The Acts of Convention

House of Bishops

Original Text of Resolution:

(D003)

Resolved, the House of Deputies concurring, That the 73rd General Convention establish a pastoral committee of the church called the Standing Commission for Pastoral Response to Conflict (SCPRC). It shall consist of nine members, including three bishops, three priests or deacons, and three lay people who shall be selected for their skill in understanding and resolving conflict, in pastoral care or in counseling and shall broadly represent the diversity of the church, who shall be appointed (and one of whom shall be appointed as the Chair) by the Presiding Bishop and the President of the House of Deputies at the end of each General Convention, and who shall serve for a period of three years; and be it further

Resolved, That the functions of the SCPRC shall be to discover the truth, to witness to the Church regarding the truth of the matter or matters upon which conflict has arisen, to work for pastoral understanding among conflicting parties, and to make recommendations and offer guidance for the resolution of the conflict; and be it further

Resolved, That the method for responding to a conflict that occurs in a diocese be as follows:

That at the request of the Bishop Diocesan, of the Standing Committee, or by Resolution of the Diocesan Convention in a diocese that is experiencing conflict, at least three members of the SCPRC, including at least one bishop, one priest or deacon and one layperson, shall be selected by the SCPRC to form the Pastoral Response Team (PRT), which shall by its formation be commissioned to enter the affected diocese, with the assistance of such experts and professionals as the PRT deems appropriate, to:

1. study the conflict, conduct interviews, receive statements, and take testimony from anyone in the affected diocese and anyone who otherwise has relevant information to offer;
2. receive those who ask to be heard and ask others to appear or to provide information, as the PRT deems necessary;
3. collect and review other material, including records and documents pertinent to the situation, and take such other action as the PRT deems necessary to discover the truth;
4. report to the SCPRC regularly, and seek guidance, advice and support from them during the process; and to remain active in the diocese for as long as necessary to carry out its appointed functions, approaching its role with the expectation that it will act expeditiously to perform those functions; and be it further

Resolved, That, upon the completion of its task, the PRT issue a written report to the affected diocese, including the Bishop Diocesan, the Standing Committee, and the parties to the conflict, and make itself available in the diocese to discuss its findings; that the SCPRC report to the Presiding Bishop, the Executive Council, and the House of Bishops in such manner as they each shall mutually determine is appropriate, to advise them as to the reason or reasons for the conflict, the nature and extent of the conflict, the prospects for resolution, and complete a written report that be released to the church which shall set forth the truth of the matters regarding the conflict to the extent of the SCPRC's ability to determine the truth; and that a full and complete record of the matter, including all of the testimony and related documents, be maintained in the offices of the DFMS; and be it further

Resolved, That the SCPRC may also offer pastoral support to the parties in the conflict and may recommend courses of action to resolve the conflict (providing that no solution shall be effective without the consent, freely and fairly given, of all of the parties to the conflict), and include those recommendations and the response to those recommendations in its report to the church; and be it further

Resolved, That the expenses for the work of conflict resolution it [sic] the affected diocese be borne by the diocese that requested assistance.

The House of Bishops on Committee on Committees and Commissions presented its Report #2 on Resolution D003 (Create an Entity to Assist in Conflict Resolution) and moved the resolution, recommending rejection.

Motion carried

Resolution rejected

(Communicated to the House of Deputies in HB Message #13)