Support for "The Episcopalian" Approved
Diocesan Press Service. December 13, 1973 [73271]
GREENWICH, Conn. -- The Executive Council of the Episcopal Church voted to provide "up to $150, 000 in 1974 in the Communication budget " for The Episcopalian, Inc., "to ensure the continuation of publication through the initial stages of a fund-raising campaign to which the President and Board . .. have committed themselves. "
Based on the results of a fact-finding visitation program which the Council conducted in the fall of 1972, which gave a low priority rating to the magazine, the Council declined to recommend the publication to the General Convention for funding in 1974.
At its meeting last October, the General Convention adopted a resolution authorizing the Council's Program Group on Communication "to work with The Episcopalian in developing an information system for the entire Church. "
After extensive negotiations with the Program Group, the president and board of The Episcopalian, Inc., agreed to seek funding for continued publication outside the General Church Program budget.
The Council's resolution stipulated that if "the fund-raising effort meets significant success, the advances from the Council during 1974 will be returned to the budget of the Program Group on Communication. " If the fund-raising endeavor fails, the president and the board of The Episcopalian, Inc., "have agreed to be responsible for any costs involved in discontinuation. "
Presiding Bishop-elect John M. Allin, former chairman of the Program Group on Communication, said that he will support the fund-raising effort of The Episcopalian, Inc., both by being accessible to potential donors and by encouraging the use of the publication throughout the Church, as requested by General Convention.
According to the resolution adopted by Council, the funds will be advanced quarterly but "only if necessary and upon request" of the publication.
The program group noted that this is one of several attempts which will be made to communicate to every Episcopal household.
The Executive Council also adopted a resolution from the Program Group on Communication calling for "a six month budget of $35,810 for the work of a Committee on Records Collection, Preservation and Retrieval." This budget will make possible a contract with a consultant to develop and begin implementation of the program which was approved at the September, 1973 meeting of the Council. The source of the funds for this budget will be recommended to the Council by the Development and Finance Committee at the February, 1974, meeting.