wfn.org | Executive Council off to a good start in new triennium

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2000-182

Executive Council off to a good start in new triennium

by James Solheim

     (ENS) At its first meeting in the church's new triennium, the Executive 
Council gathered in a retreat setting outside of Milwaukee and "formed a very 
exciting, clear, forthright community of diverse opinions but common sense of 
what it means to be the church," in the words of Presiding Bishop Frank T. 
Griswold at a closing session October 27. "We are off to a good start."

     With half of its 38 members new to the council, the major emphasis over the 
four days was to deal with issues of transition. Under the leadership of 
consultant Bernard Moore of Maine, the council explored a wide range of issues 
centering on its role in the life of the church--and the individual gifts its 
members bring to their task.

     In small groups and plenary sessions, council members were invited to 
envision the future-especially the role and purpose of council, relationships 
with each other and the national staff-and to identify the "life-giving forces" 
that could provide energy for those tasks. Then they moved on to design the 
"mechanisms, processes and structures which we want to use to support our work 
together."

     The council established four committees--Administration and Finance (chaired 
by Richard Miller of Florida), Congregational Ministries (chaired by Shelly 
Vescovo of Dallas), National Concerns (chaired by Bishop Robert Johnson of 
Western North Carolina), and International Concerns (chaired by Bob Sessum of 
Lexington).

A bit of business

     On the last morning those committees made their first reports and the 
council responded with its first decisions in the new triennium. The 
International Concerns Committee, for example, commended the recent letter from 
the presiding bishop to President Bill Clinton on violence in the Middle East, 
calling it "strong and right on target."

     During the discussion, Griswold said that the church was looking for a day 
to call for prayers for peace. And he said that Bishop Riah El-Assal of Jerusalem 
was considering an invitation to church leaders and members of Congress to spend 
some time at St. George's College in East Jerusalem. 

     Several council members urged a balanced approach. Judge Jim Bradberry of 
Virginia asked if the Episcopal Church had any official dialogue with the Jewish 
community in this country. The Rev. George Werner of Pittsburgh, new president of 
the House of Deputies and vice chair of the council, reported that the church was 
ready to pursue such a dialogue, perhaps drawing on the experience of Midge Roof 
of the ecumenical office, who has participated in dialogue on the local level.

     The Rev. Brian Grieves, director of peace and justice ministries, reported 
on the decision by Congress to provide $435 million as the U.S. contribution to 
an international effort to relieve the debt of the world's poorest nations. He 
called it "very good news," the result of efforts over three years by a broad-
based coalition chaired by Tom Hart, director of the church's Office of 
Government Relations in Washington, D.C.

A matter of stewardship

     Earlier Grieves was joined by Prof. Paul Neuhauser of Iowa to present a 
series of resolutions from the Socially Responsible Investment (SRI) Committee. 
"We are driven by the calendar of the corporate world," he said before 
introducing Neuhauser, who has been a driving force behind the committee since it 
was formed almost 30 years ago. 

     In 1971 the Episcopal Church was the first to file a resolution asking 
General Motors to consider abandoning its presence in apartheid South Africa. 
Presiding Bishop John Hines introduced the resolution and, for his trouble, was 
told that the church should mind its own business. "And we have been trying to do 
precisely that ever since," quipped Grieves. 

     Neuhauser said that the underlying commitment of the committee is to 
stewardship. As a result, the committee concentrates on issues of equality, 
environment, militarism, global corporate accountability, and economic justice. 
It seeks dialogue with corporations, advocating changes in policy or practice.

Pushing back on several items

     The council members showed a capacity for feistiness. After hearing from the 
Rev. David Perry about plans for an Epiphany service January 6 to inaugurate full 
communion with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, council members 
expressed dissatisfaction with a limited delegation from council for the service. 

     After Sessum introduced a resolution opening the way for all council members 
who wanted to attend be reimbursed by the church, Bradberry agreed. "Let's spend 
the bucks on this historic occasion," he said. The resolution passed with little 
opposition.

     The Congregational Ministry Committee decided that the January 1, 2001 
deadline for appointing a task force for implementing the resolution on women's 
access to the ordination process in all dioceses was not realistic. 

     While affirming "the importance of moving expeditiously," that deadline 
"does not allow Executive Council sufficient time for a fair and judicious 
considering of the composition of the task force and formulation of its 
responsibilities." The council endorsed a resolution moving the date to March 1.

Reactions are enthusiastic 

     In a final plenary, council members expressed their enthusiasm for the 
accomplishments of the retreat. "We did what we hoped to do--building real 
community, listening and trusting one another as we deal with difficult issues," 
said Bradberry.

     Louie Crew of Newark agreed, noting what he called "a lack of rancor," an 
ability to deal with issues with a sense of integrity.

     Griswold said that he there were some advantages to being "a unicameral 
body. We have our own life as a council, the freedom to be something other than 
the General Convention in miniature."

     Several of the new council members expressed appreciation for the reception 
they received. The Rev. Steve Lane of Rochester, for example, said that he 
"didn't feel any sense of junior status as a new member."

     Yet Shelly Vescovo did express some frustration with a process that "formed 
us into a team" but then left some of the tasks undone. "We didn't finish…didn't 
reach conclusions about some things," she said.

In other actions:

     *The Rev. Rosemari Sullivan, executive officer of General Convention, 
announced that the Minneapolis convention in 2003 would be held July 30 to August 
8.

          *Treasurer Steve Duggan said that when the books are closed on the last 
triennium there could be a surplus of almost $2 million, largely because of 
successful investments.

          *The Rev. Bud Holland and Perry presented the draft of guidelines for 
"the orderly exchange of pastors and priests under Called to Common Mission," the 
agreement for full communion with the Lutherans.

          *Sandra Swan, director of Episcopal Relief and Development, said that 
it might be possible for the church's Jubilee Centers to apply for ERD grants in 
the future--and that $500,000 might be available for such support.

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