Executive Council Inaugurates Listening Process to Discern National Mission Strategy
Episcopal News Service. February 24, 1993 [93030]
As untold numbers of parish vestries across the country were engaged in annual planning retreats, the Episcopal Church's 38-member Executive Council withdrew for three days of prayer and planning to chart the future direction of the church's mission.
As if they were members of a national vestry for the church, Executive Council members at the February 10-12 meeting in Mundelein, Illinois, greeted statistics showing a growth in membership for the denomination, reviewed generally favorable budget forecasts for the new year and sought to galvanize increased participation by Episcopalians in the life of the church.
The council met on the heels of a Partners in Mission Consultation (PIM), a meeting that sought reflection and advice on mission and ministry from representatives from other Anglican provinces and ecumenical partners (See separate story). By the end of the council meeting, members were gearing up for a bold new initiative that will involve Episcopalians in every diocese in the planning of the mission strategy of the church.
An official visitor from the Anglican Church of Canada, Anne Davidson, noted that the council, like Jesus, had "taken time apart" for refreshment and reflection. Yet, Davidson said that "the time for talking is over. The time to act is now." She challenged council members to "return to the world to act on your decisions."
Davidson's challenge was a reflection of PIM participants on the mission of the Episcopal Church. Following whirlwind visits to 19 dioceses, the external partners applauded the Episcopal Church's openness to criticism, its energy, creativity, willingness to take risks, its spirituality and its courageous concern for others.
Yet the partners also criticized the church for continuing evidence of clericalism, racism and sexism despite the best efforts to be an inclusive church. "There are still outcasts in your church -- people who do not feel they belong," one partner observed.
PIM participants urged the Executive Council to "practice what it preaches" in the baptismal covenant and to measure all its work against the vows of the covenant. The council appointed a nine-member PIM action committee to monitor the implementation of the PIM recommendations.
The PIM consultation served as a prelude to a similar listening process within the church established at last fall's Executive Council meeting. Like an "every-member-canvass" campaign of all the church's dioceses, members of the Executive Council and a member of the national church's staff will spread out through the entire church to set up "listening posts" to help in long-range strategic planning for the church's mission.
"These diocesan engagements will provide an opportunity for the visiting teams to learn how each diocese's vision for mission and ministry is being brought to life," said Vernon Hazlewood, the Episcopal Church's director of planning. "We will hear what the local priorities for ministry are, what supports those ministries and what are the needs for ministry development."
Hazlewood said that dioceses will asked several questions to help guide the national church's planning strategy, including, "What do you see as the major challenges and opportunities regarding mission and ministry facing you, your congregation and your diocese during the next 10 years and beyond?" and, "What do you see most essential for the ongoing structural and programmatic reform of the Episcopal Church at the national, provincial, diocesan and local levels?"
Already two diocesan visitations have been completed. Council members will now move into high gear in order to complete the rest of the 115 visitations by November.
Church treasurer Ellen Cooke reported that 1991 parochial reports showed that the Episcopal Church registered an increase in membership for the second year in a row. New statistics show an increase of approximately 23,000 baptized members, from 2,448,772 in 1990, to 2,471,880 in 1991. In addition to the membership growth, parishes reported that more than 111,000 persons who are not currently registered as baptized members are "active" in the congregations.
The parochial reports showed that there were 663,071 pledging units in local stewardship programs who pledged over $630 million in 1991, an average of $20.96 per pledging unit per week.
For the first time in the parochial reports, congregations were asked to share information about their programs. A summary of the reports by participating parishes showed that approximately 160,000 people were served in soup kitchens supported by Episcopal Church parishes in 1991, and that 62,000 people were served through food pantries which were open 3.7 days per week in participating parishes.
In closing remarks to the council, Presiding Bishop Edmond L. Browning greeted the news with a sense of optimism for the work ahead. "We have the possibility of turning this church in a new direction," he said. "I have a tremendous faith in this church of ours -- in its beauty and strength and growing sense of mission."
Amid signs of a slowly improving national economy, there was some hope that the church might find relief from the severe financial crunch of recent years. Despite what she described as a "somewhat lackluster and flat economic climate" in 1992, Cooke seemed guardedly optimistic for 1993. She reported that 35 of the church's 117 dioceses have already sent pledges for their share of the 1993 budget.
According to Cooke, the 35 dioceses have pledged to contribute slightly more than 96 percent of their request. She also noted that two dioceses will exceed their request -- North Dakota by more than $ 3,000, and Southern Ohio by more than $35,000. Cooke also reported that the Diocese of Dallas, which withheld money from the national church in 1992, has pledged to pay 100 percent of its apportioned share in 1993.
After nearly a year of revisions, the council adopted a final version of a policy on sexual harassment and sexual abuse. "This is a significant piece of ongoing work," said Marci Walsh of South Carolina and chair of the council's program committee. The policy covers "participants in the activities under the auspices of the General Convention and Executive Council of the General Convention." Walsh pointed out the policy was "a first" and "a model" since the Episcopal Church was the first denomination to design a policy that covers "not only employees but also volunteers."
According to the policy, sexual harassment "includes any unwelcome sexual advance or conduct (written, spoken, or physical), any direct or indirect request for a sexual favor or suggestion that one might be granted and any tormenting behavior based on sex." Sexual abuse "includes any unwelcome physical or verbal sexual contact with another person in a context that would be regarded as unlawful or improper by local government authorities."
The council's policy establishes detailed procedures for filing complaints, proceeding with an investigation and sanctions against the perpetrators.
- elected Barry Menuez, senior executive for planning and deputy for the Presiding Bishop's Fund for World Relief, as vice-president of the Executive Council;
- endorsed the North American Free Trade Agreement with support for strict environmental and fair wage standards for people of all countries affected;
- called for national legislation to fund expanded services for programs to alleviate childhood hunger and child abuse and to strengthen laws that provide child support and the nation's childhood immunization programs;
- supported an emergency grant of $15,000 to the National Council of Churches' Urban Strategy Program, and pledged additional support if funds are available;
- declared the situation in Haiti a "special humanitarian concern," and called on the president of the United States to accelerate the procedure for admitting Haitian refugees, urged the administration to use diplomatic and economic pressure to restore the democratically elected government of President Jean Bertrand Aristide and encouraged Episcopal Church dioceses to sponsor the resettlement of Haitian refugees through Episcopal Migration Ministries; and
- affirmed two new jubilee centers -- St. Paul's Jubilee Center in the Diocese of Southwestern Virginia and St. James' Academy, Lafayette Square, in the Diocese of Maryland, and reaffirmed the Ministry of Saints Martha and Mary Jubilee Center in the Diocese of Olympia.