Decision on JED Project Reaffirmed
Diocesan Press Service. June 12, 1974 [74177]
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Executive Council of the Episcopal Church has reaffirmed its decision not to participate in the educational systems project of the ecumenical Joint Education Development (JED).
The Council had decided last December not to participate in the project because its Program Group on Education indicated "a new nationally formulated curriculum was not desired."
At the February, 1974 meeting of the Council, the Rev. John S. Spong, Richmond, Va., introduced a resolution asking the program group to reconsider its action and to report in June. The Council endorsed that request. The education program group at the June meeting asked the Council to reaffirm its original decision.
The Rev. William V. Powell, Stillwater, Okla., chairman of the program group, reported to Council that in all of their consultations "there was a minimal interest in a new nationally developed curriculum, either ecumenical or one produced by our own church."
"On the other hand," he added, "there was a great deal of concern about evaluation and review of existing materials both within our denomination and other ecumenical materials."
He indicated that his group had discovered through regional consultations that there was "a call for assistance to the dioceses and to the parishes in learning how to use this resource material and how to implement a total parish ministry."
Mr. Powell said that while the educational systems project is not "presently compatible with our priorities," the program group on education is "firmly committed to an ecumenical approach" to Christian education, "especially on the local level, to enable parishes to fulfill their educational ministries."
He emphasized that the Episcopal Church continues its membership in JED and participates in several projects, such as black church education, youth empowerment teams, a leadership development system for church education in Appalachia, and a (quarterly publication, SHARE.
Mr. Spong responded by registering his "disappointment with the thrust of the report " of the program group.
" I do not accept, " he said, "and I do not want this Council to accept, the premise that the primary vocation of the national church in the field of Christian education is simply to respond to local needs, or to support local initiatives."
While "response and support are necessary," he said, "if that is the limit of our vision, then I despair for the church."
He said that he could " find no initiative " in the education group's program of Christian education, and "no vision, nothing that excites or challenges my imagination, no dreams."
Mrs. John S. Jackson, Jr., Lake Oswego, Ore., pointed out that once the four educational systems are completed, parishes of the Episcopal Church can purchase the material since the Episcopal Church is a member of JED, even though not participating in this particular project.
Bishop John Burgess of Massachusetts said that he objected to our "buying something that somebody else did for us."
" If this thing is good," he said, "we should be willing to participate financially as well as spiritually. "
Mr. Powell said that he wanted to make it clear that the Episcopal Church's participation in JED was not at issue, but only the church's participating in one of the optional projects.
He also pointed out that the regional coordinators of the Church's Christian education program do not merely respond to needs expressed by the church.
" There is an equal amount of initiative taken on the part of the regional coordinators," he said, "to initiate, to stir up, to motivate the local area to look at itself, to define its problems, and to design the kind of response they feel appropriate in their situation."