Summary of Actions of the Executive Council
Episcopal News Service. March 6, 1984 [84044]
LONGBOAT KEY, Fla. (DPS, March 6 ) -- The Executive Council of the Episcopal Church met here Feb. 26-29.
The Council -- which sets policy and develops programs for the Church between the triennial meetings of the General Convention -- consists of 40 members: 20 elected by the Convention; 18 elected by the Church's nine internal provinces, the Presiding Bishop, the Most Rev. John M. Allin, and the President of the House of Deputies, Dr. Charles R. Lawrence. The Rev. Canon James R. Gundrum is secretary.
Most resolutions for Council action come through six standing committees and occasionally a special committee or sub-committee.
The Council took the following actions:
- Authorized time to be set aside at the June 1984 Council meeting for philosophical reflection and examination of priorities in preparation for the budget-making process.
- Sent greetings and prayers to the Rev. Duc Nguyen on his ordination to the diaconate. He is the first Vietnamese to be admitted to Anglican orders.
- Affirmed Trinity Church, Detroit; St. Columba Church, Detroit; St. John's Church, Royal Oak, Mich.; St. Augustine's-by-the-Sea, Santa Monica; and St. Stephen's Episcopal Church and The Deacon's Workshop, Stevensville, Mont. as Jubilee Centers.
- Authorized stockholder resolutions which ask General Motors to eliminate sales to the South African military and police; seek information from Motorola on its employee and personnel policies in Korea; ask Eastman Kodak for a report on its Department of Defense contracts, particularly any dealing with space weapons; request American Telephone and Telegraph for an statement of evaluation criteria for contracts relating to the development of weapons of mass destruction; ask United Technologies Corporation to develop a written policy on plant closings and to report on measures it will take to reduce the impact of future plant closings on employees and communities; request International Business Machines give information on its policies regarding possible use of its equipment for repressive purposes.
- Authorized the treasurer to vote the church's shares against a stock-holder resolution seeking a report from J. P. Morgan on the Third World Debt crisis.
- Noted the withdrawal of resolutions to J. P. Morgan and the Cigna corporation on loans to South Africa.
- Were informed of the Jubilee Ministries-sponsored Models Fair to be held May 14-16 at the Kanuga Conference Center, Hendersonville, N. Car.
- Allocated $50,000 of Venture in Mission undesignated funds to project 570-g, leadership development/Episcopal Asiamerica Ministry and released $5,752 from the Diocese of Massachusetts to the trust fund for the same project
- Allocated $43,650 of undesignated Venture in Mission receipts to project 570-A Inner City Urban Congregation Development, Episcopal Asiamerica Ministries
- Allocated $34,000 in undesignated Venture in Mission funds to complete renovation of a Honduran church and provide diocesan transportation
- Released $4,420.75 from the Diocese of Pennsylvania for Trinity College, Manila Building fund
- Approved mechanisms to forward gifts received to projects in Brazil and the Central Philippines
- Received the report of Treasurer Matthew Costigan showing the final, unaudited lapsed balance for 1983 of $689,000
- Learned that the apportionment pledges for 1984 are running slightly ahead of estimates and that the 1984 budget of $22,881,500 appears to be secure.
- Affirmed the appointment of the Rt. Rev. Alexander D. Stewart, executive for administration, and Matthew Costigan, treasurer, to the Committee on Trust Funds
- Elected Harry Havemyer as the Council representative to the Trust Fund Committee and re-elected Elbridge T. Gerry, Karen G. Loud, and Arthur L. Thompson to the panel for three year terms
- Established the Harold K. & Mary Louise Edwards Charitable Remainder Trust -- the first to be established under the recently approved Planned Giving Program
- Appropriated $25,000 from the Constable Fund to carry out the printing of the Diocesan, Parish Mission Accounting Manual mandated by General Convention
- Established a National Triennial Endowment Fund to receive contributions to aid in funding the Triennial Meeting of the Women of the Episcopal Church and learned that a pledge of $1500 has been made to the fund from the Episcopal Churchwomen of New York
- Learned that pledges and estimates on 1984 diocesan apportionment indicate that apportionment income will total $18,523,763 of the $18,938,000 assigned.
- Set aside the 1983 lapsed balance as a reserve toward the 1985 Budget in accordance with canonical procedure
- Authorized officers of the Church's corporate entity -- the Domestic & Foreign Missionary Society -- to offer certain guarantees in regard to negotiations to winding up Seabury Press operations
- Established the John H. Parke Charitable Remainder Unitrust, principle of which -- upon expiration of the trust terms -- will be used for world mission work of the Society
- Established the Asian American Mission Outreach Fund to administer gifts designed to aid Venture in Mission project 570 for outreach in Asian communities and learned that a gift from the Diocese of Massachusetts formed the basis for the Fund
- Authorized a loan of $196,000 to the Church in Puerto Rico to cover expenses of a home care program that were not covered by federal funds
- Noted that six undesignated legacies totaling $232,754.93 had been received and added to the General Endowment Fund.
- Agreed to reschedule the fall, 1984, Council meeting to Oct. 29 to 31 from Nov. 14 to 16
- Affirmed the appointment of the following persons as overseas Volunteers for Mission: Mr. and Mrs. Charles Boardman, Peter Coffin, Diane Louise Dempsey, Mr. and Mrs. John Lincoln, Elizabeth G. Locke, Dr. and Mrs. Robert Meyer, and Sister Marian Philip, WSHS.
- Expressed appreciation to the following Volunteers for Mission who have completed their terms of service: Laurel Adamsen, Dawn Adkins, Henry Alquist, Carol Barton, E. Gray Beasley, William F. Dingus, Linda Dyson, John Hauser, the Rev. Robert Hood, Mr. and Mrs. Vincent Tarducci, and Cynthia Wilder (Armas).
- Confirmed the establishment of a Companion Diocese relationship between the Diocese of Lexington and the Spanish Reformed Episcopal Church.
- Expressed appreciation for the appointment by the Presiding Bishop of the following missionary personnel: the Rev. William W. Bailey, Jr.; the Rev. George W. Brandt, Jr.; the Rev. Philip G. Hanson; the Rev. Livingston T. Merchant, Jr.; the Rev. Sipo E. Mzimela; the Rev. Louis W. Pitt, Jr.; the Rev. Titus L. Presler; the Rev. Canon Arthur D. Tripp, and the Rev. and Mrs. Richard Tyree.
- Accepted the South Pacific Anglican Council Partners in Mission report as the basis for policy of future partner relationships between the two churches and extended the Council's gratitude to them.
- Announced that Standing Committee and Commission on World Mission will meet before the June Council meeting to discuss the autonomy issue, especially in regard to the IX Province. Asked Council members to read report and forward recommendations or suggestions to Bishop Davies or Bishop Haynsworth.
- Heard a report from Harry Havemeyer regarding the South African government's Eloff report on the South African Council of Churches, especially as it regards Bishop Desmond Tutu.
- Learned that the Presiding Bishop has appointed a task force to visit and report on Central America.
- Heard an announcement of the fifth national conference on world mission to be held at the University of the South in Sewanee, Tenn. on June 12-17. The theme will be "The Church in Global Development" and former Prime Minister of Great Britain Edward Heath will keynote.
- Sent congratulations to the Rev. Sergio Carranza, former Council member who has been named executive secretary of Province IX
- Reviewed two 30-second video public service announcements on peace and learned that one has been accepted by two television networks and the other by all three
- Reviewed samples of programs that are closed-captioned for the hearing impaired and learned that the Episcopal Church is the first to enter this field
- Heard that Presiding Bishop John M. Allin had named the Rev. Robert E. Brown, the Rev. Leonard Freeman, Sonia Francis, the Rev. Robert Parks, Richard Lamport, Nancy Montgomery, the Rt. Rev. William Swing, William Baker, and the Rev. Louis Scheuddig to a committee to explore Church satellite communication
- Received an invitation to submit ideas on potential video programs on individuals and ministries with ideas going to the Radio-TV office at the Episcopal Church Center
- Designated such projects as the pre-school toy library at St. Peter's School for retarded children in Seoul, Korea, as recipient of the Church School Missionary Offering funds, Advent 1984 until Advent 1985.
- Expressed gratitude to the Alban Institute and its director, Loren B. Mead, for work in building healthier parishes, commended the Institute on the beginning of its second decade of service, and encouraged congregations and individuals to become members of it.
- Approved an appropriation of $58,575 from the Constable Fund for the production of a 20-minute 16-millimeter film "Do This in Remembrance of Me" for use as an educational tool in teaching liturgy throughout the church.
- Learned of "The Episcopal Church and Military Service: Our Ministry With Young People", a conference to be held May 4-6 at the Kanuga Conference Center, Hendersonville, N. Car.
- Were informed that the Bible Reading Fellowship in the United States will be sending Council members a letter requesting from them their favorite Bible passages for publication.
- Learned of the appointment of the following Church Center staff officers: William Thompson as director of Church Deployment, Willeen Smith as coordinator of the United Thank Offering, the Rev. Preston T. Kelsey, II as director of the Board for Theological Education and Janet E. Vetter as deputy news director
- Learned that Ann Smith, staff officer for women's ministries has been named to the Administrative Group and that the Rev. Charles Scott is serving in an interim capacity as executive assistant to the Presiding Bishop
- Welcomed the Rev. Ricardo Potter of the Dominican Republic as the Province IX clerical representative to Council succeeding the Rev. Sergio Carranza
- Elected the Ven. Lincoln P. Eng, archdeacon of Oregon as an at-large presbyteral member succeeding the Rt. Rev. Leo Frade
- Learned that the Rev. Sandra Wilson of Connecticut has been named an additional member of the affirmative action monitoring committee and that women members of the Council will set up a rotating liaison with the Council for Womens Ministries.
- Welcomed the executive committee of the Triennial Planning Committee and heard a report on Triennial plans from Sylvia Corey, chairwoman
- Expressed thanks to Mr. & Mrs. Jack Shire, owners of Far Horizons resort and to the staff of the resort for their gracious hospitality; to the Rev. T.C. Aycock and the congregation of All Saints by the Sea parish and to the diocese of Southwest Florida for their assistance; and to the Diocese of Southeast Florida for the presentation on Service.