Church and Race Fund, Projects for Partnership Subjects of Council Debate
Diocesan Press Service. January 6, 1967 [50-1]
The failure of Episcopalians to meet the goal of the 1966 Church and Race Fund, or to meet the $2, 000, 000 goal for 1966 adopted by the General Convention toward MRI Projects caused serious debate at the December meeting of the Executive Council in Greenwich, Conn.
The Council refused to appropriate funds to make up arrears of $35,000 in Episcopal contributions to the National Council of Churches' Commission on Religion and Race and the Delta Ministry. They did, however, appropriate three legacies, originally designated for work among Negroes, and totalling $8,691, to the NCC for the Delta Ministry.
In debate Council members had to consider the fact that the Program and Budget Committee of the 1964 General Convention had declined to include the work supported by the fund in the general budget, and had specified that support be by voluntary contributions. Acknowledging that directive, the Council passed a resolution urging the 1967 General Convention to include funds for this work in the general budget.
The Council did, however, decide to do something to raise the funds pledged, over and above the general church budget, as a response to the Mutual Responsibility Document. As Bishop Hines stated "the policy decision is whether we are obligated to go out and raise money. " While the Council did approve a resolution calling for the use of any necessary resources of the Executive Council staff and the development of regional interpretive meetings dealing with Projects for Partnership, the debate beforehand showed that the decision was an uneasy one for some members. Serious questions were raised as to whether this decision might not be the death knell of MRI.
The Council called for the appointment of a Stewardship Executive and for the necessary budgetary and secretarial provisions. These recommendations came from the Ad Hoc Committee on Stewardship, appointed at the February 1966 Council meeting to consider the theology of stewardship, and to relate it to the partnership plan, the MRI program and the total structure of the Church's stewardship responsibility.
It laid down guidelines for granting Executive Council funds. These guidelines include the establishment of categories of grants (assistance to the diocesan or district budgets, assistance for particular projects, assistance for institutions), and factors to be considered in awarding grants. The latter include the meeting of a clearly demonstrable need, sound planning and financial administration and evidence that the assistance given is consistent with objectives and priorities defined and adopted by the General Convention.
At the December meeting four newly elected provincial representatives took their seats: The Rt. Rev. Ned Cole, Bishop Coadjutor of Central New York, who represents Province II; S. D. Parker of the Diocese of Western Massachusetts, Province I; the Rt. Rev. Nelson Burroughs of Ohio, Province V; and the Very Rev. Charles Higgins of Arkansas, Province VII. The Council also elected Dr. Charles Willie, visiting lecturer in sociology at the Harvard Medical School, to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Dr. Albert Jacobs. Dr. Jacobs, president of Trinity College, asked to resign because of business pressures.
At the request of the Promotion Department, the Executive Council changed its name to the Department of Communication. The new name was chosen as more reflective of the work of the Department.
A newly formed Employees' Association of the Episcopal Church Center was recognized by the Council and provisions made for the development of procedures to govern its relations to the Council.
The Presiding Bishop announced the winner of the William E. Leidt Award and presented it to Mrs. Ruth Malone for an article In the Greater Philadelphia Magazine.
The Council also heard reports of the Bogota Consultation on Latin American-U. S. Relations from Warren H. Turner, 2nd Vice-President; on the General Assembly of the NCC from Peter Day, Ecumenical Officer; and on the work of chaplains in the U. S. Armed Forces from the Rt. Rev. Arnold Lewis, Suffragan Bishop for the Armed Forces.
The appointment of the Rev. Michael Murray as Communications Associate for the Joint Urban Program in the Department of Communication was announced and the resignation of the Rev. Cornelius Tarplee, Associate Secretary, Division of Christian Citizenship, Department of Christian Social Relations reported.