The Acts of Convention

House of Deputies

The House of Deputies Committee on Communications presented its Report #9 on Resolution D037 (Survey on Church Communication) and moved adoption with amendment.

Original Text of Resolution:

(D037)

Resolved, the House of Bishops concurring, That the Department of Communications undertake a comprehensive survey to determine the most appropriate means of reaching Episcopalians. Such survey would include existing readers of Episcopal Life to determine the effectiveness and reach of The Episcopal Church’s monthly newspaper and whether alternative schedules or media would better serve current readers’ needs. Readers surveyed would include clergy and laity, individual subscribers and those receive Episcopal Life in conjunction with their dioceses’ newspapers. The survey would also include Episcopalians who formerly or have never subscribed to Episcopal Life; and be it further

Resolved, That the survey should include: respondent demographics; which elements Episcopal Life readers or former readers find or found most and least useful in that publication; from which other sources respondents obtain news of The Episcopal Church; whether respondents have access to the Internet; whether respondents utilize social networking technologies; whether respondents now do obtain news via Episcopal Life Online or other digital Episcopal Church communications vehicles; whether respondents anticipate doing so if Episcopal Life switched to a quarterly magazine or ceased to publish; whether respondents would subscribe to a quarterly magazine; and be it further

Resolved, That a report incorporating the results of this survey be distributed to the Church by April 1, 2010; which report would also include information on the number of households receiving Episcopal Life through printing partnerships as well as the number of individual subscribers- how many diocesan printing partners would distribute a quarterly magazine; and a complete statement of income and expense sources for the years 2007 through 2009; and be it further

Resolved, That current Episcopal Life staffing, frequency of publication, printing partner structure and news format continue until completion of the study, whose results will be used to determine the need for changes in any of these areas; and be it further

Resolved, That the Episcopal Life Board of Governors be informed of the survey data and consulted in finalizing the report and determining any changes to be made based on that report.

Committee Amendment:

Resolved, the House of Bishops concurring, That the Department of Communications undertake a comprehensive survey to determine the most appropriate means of reaching Episcopalians. Such survey would include existing readers of Episcopal Life to determine the effectiveness and reach of The Episcopal Church’s monthly newspaper and whether alternative schedules or media would better serve current readers’ needs. Readers surveyed would include clergy and laity, individual subscribers and those receive Episcopal Life in conjunction with their dioceses’ newspapers. The survey would also include Episcopalians who formerly or have never subscribed to Episcopal Life; and be it further

Resolved, That the survey should include: respondent demographics; which elements Episcopal Life readers or former readers find or found most and least useful in that publication; from which other sources respondents obtain news of The Episcopal Church; whether respondents have access to the Internet; whether respondents utilize social networking technologies; whether respondents now do obtain news via Episcopal Life Online or other digital Episcopal Church communications vehicles; whether respondents anticipate doing so if Episcopal Life switched to a quarterly magazine or ceased to publish; whether respondents would subscribe to a quarterly magazine; and be it further

Resolved, That a report incorporating the results of this survey be distributed to the Church by April 1, 2010; which report would also include information on the number of households receiving Episcopal Life through printing partnerships as well as the number of individual subscribers-; how many diocesan printing partners would distribute a quarterly magazine; and a complete statement of income and expense sources for the years 2007 through 2009; and be it further

Resolved, That current Episcopal Life staffing levels, frequency of publication, printing partner structure and news format continue until completion of the study, whose results will be used to determine the need for changes in any of these areas; and be it further

Resolved, That the Episcopal Life Board of Governors be informed of the survey data and consulted in finalizing the report and determining any changes to be made based on that report.

Deputy Hart of Pennsylvania moved the previous question.

Motion carried

Debate terminated

A vote was taken on Resolution D037 as amended.

Motion carried

Resolution adopted with amendment

(Communicated to the House of Bishops in HD Message #162)