Task Force on the Episcopal Church in Cuba 03/30/2017 Present: Luis León, Grecia Reynoso, Martha Alexander, Zena Link, Glenda McQueen, Linda Watt, Byron Rushing, Lucinda Ashby. Guests: Andrea Mann (Canada) – Metropolitan Council, Absent: Romy Gonzalez, Bp. Leo Frade, Mark Pendleton, Yorki Encalada Summary by Luis: We had a meeting with Structure (Provinces of TEC), their work is relevant to ours. We will meet tomorrow at 9am with them. There are many complicated parts to this entire process. The deadline for our resolution is December 1st. 1. Letter from CPG – past liabilities ($1 000 000). 2. Future Service Liability: Cuba will need support going forward (increase in support). 3. Letter from Mark: - Where does 1 million come from? GC, fundraising. - Will Canadian contribution be less? ($92 000 in 2016 and $65 000 in 2017). - Growth of “Friends of the Episcopal Church in Cuba”: Could be a fundraising venue. Governance questions need to be clarified and clarification of expectations. - Getting money to Cuba is challenging. - Trinity Wall Street: To rebuilt dorms at Diocesan Center. 4. How much does this committee need to worry about? 5. Timeline is a GC timeline. Our charge from GC is very narrow – it is to offer a resolution about re-establishing relationship. There is a financial part to it. Martha: At this time, is this appropriate? We do need to consider what it will cost in the long run. We need to look at C&C from both, Cuba and TEC, to see if they coincide. Byron re-reads the resolution: 1) C&C 2) Pension 3) Executive Council 4) Theological education 5) Benevolent Fund – Annuity and retirement 6) Task force. Byron: Should the Church in Cuba be a part of TEC? There is no evidence that Cuba asked to leave. How do we bring them back? How does this compare to Venezuela and Puerto Rico? Once asked back, they can choose their province solving the problems is not one scope. Linda: Identify and address issues, but not solve them. A financial issue that is ours is: Think about pension and grants. Frank Armstrong run the numbers. $1 000 000 put in pension fund for past service. 1 | P a g e Task Force on the Episcopal Church in Cuba Glenda: Ongoing support of the Diocese – we need to look at what that is and the sources of support. Income generated from Cuba is limited; there are other supports that help to build the budget. Luis: We are asked to prepare a budget by April 30th. Cuba prepared a budget. Andrea: We tried to tackle the pension pieces after the 2009 resolution to establish a benevolent fund. They were working on how to get the funds sent to Cuba. We didn’t pursue it, it was complex. We continue to send funds from the Trust Fund, until the political legal landscape was changed. Byron: Make recommendation about $1 million. A reasonable amount of support. Byron: Our primary task is about the Church in Cuba and how to have the relationship happen. Our response should be if you want to be here, please be here. Everything follows from that. Resolution: You are welcome, come back as equal diocese. List what needs to be done. 1. Pension fund $1 million. 2. Agree to constitutions and canons (no contradictions) 3. Ongoing support. 4. Timetable 5. The Metropolitan Council? 6. Create a covenant committee to work in relationship. Gay: Does there need to be a legislative committee on Cuba? Byron: People in Cuba would like the added importance. Michael: Documents on Venezuela are helpful. Timeline is helpful Byron: Venezuela & Puerto Rico (list of things to get done). Michael: Unique set of circumstances. What are the stations of the Canons in Diocese of Cuba. Linda: Would it be legal for Cuba to affirm that they subscribe, and then re-model their own? Byron: Executive council could readmit when documents are completed. Linda: Don’t want Cuba Church to be dispirited. Michael: Could present leaders and then admit. Gay: Are there any trust funds? Luis: They aren’t substantial. Martha: Need to ensure that they can sustain. 2 | P a g e Task Force on the Episcopal Church in Cuba Gay: Funding, bring them while looking for possible partnerships. Glenda: Cuba has applied for receiving grants. ERD was working in Cuba (preparing leaders to do community work). Grecia: We talked about Cuba’s canons and use of DR’s canons as a basis for looking at Cuba’s canons, but we haven’t been able to do that. She is working through someone else to do that. Glenda uploaded Cuba’s canons in Spanish. Grecia: They are re-drafting according to TEC Canons. Glenda: Example: Language around Metropolitan needs to be revised. Michael: Process for certification of canons – part of what is needed. Luis: Straw poll. We are all on the same page. Action: Consensus. Martha: $1 million is a gift. Organize timeline. 03/31/2017 JOINT SESSION with the Task Force to Study Provinces Luis: We are responding to a request from the diocese of Cuba. We learned that it was TEC who kicked out the church of Cuba in 1966. We think that we should invite them to join instead of responding to a request. We all agreed that this is the way we want to travel, so we all are on board to welcome the Diocese of Cuba to TEC. We would love to hear from you? Ellen: Our resolution was to study the option of eliminating provinces. What happened if the church got rid of provinces? We have not made a decision yet, but we are leaning to believing that it is not a good idea to eliminate that structure. We have not talked about shifting any diocese to any province. We haven’t talked about re-shifting anybody. We don’t think we are ready to get rid of anything. There are already churches moving from one province to another. Byron: Who makes the final decision? It is GC. Whatever negotiation happens, GC would have to agree on something and that will become a resolution. When I read the cannons, nothing prevents any diocese from joining any province. We need a resolution in order for Cuba to return. The word “reconciliation” is very appropriated. The role provinces play is key in bringing back Cuba. Provincial structure brings more vitality into the process. 3 | P a g e Task Force on the Episcopal Church in Cuba Byron: The canons were adapted after Cuba was separated. There was no province IX. We have to be sensitive to all of that. TEC is very different, structurally, from the 60s. The canons are silent to the question about where Cuba would land. There is nothing that says anything about the process about what province Cuba would go into. Luis: We never got into the conversations about provinces. Sharon Alexander: There is no obligation to join a province right away. There is a 3 year discerning process before joining a province. The dioceses of Provinces IV and IX are very enthusiastic about being part of a province, but that is not the general feeling in other provinces -------------------------------- End of join session ----------------------------------------------------- Luis: How does Cuba receive a grant? How do they get integrated into the Church Pension Group when there is a $1 million fee? Resolution part: Welcoming, Constitution & Canons? Acceed? Being back in the Pension Fund. Committee: US/Cuba to work through details – triennium / To have seat immediately (immediate effect). Accompaniment group: Facilitate pieces of re-integration/ ongoing support / Transfer of assets/ pension. MCC would like to be part of this process. Membership of committee? / Re-alignment of canons. Puerto Rico rejoined TEC in 2003, the resolution had immediate effect at GC. Cuba would have to be ready to seat deputies at GC (elected deputies). Linda: In order for them to become part of TEC, they would have to have their internal canons and constitution agree with TEC canons. Cuban currency 1CUC = $1. Martha: Cubans have to understand that they have to put money in the Pension Fund. Linda: This would be part II of the financial piece. I believe they know that, but they also believe that some of the money is going to come from our support. This money will have to go into the annual budget (deadline April 30st). Make a reasonable request for funding; this figure has to go to Executive Council. Martha: We need to ask Frank if we can plan through July 18th so that $1million can be a little more. Andrea (Canada): Cuba would like the history of the MCC to be part of the narrative of this transition, with the recognition that the MCC at some point won’t exist. Review their minutes (documents). 4 | P a g e Task Force on the Episcopal Church in Cuba Linda: It would be great to have a booth at GC. Let’s ask the group that met in Connecticut (friends of Cuba?) Mark should be in charge of this. Cuba can do one of the Eucharist. Luis: Every diocese has 4 clergy and 4 lay. The anticipation would be that they would have a delegation ready. It is not required, for example DR has 2 & 2 (not 8) for next GC. Yorki: Interviews with Lynette Wilson from Episcopal News Services: Talk to the Church of Canada, Mark, Luis, others. Maybe Lynette can travel with Bishop Leo Frade (He will go to Cuba in April, May, and July) Linda: Set up an accompaniment committee. Make this suggestion in the Blue Book. Our request would be for a new committee to work in the amount of money needed.