wfn.org | Episcopalians meet in Denver to hear plans for General Convention

[Daphne Mack <dmack@dfms.org>]

99-001
Executive Council meets in Denver, hears plans for General 
Convention

by James Solheim and Kathryn McCormick
(ENS) At its February 12-15 meeting in Denver, the Executive 
Council continued to explore its role in the life of the church, 
heard plans for the General Convention in 2000, welcomed good news 
from the treasurer, and sampled the parish life in the diocese.

In his opening comments, Presiding Bishop Frank T. Griswold 
urged council members to see their role as "a very significant 
communication link in the life of our church," serving as 
ambassadors between the council and the dioceses and provinces in 
what he called a "two-way process linking the work of the 
church." The council "is not simply a conduit for information, or 
a body to carry out tasks, but also is an experience of the 
church." He added, "How we do our business, how we live our life 
as a council, is being the church-and that's both a challenge to 
us and also an indictment." It requires that "we need to look 
very carefully at how we do our business, how we balance our 
lives. our willingness to enter into a process of discernment, 
rather than decision-making, when that seems to be the wiser 
course or the more costly avenue to go."

Griswold said that council members should "accept the fact 
that we are a slice of the church and the way we listen to one 
another, the way we make our decisions, the way we give space, the 
way we pray together-all those things are integral to what we 
carry out of here."

Ups and downs
In describing some of his recent activities, Griswold said 
that the teleconference on the first anniversary of his 
investiture as presiding bishop was "one of the more nerve-
racking experiences of my life," but an example of "how valuable 
that kind of a communication link is."

He described his disappointment that the January meeting of 
the nine-member Consultation on Church Union (COCU) decided to 
move ahead without resolving differences over ministry, removing 
any reference to the historic episcopate from its draft proposing 
a new Churches Uniting in Christ (see ENS January 27, 1999.)

In her comments, Pamela Chinnis, president of the House of 
Deputies, said that, "despite the sincere efforts of many, the 
fact remains that our understanding of ministry is likely once 
again to place us outside the COCU circle." The Episcopal Church 
won't be able to participate in the launch in 2002 of the new 
covenant "unless there is dramatic progress in addressing the 
ministry issue."

Chinnis reported that reaction to her proposal at the last 
council meeting that the church join the anti-bias campaign has 
been very positive. A number of dioceses have adopted strong anti-
hate resolutions, she said.

Plans for the Denver General Convention in July of 2000 
"are proceeding nicely," she said. "We're tightening up the 
schedule for committee meetings and legislative sessions to make 
room for periods of reflection and community-building. And we're 
exploring a variety of means to bring to life the presiding bishop's
theme
of Jubilee 2000, providing several opportunities for him to lead us, in
his 
teaching role, in reflecting on the church's identity, vocation 
and mission."

Preparing for General Convention
In reporting on the emerging plans for the General 
Convention, Bishop Jerry Winterrowd told council, "It is 
providential that you are coming here in 2000. God has something 
special in mind for this church of ours." He added his hope that 
the convention "will restore our confidence and belief in 
ourselves as a church."

He described a Youth Event, running at the same time as 
convention in nearby Boulder, expressing his hopes that there 
would be some "interaction" between the two meetings. His 
visitations in the diocese have convinced him that 10,000 church 
members "will come down from the mountains for the Convention 
Eucharist."

Griswold reported on the discussion of a Jubilee theme in 
the meeting of the Planning and Arrangement Committee prior to 
council. 	"Jubilee means letting things rest. It means 
liberation, to be set free from all patterns of domination, 
attitudes which bind and oppress. It means loosening the bonds of 
fear, as well as being set free from the burden of debt, entering 
the realm of forgiveness."

General Convention, he contended, could be "a time for 
being a Jubilee community, as well as a legislative time. We 
should ask ourselves what really needs to be decided-and what 
needs more discernment." As he moves throughout the church, 
Griswold said that he perceives "a diverse center, with divergent 
and passionate views, but who are bound together in such a way 
that we can't dismiss one another, but remain committed to listen 
to one another." He looks forward to "a fallow day of reflection, 
both individual and corporate, so that our decision-making can be 
grounded in Christ."

Reflecting on that "diverse center," council members 
divided into four groups so they could simultaneously attend 
Sunday worship services in four different Denver churches. The 
congregations ranged from the formalities at the large, ornate 
Cathedral Church of St. John in the Wilderness to the much smaller 
St. Francis Church, which is closely involved in operating a day 
center for the city's homeless.

Good news from treasurer
Treasurer Stephen Duggan said that 1998 brought 
"unprecedented good news" of a $3 million surplus, half of it 
from unexpected income and the other half from "underspending." 
Investments did better than predicted, he said, and careful 
management produced "very positive income." 

Duggan reported that the real estate study of space at the 
Episcopal Church Center in New York City was progressing. 
"Architects have been asked to give us a stronger feel for the 
space and its uses," he said, noting that the building has 
125,000 square feet of space but that the staff currently does not 
need more than 65,000 square feet. The architects, he said, are 
expected to present "several alternative scenarios" for the 
building's future use and the location of the offices.

He added that the building currently is undergoing repairs, 
including replacement of air-conditioning equipment.  That chore 
alone, he said, incurs a $2-3 million bill for removal of asbestos 
that had surrounds the old equipment.

In another matter, the treasurer noted that last year 68 
percent of the church's dioceses gave funds to the national church 
in amounts equal to or above what was expected. 
And this year the trend seems to be much the same. "It is a 
marvelous sign that the church wants to pull together and act in 
common for mission," he said. 

The New York State Attorney General has acted on the 
complaint filed by a group seeking to investigate the management 
of church trust funds. The Attorney General's office produced a 
consent agreement that said that the trust funds are being managed 
adequately and asked that the national church continue to report 
on its actions in relation to the funds. 

Duggan said the Attorney General's office also had affirmed 
that the steps taken by the church to investigate the handling of 
the funds in the wake of the embezzlement of $2.2 million by 
former treasurer Ellen Cooke had been proper. The office asked 
that the church extend its investigation to a number of other 
trust funds to ensure that all was well with them, he said.

Dean M.L. Agnew, chair of the council's administration and 
finance committee, said that the committee will  look at a wide 
range of material at hand in order to better interpret priorities 
for the church's budget and mission. He added that his group also 
was planning to produce documentation in order to better explain 
to dioceses how their annual assessments are used by the national 
church.

Trouble Spots
The Executive Council also turned its attention to several 
of the world's trouble spots, particularly Sierra Leone. The 
council called for a strengthening of the United Nations' presence 
there and for an extension of protective status for citizens of 
Sierra Leone who are currently in the United States. The council 
also asked the UN, the U.S. "and all other appropriate bodies" 
re-examine the criteria used before and after economic sanctions 
are imposed.

In a short but eloquent speech, Executive Council Member 
Francisco Duque of Colombia described the damage left by the 
January earthquake that struck his country. He said that besides 
the 1,000 persons killed and 5,000 injured by the quake, 36,000 
homes were destroyed and that the country now needs 170,000 tons 
of food daily for people living within the disaster area. 

The Episcopal Church in Colombia is aiding in the rebuilding 
of homes, he said, by helping to build simple, inexpensive houses 
quickly. He displayed a letter sent by Bishop Bernardo Merino to 
bishops in other Episcopal dioceses requesting that working people 
each contribute $1 toward reconstruction in Colombia. 

--James Solheim is director and Kathryn McCormick is associate 
director of the Episcopal Church's Office of News and Information. 

http:// www.ecusa.anglican.org/ens