Liturgical, Music Leaders Adopt Resolutions
Diocesan Press Service. October 3, 1974 [74270]
AMARILLO, Tex. -- Episcopalians who have been studying revision of their prayerbook met here and voted to recommend dropping the word "confirmation" from their religious vocabulary.
Meeting at the Conference Center of the Episcopal Diocese of Northwest Texas, 119 representatives of 65 of the Church's 93 domestic dioceses spent Sept. 23 to 27 exchanging opinions of revised and authorized services they have been using on a trial basis.
Attending the meeting were diocesan liturgical chairmen, diocesan music chairmen, five members of the Standing Liturgical Commission, six members of the Standing Commission on Church Music, and co-ordinators for both national commissions.
Also attending were a dozen representatives of Associated Parishes, a 1,400-member organization of clergy and laypersons dedicated to liturgical renewal.
After four days of discussion and ranking of priorities, the conference produced resolutions against use of the confirmation service in the present official prayerbook, The Book of Common Prayer in its 1928 edition, and in favor of the rite of Christian initiation published last year, "The Laying-On of Hands by the Bishop with the Affirmation of Baptismal Vows."
Resolutions of the annual liturgical chairmen's conference can be only "recommendations " to the commission assigned to revise the prayerbook, but the Church's Standing Liturgical Commission has already indicated agreement with the rationale behind the resolution on Christian initiation.
Wording of the resolution explains that "Holy Baptism is full initiation into the Eucharistic fellowship of the Body of Christ, and in Baptism the gift of the Holy Spirit is given;" therefore, there is no need for a service of "confirmation" before admission to Holy Communion.
( Episcopal bishops issued a statement in 1969 that confirmation should not be regarded as a procedure of admission to Holy Communion. Unconfirmed persons have been admitted to Communion since the issuance of that "Pocono Statement " by the House of Bishops and concurrence by the 1970 General Convention in Houston.)
Another innovation favored by the Amarillo conference is the "repeatability" of the "affirmation of baptismal vows."
Unlike the confirmation service in the 1928 Book of Common Prayer, a once-in-a-lifetime event for Episcopalians, the affirmation of baptismal vows may be repeated by "those who wish to return to the Christian life and mission after having neglected or abandoned it" and by "those who have come into the bishop's jurisdiction from another church."
The Amarillo resolution continues, " Public affirmation of baptismal vows is a normal part of our heritage and Christian life," and "re-affirmation is appropriate and desirable from time to time for growth in Christian living."
Also related to Christian initiation and a change in practice of recent years is the recommendation by the Amarillo conference that the bishop, "as chief pastor, " preside at baptisms as well as re-affirmations.
Practice has been for parish priests to administer baptism, but two bishops at the conference said they have begun administering baptism on their visitations -- and they favor the change.
An unpopular change, according to voting in Amarillo, is the combining of Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer in the revised prayerbook. The conference favored separating Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer.
And when Morning Prayer is the principal Sunday service, the conference advocates use of Scripture readings assigned for the Eucharistic service for that Sunday.
Another resolution recommends avoidance of masculine nouns and pronouns in references to the entire human race.
An additional resolution recommends that the "Articles of Religion" printed at the back of the present official prayerbook be dropped and "retained in an appropriate book of archives."
Other resolutions deal with specific changes in wording and sequences of prayers in the trial rites.
Although resolutions from the Amarillo conference will be sent to the Standing Liturgical Commission and to the House of Bishops, members of both groups attended the conference.
Members of the Standing Liturgical Commission at the meeting on ranchland outside Amarillo were the Rev. Robert Estill of Alexandria, Va., the Rev. William Dimmick of Southport, Conn., and the Rev. Dr. Boone Porter of Kansas City. Commission staff members at the meeting were the Rev. Leo Malania, coordinator for the commission, and Church Army Evangelist Howard Galley, editorial assistant, both of New York.
Three bishops at the meeting were the Rt. Rev. Frederick W. Putnam, suffragan bishop of Oklahoma, the Rt. Rev. W. Moultrie Moore, suffragan bishop of North Carolina, and the Rt. Rev. Willis R. Henton, bishop of Northwest Texas, who was conference chaplain.
Director of the conference was the Rev. James Bethell, Episcopal chaplain at West Texas State University in Canyon.
Final business of the conference of musicians and liturgical chairmen was the decision to accept the invitation extended by the Rev. Stewart Alexy to hold the 1975 conference in New Jersey.
[Contact the Archives for copies of the texts of resolutions adopted by the meeting of diocesan liturgical and music chairmen at the conclusion of the meeting - Ed.]