council body has changed in her 21 years. She said there were 10 lay women in 1979 (there are 13 lay women and four ordained women today). Differences in the number of people of color have changed from a single African-American man (vice chair of the council) and "a couple of other non-Anglo tokens" to 13 people of color - a full one-third of the membership today.

She also spoke of differing styles of leadership, from a formerly autocratic style to today's more collaborative style. She remembered crises the council experienced. Recalling particularly the crisis following the embezzlement by former treasurer Ellen Cooke, she talked of the council being "frightened by the sudden revelation of evil within our midst" and of the members coming to the 1997 General Convention "chastened, but very much wiser." In terms of streamlining the legislative process over the years, Mrs. Chinnis said that resolutions brought to convention have dropped from 600 in 1994 to 180 (so far) for the 73rd General Convention in Denver July 5-14.

Choking with emotion as she thanked both the Executive Council and the Episcopal Church Center staff "for letting me share this journey with you," Mrs. Chinnis received a standing ovation of several minutes' duration.

A reception and dinner was held in Mrs. Chinnis' honor.

In his remarks to the council, the Most Rev. Frank T. Griswold, Presiding Bishop, spoke at length of the primates' meeting in Portugal and of his experiences there.

He noted that about half of the primates were new and so "the community really didn't know itself." He talked of understanding the meeting in the context of the "excruciating circumstances" under which some of the members live, and of resiliency and hopefulness amid devastation and depression commenting on "deep faith purified through suffering.

"I have to say for most of the primates, especially those coping with poverty, starvation, civil war and increasingly aggressive forms of Islam, sexuality was not a principal concern," Bishop Griswold said. Of larger concern to him is the perception of a U.S.-driven agenda that would "set to one side these more drastic circumstances ..."

Continuing on the theme of context, Bishop Griswold said that in listening to three days of reports from provinces he was impressed by how the local situation influences theology. "One realizes in a very, very profound way how contextual our theologizing is ..." he said.

Speaking of his own presentation to the primates, Bishop Griswold referred to the American situation regarding sexuality issues as "the evolution of the marriage canons in the Episcopal Church," adding that "... over time the Spirit of the risen Christ ... has led us ... beyond the very strict constraints of Matthew 19 ..."

Referring again to the Anglican bodies in countries under strong Muslim influence where acceptance of broadened positions on sexuality becomes problematic, Bishop Griswold said he hopes General Convention will be sensitive to all forms of Anglicanism. "I ... hope General Convention would make no formal decisions that would strain our relationships with other provinces - that would in some sense make us appear to be saying, 'we have no need of you'." Bishop Griswold pointed out the importance of the Episcopal Church's listening to other Anglican bodies - as he wants other Anglican bodies to listen to the Episcopal Church. He sees the continuing international dialogue "as a way of honoring the reciprocity that needs to be part of life within the Anglican Communion."

The council spent one morning receiving an overview of the Anglican Consultative Council's "Virginia Report" from the Rt. Rev. Mark Dyer, of Virginia Theological Seminary. The council discussed two chapters of the report. Then Bishop Dyer responded to questions from the floor.

Members reviewed the council's process over the triennium with the aid of consultant Bernard Mohr. Barbara Mann, first-term member from Province 4, said the discussion centered around building a community of trust "that will enable us to do the work, to take difficult positions when we have to, to take risks when we need to for the sake of the church."

Council also discussed the need to gather before the beginning of the new triennium. The Rev. John Lane, Province 3, said the evaluation process was, "a good start" but "not a completed evaluation process." Fr. Lane said the council talked frequently of the need for it to take responsibility for its own life and organization.