The Blue Book of the General Convention Contains the Reports to the Church of the Committees, Commissions, Agencies and Boards (Ccabs) of the General Convention
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Easter 2012 To: The Bishops and Deputies of the 77th General Convention of the Episcopal Church From: (The Rev’d Dr.) Gregory Straub, Executive Officer & Secretary Greetings! Here is your long-awaited reading in preparation for the 77th General Convention of the Episcopal Church, which will convene in Indianapolis, Indiana, on July 5, 2012. The Blue Book of the General Convention contains the reports to the church of the Committees, Commissions, Agencies and Boards (CCABs) of the General Convention. (The book is salmon this year, for no better reason than I like it.) For the past three years more than 500 of our fellow church members, bishops, priests, deacons and lay persons, have volunteered their time and energy to address resolutions referred to them by the 76th General Convention and to investigate, as well, areas of concern denoted in their canonical or authorizing mandates. I urge you to read the Blue Book in its entirety in preparation for our work in Indianapolis. (Diocesan deputations may wish to apportion sections of the Blue Book among their members and allow one deputy or alternate to be the resource person for a given area.) Not only will you find the reports of the CCABs contained herein, but also their resolutions (“A” resolutions). A PDF version is available for free download from the General Convention website, and the General Convention Office’s publisher, Church Publishing, is offering for sale printed volumes and e-book versions on the Church Publishing website. (The 76th General Convention did not authorize the funds for sending printed volumes to each bishop, deputy, registered alternate and registered visitor, as in the past, but I hope you find the formats offered sufficient for your use.) Also available on the General Convention website is Executive Council’s draft proposed budget, which will serve as the basis for the Joint Standing Committee on Program, Budget & Finance’s work on its proposed budget, which it will present at a joint session of the General Convention on July 10. The General Convention Office has worked throughout this triennium to facilitate the work of CCABs, providing meeting services, budgetary support and staff liaisons. I want to thank my staff for all its work. This is the first Blue Book edited by Christopher Barajas, who has pushed forward the availability of this material in forms for which some of you have asked and more of you, I hope, will find convenient. Thank you, Christopher. I hope you have begun to pray, study and prepare for your participation in the 77th General Convention of the Episcopal Church. See you in Indianapolis. I am Very truly yours, (The Rev’d Canon Dr.) Gregory Straub, Executive Officer & Secretary Table of Contents Contents Joint Standing Committees 1 Joint Standing Committee on Nominations 3 Nominees for Election 7 Balloting Tally Sheets 33 Joint Standing Committee on Planning and Arrangements 39 Joint Standing Committee on Program, Budget and Finance 43 Committees of the House of Bishops 47 House of Bishops Committee on Pastoral Development 49 House of Bishops Theology Committee 51 Committees of the House of Deputies 55 House of Deputies Study Committee on Church Governance and Polity 57 House of Deputies Committee on the State of the Church 59 Standing Commissions 93 Standing Commission on Anglican and International Peace with Justice Concerns 95 Standing Commission on Communication and Information Technology 108 Standing Commission on Constitution and Canons 112 Standing Commission on Ecumenical and Interreligious Relations 132 Standing Commission on Health 144 Standing Commission on Lifelong Christian Formation and Education 151 Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music 162 Standing Commission on Ministry Development 475 Standing Commission on the Mission and Evangelism of The Episcopal Church 497 Standing Commission for Small Congregations 511 Standing Commission on Social Justice and Public Policy 516 Standing Commission on Stewardship and Development 528 Standing Commission on the Structure of the Church 533 Standing Commission on World Mission 554 The Executive Council 563 The Executive Council 565 Executive Council Standing Committee on Advocacy and Networking 572 Executive Council Joint Standing Committee on Finances for Mission 574 Executive Council Joint Standing Committee on Governance and Administration for Mission 576 Executive Council Standing Committee on Local Ministry and Mission 578 Executive Council Standing Committee on World Mission 580 Report on Resolutions Referred to Executive Council 582 Report on Resolutions Referred to Dioceses 583 77th General Convention Proposed Resolutions Approved by Executive Council 585 Executive Council Committee on Anti-Racism 591 Executive Council Archives Strategy Committee 596 The Joint Audit Committee of the Executive Council and the DFMS 597 Committee on Corporate Social Responsibility 599 Economic Justice Loan Committee 601 Episcopal News Service Advisory Committee 603 Executive Council Standing Committee on HIV/AIDS 605 Executive Council Committee on Indigenous Ministries 608 Executive Council Investment Committee 612 Jubilee Ministry Advisory Committee 613 Executive Council Committee on Science, Technology and Faith 620 Executive Council Committee on the Status of Women 623 Executive Council D020 Task Force on the Response to the Anglican Covenant 633 INC-055 Ad-Hoc Committee on the Study of the United Thank Offering 644 v Table of Contents Agencies & Boards 669 The Board of the Archives of the Episcopal Church 671 The Episcopal Church Building Fund 681 The Church Pension Fund 684 Disciplinary Board for Bishops 697 Episcopal Relief & Development 699 Forward Movement 704 The General Board of Examining Chaplains 706 The General Theological Seminary of the Episcopal Church 710 The Board and Office for Transition Ministry 712 Other Reports 715 Budgetary Funding Task Force 717 Task Force on Older Adult Ministries 724 Executive Council Committee on Strategic Planning 730 Title IV Review Committee 745 Indices 747 Abbreviations and Acronyms Used in the Blue Book 749 Index of Proposed Resolutions 751 vi Joint Standing Committees Joint Standing Committee on Nominations Joint Standing Committee on Nominations Membership Membership List Mr. Warren J. Wong, Chair California, VIII The Rt. Rev. Russel E. Jacobus, Vice-Chair Fond Du Lac, V Mrs. Sherry Denton, Secretary Western Kansas, VII The Rev. Joan M.P. Anders* New Jersey, II Ms. Cynthia S. Bartol Virginia, III The Rt. Rev. Roy Frederick Cederholm, Jr.* Massachusetts, I Ms. Pamela B. Chapman Western Michigan, V The Rev. Thack H. Dyson* Central Gulf Coast, IV Ms. Barbara Hagen* Montana, VI The Rt. Rev. Shannon S. Johnston* Virginia, III The Rt. Rev. Edward S. Little II Northern Indiana, V Mr. Alfred D. Price Western New York, II Ms. Rita T. Redfield* Maine, I The Rev. Canon Austin K. Rios Western North Carolina, IV Changes in Membership During the triennium, there were six changes in membership: Bishop Bud Cederholm resigned in June 2010; Rita Redfield resigned in October 2010, and became a consultant for the Committee in November 2010; Barbara Hagen and Bishop Shannon Johnston were appointed to fill vacancies in March 2011; the Rev. Thack Dyson resigned in May 2011; and the Rev. Joan Anders resigned in October 2011. Committee Representation at General Convention Bishop Russell Jacobus and Deputy Warren Wong are authorized to receive non-substantive amendments to this Report at General Convention. Summary of Work The Joint Standing Committee on Nominations accomplished its work in three meetings, and four conference calls: on November 17–20, 2009 meeting at the Marriott O’Hare in Chicago; on June 14–16, 2010 meeting at the Episcopal Church Center in New York City; conference calls on August 23, 2010, and January 26, 2011, to create the application process and extend the deadline; on May 2–4, 2011 meeting at the Crowne Plaza O’Hare in Chicago; and conference calls on June 30, 2011 and October 5, 2011. Electronic communications on the GCO Extranet system assisted the Committee throughout the triennium. During the initial meeting, officers were elected, Joint Rules for the Nominating Committee were reviewed, clarification was made regarding ineligibility of the Committee’s own members to apply for nomination, and a timetable for the nominating process was developed. As of July 1, 2010 the Court for a Trial of a Bishop was to be phased out, so the Committee received a charge to nominate lay and clergy members for the Disciplinary Board for Bishops. This charge should be formalized at the next General Convention. The Committee also approved a requirement that all applications be submitted electronically through forms made available on the General Convention’s website in English, Spanish, French, and Chinese (Mandarin). An electronic version of the Executive Council description was distributed to the nine provinces for the upcoming Provincial Synods in 2012. The Committee participated in a 1-1/2 day Anti-Racism training conducted by consultant the Rev. Jayne Oasin during its second meeting in New York City. The training was beneficial to the group and later assisted during the screening of applications. The Committee held discussions with the representatives from various the elective bodies: Dean Ward Ewing of the General Theological Seminary; Dr. Richard Tombaugh and Mr. Duncan Ely of the General Board of Examining Chaplains; Bishop Peter Lee, Ms. Barbara Creed, Ms. Katherine Tyler Scott, and Mr. T. Dennis Sullivan of the Church Pension Fund; and the Rev. Canon Gregory Straub of the Executive Council, to effectively evaluate the qualifications of applicants for nomination. 3 Joint Standing Committee on Nominations During the second meeting, the Committee explored the need to open the nominating process for the two officers of the General Convention. The chair researched this matter with the incumbents and the chancellors to the Presiding Bishop and the President of the House Deputies. A full position description was created for both positions. The Committee recommended that an open call for nominations would be beneficial to the General Convention.