Council Presentation on Partners Focuses on Parish
Episcopal News Service. February 17, 1977 [77056]
GREENWICH, Conn. -- The Episcopal Church's Executive Council spent much of the first day of its Feb. 16-17 meeting examining its role in the multi-layered structure of the Church and deciding how to explain that role in the April Partners in Mission Consultation.
The conclusion reached was that, while the focus of ministry remains in the parish, it was the peculiar mission of the Executive Council and Church Center to -- in the words of Council member Dr. Bruce Merrifield of Houston, Tex. -- "potentiate that mission" through strong open communication, education and the example of prophetic leadership.
Dr. Merrifield made the remarks in summarizing results of discussions among Council members and staff that occupied most of the first morning. In those discussions, the groups were asked to examine in detail the task of the Council and to explore what the members wished to see happen within the Church.
The results of those talks and the basic statistical data about the Church were turned over to a committee of staff and Council members charged with creating the actual presentations that will begin the consultation.
The Executive Council's Consultation -- set for April 27-30 at the Gait House, Louisville, Ky. -- will follow the nine simultaneous consultations in the provinces which will take place April 19-23.
The opening presentations of the consultation are a key part of the process and attempt to detail the resources, hopes and problems a province or national church brings to its mission.
The Council's report will consist of statements by the Presiding Bishop, the Rt. Rev. John M. Allin, and the President of the House of Deputies, Dr. Charles M. Lawrence, on the structure and work of the General Convention. These will be followed by the presentation that the Council worked on at this meeting which will deal with the work of related Church agencies, committees and commissions as well as the specific role of Council. A fourth opening presentation will briefly describe the work of the Church Center staff.
The written and oral reports will be accompanied by a slide-tape production on the work of the national Church and by charts and will be supplemented by a variety of background material that is being compiled and mailed to the more than 50 invited partners from sister Anglican churches and ecumenical bodies.
In working on the presentations, the Council reinforced its commitment to the Partners in Mission consultation by authorizing the use of $10,000 from the income of the Council's Constable Fund to assist travel and planning arrangements for the consultation. Debate also emphasized the critical role of communicating the results of the consultations and heard plans for use of diocesan publications, radio-television and the work of the Forward Movement Publications to bring the results to the parishes as quickly and completely as possible.