Diocesan Executives Explore Renewal at CODE Meeting
Episcopal News Service. April 18, 2002 [2002-098]
William F. Dopp, Communications and financial development officer for the Diocese of San Diego and a member of CODE
Nearly one hundred diocesan executives gathered from all over the United States and Canada to attend the 39th annual Conference of Diocesan Executives (CODE), held in New Orleans, Louisiana April 10-13.
The theme of the conference was "Renew by the Bayou," and its central focus was the renewal of the church, with workshops dealing with the development of the church in changing times. CODE president, the Rev. David Kent of the diocese of Kansas, opened the meeting by telling the executives, "We hope you will be both informed and inspired."
No waiting for church renewal
Keynote speaker for the gathering was the Rev. Charles N. Fulton III, newly named director of congregational development at the Episcopal Church Center in New York. Fulton led two presentations, in which participants looked at the renewal of the church in the 20/20 movement and at their personal renewal as individuals.
In the first presentation, Fulton showed a videotape of Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold's address to the recent 20/20 strategy group meeting at Camp Allen, Texas. From the ideas expressed in the video, Fulton went on to describe what the Episcopal Church must do to realize the 20/20 vision of doubled attendance in 20 years. Fulton seconded Griswold's statement that 20/20 is "not a program, but a way of being."
"Evangelism in the Episcopal Church has usually meant that we're getting all dressed up and waiting," Fulton quipped. But the vision of 20/20 demands that Episcopalians be actively involved in evangelism.
Fulton noted that in today's world "we are not making Episcopalians, but rather we're making Christians. Two generations have been away from the church and we cannot assume they understand the faith."
Practical, personal renewal
In his second presentation Fulton looked at personal renewal. "The main unit of the church will not be the national church, the diocese or the congregation," he told the executives. "It will be the individual." He had them draw timelines of their spiritual journeys and asked them to share their stories with one another, to get a better grasp of how their lives had been transformed. The group also heard case studies illustrating practical experiences in renewal.
The 2003 CODE meeting will be held in Jacksonville, Florida and led by the new CODE president, the Rev. S. Scott Hunter of the Diocese of Michigan.