wfn.org | Episcopal Bishops model new style of conversation

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99-141

Bishops model new style of 'respectful conversation' in 
dealing with issues

by James Solheim

     (ENS) About 160 bishops of the Episcopal Church--joined by 
140 spouses--met at a beach hotel on San Diego's Mission Bay 
for six days in mid-September and wrestled with skills for 
"respectful conversation" as a way of dealing with controversial issues.

     "We hope we will become a community of wisdom rather than 
a body of reactions, seeing each other as carriers of wisdom," 
said Presiding Bishop Frank T. Griswold in an opening press
conversation on September 16. Although the meeting was 
essentially closed, he said that it was "not meant to be 
secretive but to create a context in which people can speak 
frankly and deeplyXto insureXgraced conversation."

     Bishop Charles Duvall of Central Gulf Coast pointed out that 
"spouses were incorporated into our lives more than ever 
before, lending their own wisdom and providing some helpful 
balance." He added that the interim meeting was intended to be 
"conversational, not legislative."

     Under the general theme of "Jubilee Consciousness," sessions 
dealt with Patterns of Indebtedness, Re-ordering of Relationships, 
and Sexuality, Mutuality and Fidelity. Chaplains Margaret Bullit-
Jonas and Jim Fenhagen helped to explore the biblical aspects 
of the theme, using the Gospel of Luke.

     Under the leadership of Eric Law of Vancouver, an author 
and consultant on multi-cultural issues, the bishops and spouses 
moved from an exercise intended to develop skills for "graceful 
conversation" to a series of presentations on international debt, 
racism and sexuality, followed by small group discussions. "He 
helped us to hear and learn from each other, not just argue, so 
that we could move to wisdom on some issues," said Duvall.

     "He urged us to deal with people as they really are, not as 
you think they are," said Bishop Chilton Knudsen of Maine. 
"Too often we deal with others based on a set of 
assumptions."

     A presentation on world debt by Tom Hart, director of the 
church's Office of Government Relations, was "very encouraging"
because it showed how the resolutions from the 1998 Lambeth 
Conference of the world's Anglican bishops has affected United 
States policy, said Duvall.

     Hart told the bishops that, since Lambeth, there has been 
"tremendous progress" on the issue. "A worldwide movement is 
working to address this unpayable debt under the banner of 
Jubilee 2000, and is now active in 60 countries." Episcopalians have 
joined 40 other religious and development organizations to 
create Jubilee 2000 in the USA and "develop legislation to 
translate the vision of Jubilee into public policy." And the church's 
Peace and Justice Ministries program has created a booklet for 
congregational use on how they might participate in the Jubilee 
celebration.

Racism exposes raw nerve

     According to Duvall and Knudsen, who served as press 
briefing officers for the meeting, the session on racism hit some 
very raw nerves. Bishops and spouses shared their own 
"moving, sad, almost angry" testimonies, Duvall said.

     "They spoke of present as well as past experiences, in some 
cases with other members of the House," added Knudsen dealing 
with ethnically insensitive comments. "It touched a chord of anger."
Among the stories was one of shabby treatment of the wives of the 
church's black bishops when they visit white congregations.

     "But we didn't have enough time to process such emotional
issues," she said. As a result there was a frustratingly "unfinished"
quality to the discussion. 

     "Illusions and complacency were smashed," added Duvall. 
And bishops set off some "alarms" in expressing concern about
the loss of bishops of color and decreasing enrollment of 
ethnic minorities at seminaries.

     The bishops adopted a resolution to reaffirm the "personal 
and diocesan commitment" to fight racism "in all of its demonic 
forms and expressions."

Receiving a witness

     A panel of three homosexuals--a man in a relationship, 
another in a marriage and a mother now in a committed 
relationship--shared stories of how they came to grips with 
their sexuality.

     "It was a very moving day," said Duvall. "There was no 
debate or discussion, we were just receiving their witness," with 
small group discussions at lunch. The group then heard a "help
ful presentation from two theologians who had a conversation 
in front of us, modeling respectful conversation," followed by 
small group discussion.

     Duvall said that people in his small group admitted that 
it was the first time that they had discussed the issue in any 
depth. He said that Philip Turner, retired dean of Berkeley 
Divinity School at Yale, expressed his deep concern that "how 
the church deals with the sexuality issue presents the greatest 
possibility of schism we have faced in many years."

     The speakers seemed to be saying, "Show us a better way,"
said Knudsen. She described a different spirit emerging from 
the discussion, not as confrontative, based on efforts to 
"de-politicize" issues and the atmosphere in which they are 
discussed.

     "If we do not receive a model from this house that is beyond 
the fractious patterns of the past, then we are without leadership," 
Knudsen said. "It's not an issue of who is right or wrong
but how we will live together." Duvall added, "No one was 
asked to give up their positions--just deal with issues 
differently."

Bishop for Armed Forces elected

     In the day set aside for necessary business, the bishops 
elected the Rev. George Packard of New York as suffragan 
bishop for the Armed Forces after eight ballots in a close race 
with the Rev. William Noble, who is an assistant in the office. 
Assuming consents from standing committees, Packard will
be consecrated February 12, 2000, at Washington National 
Cathedral.

     Packard is "a legitimate hero of the Vietnam War, with two 
Bronze Stars and a Silver Star for valor," said Bishop Richard 
Grein of New York, who nominated him from the floor. In response, 
Packard said that "this extraordinary honor confirms a direction 
in my life first begun when I was a scared and bewildered recruit 
headed for Vietnam."

     During a report to the bishops on the Presiding Bishop's 
Fund for World Relief, its executive director, Sandra Swan,
said that the fund "has been busy" responding to a spate of 
tornadoes, earthquakes, civil strife and floods. She said that 
she is "thrilled with the generosity of Episcopalians" in responding,
pointing out that church members contributed over $3 million 
to the victims of Hurricane Mitch. For the first time the Fund
has launched a project in its own name, building 95 houses, 
a clinic and community service facility in Honduras. 

   Bishop Frank Vest said that the Fund has been frustrated 
as it receives $30 million in grant requests each year but is able 
to respond to only a fraction of the requests. The staff and board 
of the Fund are exploring ways to increase support for the Fund 
and expand its ability to respond to crises.

"The timing is good because the Fund is held in high regard"
throughout the church and has "a great deal of visibility," said 
Griswold. He also hoped that this period of economic prosperity 
would encourage church members to share. 

     Herb Gunn of Detroit, president of Episcopal Communicators, 
described its members as "a very committed group of journalists 
who take their craft and take their vocation in the Episcopal 
Church very seriouslyX And we are proud that the Episcopal 
Church maintains a very, very strong reputation of supporting 
high standards of journalism."

     Reporting on the decision by the Evangelical Lutheran Church 
in America to move toward full communion with the Episcopal 
Church, the Rev. David Perry, the church's deputy for ecumenical 
relations, said, "There is work to be done." He urged the bishops--
and their dioceses--to study the document, "Called to Common 
Mission," a redraft of the original Concordat of Agreement that 
was passed by the General Convention in 1997 but narrowly 
failed to receive the two-thirds vote from the ELCA's Churchwide 
Assembly.

A new way of conversation

     At a closing press conversation, bishops agreed that it had 
been an important meeting--and some credited the spouses with 
making a big difference. "The spouses humanized the meeting," 
said Charles Bennison of Pennsylvania, making us "more willi
ng to share our woundedness." He is convinced that "a lot of 
surfaces have been scratched," and that the bishops moved to 
"new levels of compassion, sympathy and reluctance to label 
people according to their camps has emerged."

     "That doesn't mean that we have avoided differences," added
 Chet Talton of Los Angeles. "We are not looking for easy answers 
but committed to continue the conversation until we come to a 
place where there is more of a consensus." He said that an 
important "shift" had taken place at the meeting--"moving deeper into 
the issue of racism with more acknowledgement of our complicity
in the whole dilemma."

     Claude Payne of Texas called it "a creative and powerful 
meeting. We are on the pathway to wellness, led by the Spirit 
to work together."

     "We are just learning a new way of conversation," said Henry
 Parsley of Alabama, allowing an "experience of deeper 
communion in midst of differences" and engaging "real issues and 
complexities in a way that manifested our oneness."

     Knudsen expressed a hope that "the day of passionate 
confrontation is passing," that it will be possible to "be together in 
differences, not sacrificing our convictions but simply 
calling them to be sources of richness, not fragmentation." 
She pointed out that during Jubilee the land, as it 
lies fallow, is "extremely busy because, in nature, the system 
is kept alive by diversity."

     Catherine Roskam of New York said that she was aware that 
she wasn't alone, that "there were a lot of people in the room."
She agreed with Griswold that respectful conversation "does
n't mean backing away from the issues, but instead looking for a
nother road, moving forward in a different way."

     Looking ahead to General Convention, Griswold said he hoped
 that what bishops experienced at the meeting "may be useful 
dioceses, inviting people to see if what the bishops have learn
ed could be used on the diocesan level."

--James Solheim is director of News and Information for the 
Episcopal Church.