Program and Budget Development Continues
Diocesan Press Service. December 14, 1972 [72207]
GREENWICH, Conn. (DPS) -- Some preliminary steps were taken by the Executive Council of the Episcopal Church, meeting here Dec. 12-14, in continuing its preparation of a proposed general church program and budget for 1974-76. The proposals will eventually be presented to the deputies and bishops meeting at the General Convention in Louisville, Ky., Sept. 29 - Oct. 11, 1973.
The steps which the Council took were based on recommendations of a Joint Sub-Committee of Development and Finance which was appointed in September to submit a model or form for the general church program, following action on a report on the substance of the program by a committee elected by the Council to summarize and evaluate data gathered from a series of diocesan visits.
The members of the Sub-Committee are: the Rev. John B. Coburn, Walker Taylor, and George Guernsey, Council members; and Oscar C. Carr, Matthew Costigan, John C. Goodbody, and Mrs. Carman Hunter, Council staff members.
As required by the canons of the Church, the Executive Council will report to General Convention what it has done since the last Convention in 1970 and what program and budget it proposes for the next triennium.
During the fall the Council sent out teams of fact finders into 91 dioceses 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 proposed program will be based on this data, as well as requests from all agencies, groups and structures entities in the Church which initiate and/or administer program.
Information from the diocesan visits is now being tabulated and evaluated by the Summary Committee. Their report, which is expected to be completed in mid-January, will be presented to the Council at its February meeting. At the December meeting, the Council heard an interim report from this committee, representing returns from 40 per cent of the dioceses.
The Council voted to request the agencies of the church to submit program objectives and required resources at a series of conferences or hearings February 5-7, at the Episcopal Church Center in New York City. More than half of the members of the 41-member Executive Council will be present to receive the requests.
The Council expects to decide at its February 20-23 meeting the preliminary substance and form of the program and budget proposal to be submitted to General Convention. The final report will be adopted at its May 1-3 meeting.
The Council's proposal will be available to bishops, deputies and others in the church for discussion at a series of provincial (regional) meetings in the spring.
The General Convention's Program and Budget Committee and Joint Committee on Expenses will review the Council's proposals during the summer of 1973 and will make their own recommendations to the Convention in Louisville after appropriate hearings, which are customarily held near the time of the Convention.
The recommended general church program will then be presented to bishops and deputies during the 1973 General Convention for approval.