Church Considers Role of Minorities, Women and Youth
Diocesan Press Service. January 16, 1970 [83-2]
NEW YORK, N.Y. -- What kind of a role should women, young people and ethnic minorities have in the official councils of the Church?
The Episcopal Church faced this kind of a question at its special General Convention held at the University of Notre Dame in September of 1969 and sought to answer it by authorizing Additional Representatives from every Diocese and Missionary District to participate officially in many of the Convention's sessions.
They were not allowed, however, to vote on official legislation.
The South Bend Convention also authorized the election of young people and minority group representatives to the Executive Council, the official decision-making board of the Episcopal Church.
The question is far from having a final answer and in making plans for the 63rd General Convention of the Episcopal Church, to be held at Houston, Tex., October 11 to 22, the Agenda Committee has had to come up with a response to a similar question:
What are we to do about young people, ethnic minorities and other special interest groups ?
The Agenda Committee met for two days in New York City under the chairmanship of Mr. Oscar C. Carr, Jr., and Mrs. A. Travers Ewell. It discussed a large number of housekeeping details involving policy, schedules, worship services and procedure, but much of the talk went back to the South Bend, Ind., question. How can Church representation be broadened?
The Committee finally decided to try again and voted to recommend the participation of Additional Representatives at Houston. No vote, though.
Many have seen the Additional Representative plan as one which gives a voice to groups within the Church which normally do not participate in General Conventions. Others, who are critical, see it as a scheme to "pressure" the Church.
Something of these two opposing points of view was reflected in the Agenda Committee's discussion.
The Rt. Rev. Edward Hamilton West, Bishop of Florida, and the Rt. Rev. Scott Field Bailey, Suffragan Bishop of Texas, both pointed out that the Bishops of the Episcopal Church had opposed the idea of having Additional Representatives in a "straw vote" at South Bend which showed 64 Bishops against and 36 for.
Some on the Agenda Committee, although in favor of the idea, did not want to tell the Dioceses and Missionary Districts whom to select as Additional Representatives and would have preferred to allow them complete freedom in that selection.
Others, particularly the ethnic group representatives and young people on the Committee, made it clear that they were not yet ready to trust the Dioceses completely in making the choice of Additional Representatives.
Central to the discussion was a resolution passed by the Convention at South Bend urging that every effort be rm de by the Dioceses and Missionary Districts to obtain "breadth of representation" at the Houston Convention.
And a key question in the discussion was whether this could be provided within the delegations themselves or by the selection of Additional Representatives to augment the official groups.
Mrs. John S. Jackson, Jr., of Portland, Ore., reported that regular delegations elected by the Dioceses of Oregon and Olympia will include women, young people and ethnic minorities.
In the end, the consensus of the Committee seemed to be that the spirit of the resolution could best be followed by the selection of Additional Representatives, using a formula slightly different than the one used at South Bend and containing within it several important changes.
For example, the South Bend Convention included one woman as an Additional Representative because there was no Women's Triennial Meeting, normally held in conjunction with General Convention.
Since the Women's Triennial will meet at Houston during the first week of General Convention, with each Diocese and Missionary District authorized to send three delegates and three alternates, it was felt that the women will be well represented, and the Agenda Committee voted to recommend the selection of Additional Representatives in three categories:
1. At least one member of an ethnic minority.
2. At least one young person.
3. At least one person "who, on the basis of his or her involvement in the issues to be identified by the Agenda Committee, is judged by the Diocese or Missionary District to be especially qualified to deal with these issues. "
The Committee recommended that "great weight" be given to nominations from the young people and ethnic minorities themselves.
The third category of Additional Representative was seen as providing wide latitude in his or her selection and allowing for the appointment of "conservatives" and others of special points of view.
The Additional Representatives would be authorized to participate in presentation sessions, open hearings and work groups. Women delegates and alternates to the Triennial also would participate in presentation sessions and open hearings, although attendance at the work groups would be limited to delegates only.
If all of the recommendations of the Agenda Committee are adopted, the Houston meeting will be the first General Convention to provide for the full integration of the Women's Triennial into the work of the Convention.
The Agenda Committee is proposing joint committee hearings "on all significant matters" which would be open to all, as well as "appropriate consultation and joint discussion" in preparing matters for legislation.
These hearings and consultations would include the House of Bishops, the House of Deputies and the Women's Triennial. The latter has never before shared in this committee process.
The Agenda Committee also endorsed "in principle" a proposal to have a "Gathering Place, " but postponed a final decision pending the completion of a financial feasibility study.
"The Gathering Place," another "first" at South Bend, served as a center for entertainment, conversation, meetings, displays and experimental worship and was especially well-attended by the young Additional Representatives.
In a resolution on communications the Committee voted to recommend "that the General Convention in Houston be completely open to coverage by all qualified news media, press, radio, television and film."