Episcopal Conference of the Deaf Held
Diocesan Press Service. August 23, 1974 [74222]
ST. LOUIS, Mo. -- More than 100 deaf persons attended the annual Convention of the Episcopal Conference of the Deaf, held in St. Louis, June 22-28, 1974. Host parish was St. Thomas Mission to the Deaf, St. Louis. Sessions were held in the Gateway Hotel in downtown St. Louis.
In his Presidential Address, which opened the Convention, the Rev. Roger Pickering built upon the idea of St. Louis as the Gateway to the West and the Gateway Hotel in which the sessions were held. He said that like the pioneers who had passed through St. Louis in the mid-19th century the Episcopal Conference of the Deaf is now at a halfway point. With the assistance of General Convention the Conference now has a full time executive, and he challenged the members to continue to work to strengthen the ministry of the Episcopal Church among deaf people.
The Rev. Mr. Pickering's address was delivered in sign language and interpreted to hearing members of the audience by Mrs. Pickering. He urged the Conference to divide itself into two "trail groups " : one to work toward the needed national funding by the Church; the other to develop goals for the ministry among the deaf.
Two celebrations of the Holy Eucharist featured the Convention: on Sunday morning with Bishop Cadigan as the preacher; and the other at the close of the Convention on Friday morning.
The Convention formulated a number of plans for a more wide-spread ministry among the deaf: Mrs. Roger Pickering is to head a task force to develop special Christian Education curricula for deaf children and adults; a budget was developed whereby each deaf congregation will be assessed for the support of the Conference; a booklet descriptive of the ministry among the deaf is to be prepared; sign language courses for students at General Theological Seminary are to be continued; and the date and location of the 1975 Convention selected as Chicago, July 5-11.
The Rev. Rick McIlveen, vicar of St. Ann's Church, New York City, was elected second vice president replacing the Rev. William Shattuck who resigned.