Executive Council Receives First Reports from Diocesan Visits, Grapples With Misconduct
Episcopal News Service. June 23, 1993 [93123]
Like the blend of threatening thunderstorms and beautiful sunshine common to a Midwestern spring, the Executive Council heard a series of reports at its June 15-18 meeting in Minneapolis that brought both cheer and dismay.
Since the council's last meeting, "we have seen conflicts deepen and suffering increase in some of the most troubled lands: Liberia, the Sudan, Somalia, the Occupied Territories and, most certainly and visibly, in Bosnia," Presiding Bishop Edmond L. Browning reminded the 38 members of the council elected to carry out the mandates of the church between General Conventions. During his address from the chair (text in Newsfeatures section) he said that, "wherever mass suffering exists....the church must articulate where God is in all of this and, in response, seek to understand our role in God's purposes."
Contending that "there is nothing more important we can do in obedience to God than listen to our own lives," Browning posed two questions whose answers shape the personal and corporate lives of Christians: "Where is God in all this? Are we becoming more who God means us to become or less?"
Browning also said that, while "it is sometimes hard to make out the shadow of God's hand through the veil of tears, of this we are clear -- God is present with those who suffer."
"Surely as we listen to our lives we know that we are being called to attend to the problem of sexual abuse in the church," Browning said. "I am not proud of the problems; I am proud of the way we are facing them," he added. "We are trying to make the church a place of safety, where vulnerability is a gift, though it may lead to the cross. We are trying to be open and we are trying to be honest."
During an afternoon session, Browning carefully explained the recent controversy over allegations of sexual abuse by Bishop Steven Plummer of Navajoland (see May 27 ENS), outlining the steps taken in that case and arguing for a consistent policy. Admitting that the "situation in Navajoland is not completely resolved, it is still unfolding," Browning asked with obvious pain, "How do you bring healing and wholeness to the accuser and the accused? How do you redeem, out of all the pain, the moment of brokenness?" He said that it is often hard to keep that goal in mind. "We are learning but there is so much more to learn."
Later in the meeting, the Rev. Canon Margo Maris of Minnesota, cochair of the church's committee on sexual exploitation, said that the church is developing a safety network to help people come forward. She said that cases involving clergy were particularly difficult because, in many cases, the faith of the victims was being destroyed. "We can't afford to lose these people by paying attention only to the needs of the clergy," Maris said in advocating tough policies in response to clergy misconduct. "I don't know who is going to believe in us if we allow this to happen among our leaders." She added that "we have made some progress in helping people believe that the church is addressing the issues."
Since misconduct is "a death, dying and healing experience -- not a crisis management situation," Maris believes that the prognosis for healing is not very good unless the person is "very serious about wanting to get well," she observed. And she said it was a major concern to her that so many clergy wanted and expected to be restored to their ministry.
Maris also made a distinction between faith needs and fiscal needs, contending that there is "a big difference between the church's need to curb liability and our need to create a place where people can freely worship God."
Senior executive for planning Barry Menuez reported that the visits by Executive Council members and national staff to the dioceses are going "extremely well." With over 62 dioceses completed, the visits have produced "such a mass of material that the committee will be working through the summer" to draft a report with recommendations for the November meeting of Executive Council.
Employing a software program designed to organize and analyze the material around common themes, Menuez said it was already apparent that the "overriding message is deep appreciation by the dioceses," despite some strong criticism of the national program of the church.
Several council members reported on their visits. Joyce Austin of New York, for example, said that during her four diocesan visits she found an "absence of hostility" even when feelings ran strong on some issues. Participants also discovered, she noted, that they were listening to each other and bishops were able to take a reading of the mood of the diocese.
The last Executive Council meeting incorporated a Partners in Mission (PIM) Consultation, following diocesan visits by ecumenical partners from around the world. An action committee charged with "facilitating and monitoring" the PIM recommendations reminded the council that the consultation is "part of the long-range planning process of council," not an isolated event.
The committee urged council to include PIM in its report to General Convention. And the committee announced that it was inviting six young adults to join the next council meeting as a part of the listening process. "We still must learn how to tell our story," the committee said in underscoring the need for more communication.
Executive Council members were given a quick exposure to the variety of ministries in the Diocese of Minnesota. While riding buses to Faribault, site of the first Episcopal cathedral in the United States, they heard presentations on the theme of "wellness." Minnesota has an international reputation as a "recovery center," with major institutions addressing drug and alcohol rehabilitation. The state also has widely renowned medical facilities, such as the Mayo Clinic in Rochester.
From Faribault the buses crossed the state to the Mississippi River valley and the Indian reservation at Prairie Island. Council members joined the congregation at Church of the Messiah for the dedication of a new parish center and then joined church and tribal leaders for dinner and a tour of the new casino.
- approved the choice of a theme for the 71st General Convention in Indianapolis: "With water and the Holy Spirit, proclaiming one God, one family, one earth."
- adopted unanimously Philadelphia as the site for the 1997 General Convention.
- learned that a growing number of dioceses are not able to meet their financial commitments and there is a trend among others to establish their own formulas for contributions to the national budget.
- heard a report that 79 dioceses have responded to the askings for $32 million with a pledge rate of 84.7 percent.
- voted to send five council members to the August symposium on church structure in St. Louis -- Lloyd Casson, Peg Anderson, Don Wimberly, Barry Menuez and Don Nickerson.
- heard that the dioceses in Mexico have already registered with the government as the Anglican Church of Mexico and will present resolutions to General Convention asking for formal autonomy from the Episcopal Church.
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