JOURNAL of the PROCEEDINGS of the FIFTY-THIRD GENERAL COUNCIL of the REFORMED EPISCOPAL CHURCH held at CHURCH OF THE HOLY COMMUNION DALLAS, TEXAS Commencing Wednesday, June 8, 2011 and ending Friday, June 10, 2011 Published by Order of the General Council Classical Anglican Press An Imprint of Episcopal Recorder 25 West Second Street Media, PA 19063 (610) 566-3194 [email protected] 2013 by The Reformed Episcopal Church All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced without written permission from Classical Anglican Press. NOTICE The FIFTY-FOURTH GENERAL COUNCIL of the Reformed Episcopal Church will be held in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania. Internal Revenue Service Number of the Reformed Episcopal Church is 1663 DECLARATION of PRINCIPLES Of the REFORMED EPISCOPAL CHURCH Adopted, December 2, 1873 I. The Reformed Episcopal Church, holding “the faith once delivered unto the saints,” declares its belief in the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as the Word of God, and the sole Rule of Faith and Practice; in the Creed “Commonly called the Apostles’ Creed;” in the Divine institution of the Sacraments of Baptism and the LORD’S Supper; and in the doctrines of grace substantially as they are set forth in the Thirty-nine Articles of Religion. II. This Church recognizes and adheres to Episcopacy, not as of Divine right, but as a very ancient and desirable form of Church policy. III. This Church, retaining a Liturgy which shall not be imperative or repressive of freedom in prayer, accepts The Book of Common Prayer, as it was revised, proposed, and recommended for use by the General Convention of the Protestant Episcopal Church, A.D. 1785, reserving full liberty to alter, abridge, enlarge, and amend the same, as may seem most conducive to the edification of the people, “provided that the substance of the faith be kept entire.” IV. This Church condemns and rejects the following erroneous and strange doctrines as contrary to God’s Word: First, That the Church of Christ exists only in one order or form of ecclesiastical polity; Second, That Christian Ministers are “Priests” in another sense than that in which all believers are “a royal priesthood:” Third, That the LORD’S Table is an altar on which the oblation of the Body and Blood of Christ is offered anew to the Father: Fourth, That the Presence of Christ in the LORD’s Supper is a presence in the elements of Bread and Wine: Fifth, That Regeneration is inseparably connected with Baptism. MISSION STATEMENT of the REFORMED EPISCOPAL CHURCH Built upon the foundation of the authoritative Word of God, the Holy Scriptures, the Reformed Episcopal Church sets her highest priority on biblical worship and declares her commitment to the work of evangelism, the bold and unadulterated proclamation of salvation by grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 8:4). In keeping the faith once delivered to the saints, the Reformed Episcopal Church, however, does not believe evangelism to be the end, but rather the beginning of her divinely given vocation. In addition to being evangelical, she is deeply committed to discipleship, the work of training evangelized men and women in Christian living (St. Matthew 28:20). When the Gospel is truly proclaimed and the mercies of God are made known, redeemed men and women must be led to offer their bodies as a living sacrifice, which is their spiritual service (Romans 12:1). Thus, the Reformed Episcopal Church understands the Christian life to be necessarily corporate. The Gospel call of salvation is not only to a savior, but also to a visible communion (I Cor.12:27) which, being indwelt by Christ's Spirit, transcends both temporal and geographic bounds. Therefore, the Reformed Episcopal Church is creedal, following the historic catholic faith as it was confessed by the early undivided Church in the Apostles' (A.D. 150), Nicene (A.D. 325) and Athanasian Creeds (circa. A.D. 401); sacramental, practicing the divinely ordained sacraments of Baptism and the Lord's Supper as outward and visible signs of His inward and spiritual grace; liturgical, using the historic Book of Common Prayer; and Episcopal, finding unity with the Church of the earliest Christian eras through submission to the government of godly bishops. In this fashion, by embracing the broad base of doctrine and practice inherent in apostolic Christianity received by the Church of the English Reformation and expressed in the Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion, the Reformed Episcopal Church has a foundation for effective ministry in the name of Christ to a world which is lost and dying without Him. Approved, General Committee, October 5, 2003 The 53rd General Council 2011 TABLE OF CONTENTS I. ORGANIZATION PAGE 1. Report of the Committee on Credentials………………………………………………..... 15 2. Declaration by the Secretary of a Quorum……………………………………………….. 16 3. Report of the Committee on Program…………………………………………………… 16 4. Corresponding Members………………………………………………………………… 22 5. Election of Officers…………………………………………………………………….... 22 6. Report of the General Committee……………………………………………………….. 23 II. REPORTS OF OFFICERS AND ELECTED BOARDS AND COMMITTEES 1. The Presiding Bishop……………………………………………………………………. 25 2. Trustees of the Sustentation Fund……………………………………………………….. 91 3. Treasurer of the Sustentation Fund/General Council……………………………………. 67 4. The Budget……………………………………………………………………………..... 71 5. Board of Pensions and Relief/Episcopal Recorder…...………………………………….. 72 6. Treasurer of the Board of Pensions and Relief/Episcopal Recorder……………………... 70 7. Committee on Doctrine and Worship…………………………………………………… 110 8. Committee on Constitution and Canons………………………………………………… 76 9. Standing Liturgical Commission…………………………………………………………. 84 III. REPORT OF THE BOARD OF FOREIGN MISSIONS 1. President’s Report……………………………………………………………………….. 95 2. Treasurer’s Report………………………………………………………………………. 103 IV. ELECTION OF BOARDS AND STANDING COMMITTEES 1. Report of the Committee on Nominations……………………………………………… 86 2. Election…………………………………………………………………………………. 86 V. REPORTS OF DIOCESAN BISHOPS AND STANDING COMMITTEES 1. Diocese of Western Canada & Alaska………………………………………………….. 44 2. Diocese of Mid-America……………………………………………………………….. 47 3. Diocese of the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic & Eastern Canada…...…………………………. 54 4. Diocese of the Southeast………………………………………………………………. 57 5. Missionary Diocese of the Central States………………………………………………. 60 VI. REPORTS OF STANDING COMMITTES NON-ELECTIVE 1. Committee on Interchurch Relations…………………………………………………… 87 2. Report of the Unity Committee………………………………………………………… 91 3. Committee on the State of the Church……………………………………………….. 92 4. Committee on Liturgical Music………………………………………………………. 92 7. Treasurer of the Committee on Women’s Ministry………………………………….... 112 6 The 53rd General Council 2011 8. Committee on Young People’s Work (no report submitted) 9. Committee on Memorials (no report submitted) 10. Committee on Theological Education…………...………………………………..…... 111 11. Committee on Press Relations (no report submitted) 12. Committee on Materials for Reformed Episcopal History……………………………. 112 13. Committee on Resolutions (no report submitted) 14. Committee to Examine and Certify the Journal…………………………….………… 125 15. Committee on Stewardship (no report submitted) 16. Committee on Prayer (no report submitted) VII. APPOINTMENT OF COMMITTEES NON-ELECTIVE……….………….. 9 VIII. UNFINISHED BUSINESS IX. NEW BUSINESS………………………………………………………………….. 125 X. ADJOURNMENT………………………………………………………………….. 125 XI. APPENDIX………………………………………………………………………… 125 [NOTE: The Chair may alter the schedule of Business at his discretion. Unfinished business, new business, and matters of importance may be presented at the discretion of the Chair beginning with the second day and regularly thereafter.] OFFICERS THAT SERVED 2009-2011 PRESIDENT AND PRESIDING BISHOP The Right Reverend Leonard W. Riches, M. Div., D.D. VICE PRESIDENT The Right Reverend Royal U. Grote, Jr. SECRETARY Mrs. Tonya M. Forsberg ASSISTANT SECRETARY (Appointed) Mrs. Bonnie C. Abboud TREASURER The Venerable Dr. Jon W. Abboud 7 The 53rd General Council 2011 OFFICERS ELECTED FOR 2011-2013 PRESIDENT AND PRESIDING BISHOP The Right Reverend Leonard W. Riches, M. Div., D.D. 85 Smithtown Road, Pipersville, PA 18947 VICE PRESIDENT The Right Reverend Royal U. Grote, Jr. 2218 Shadow Canyon Lane, Katy, TX 77494 SECRETARY Mrs. Tonya M. Forsberg 206 Glen Gary Drive, Havertown, PA 19083 ASSISTANT SECRETARY (Appointed) Mrs. Bonnie C. Abboud 116 Marple Road, Havertown, PA 19083 TREASURER The Venerable Dr. Jon W. Abboud 116 Marple Road, Havertown, PA 19083 GENERAL COMMITTEE The Bishop Ordinaries of this Church The Secretary of the General Council The Treasurer of the Sustentation Fund The Board of Trustees of the Sustentation Fund TO THE COUNCIL OF 2014 Mr. Harry K. Johnson Ms. Elizabeth See Mr. Bruce Woodcock The Rt. Rev. R. Charles Gillin TO THE COUNCIL OF 2017 The Rev. Rondal D. Martin The Rev. William White The Rev. Belgrave Pelle Mr. Leckyler Gaillard 8 The 53rd General Council 2011 STANNDING COMMITTEES and BOARDS ELECTED by this 53rd GENERAL COUNCIL for 2011-2013 Appointed by the President (The first named individual of each Committee is to convene the organizational meeting, serving as the chairperson until an election of a permanent chairperson.) COMMITTEE ON CREDENTIALS: Very Rev. Jason R. Grote, Rev. Dr. Jonathan S. Riches, Dss. Annette Johnson COMMITTEE ON THE STATE OF THE CHURCH: Very Rev. Jason R. Grote, Ven. Dr. Jon W. Abboud, Rev. Canon Dr. J. Ronald Moock, Sr. COMMITTEE ON MEMORIALS: Very Rev. Gregory J.