APSO Communicators Forging New Links
Episcopal News Service. March 24, 1983 [83056]
ROANOKE, Va. ( DPS, March 24) -- Communicators from dioceses within the Appalachian People's Service Organization (APSO) met in mid-March to begin the work of bringing that coalition's unique ministry home to member dioceses and parishes.
APSO is the program coalition of 14 dioceses whose education, advocacy, assistance, and development projects seek to meet the needs of the rural and urban poor of Appalachia. By its nature, APSO is the primary link among dioceses that span three provinces of the Church and include a wide range of attitudes and resources.
The March 11-12 meeting at the Patrick Henry Hotel here was organized by APSO communication director Steve Smith to develop strategies for getting APSO more widely known and to explore ways in which the communicators might work together in other regional activities.
Much of the meeting's work was based on strategies developed by another -- and somewhat different -- coalition of dioceses called Coalition-14. That group consisted, at first, of the aided (formerly 'missionary' ) dioceses of the west and northern midwest and was brought into being to make better use of funds from the General Church Program. Although not all still receive subsidies, the style of joint budget planning and sharing of dollars and resources has remained and been strengthened.
Taking advantage of a Venture in Mission grant, C-14 undertook an extensive study of communication work and philosophies within the group and the results of that were shared with the gathering by Mrs. Margaret H. Andersen, communication associate at the Episcopal Church Center.
One learning from that study was of the value of church bulletins. They are the most widely utilized form of communication in the Church and the APSO group agreed to design and prepare inserts explaining the work of APSO. They will ask Presiding Bishop John M. Allin to declare an "APSO Sunday" early in 1984 and plan to have the leaflets distributed to each parish within the various dioceses.
Andersen's report to the group also emphasized the finding that the diocesan bishop is the chief communicator in the Church. "Where the bishop takes an active role in C-14," she told them, "the diocese at large has a high understanding of the organization."
That learning -- which also emerged during the Church's Venture in Mission campaigns -- was verified by the participants here.
The communicators also agreed to encourage bishops active in APSO to communicate with their less active colleagues about the ministry; to publish news stories about APSO in their diocesan newspapers; to share among themselves other stories of regional interest; and to develop slide presentations and video tapes for use at small gatherings.
The dioceses of Atlanta, Bethlehem, Central Pennsylvania, Lexington, Maryland, North Carolina, Ohio, Pittsburgh, Southern Ohio, Southwestern Virginia, Tennessee, Washington, West Virginia and Western North Carolina make up APSO.