The Acts of Convention

Resolved, That the Presiding Bishop and others responsible for the presence at the Opening Service of the Sixty-Fifth General Convention of so many and varied representatives of the Christian World and the Jewish Community be commended for this magnificent ecumenical witness. We commend those responsible for arranging to have representatives of other Christian bodies as observers in the House of Bishops and in the House of Deputies.

DIGNITARIES ATTENDING GENERAL CONVENTION OPENING SERVICE

Archbishop John Roach, representing the National Conference of Catholic Bishops.

The Rev. Arten Ashjian, representing the Most Rev. Torkom Manoogian, Primate, Armenian Church of North and South America.

Dr. Lawrence W. Bottoms, representing the Presbyterian Church in the United States.

The Very Rev. Archmandrite Oshagan Choloyan, representing Archbishop Sarkissian of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America.

Bishop Wayne Clymer, representing the United Methodist Church.

Archbishop G.F.C. Jackson, representing the Anglican Church of Canada.

Bishops Eldon of Nassau and the Bahamas and Gomez of Barbados, representing the Church in the Province of the West Indies.

Bishop Frederick Jordan, Chairman of the Consultation on Church Union.

The Most Rev. Raymond W. Lessard, Roman Catholic Co-Chairman of the Anglican-Roman Catholic Consultation.

The Rev. Charles H. Long, Jr., Executive Secretary, New York office of the World Council of Churches.

Dr. David W. Preus, President, American Lutheran Church.

The Rev. James Savides, representing the United Church of Christ.

The Rt. Rev. Francis C. Rowinski, representing the Polish National Catholic Church.

The Rt. Rev. Bishop John of Thermon, representing Archbishop Iakovos of the Greek Orthodox Diocese of North and South America.

Dr. William P. Thompson, President, National Council of Churches and Stated Clerk, United Presbyterian Church in the United States of America.

Dr. Robert C. Torbet, Office of Ecumenical Relations, representing the American Baptist Church in the United States of America.

Mrs. Theodore O. Wedel, North American President --World Council of Churches.

Rabbi Leigh D. Lerner, Convenor, Minnesota Rabbinical Association.

The Rev. Anthony M. Coniaris, Greek Orthodox, President of the Greater Minneapolis Council of Churches.

The Rev. David Witheridge, Executive Director, Minneapolis Area Council of Churches.

The Rev. Douglas S. Pitts, President St. Paul Area Council of Churches.

The Rev. Arthur C. Scott, Executive Director, St. Paul Area Council of Churches.

Mr. David Ward, President, Minnesota Council of Churches.

Dr. Albert S. Lehman, Director, Minnesota Council of Churches.

The Rev. Zbigniew S. Kaszubski, Polish National Catholic Church, Minneapolis.

Mrs. Louise C. Hoistad, local President, Churchwomen United.

The Rev. Ellis H. Butler, United Presbyterian Synod of Lakes and Streams.

Dr. Robert Bilheimer, Ecumenical Institute, Collegeville, Minn.

Special thanks are due to Canon George Lemoine and his Minnesota co-workers for meeting many of these dignitaries on arrival and arranging their participation in the opening service.

OFFICIAL OBSERVERS

Bishops Jordan and Lessard, Frs. Kaszubski and Long, and the Rev. Mr. Butler also served as observers at meetings of the House of Bishops and the House of Deputies.

Other observers representing national church and ecumenical bodies included:

Orthodox Church in America: the Most Rev. Dmitri, Bishop of Hartford.

The Consultation on Church Union: Dr. Rachel Henderlite, Presbyterian Church in the U.S., and the Rev. Dr. Gerald Moede, Executive Director of the Consultation.

The Roman Catholic Church: Frs. Allen R. Laubenthal, William Skudlarek, J. Peter Sheehan, and John F. Hotchkin, Executive Director of the Bishops' Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs.

The Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod: Dr. Karl Barth of Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Dr. Paul Opsabl of the Division of Theological Studies, The Lutheran Council in the U.S.A.

The United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A.: The Rev. Messrs. John Sinclair, Carl Soderburg, Thomas Zemek, and Robert Raymond.

The United Methodist Church: The Rev. Jean Audrey Powers, Assistant General Secretary, Board of Global Ministries.

The Old Catholic Diocese of Germany: The Rev. Georg Retzlaff of Koblenz.

The National Council of Churches: The Rev. Robert Powell of the Division of Overseas Ministries.

Welcome and assistance in their work was provided by the association of Episcopal Diocesan Ecumenical Officers and local volunteers.

LOCAL OBSERVERS

Regional and local Church bodies and ecumenical organizations sent observers who were also served by EDEO members and volunteers.

These observers included:

The Rev. Monroe Bell and the Rev. Lyle Christianson, Alternate, United Methodist Church, Minnesota Annual Conference.

The Rev. C. Arthur Scott, United Presbyterian, St. Paul Area Council of Churches.