Developing of 1974 General Church Program Continues
Diocesan Press Service. September 27, 1972 [72138]
GREENWICH, Conn. (DPS) -- The Executive Council of the Episcopal Church, meeting here September 26-28, directed its Development Committee and its Finance Committee "to continue the tasks assigned them in May, 1972 " regarding the 1974 General Church Program for presentation to the General Convention of the Episcopal Church at Louisville, Ky., in the fall of 1973.
During the fall of 1972 the Executive Council is sending teams of fact finders into all dioceses of the Church to ask Episcopalians what they think are the needs in Church and society which the General Church Program should attempt to meet, what the priorities should be, and how the program should be funded.
The joint committees reported that 22 diocesan visits have been completed to date, with 69 more scheduled before the end of the year.
The Council elected five of its members, from 10 nominations submitted by the President of the Council, to be a Summary Committee to summarize and evaluate data collected from the information-sharing process this fall, which will be reported to the Council at its February 20-22, 1973, meeting.
Members of the Council elected to serve on the Summary Committee are: The Rev. Canon Gerald McAllister, San Antonio, Tex.; the Rt. Rev. Philip F. McNairy, Diocese of Minnesota; the Rev. Robert R. Parks, New York City; the Rt. Rev. Gray Temple, Diocese of South Carolina, and Mrs. J. Wilmette Wilson, Savannah, Ga.
The committee was authorized by the Council. to call upon the Executive Vice President for staff assistance and to co-opt persons who are involved in the diocesan visits from the Church-at-large.
The Development and Finance committees will submit a model or form for the General Church Program to the Council at its February, 1973, meeting, following the report of the Summary Committee and action by the Council on the substance of the program.
The chairmen of the two committees -- the Rev. John B. Coburn, New York City, Development Committee, and Mr. Walker Taylor, Wilmington, N.C., Finance Committee -- announced the appointment of seven persons to prepare the model, as follows: Mr. Coburn, Mr. Taylor, and Mr. George Guernsey of St. Louis, Executive Council members, and Mr. Carr (Development), Mr. Matthew Costigan (Finance), Mr. John C. Goodbody (Communication), and Mrs. Carman Hunter (Jurisdictions), Executive Council staff members.
The Rt. Rev. Roger Blanchard, Executive Vice President of the Council, was "directed to prepare and submit recommendations to the Presidents of the two Houses of Convention concerning regional meetings to be held in May and June, 1973 to inform the Church of the results of the Fall, 1972 diocesan visits, of the proposed General Church Program of the Executive Council, and other appropriate Convention business."
[Contact Archives for full text of the resolutions adopted by the Executive Council - Ed.]