Episcopal Press and News

Search the Episcopal Press and News

Year

All 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 1989 1988 1987 1986 1985 1984 1983 1982 1981 1980 1979 1978 1977 1976 1975 1974 1973 1972 1971 1970 1969 1968 1967 1966 1965 1964 1963 1962

Enter search query

Coalition 14 Executive Committee Meets

Diocesan Press Service. January 22, 1974 [74016]

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. -- The Coalition 14 (C-14) Executive Committee recently met at the Dominican Retreat in Albuquerque. Three staff members of Executive Council, New York City, and six elected representatives of C-14 met for three days to discuss budgets, equity, special accounts, logistics and processes.

The meeting precedes the C-14 board meeting in Salt Lake City in February. The C-14 board consists of Bishops and one elected representative from each of the Coalition dioceses. At the meeting the board will divide the $1,222,000 awarded by the National Church among the 13 dioceses.

Each diocese represented at the Salt Lake City meeting will present its budgets for 1974, 1975 and 1976. Following the presentation other member dioceses may challenge income and expenditure items. This process enables the Coalition to make sure that the $1,222,000 is spent for the most important projects in all the dioceses.

The whole matter of MRI relationships with Coalition dioceses will be discussed. Three new members, a new Chairman and Secretary for Executive Committee will be elected.

The Presiding Bishop-Elect John M. Allin and the Presiding Bishop John E. Hines are expected to attend the meeting.

One of the guidelines for C-14 is full disclosure of all budgets. All the items in the budgets of the 13 dioceses were examined by the committee during the session in Albuquerque. Low clergy salaries in some dioceses were criticized as well as large sums spent in other areas. Some of the variances on budgets were: hospitality expenses 0 -$1,500, travel expenses $2,400- $7,500, committees and commissions expenses 0 -$10,000.

Also questioned was whether or not the dioceses are looking toward the future of becoming independent of the National Church when preparing budgets.

The Diocese of the Rio Grande is the only member who sees independence in the near future. Bishop Richard Trelease thinks the diocese may be self sufficient by 1976.

Coalition 14 came into being in Houston at the 1970 General Convention when bishops of domestic dioceses receiving financial assistance from the National Church met and agreed to work out together one request for funds instead of 14 requests.

The 13 dioceses (Hawaii withdraws in 1974 when it ceases to be an aided diocese) have many problems in common. The unorganized missions outnumber parishes and missions three to two in C-14. The area is largely rural and ministering to these small, widely separated congregations is costly on man, machine and dollars. The bishops in all 13 dioceses are fairly new bishops with fresh ideas and approaches.

"We have learned that we can do some things better together," said Bishop George Masuda of North Dakota, Chairman of C-14. One problem is clergy salaries. Salaries throughout C-14 are substandard, but for any one of the 13 to increase salaries substantially would tilt the board.

Since C-14 was formed, a coalition of overseas dioceses and the Appalachian Peoples Service Organization (APSO) have been formed.

Members of the Executive Committee are the Rt. Rev. George Masuda, North Dakota, Chairman; the Rev. George Bates, Eastern Oregon, Secretary; the Rt. Rev. Otis Charles, Utah; Ms. Carman Hunter, staff member of Executive Council; the Rt. Rev. Walter Jones, South Dakota; the Rt. Rev. John Wyatt, Spokane, Consultant; Matthew Costigan, staff member of Executive Council; Ms. Virginia Alberg, San Joaquin; the Rev. Hunter Morris, Arizona; the Rev. Alfred Rollins, staff member of Executive Council; the Rev. Thomas Stewart Matthews, National Executive Council Liaison, South Carolina; and the Rt. Rev. Richard Trelease, Rio Grande.