THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEETS

by Warren Ramshaw

Transition was the theme of the most recent meeting of the Executive Council. Not only were we saying good-bye to one Presiding Bishop and greeting the new Presiding Bishop-elect, but the Council was reorganizing its structures and procedures and welcoming and orienting new members who had come to the Council through recent elections. New to the Executive Council from Province II is Alfred Price of the Diocese of Western New York, Professor in the School of Architecture and Planning at the State University of New York at Buffalo. Also new to the Council is Warren Ramshaw of the Diocese of Central New York, retired Professor of Sociology and Anthropology at Colgate University in Hamilton. They join a continuing member of the Executive Council from Province II, the Reverend Virginia Sheay, Rector of St. Luke's Church, Trenton, New Jersey in the Diocese of New Jersey. We three members of Council take this occasion to summarize our observations and impressions of the Council at its meeting in New York City, November 5 to 9, 1997. From time to time we hope to bring news and activities of the Council to you through the columns of the Grapevine, especially reporting items that may be of special interest to the people of Province II.

The Executive Council Defined

The Executive Council, by Canon, is an agent of the General Convention, with the principal duty of carrying out the program and policies adopted by the General Convention. Further, the Executive Council has charge of the "...unification, development, and prosecution of the Missionary, Education, and Social Work of the Church." In short, to oversee and consult with the Church Center staff about the finances, ministry and program of the Church between the triennial meetings of the General Convention. The Council is made up of 38 members, two elected by each of the nine provinces of the Church, and 20 elected by the General Convention, plus the Presiding Bishop and the President of the House of Deputies.

The Opening Gathering

At the first Eucharist of our several days meeting, celebrated in the Christ the King Chapel at the Church Center, Bishop Edmond Browning presided. The preacher was Bishop Charlie McNutt, Executive Assistant for Administration to the Presiding Bishop, who traced his own personal transition from a deep and isolating Southern tradition to an attitude of tolerance, acceptance and transforming reconciliation. Later, both Bishop Browning and Pamela Chinnis, President of the House of Deputies, spoke of the challenges ahead to move to new leadership in the Church and to meet the discontent of those who express dissatisfaction with present leadership of the Church and who, consequently, respond by moving away from the opportunity for dialogue and relationship. Bishop Griswold spoke informally about his own views and about his hope to work closely with the members of the Council, engaging each other in "truth telling."

Reorganization

The lively and fluent Suzanne Lawson of the Anglican Church of Canada led the Council in full group discussions and decisions about the way in which the Council will organize its work in the next three years. This reorganization is necessary in light of the General Convention's actions to reduce the total number of interim bodies, and to combine others into new functional groupings.

By keeping what was best in the present organization of the Council, the decision was made to rearrange some of the categories of our focus. Five subcommittees resulted within which Council members will work for the immediate future. Two of them are from the last triennium: subcommittees to work with Church Center staff on Administration and Finance, and another to work with Planning and Evaluation of the work of the Council. What was previously the Program component of the organization was broken into its several parts, each now a subcommittee: Communication; Support for Congregations and Dioceses; and National and International Concerns. Council members recorded their interests in working with one or another of these groups. Assignments of members to the various working groups will be made shortly and the groups will begin their work at the next Council meeting scheduled for February in San Jose, California.

Getting to Know Each Other

Our next step was to become acquainted with each other since half of the members of Council were new and half continued from the last triennium. Everyone, old and new, had the opportunity for a few minutes of self-introduction. Printed sheets of biographical data had been provided to us before we arrived in New York. Now people were telling each other things formal resumes seldom include: about births and deaths, about disappointments and triumphs, and about belief and unbelief. Moreover, members of the Council had meals together, lunch and dinner, with the exception of Saturday evening, when we were on our own. One evening we dined with a number of Church Center staff.

Another part of our introduction to each other and to the staff of the Church's headquarters in New York was a morning's tour of all ten floors of the Church Center building. Staff members were in their offices and they talked with us about their responsibilities and duties. We saw everything from the Presiding Bishop's office--and he was there to show us around--to the place where the Episcopalian is written and prepared for publication, to the room where the phone operators receive our calls and to the sub-basement center where mail and publications from the Church are prepared and dispatched.

Other opportunities for interaction came in the small groups of about ten persons each to which we were assigned for Bible study and prayer and for discussion of issues before the Council. The groups included senior members of the Center staff as well. These groups will stay constant over the next several Council meetings so that we may come to know one set of colleagues especially well.

The Plenary Sessions

In plenary sessions the Executive Council took action on shareholder resolutions recommended by the Social Responsibility on Investment Committee. Recommendations concerned steps to hold companies accountable for their environmental performance especially in the areas of health, global warming, and employee working conditions. Other resolutions touched issues of equal employment opportunity, fair wages, use of child labor, use of tobacco in restaurants and work areas, and raised questions about moral and ethical criteria in arms production and sales activities. More than twenty resolutions on these and similar topics were presented to the Council and approved.

The Council also affirmed Jubilee status for 34 parishes and centers. Among them are three in Province II: St. Luke & All Saints Community Jubilee Center, Union, New Jersey in the Diocese of New Jersey; St. Andrew's Church, Yonkers, New York in the Diocese of New York; and the Community Justice Center, Inc., New York City, in the Diocese of New York. Other resolutions considered by the Council and approved were those honoring Volunteers in Mission, naming persons to committees and commissions, revising details in trusts held by the Church, and distributing Theological Education grants to Central America and Caribbean dioceses.

The Closing Session

The final session of the Council meeting on Sunday morning began with our participation in the 8:00 a.m. service at St. Bartholomew's Church (50th and Park Avenue). Later, in plenary session, we heard the report of the Rev. David Perry, Ecumenical Officer of the Church and the staff person who steered our relations with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) in considering the Concordat of Agreement. David advised us that leaders of the ELCA were continuing work to prepare a new proposal to bring forward to the ELCA in 1999. It is David's hope that the new proposals will not be so different that they would have to be reconsidered by the General Convention again and that the 1997 Episcopal Church agreement could apply to the new ELCA proposals. David asked Council members to inform their dioceses that the ELCA has struggles and battles and differences as we do. At the same time they have "...the same urgings for wholeness and healing and reconciliations and a desire for unity as we do." Meanwhile, we have been asked to double our efforts to connect with the ELCA locally and nationally as dioceses and synods, to build relationships to reach out to Lutherans, and to remind our bishops and diocesan ecumenical officers to continue to strengthen these relationships. David noted that our agreement of interim eucharist sharing continues and he urges us to share in the sacrament of the altar now: "...we must know one another in worship as well as in service." David Perry gave special thanks to Bishop Christopher Epting of Iowa and to Dr. Pamela Chinnis for their notable outreach to Lutheran colleagues which has made a difference in this process.

The Last Good-Bye

At the end of the session, Bishop Edmond Browning had brief final words for the Council before he leaves office and heads, in retirement, to Eastern Oregon where he and Patti will live. Surprisingly, Bishop Browning's remarks were humorous and even involved unexpected tongue twisters. And that was probably the only thing left for him to do in this period that the Presiding Bishop has often characterized as the "long good-bye," the time between the elections at General Convention in July and the Installation of the next Presiding Bishop in January. And so begins another transition in the life of the Church and its leaders.

Contacts: Alfred Price, Warren Ramshaw and Ginny Sheay
Council Representatives from Province II

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GENERAL SEMINARY ELECTS NEW DEAN

by Bruce Parker
Director of Communications
as posted to Quest

Following a nine-month search process, trustees of The General Theological Seminary today elected the Rev. Ward B. Ewing, Rector of Trinity Church, Buffalo, New York, the Twelfth Dean and President of the 181 year old institution. Following a presentation by Mrs. Patricia Kilpatrick, chair of the Search Committee, the trustees went into executive session and elected the Seminary's new Dean shortly before noon today, January 12. The election was the high point of a day which included the appointment of two new faculty members and the ratification of an historic covenant with The Lutheran Theological Seminary in Philadelphia. "Few people possess the combined talents we have found in Ward Ewing," said trustee chair, the Rt. Rev. G.P. Mellick Belshaw, following the election. "He is a person of great sensitivity and compassion. We welcome him warmly and with every confidence that his leadership will provide vision for the Seminary's commitment to priestly formation and academic excellence for clergy and laity." The Dean-elect is expected to arrive at GTS this Spring. Bishop Belshaw will continue as Acting Dean until that time.

The full text of two press releases, one on the Seminary covenant and the other on Fr. Ewing's election are available on our web site www.gts.edu .

Please join with us in celebrating these wonderful events in the life of our institution.

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CREATIVE JOURNEY COMES TO NEW JERSEY

by the Rev. Elizabeth Geitz
Diocese of New Jersey

We laughed; we prayed; we sang; we danced; we beat drums, shook moroccas and moved to the rhythm, as women in the state of New Jersey gathered around a common dream. In November, Ann Smith, Director of WIMM for the national church; Sr. Helena Marie; Ginny Doctor; and Elizabeth Geitz brought the Creative Journey Retreat to 27 women of the Dioceses of New Jersey and Newark. We were lay and ordained, ECW and EWC, heterosexual and lesbian, women of color and white women who gathered to reflect on transformational leadership as the Episcopal Church moves into the new millinium.

Women from the two different dioceses met to dream, network, and support one another in an atmosphere of spiritual renewal and commitment. Through the retreat theme of "Be a Miriam", many came to see themselves as spiritual change agents in the church. "I commend Creative Journey as a wonderfully enriching experience which can lead to 'who knows what' action," wrote Marge Christie of the Diocese of Newark. "Our goal is to create a 'base community' of Episcopal women in the State of New Jersey." The women have plans to meet in 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year to bring many more women into the circle.

Retreat participants learned that when you organize around a problem, you get problems. When you organize around a dream, miracles happen and healing begins. "Through the Creative Journey, Women of Vision, and GATES leadership programs, thousands of women's circles are transforming the Episcopal Church, bringing hope, new life, and lots of laughter," stated Ann Smith. If you're ready to start dreaming and organizing, call Ann at 1-800-334-7626 to bring one of these retreats to your area.

Contact: the Rev. Elizabeth Geitz, Diocese of New Jersey, author of Entertaining Angels and Gender and the Nicene Creed. Her latest book, Soul Satisfaction: Drawing Strength From Our Biblical Mothers and Sisters, will be released by Morehouse Publishing this spring.

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ASIAMERICA MINISTRY NEWS

by The Ven. L. Roper Shamhart

The Province II Asiamerica Ministry Committee continues to meet on a regular basis. The committee is currently working on plans for next summer's Family Retreat and also on a Clergy Retreat for all of the Asiamerican clergy of the Province. Our young people also continue to meet on a regular basis.

Our big news, however, is that this year's National Asiamerica Ministry Consultation will be held in New York. Not only is this the 25th Anniversary Meeting, but it also the first meeting ever held on the east coast. The Consultation will be based in the Dioceses of Long Island, but there will be official visits and services in the Dioceses of Long Island, Newark, and New York to which all are invited. The final event, the 25th Anniversary Service, will be held in the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, and we hope that as many church people as possible will join us for that celebration. The Consultation will meet from June 22nd through the 27th with the Anniversary Service on the morning of the 27th.

There will be further information and details in the Spring issue of The Grapevine.

Contact: The Ven. L. Roper Shamhart,
Network Coordinator
e-mail: FrAnselm@aol.com

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