Coalition 14 Sunday Designated
Diocesan Press Service. November 7, 1975 [75399]
SALINA, Kans. -- January 18, 1976 has been designated Coalition 14 Sunday within the coalition of aided dioceses in the Episcopal Church, according to the president, Bishop William Davidson of Western Kansas.
Coalition 14 (C-14) is a group of 13 (formerly 14) domestic dioceses of the Episcopal Church which are banded together to ask the national church for one total sum of money annually instead of 13 separate grants. All of the dioceses, which are in the western area of the U.S., have many interests, concerns, and problems in common.
The bishops of the C-14 dioceses are asking the clergy in their jurisdictions to read a joint pastoral letter on January 18, reminding the communicants "that we do not exist to be a self-serving community, but exist to serve the whole Church. "
In addition to determining how to divide a national church grant of approximately $1.4 million among themselves, the 13 C-14 dioceses, the pastoral letter says, "have experienced a new dimension of support and loving trust which has enabled us to grow in the Spirit through constructive challenge and criticism. "
The 13 dioceses of Coalition 14 are: Arizona, Eastern Oregon, Eau Claire, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, Rio Grande, San Joaquin, South Dakota, Utah, Western Kansas, and Wyoming. The Diocese of the Rio Grande has become financially independent of national church grants but has remained a supportive member of the coalition for this year at least.