Mutual Responsibility Underlies Council Meeting
Diocesan Press Service. January 8, 1965 [XXVIII-3]
In an atmosphere marked by anticipation, a measure of frustration and intense concern for the future of worldwide Christianity, the Executive Council zeroed in on "mutual responsibility and interdependence" directives issued by General Convention at its December meeting at Seabury House.
Council members, in addressing themselves to the organizational and educational tasks that lie ahead for the document's implementation, were faced with a problem that promises to dog their steps for the next three years: the vast need for both continuing and new mission programs and the lack of adequate funds with which to carry them out.
This realization will be even more pin-pointed in February when the Council holds its annual budgetary meeting, to determine just how the 1965 budget, for which General Convention authorized $12,777,017, will be adjusted to the actual anticipated income.
The 1964 General Convention two months ago requested the Council, its administrative arm, to "hold the line" on its continuing budgetary commitments, to allow the church to respond to the extra-budgetary opportunities of the "mutual responsibility" program.
In beginning implementation of MRI, the Council, as directed by Convention, passed a resolution transferring the responsibility of planning long-range mission strategy from the Presiding Bishop's Strategic Advisory Committee to the newly-created Commission on Mutual Responsibility.
The Rev. Joseph G. Moore, Ph. D., who had directed the Strategic Advisory Committee for the past three years, has been appointed as executive officer for regional planning in Province IX.
An immediate recognition and "break-through" of MRI was reflected in the appointment of a woman to chair the Overseas Department for the first time. She is Mrs. John H. Foster of San Antonio, Texas, who served as National Council member on the General Division of Women's Work during the past three years.
Warren H. Turner, Jr., second vice-president of the Executive Council, in his report urged Council members to involve themselves immediately in the MRI proposals by finding "new and better ways of evaluating the work in which we are engaged," even if this means severing parts of traditional programs; develop and maintain an adequate long-range planning process; involve themselves fully in the major area of the church's work represented by their departmental assignments.
"Such measures, if well accomplished, " Mr. Turner said, "should go far in furthering the mission of the church, in enhancing our ability to respond to the opportunities with which God is continually confronting us, and in carrying out our principal responsibilities. "
For the first time since 1922, the Executive Council went on record in opposition to legalized gambling.
In a resolution proposed by the General Division of Laymen's Work, the Council restated "the historic position of the Episcopal Church in opposition to legalized gambling" and requested that the Presiding Bishop appoint an interdepartmental committee to draw up a position paper reflecting the 3.5 million member communion's opposition in modern day terms.
As presently stated, the church is simply on record as opposing the raising of church funds by "games of chance".
The resolution was prompted by a speech by New York economist and Episcopal layman Edgar Mead, who also is vice-chairman of laymen's work for Province II, which includes eight dioceses in the States of New York and New Jersey.
The Council also took these, among other, actions:
# Appropriated a total of $195,000 over a three-year period for support of the World Council of Church's general budget and, since this is below the WCC's asking figure, of $71,700 per year, the Council stated that gifts from dioceses, parishes or individuals not specifically earmarked will be applied "toward the original asking of the WCC instead of being used to reduce the amount pledged by the Executive Council.
# Allocated a sum of $2, 875 for travel and registration fees for 35 Episcopal delegates attending the Sixth World Order Study Conference of the WCC, to be held Oct. 20-23 in St. Louis;
# Approved the request of the Diocese of Maryland and the Missionary District of the Virgin Islands to enter into a companion-diocese relationship for three years;
# Added a sum of $4,000 to an earlier contribution of $5, 000 toward support of the Joint Study Commission on Education of the WCC and the World Council of Christian Education;
# Adopted in principle, but tabled until February the implementation of a resolution requesting the Presiding Bishop to appoint a five-person committee to prepare a basic position paper on church-state relations, because it involved an appropriation from the 1965 Budget, which will be adopted at that meeting.
# Increased the base pay of single missionaries from $2,500 to $3, 000 and of married missionaries from $3, 000 to $3, 600 and provided revised locality allowances based on comparative living expenses with changes becoming effective Jan. 1;
# Designated the domestic portion of the 1965 Church School Missionary Offering to be used for work with Spanish-speaking persons in the United States;
# "Regretfully" turned down a request by St. Stephen's Church, Belvidere, Calif., for funds to fight a legal battle aimed against the establishment of a church school in a particular zone.
The Council also adopted a resolution of "warm appreciation" to Bishop Lichtenberger, who chaired his last meeting of the Council before stepping down from the Presiding Bishop's seat Jan. 1.
Two resignations were announced at the meeting. John W. Reinhardt will end more than 10 years as Director of the Promotion Department in May and Miss Betty Beath, associate secretary of the United Thank Offering in the General Division of Women's Work, who had served in that capacity since 1956, will leave the Council Jan. 1.
Appointments by the Presiding Bishop were confirmed by the Council. Paul A. Tate was promoted from the position of assistant secretary to associate director of the Overseas Department. The Rev. Joseph G. Moore, Ph. D., resigned from the post of Executive Officer of the Strategic Advisory Commission to become Executive Officer of Regional Planning for Province IX.
Arthur F. Greer of New York on Jan. 1 will become assistant treasurer of the Council. The Rev. Edmund B. Partridge of Caldwell-Essex Fells, N. J., has been appointed associate director of Laymen's Work, effective Jan. 1, and the Rev. Reinhardt B. Gutmann, a consultant to the Department of Christian Social Relations, was named executive secretary of the Division of Health and Welfare Services.