Summary of Actions of the Executive Council
Episcopal News Service. February 21, 1980 [80050]
GREENWICH, Conn. -- The Executive Council of the Episcopal Church held its annual meeting at Seabury House here, Feb. 13-15, with five members absent.
The Council -- which sets policy and develops programs for the Church between the triennial meetings of the General Convention -- consists of 44 members: 24 elected by the General Convention; 18 elected by the Church's nine internal provinces and the Presiding Bishop, the Rt. Rev. John M. Allin, and the President of the House of Deputies, Dr. Charles R. Lawrence.
Recent changes in the Church's laws have doubled the number of provincial representatives -- provinces previously elected one each -- and pared back the representation elected directly by each convention from 14 to ten.
The Council took the following actions:
- Heard a progress report on the energy study booklet which is to be available by the June meeting of the Council.
- Received from the Committee on National Mission in Church and Society an evaluation report of the National Council of Churches' Ecumenical Minority Bail Bond Fund and the annual report of the Coalition for Human Needs.
- Approved a charter for the Council's Standing Committee on National Mission in Church and Society.
- Approved by a vote of 19-17 a resolution which stated that a draft registration is not contrary to the policy approved by the General Convention last year but conscription without a congressional declaration of a national emergency would be contrary to that policy and should be opposed by the Church.
- Expressed appreciation for a report from the Rev. Charles Cesaretti, Public Issues Officer, on the ecumenical mission which he and six others took in late December to Iran to hear the concerns of the Iranians and to report back to the churches and the American people.
- Heard Presiding Bishop John M. Allin appoint the Rev. Canon Junius Carter of Pittsburgh vice chairman of the Standing Committee on National Mission in Church and Society.
- Heard that the Standing Committee will meet with all of the committees, commissions and agencies in the National Mission area of concern in Washington, D.C., March 20-22, bringing together about 110 members.
- Heard the National Mission Committee suggest that letters or mailgrams be sent to senators and representatives concerning the Episcopal Church's positions on capital punishment and refugees.
- Instructed the treasurer to vote the shares held by the Episcopal Church in favor of a stockholder resolution requesting Philip Morris, Inc., to disclose its equal opportunity policy.
- Approved by a vote of 18-14 a motion to instruct the treasurer to vote the shares held by the Episcopal Church in favor of a stockholder resolution requesting Exxon to furnish information on pricing, diversification and lobbying.
- Approved by a voice vote a motion to instruct the treasurer to abstain on a stockholder resolution with U. S. Steel which would request that corporation to report its plans with regard to building a new plant in Conneaut, Ohio, which might close other U. S. Steel plants and affect the jobs of thousands of employees.
- Instructed the treasurer to vote the shares held by the Episcopal Church in favor of a stockholder resolution which requests U. S. Steel "to describe the social and economic impact on employees and affected communities" if 15 of its facilities are closed as announced and of any subsequent closings.
- Instructed the treasurer to vote the shares held by the Episcopal Church in opposition to a stockholder resolution which asks General Electric not to sell to the federal government its Morris, Ill., operation -- which stores spent nuclear fuel rods -- and further requests General Electric to phase out the Morris Operation and to develop evacuation plans.
- Instructed the treasurer to vote the shares held by the Episcopal Church in favor of a stockholder resolution which asks General Electric to evaluate its Pinellas Plant in St. Petersburg, Fla., for the Department of Energy, which produces neutron generators for nuclear weapons.
- Instructed the treasurer to vote the shares held by the Episcopal Church in favor of a stockholder resolution requesting Morgan Guaranty to establish a "South African Loans Review Committee," which would review all South African proposals, using both the bank's financial criteria and a series of social criteria to determine whether such loans would be made.
- Approved a resolution abhorring acts by the government of the Soviet Union which violate human rights, and asked its Committee on Social Responsibility in Investments to encourage any corporation in which the Episcopal Church or its agencies are stockholders to cease and desist if it sells or leases to that government any equipment, technology or goods which could further the continuation of the violation of human rights.
- Heard Treasurer Matthew Costigan report that as of Feb. 1, 75 diocese have pledged or estimated their support of the 1980 budget for a total of $9,962,145; that the lapsed balance for the 1979 budget was $157,000; that 1979 receipts for the Presiding Bishop's Fund for World Relief amounted to $2,069,593.51, up $72,000 over 1978; and that there was a balance of $1,159,142.44 in the Venture in Mission account as of Dec. 31, 1979.
- Asked its Finance/Administration Committee to report to the Council on the costs of various types and levels of medical care for retired staff in advance of the making of the 1981 budget.
- Approved the Council meeting schedule for 1981 as follows: February 25-27; June 16-20, including special time for program discussion; and November 18-20.
- Authorized the appropriate officers to proceed with the sale of property in Montgomery County, Maryland, given by Ruth McCormick Tankersley, with $250,000 of the net proceeds to be reserved for St. Gregory's School, Tucson, Ariz., and the remainder assigned to the undesignated funds of the Venture in Mission program.
- Authorized an appropriation of up to $80,000 to be made from the reserve for contingencies to purchase equipment and make necessary repairs and alterations at the Episcopal Church Center in order to comply with New York City fire laws.
- Approved an appropriation of up to $46,000 from the reserve for contingencies to complete the installation and program for a new computer to serve the Episcopal Church Center.
- Voted to retain the law firm of Windels, Marx, Davies and Ives as legal counsel for the Council.
- Elected lay members of the Committee on Trust Funds for one year terms -- with Bishop Milton L. Wood, Executive for Administration, and Matthew Costigan, treasurer, as members also -- as follows: Elbridge T. Gerry, Sr., chairman; Thomas D. Cunningham, Jr., vice chairman; William C. Breed, III; John S. Buckley; Edward B. de Selding; Frank P. Foster; Karen A. G. Loud; and Douglas T. Yates.
- Heard a brief review of steps being taken with regard to the discposition of the Seabury House property in Greenwich, Conn., on which Life Care Services Corp. has taken an option to purchase for converting to a retirement facility.
- Heard an informal review of the efforts for the consolidation of the Seabury Press and Church Hymnal Corporation, including Seabury's recent sale of two of its lines of books.
- Designated the week of November 2-9, 1980, as Christian Education Week and urged all parishes and dioceses in the Church to support and celebrate educational ministries.
- Encouraged the Administrative Group, in response to a General Convention resolution, to continue to provide resources and counseling for young persons concerning resumption of draft registration or the draft.
- Heard that the Education for Mission and Ministry Committee discussed affirmative action, the bicentennial (1984) of Bishop Samuel Seabury's consecration, and response to a General Convention resolution on alcoholism (which will appear in the fall issue of The 99 Percenter).
- Approved suggested guidelines for encouraging better two-way communication between members of the Executive Council and the provinces/dioceses in which they live.
- Heard of a special presentation to the Communication Committee on the potential of radio/television/videotape in communicating mission and ministry, to which members of the Council were invited.
- Received an account of the South Pacific Anglican Council Partners in Mission Consultation, at Suva, Fiji Islands, Diocese of Polynesia, July 24-27, 1979.
- Approved a Companion relationship between the Episcopal Diocese of Rochester and the Anglican Diocese of Nassau and the Bahamas in the Church in the Province of the West Indies, for a period of three years.
- Affirmed the appointment of the Rev. Karl Ruttan of Ohio to be a missionary to the Diocese of Northern Zambia, Province of Central Africa, where he will serve at St. Michael's Church, Kitwe for three years.
- Affirmed the appointment of the Rev. L. Dickens Celestin of New York to be a missionary to the Diocese of the Seychelles in the Province of the Indian Ocean where he will serve for three years as dean of St. Paul's Cathedral, Victoria, Mahe.
- Received a report on the second Partners in Mission Consultation of the Anglican Council of South America, which was held at Vina del Mar, Chile, October 20-24, 1979.
- Received a report on the second Partners in Mission Consultation of the Church of East Asia, which took place in Hong Kong, Nov. 13-15, 1979.
- Learned of the appointment of two persons to serve in the Volunteers for Mission program: Seminarian John Liebler, Sewanee, Tenn., to develop a program for a seminary intern year, Diocese of the Dominican Republic, for a period of three months; and Edna Evans, assistant professor, School of Theology, Sewanee, Tenn., as a volunteer to the Diocese of Nakuru in the Province of Kenya for a period of seven months, as a teacher at St. Paul's School of Divinity at Kapsabet, Kenya.
- Approved a resolution asking the Officer for Washington Affairs to request the U.S. State Department to raise officially with the Turkish government the issue of persons missing in Cyprus, and that the same issue be raised with the United Nations by the Public Issues Officer.
- Heard a presentation by Richard Wheeler of New York, chairman of the executive committee of the Presiding Bishop's Fund for World Relief, on the function, organization, relationships, and future plans of the Fund.
- Heard that Mrs. Isis Brown, who has been involved with refugee work for the Council for 26 years, has resigned as refugee officer.
- Heard Presiding Bishop John M. Allin announce the appointment of Mrs. Robert (Marnie) Dawson as Assistant Director for Migration Affairs, Presiding Bishop's Fund for World Relief.
- Heard that about $750,000 has been contributed to the Cambodian Appeal through January.
- Heard that the Presiding Bishop's Fund board approved at its February meeting grants totaling $196,587.
- Heard Presiding Bishop John M. Allin call for continued support of Venture in Mission, for congregational service units, and for an implemented Volunteers for Mission program.
- Heard Presiding Bishop Allin appoint two assistant secretaries of the Council: Clare Fisher and Nancy Marvel.
- Received from the Rev. Canon James R. Gundrum, Secretary/Executive Council and Executive Officer/General Convention, communication items for reference to committees and a summary of the November meeting of the Board for Theological Education.
- Heard Canon Gundrum offer sample mailgrams texts for Council members to use to express their concerns about refugee matters to senators and representatives.
- Approved a charter for the Venture in Mission Process and Funding Committee (formerly Accountability Committee).
- Approved the appropriation of funds for a project to provide evangelism spots for television, in increments of $20,000 -- the cost for each spot -- subject to the continuing oversight of the offices of finance and communication.
- Approved the appropriation of funds as received for a project -- which will be used at the discretion of The Episcopalian as seed money for editions of diocesan publications in the national tabloid -- in increments which The Episcopalian approves, subject to review by the office of finance.
- Appropriated funds when received for a project which is designed to create a strategy for communication for Coalition 14 to improve the exchange of information inside and outside the group.
- Approved payment of $10,000 which has been received from Trinity Parish, New York City, designated for a project to finance the preparation of materials for the "Age in Action" program and "Aging Sunday," May 4, 1980.
- Established an Endowment Fund for Volunteers for Mission, with the following dioceses presently supporting it: Central Pennsylvania, Florida, Indianapolis, Missouri, Northern Michigan, Western Kansas, and Western Massachusetts.
- Approved the appropriation of funds as received for the Alfa Lit program, which provides for literacy, general cultural development, and pastoral training in Honduras.
- Approved remitting to the Anglican Diocese of Chile $27,000 of the $162,500 anticipated from the Diocese of Pittsburgh towards the total of $189,000 for the Augmenting the Chilean Ministry project, on the following schedule: $4,500 immediately, $9,000 in January 1981, and $13,500 in January 1982.
- Welcomed Bishop Luis Pereira of the Lusitanian Church in Portugal, who is spending some time in the Diocese of Long Island which has a companion relationship with his Church.
- Heard Presiding Bishop John M. Allin welcome the members of the press who were covering the meeting.
- Heard the Rev. Canon W. Ebert Hobbs of Cleveland, Ohio, state his intention to resign from the Council at the June meeting since he has accepted a position on the staff of the Anglican Church of Canada.
- Received nominations for Canon Hobbs' position on the Council (until General Convention 1982) as follows: nominated by the committee, the Rev. Kermit Lloyd of Central Pennsylvania and the Rev. O. Dudley Reed, Jr., of Springfield; nominated from the floor, the Rev. Enrique R. Brown of Connecticut, the Rev. Everett W. Francis of Bethlehem, and the Rev. Leopold Frade of Louisiana; additional nominations may be submitted by May 1.
- Approved a resolution which called for a committee of interested Council members to receive reports from the Episcopal Urban Caucus meeting in Indianapolis, Feb. 13-16, which would report to the June meeting of the Council; and approved sending greetings to the Caucus at its inaugural assembly.
- Heard the Committee on Stewardship/Development report that it has recently conducted a survey of deans of theological seminaries of the Church on their stewardship programs and emphases.