Executive Council: January 2021 from Canon Duncan

Executive Council: January 2021
Province II Council Report: February 3, 2021

Major Decisions:
White Supremacy Resolution

TEC-wide Repercussions
Racial Justice Audit has been released via Canon Stephanie Spellers’ office, Evangelism,
Creation and Reconciliation

• Major long-time coming TEC-wide initiative to garner valuable information and statistics about the ethnic and racial composition of TEC, lay and cleric.
  
• I was interviewed while the report was being compiled; I was also a reviewer of a draft of the document.
  
• The Audit is comprehensive and includes some telling excerpts of narrative testimony by some voices included in the audit.
  

Episcopal Migration Ministries

Task Force to Study the Church Pension Fund
This report is the result of a 60-year call via various GC resolutions.

• Its immediate impetus was resolution A060 from the 79th  GC in 2018.
  
• The Task Force report was anticipated in December 2019.
• An executive summary of the Task Force report is available.

Sally Johnson, chancellor to PHOD, explained the legal structure of the Church
Pension Fund, its creation out of TEC resolution, but its separation as a fiduciary
corporation, subject to NY state laws.

• A clerical member of Executive Council narrated his family’s three generation relationship with TEC pensions.
  
• Testimony inadvertently highlighted the inequities in financial remuneration and therefore pensions between white clergy and newer clergy of color in TEC.
  

Ministry Within Deliberations and Reports
Reports from

• Church Planting Grants
  
• Evangelism and YACM Grants
• Department of Faith Formation
  Resolution C014 (2018): Suicide Prevention
  Over 1000 licenses provided for those trained to counsel against suicide.
  
• EYE Large Youth Gatherings: Postponed until COVID safe environments.

Racial Reconciliation
Canon Stephanie Spellers’ staff

• 1400 Sacred Circles have been formed TEC-wide.
  
• Repairing the Breach
• ​Surveyed all Dioceses about Racial Justice initiatives and ministries.
• NEW JERSEY’S Anti-racism virtual 20-hour training course was listed among successful work.

Ethnic Ministries

• Work with Seminarians of Color
  
• Province IX and Dioceses afected by hurricanes and COVID
  

Office of Government Relations etc.

• Chuck Robertson’s staff
  
• Episcopal Migration Ministries

Grant Processes and Updates

• Roanridge
  
• Constable