The organization known as Coalition 14 has ended its existence, but its members have formed a new organization to promote ministry in small and rural dioceses.

C-14 was created in 1971 as the vehicle for the national church to funnel base budget support into the aided or "missionary dioceses."

"The coalition had met its goals," said the Rt. Rev. Rustin Kimsey, Bishop of Eastern Oregon and president of C-14. "But it has lost the support of some major players," the dioceses which had been members but had dropped out.

"It is time to bury the name Coalition 14," agreed the Rt. Rev. John Thornton, Bishop of Idaho.

The coalition, once up to 17 diocesan members, had only eight at this year's meeting. Representatives of those dioceses voted to disband C-14 but created a new organization, "Domestic Missionary Partnership." Bishop Kimsey will serve as convener, and members of the C-14 executive board will serve in the same capacity in the new organization.

Three members of C-14 - Eastern Oregon, Western Kansas and Idaho - currently receive financial assistance from the national church. The amount they receive is a line item in the national church budget, explained Diane Porter, senior executive for program at the Episcopal Church Center in New York City, who was at the meeting.

She added that there are also line items for support going to the dioceses with substantial Native American ministry. Those dioceses formerly received their money through C-14, but that stopped in 1990 with the formation of the Episcopal Council of Indian Ministries.

"It was the beginning of the end of C-14," said Chris Telfer of Eastern Oregon. She was the first woman, and the first lay person, to serve as president of C-14.

"C-14 was behind the curve in getting Native Americans involved," said the Rev. John Floberg of North Dakota.

"But it was ahead of the curve in every other area," said the Rt. Rev. Vern Strickland, Bishop of Western Kansas. He noted that several dioceses which became financially self-supporting continued membership because of a common interest in developing new methods for ministry, especially in small and rural dioceses.

He stressed the need for a group like C-14 in the national church "where there is collegiality, where there is acceptance."

Bishop Kimsey said there were "certain aspects of the coalition that we don't want to lose: the challenge process and accountability. The challenge process was used to question dioceses which made requests for national church funds.

In naming the new organization, the group agreed with Bishop Strickland that "We are a missionary church with a missionary soul. We represent the small churches, where the work of the church is being done. We're doing it where no one else wants to be."

C-14 members agreed to meet in Western Kansas next year and view a new youth ministry project there.

National church support of $113,000 for Eastern Oregon, $56,500 for Idaho and $60,000 to Western Kansas was approved by the C-14 board for 1997.

The final C-14 meeting was held in Burlingame, Calif., Feb. 6-9.