National Council Meeting Oct.10
Diocesan Press Service. November 2, 1964 [XXVI-22]
An appeal for funds to help re-establish bombed and burned churches in Mississippi was issued Oct. 10 by the National Council of the Episcopal Church at its St. Louis meeting.
Decrying the "wanton destruction by fire or bombing" of churches in the state as "a shocking offense to the conscience of civilized men, " the Council also urged the nation's 3 ½ million Episcopalians to pray for Mississippians in the midst of the state's continuing racial strife.
A sum of $5,000 from Presiding Bishop Lichtenberger's fund designated for use in situations of racial crisis already has been earmarked for Mississippi congregations whose churches have been damaged or destroyed.
That sum, along with other contributions, will be sent to the office of the Rt. Rev. Duncan M. Gray, Bishop of Mississippi, who will transmit the incoming money to the state's Committee of Concern. The recently-organized committee is an inter-racial and inter-faith group receiving contributions to help rebuild or repair Negro churches in the state.
In further action, the National Council adopted a resolution guaranteeing that Council funds for construction loans and grants for building purposes shall be used for facilities "open to all people irrespective of race and economic conditions." A second resolution called for every effort to be made "to place contracts with companies whose hiring practices are non- discriminatory. "
Among other actions taken, the National Council:
# Memorialized General Convention to support the world programs, "God's word for a New Age, " under the leadership of the Archbishop of York to increase the world distribution of scripture by the United Bible Societies to 150, 000, 000 annually by 1966. It also asked that the National Council appoint a committee to work with the American Bible Society toward the achievement of the U.S.'s share in this program and to seek increased support for the society through annual appropriations in parish budgets.
# Memorialized General Convention to instruct the Council to annually appropriate 15 per cent of the Good Friday Offering to the Joint Commission on Co-operation with the Eastern Churches (or to the successor-commission to which its functions shall be assigned) to support the Orthodox Theological Institute in Paris and other cooperative undertakings with the Eastern Churches.
# Approved in principle the appointment of Episcopal missionaries to serve on the faculty of the proposed Pacific Theological College, 8uva, Polynesia, and the financial support of the college. In this same area, Council also approved the appointment of missionaries to serve on the faculty of the College of Theology of Silliman University, Dumaguete City, the Philippines.
# Received a resolution from the Diocese of Pennsylvania memorializing General Convention to give "its prayerful support to the struggle for civil rights and equal opportunities, in Chester and the Greater Philadelphia area" and to approve of "the recent intervention of the Governor and Human Rights Commission of the commonwealth in the Chester racial crisis," urging that persons in high offices "make no peace with oppression."
# The Diocese also asked Convention to express its appreciation to the Presiding Bishop, the House of Bishops, and the National Council, and the General Board of the National Council of Churches of Christ for their "strong leadership in furthering the cause of civil rights."