Episcopal Press and News
Summary of Actions of The Executive Council
Episcopal News Service. November 24, 1981 [81301]
GREENWICH, Conn. - The Executive Council of the General Convention of the Episcopal Church held its regular meeting Nov. 18-20 at Seabury House here.
The Council -- which sets policy and develops programs for the Church between the triennial meetings of the General Convention -- consists of 44 members. 24 elected by the Convention; 18 elected by the Church's nine internal provinces, and the Presiding Bishop, the Rt. Rev. John M. Allin, and the President of the House of Deputies, Dr. Charles R. Lawrence. The Rev. Canon James R. Gundrum is secretary.
Changes in the Church's laws in the fall of 1979 have doubled the number of provincial representatives -- provinces previously elected one each -- and pared back the representation elected directly by each Convention from 14 to 10.
Most resolutions for Council action come through six standing committees and occasionally a special committee or sub-committee.
The Council took the following actions:
- Heard the Presiding Bishop in a videotape presentation call on the Church to fulfill its mission and outlined five functions: Service, Worship, Evangelism, Education, and Pastoral Care; and approved his recommendation that the Council's presentation to General Convention in 1982 be in the form of a film. (See DPS 81302).
- Heard the Presiding Bishop welcome the members of the press who were covering the meeting.
- Heard the Presiding Bishop announce recent appointments to the Episcopal Church Center staff: The Rev. Canon Sanford D. Smith, coordinator of the Volunteers for Mission program; Mrs. Betty Gray, educational coordinator for women's ministries; the Rev. Donald Beers, executive assistant to the Suffragan Bishop for Armed Forces; and the Rev. Rachelle Birnbaum, coordinator of the scholarship program in World Mission.
- Heard the Presiding Bishop announce the following recent resignations from the Episcopal Church Center staff: the Rev. James J. McNamee III as staff officer for ministry in higher education, and Dr. Anne Harrison as staff officer for lay ministries.
- Approved long range policy papers, "Toward Tomorrow: Reflections, Learnings, and a Proposal for Action," and "A Framework for Planning by and for the Episcopal Church," which will be submitted to the 1982 General Convention in response to that body's request in 1979. (See DPS 81303).
- Approved its goals and objectives for 1983.
- Heard reports from the Rev. Canon James R. Gundrum in his capacities as secretary of the Council and Executive officer of General Convention, and referring communications as appropriate and receiving by title copies of the minutes of several interim bodies of Convention.
- Sent telegrams extending best wishes to two members who are ill -- Mrs. Virginia Ram of Los Angeles and Bishop Walter C. Righter of Des Moines, Iowa -- and Mrs. Colin O'Brien Winter of London, whose husband, former Bishop of Damaraland, died Nov. 17.
- Voted to provide an opportunity for provincial representatives to report on activities in their regions at each Council meeting, and heard brief reports from Mrs. Majorie Christie of Province II and Mrs. Ruth Schmidt of Province III.
- Decided not to fill the vacancy on the Council created by the death of the Very Rev. Urban T. Holmes III last August since there are only two more meetings before elections at General Convention.
- Observed Food Day on Thursday, Nov. 19, at the suggestion of the Rev. Barbara H. Schlachter, White Plains, N.Y., by having a soup and crackers lunch and by providing opportunity for members on a voluntary basis to fast at the other meals, with the food savings to be designated for hunger relief.
- Received from Mrs. Mary Flagg, the Council's liaison to the Triennial Committee, a written report on plans which are developing on the Triennial Meeting of the Women of the Episcopal Church in New Orleans next September.
- Heard a reminder from the Rev. Canon Junius Carter of Pittsburgh that the terms of all black members of the Council will expire at the 1982 Convention and heard him express the hope that blacks will be nominated by the committee and elected by the Convention and/or provinces.
- Approved a resolution which requested Presiding Bishop John M. Allin and others selected by him to engage in dialogue with one or more directors of International Business Machines Corporation concerning that company's business policies in South Africa and with the South African government and its affiliates. (See DPS 81307).
- Directed its Finance/Administration Standing Committee to explore alternatives to the use of Citibank as a channel for overseas fund transfers because of that bank's recent role in a $250 million loan to the government of South Africa. (See DPS 81307).
- Supported a stockholder resolution asking Hewlett-Packard Corporation to establish a corporate policy of not supplying computers or computer services to South African government agencies and affiliates. (See DPS 81307).
- Approved a shareholder resolution to be filed with Dresser Industries asking the company to make a full public disclosure of its practices and social impact of its business in South Africa. (See DPS 81307).
- Received a 20-page annual report for 1980-81 from its Committee on Social Responsibility in Investments.
- Received a report from the Coalition for Human Needs which revealed that 49 projects were funded at its November meeting with the grants totaling $381,426.50.
- Approved a grant of $35,000 from the Astor Fund to the Diocese of New York for legal and advocacy services to Haitians in the New York City area.
- Approved a resolution which asked the Episcopal Church Center staff to devise a plan which would substantially implement the National Committee on Indian Work's recommendation concerning the relocation of the Native American desk in the western region of the country, with a report to be submitted to the Council in February 1982, and expressed gratitude for the various petitions which were sent to the Council on this issue.
- Approved a resolution which encourages the use of prayer in all aspects of daily life but which at the same time opposes all government legislation that would prescribe the times, means, methods or words of prayer in public schools. (See DPS 81307).
- Approved a resolution in support of the House of Bishops resolution in October which urged all Episcopalians to try to find ways to work for arms control, to repudiate reliance on military threats and to meet human needs in our society.
- Approved a resolution to restore $15,000 to Coalition 14 in the 1982 General Church Program budget which had been cut by the committee chairmen, with the suggestion that those funds be used in work among Native Americans.
- Approved a resolution which calls for churches and private business to increase their social service and action because of federal cut-backs on many programs for the poor, and to increase their charitable giving to secular and ecclesiastical institutions to help the needy.
- Approved a General Church Program budget for 1982 in the amount of $18,681,000, with a 5 percent hold on certain indicated items until it is determined that there will be no income shortfall. (See DPS 81304).
- Approved a resolution which restored $10,000 to the 1982 budget to pay the expenses of Council members whose terms continue beyond 1982 and who will not be members of the two houses of General Convention next September so they may attend the 10-day meeting in New Orleans, using the same expense guidelines for Council meetings.
- Heard Treasurer Matthew Costigan report that only two of 95 dioceses may have trouble paying their pledge which means that "our outlook for the total income for the budget this year is very favorable," and that expenditures will be well within the anticipated income.
- Received by title various financial reports from the treasurer, including listings by dioceses of payments on the 1981 apportionment and special offerings contributions, Presiding Bishop Fund for World Relief, Venture in Mission, and 1981 income/expense summaries.
- Added six undesignated legacies received during 1981 -- totaling $62,991.95 -- to the general endowment income.
- Approved an adjustment to the pensions of employees who retired prior to Jan. 1, 1971 and who have completed at least 20 years of service, the change to be effective Jan. 1, 1982.
- Revised the lay employees retirement plan which will eliminate the social security offset, effective Jan. 1, 1982.
- Approved the revision of the Annual Diocesan Report forms.
- Changed the designation of the General Endowment Fund from "income only for budgetary support" to "for the general purposes of the Society."
- Approved three recommendations concerning deferred giving: Pooled Income Fund; Deferred Gift Annuity; and Charitable Remainder Annuity Trusts, Charitable Reminder Unitrusts and Charitable Lead Annuity Trusts. (See DPS 81306).
- Set up six trust funds (# 840-845) in accordance with Council's action for the release of undesignated Venture in Mission funds, with income to be used in support of approved projects. (For details on the projects, see DPS 81305).
- Approved Presiding Bishop John M. Allin to appoint an advisory committee "to examine, evaluate, and respond to the merit" of any serious proposals to consider the relocation of the Episcopal Church Center, as response to resolutions from Province VI and from Council member Matthew Chew at the June meeting.
- Offered thanks to God for the life and ministry of Junius "Buggsy" Henley, "a most value employee" of the Episcopal Church Center for 22 years, who died in October, and conveyed the statement to his family "as a token of the entire Church's appreciation for his many and significant gifts to all of us."
- Heard that the first two meetings of Council in 1982 will be Feb. 17-19 (Wed.-Fri.) and April 19-21 (Mon.-Wed.).
- Heard a summary report on Venture in Mission which indicated that as of Nov. 17 pledges or contributions from 69 dioceses and from challenge gifts, total $112.9 million, with an additional $21.8 million raised in adjunct campaigns, for a grand total of $134,708,221; that $36.5 million has been pledged for national projects, with $12.1 million received to date, and $7.3 million disbursed for partial or full funding of 48 projects; and that all campaign expenses have been paid in full. (See DPS 81305).
- Approved an appropriation of $1 million from Venture undesignated contributions for a Tri-College Development Trust Fund with the income from the fund to be used in support of three predominately black Episcopal Church colleges -- St. Augustine's, St. Paul's and Voorhees. (See DPS 81305).
- Voted to place $450,000 from undesignated Venture funds in the Ethnic Ministry Development Trust Fund with the income to be used for the General Church Program "to strengthen ethnic and minority ministries." (See DPS 81305).
- Approved an appropriation of $500,000 from undesignated Venture funds to the National Mission Indian Trust Fund with the income to be used for diocesan Native American ministries in the Episcopal Church. (See DPS 81305).
- Appropriated $500,000 from undesignated contributions to Venture in Mission to a Cuttington University College Endowment Fund, the income from which will be used in support of that institution. (See DPS 81305).
- Voted to appropriate $200,000 from Venture undesignated funds for the Episcopal Diocese of Taiwan to reduce their financial dependency on the General Church Program budget for 1982.
- Approved the appropriation of $350,000 from Venture undesignated contributions for a trust fund for St. Andrew's Seminary, Manila, which will enable that institution to reduce its financial dependence on the General Church Program budget.
- Voted to direct $75,000 from Venture undesignated funds to an endowment fund for the Anglican Province of Central Africa, the income from which will assist in the support of the provincial secretariat, which will enable that province to reduce its financial askings from the General Church Program budget.
- Approved the release of $1,250 from designated Venture funds to the Anglican Diocese of Cyprus and the Gulf to assist in paying the expenses of the clergy in the Gulf area.
- Released $130,000 from Venture contributions designated by the Diocese of Texas to the Diocese of Lake Malawi in the Province of Central Africa to help in the relocation of diocesan headquarters to the capital city of Lilongwe, Malawi.
- Approved the release of $40,000, designated by the Diocese of Connecticut, to the Ecuador Toward Self-Support Venture in Mission project, which will be used for building chapels in Manta and Tena.
- Authorized the Episcopal Diocese of Liberia to transfer its membership to the Metropolitical Authority of the Church of the Province of West Africa any time during 1982 after required preparations are made. (See DPS 81308).
- Affirmed the grant recommendations of the Commission on Theological Education for Latin America for 12 projects totaling $115,558.
- Accepted an invitation to participate in a second Partners in Mission consultation of the Church of the Province of the Indian Ocean in September 1982, with the Rev. David B. Birney of the World Mission staff at the Episcopal Church Center representing the Episcopal Church.
- Endorsed and adopted a resolution approved by the House of Bishops in October which calls on the Episcopal Church to assist Namibia and to seek a peaceful solution of that critical problem. (See DPS 81308).
- Approved a resolution which urges the humane treatment of Haitians on U.S. soil. (See DPS 81308).
- Approved three-year Companion Diocese relationships for the following jurisdictions: The Episcopal Diocese of Southwestern Virginia and the Episcopal Church of The Sudan, and the renewal of the relationship of Southwestern Virginia with the Diocese of Bradford, Church of England, which also has a relationship with The Sudan; the Episcopal Diocese of Dallas and the Episcopal Diocese of Central and South Mexico; the Episcopal Diocese of West Virginia and the Diocese of Central Tanganyika in the Church of the Province of Tanzania; the Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma and the Diocese of West Ankole in the Church of Uganda; the Episcopal Diocese of Hawaii and the Diocese of Polynesia; and the Episcopal Diocese of Northwestern Pennsylvania (formerly Erie) and the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Philippines.
- Received an announcement of the appointment of the following overseas personnel as missionaries of the Episcopal Church: Walter Conrad Fisher III to Province IX; the Rev. Michael Long to the Diocese of Sul-Ocidental in the Igreja Episcopal Do Brasil; the Rev. Ephraim Radner to the Church of the Province of Burundi, Rwanda and Zaire; Juliana Overland to the Diocese of Egypt of the Episcopal Church of Jerusalem and the Middle East; and the Rev. M. Richard Hatfield to the Diocese of Pretoria of the Church of the Province of South Africa.
- Approved a resolution of thanks for the ministry of and witness manifested by the life of Dr. Rosa Cisneros who was assassinated in San Salvador on August 18.
- Viewed a new film on refugees made by the Presiding Bishop's Fund for World Relief, "Hope for New Life."
- Learned that Bishop David S. Rose, retired Bishop of Southern Virginia, is a consultant in the World Mission office on Companion Diocese relationships and Partners in Mission.
- Confirmed the nominations by Presiding Bishop John M. Allin of the following persons to present to General Convention next year for election as representatives of the Episcopal Church on the Anglican Council of North America and the Caribbean: 1982-84: The Rev.Jack C. Potter, Lafayette, Ind. and Mrs. Joanna Fitts of Alabama; 1982-85: Mrs. Carter C. Chinnis of West Palm Beach, Fla., and Bishop Frank S. Cerveny of Florida; and 1982-86: Suffragan Bishop Henry B. Hucles III of Long Island and J. Kenneth Major of Miami.
- Heard a report from the Rev. Robert Wainwright, Rochester, N.Y., on his attendance at the Anglican Consultative Council in England last September, and heard a recommendation that future members of that body from the Episcopal Church be elected by the Council rather than the General Convention.
- Heard a request from the World Mission committee that time be designated on the agenda at the April 19-21, 1982 Council meeting for a report on U.S. aids and grants overseas by Dr. Edward Holmes of the Church Center staff.
- Heard a report concerning various printed pieces, filmstrips, videotapes and slides which are in production or have been produced by the Church Center Communication staff.
- Heard a response to a letter from Council member Mrs. Ruth Schmidt, Tumwater, Wash., concerning an article in The Episcopalian on the June Council meeting, with the committee saying that the reporting seemed to be accurate and not negative, and that the status of The Episcopalian as "an officially sponsored, independently edited national publication" is displayed in that publication, on its letterhead and in other sources.
- Approved an Equal Employment Policy and Affirmative Action Program for the Episcopal Church Center, with four minor changes made in the document approved in principle last June. (See DPS 81309).
- Approved An Affirmative Action Statement for the Episcopal Church. (See DPS 81309).
- Learned that a proposed policy for Council and General Convention agencies, commissions and committees will probably be ready for Council action at the February meeting.
- Approved recommended suggestions to implement an Affirmative Action Plan throughout the Episcopal Church. (See DPS 81309).
- Voted to designate the Igreja Episcopal Do Brasil as the recipient of the Church School Missionary Officering -- Advent 1982 to-Advent 1983 -- with a Church Center staff person in the Education for Mission and Ministry office responsible for coordinating the preparation of education resources for adult leaders and Church school children.
- Heard that a brochure will explain what funds are available and how to apply for Church School Missionary Offering grants for the 1981-1982 "children of the city" theme, the grants to be channeled through the Coalition for Human Needs.
- Approved a grant of up to $20,000 from the Constable Fund for the Education staff to develop and prepare a Christian Education Outline for Episcopal Congregations.
- Approved a resolution which calls on Episcopal Church Center staff to continue to work cooperatively on projects when possible and that promotional and education material reflect "people's sensitivities in terms of geography, race, gender as well as economic, political and theological concerns."
- Approved a resolution of thanks to God for "the privilege of having known and ministered with" the Very Rev. Urban T. Holmes III, a member of the Council, who died last August.
- Heard that the registry for conscientious objection continues to be maintained in the office of Education for Mission and Ministry at the Episcopal Church Center.
- Learned that the Arms Race Study Action Guide has been distributed and is in its second printing.
- Heard a request that agenda time be allocated to the committee at the February meeting for a presentation on the work of the Board for Theological Education which is preparing a report to General Convention on seminary funding.