Dioceses Act on Seminary Support
Episcopal News Service. November 18, 1982 [82244]
NEW YORK (DPS, Nov. 18) -- Three dioceses of the Episcopal Church have moved quickly to implement a General Convention call for planned, substantive support for the Church's seminaries.
The Dioceses of Western New York, Central New York and Rhode Island -- meeting in conventions in October and November -- all voted to develop plans for parishes to contribute 1 percent of their Net Disposable Budget Income in support of one of the Church's regular seminaries.
Two of the resolutions also prepare a framework for the seminary-parish dialogue that is an integral part of the Board for Theological Education proposal that was passed by the General Convention in September. The Board drew its proposal after the 1979 General Convention had affirmed the 1 percent rule in principal and directed that a plan of implementation be developed.
In response, the Diocese of Rhode Island passed a one-paragraph resolution establishing the policy and directing each congregation to designate the seminary or seminaries to which its funds would go.
Central New York's five-part resolution declares that the policy be established by Jan. 1, 1984 and that the congregations -- in collaboration with the Board, diocesan staff and bishops -- spend the ensuing year studying the issue of seminary support and engaging in regular conversation with one or more of the seminaries.
In Western New York, the Council was charged with the task of assuring a method of compliance and with initiating and overseeing dialogue with the schools.
None of the three resolutions encountered much opposition at the conventions. The Rev. Wallace Frey, a rector in Central New York and one of the architects of the Board's proposal, reported that it had been "thoroughly talked out in convocations" before the diocese gathered and the unanimous passage was preceded by comments that "it was about time" and that this was a "much more sensible" route to seminary support.
The debate in Western New York focused on the concern that -- since parishes were most likely to support the rector's alma mater -- the direct designation might place the smaller seminaries in jeopardy.