wfn.org | [ENS] Werner elected deputies president

["Mika Larson" <mini_mika@earthlink.net>]

August 4, 2003

Werner elected deputies president; 
deputies support humanitarian goals and action

by Sarah T. Moore
 
[ENS] The Very Rev. George L. W. Werner was re-elected president of the
House of Deputies at the opening session of the house on the fourth day
of meeting, Saturday afternoon, Aug. 2. Werner will serve a three-year
term, through the 2006 General Convention to be held in Columbus, Ohio,
June 12-21. Werner retired as dean of Trinity Cathedral, Pittsburgh,
Pa., in 2000. 
Werner thanked the house and Louie Crew, lay deputy from Newark, who
also ran for election, and asked Crew to join him in "servanthood the
next three years." 

Responding to international concerns, the house also approved a
resolution, now sent to the House of Bishops, to consider the implement
of humanitarian goals in Africa. This resolution responds to concerns
presented at the Presiding Bishop's Forum on Global Reconciliation on
July 31, attended by nearly 1,000 people at St. Mark's Cathedral in
Minneapolis. 

These goals - to fight AIDS, poverty and injustice and to call the
church to partner with Anglican churches in Africa and other agencies to
implement the United Nations Millennium Development Goals in Africa -
would commit the church to allocate $100,000 per year for three years to
support a churchwide campaign to raise issue awareness and action
(A035).

The house also approved, with amendment, resolution X011, the special
order of business to consider the consent to the election of the Rev. V.
Gene Robinson as bishop coadjutor of the Diocese of New Hampshire
(C045). That special order followed the nominations for vice president
of the House of Deputies. The house convened at 2:30 p.m.

Rules of debate include two minutes for the chair of the Consecration of
Bishops Committee to speak to the report and five minutes to respond to
questions of information or clarification. The house agreed to add an
amendment to allow a spokesperson to present a minority report for a
two-minute period.

Deputy Mark Seitz of West Virginia asked that limited debate in the
resolution after the reports be expanded to 60 minutes from 45 minutes,
but that was defeated, and the debate time remained limited to 45
minutes.

After some discussion, a second amendment passed to use three
microphones instead of the designated two (one pro and one con) for the
floor debate. The third microphone was designated for procedural motions
only.

Deputy James Bradberry of Southern Virginia opposed establishing a
microphone for procedures, saying, "We are setting ourselves up for a
diversion from the whole issue." 

After clarification from the parliamentarian that "procedural motions
take precedence over argument" and also that discussion would go on for
at least 30 of the 45 allotted minutes before anyone would be recognized
at the third procedural microphone, the debate ended. Vote to add the
third microphone passed 460 yes to 351 no.

Deputies wholeheartedly approved a resolution from the Committee on
World Mission commending the Executive Council for recognizing	the
collaboration of the Episcopal Partnership for Global Mission (EPGM)
(A152).

"This is an organizational model for the whole church," said Nancy W.
Broadwell, deputy from East Carolina. "It shows how many diverse
organizations agreed to covenant and theology, saying God's mission is
more important than their differences. We need to celebrate this because
it works."

In other action, deputies:

-- Accepted a procedural resolution on the special order for election of
members of the Executive Council, which will take place at 11:15 a.m. on
legislative day 7, Tuesday, August 5 (X023). 
-- Accepted a resolution from the Diocese of Newark authorizing an
energy audit at the Episcopal Church Center to share with the wider
church and that plans to renovate the center incorporate energy and
environmental concerns (C017). 
-- Approved resolution to change "three months next" to "120 days" so
the resolution reads that if a diocese elects a bishop within 120 days
before the meeting of General Convention, the consent of the House of
Deputies shall be required in place of that of the majority of Standing
Committees, noting that it often takes more than three months to obtain
required  consents to the election of a bishop (A039). 
-- Adopted to concur with a resolution defining communicants of the
church as those who have received Holy Communion in the church at least
three times during the preceding year and, for statistical consistency,
are at least 16 years of age (A045). 
-- Concurred with a resolution from the Standing Commission on
Constitution and Canons that clarifies the right of the church attorney,
the complainant and victim to be heard by the bishop on the substance of
a sentence to be pronounced (A049). 
-- Concurred with a resolution from the Standing Commission on
Constitution and Canons that accomplishes the same result in the
provision regarding bishops in resolution A049 with respect to priests
and deacons (A050). 
-- Approved from the Committee on Structure a resolution regarding
parochial reports and participation of lay leadership in preparing and
approving such reports before submitting them to the bishop of the
diocese (A072). 
-- Discharged a resolution regarding length of convention as it already
had been enacted by convention (C034). 
-- Approved to concur on a resolution from the Committee of the Church
in Small Communities that the publication Expanding Mission and Vitality
in Small Congregations is a resource to be printed, distributed and
promoted throughout the Episcopal Church (A133).