Legislative Committee 18: Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs

I had the privilege of serving on a legislative committee whose primary focus was on The Episcopal Churches relationships with other Christians and other religious traditions.  The committee was comprised of 4 Bishops and 20 Deputies.  Our first un-official meeting was on Tuesday.  We had five resolutions which needed to be considered as we began our work:

1. Coming into Full Communion with the Moravian Church
2. Continuing our Interim Eucharistic Sharing and Dialogue with the Methodist Church
3. Affirming our Agreement with the Presbyterian Church
4. Beginning a Dialogue with the Church of Sweden
5. Approving an Official Text on our engagement in Interreligious Dialogue

Most of our days began at 7:30 with our Legislative Committee meeting.  At our Wednesday meeting we moved through the first four resolutions pretty quickly.  As we began to consider the official text of the Interreligious Dialogue, it became apparent that there were various opinions about the text around the table.  Bishop Ted Gulick, the co-chair of our committee suggested that a subcommittee be appointed to deal with the text.

On Thursday morning, 9 July, our Legislative Committee received a report from the subcommittee suggesting that it be referred back to the Standing Commission on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs for further work. I couldn’t believe what I had just heard.  On the 2^nd of 10 Legislative Days, we were being encouraged to refer.  I objected and suggested that we deal with the text now.  Bishop Gulick then asked me to serve as the chairperson of the Drafting Committee to deal with the sections of the text which needed attention.  I felt honored and scared at the same time.  He then asked who I wanted on my committee.  After some deliberations, I asked the committee members who would like to serve.  In the end, one bishop and five deputies were appointed to get to work on the text.  That was Thursday morning.  Our Drafting Group met for two hours that afternoon and from 9 p.m. that evening until 12:15 a.m. on Friday so that we could have a re-write for our committee to review that morning.

We met as a Committee of the Whole to discuss our re-write on Friday Morning for 1 and half hours, going line by line through the text.  In the midst of the discussion, there were other sections of the text that we were asked to address.  Our subcommittee met again on Friday afternoon for 2 hours and then again from 9:30 p.m. until after midnight to perfect a text for the committee’s review on Saturday morning.

During our meeting on Saturday, the committee once again reviewed and perfected the text.  We were under the pressure of completing our work because the House of Bishops Secretariat would be closing that afternoon and not open until Monday morning and the Bishops had to receive and adopt the resolution and text before it could come to the House of Deputies.  At the end our meeting, I was asked by the co-chair, Bishop Gulick, to meet with secretary of our committee to review the entire text and deliver it to the House of Bishops by 2 p.m. that afternoon.  I worked from 12 noon to 2 p.m. to finish the document and we delivered it by the deadline.  This was wonderful work…and theological debate and discussion which was inspiring and we accomplished something for the whole church.

Our committee met on Monday because the House of Bishops amended the resolution regarding our Full Communion with the Moravian Church.  They also amended our resolution regarding our Agreement with the Presbyterian Church.  We dealt with those matters rather quickly and felt encouraged that our work might be done.  We received word during our Legislative Session that Committee 18 would be meeting on Tuesday morning.

On Tuesday, we were told that one of our resolutions had been referred to the Committee on Constitution and Canons and that we need to act on their amendments.  Once again, we acted on their recommendations and were assured that our work was done.  There was no word on the Interreligious Dialogue text from the House of Bishops.

As our Wednesday afternoon Legislative Session was coming to an end, we received word that the House of Bishops had amended our text and that we needed to meet on Thursday Morning to address their amendments.  The clock was ticking.  This work has been six years in the making and now faced the possibility of not getting on to the Legislative Calendar for the House of Deputies to consider.

We met on Thursday morning with no bishops on the committee present.  Bishop Epting, our Ecumenical Officer was there to explain the amendments.  After considerable discussion about process, we acted on the amendments with the hopes of getting it on the calendar that day.

Thursday was a difficult and full day for us because we spent a significant amount of time on the floor discussing the 2010 -2012 Budget and we still had a lot of legislation to consider.

Doug Sparks

Post Convention Reflections

Michael Hanley asked for our top ten list so here’s mine:

10. Working on the Public Narrative Process!

9. Getting to know members of our Diocesan Deputation and other deputies!

8. Archbishop Rowan Williams address and homily!

7. Brian McLaren’s homily!

6. Worship at General Convention in English, Spanish and French…many voices in praise!

5. Dr. Jenny Te Paa’s address to the House of Deputies!

4. Working on the Ecumenical and Interreligious Committee!

3. Serving as the Chair of the Drafting Committee on the Statement on Interreligious Dialogue!

2. Doing the work of a deputy during the Legislative Sessions!

1. The call to prayer chanted by a Jewish cantor, a Muslim cantor and an Episcopal cantor when our Ecumenical and Interreligious colleagues visited the House of Deputies!

There were so many other grace-filled, powerful and difficult moments for me during General Convention and to try and list them would take up so much space.  The focus from the outside especially the news media is on human sexuality but in truth we dealt with almost every aspect of our common life seeking to respect the dignity of every human being.  In the face of our financial realities, we adopted a budget for the next three years which is leaner than before.  This decision means that some people will loose their jobs!  Other resolutions called us to address issues of justice and peacemaking, still others called us to be advocates for those who have no voice among us.

Thank you for your trust!  Thank you for the privilege of serving as a Deputy from the Diocese of Minnesota.  I am happy to answer any questions you might have so please call on me!

Doug Sparks

Top Ten

I’m thinking about what the top ten things at convention are/were: things we did like pass particular legislation and things said/done/or seen. I would welcome any comments you have for your own contbutions to a top ten list.

michael

The Challenges and Hopes of Doing Mission: Part 2

On Wednesday afternoon, during a Joint Meeting of the House of Deputies and House of Bishops, a presentation of the 2010 – 2012 Budget of the Episcopal Church was made by the Co-chairs of the Joint Standing Commission on Program, Budget and Finance.  It was preceded by some remarks made by Presiding Bishop Katharine.  The challenges and hopes of doing mission were heard and acted on…choosing to give to others before giving to ourselves.  There are three areas in the EXPENSE side of the budget:  Canonical, Corporate and Program (Mission).  The Revenue side is comprised primarily by the financial support of each diocese and then revenue from the Church’s investments.

The longstanding expectation is that every diocese contribute 21 % of its income annually to support the budget of the Episcopal Church.  The committee listened to the concerns raised about being able to sustain that expectation and level of financial support from dioceses given that only 34 out of 110 dioceses actually contribute 21 %.  They also called on us to exercise the principal of subsidiarity, recognizing that more and more ministry needs to be support locally rather than through Church Center efforts…calling us to develop and / or enhance our networks of ministry.

21 Million dollars was cut from the proposed budget for the coming three years and substantial cuts have been made in every area.  I believe the House of Deputies and House of Bishops understand the constraints and challenges we face “on the ground” as it were and are keenly aware of the consequences these cuts will have especially on the people whose lives are changed because of our decisions.

These are difficult times which call all of us to creativity and compromise.  I look forward to sharing more specifics with all of you when our deputation gets back to Minnesota.  Pray for the church and its mission and ministry and for the grace to creatively address our chosen future.

Doug Sparks

making a difference

There are many ways to make a difference in the world. Some do so with money, others with talent. But even with modest means and limited talent we can all make a difference in our world. The Minnesota Delegation to General Convention has made a significant difference in the work of the convention. Sally Johnson offers her considerable skills in crafting legislation to all in the hall, Devon Anderson guides legislation on matters of prayer book and liturgy, LeeAnne Watkins, Doug Sparks and Neysa Elgrin all speak with passion and clarity of the floor of convention inviting delegates to vote for excellent resolutions. Bishop Jelinek, a senior Bishop of the church, offers his wisdom to other bishops building consensus on even difficult issues.

Convention Daily

you might want to go to: http://www.episcopal-life.org/79901_112578_ENG_HTM.htm

and read the convention daily’s.  A good way to follow the convention.

If the link does not work, goggle: general convention daily

Michael Hanley

The Challenges and Hopes of Doing Mission

In addition to serving on the Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs Legislative Committee, I have done my best to follow the works of the Joint Committee on Program, Budget and Finance (PB & F) while here at General Convention.  On Tuesday, 7 July, a PRIORITIES Hearing was held so that Deputies, Bishops and others could indicate the kinds of priorities they hoped we would focus on in developing a budget for the coming three years.  Devon Anderson and I spoke at the hearing from our diocese, urging the committee to include a line item of not less than 1 % for the support of the Millennium Development Goals.

On Thursday, 9 July, I went to the SPENDING Hearing.  Once again, Devon and many others spoke, encouraging our support of the MDG’s, Multi-cultural Ministry, Hispanic Ministry, Native American Ministry in North Dakota, South Dakota, Navajo Land Area Mission and Alaska to name a few.

On both evenings, the room was packed, taking people in groups of 10 and limiting their comments to 2 minutes.  I was moved at the great need and the compelling stories of ministry and mission we are committed to in the nations and in support of work in other nations in Central America, Africa and the Pacific Rim.

On Friday, 10 July, the FUNDING Hearing was held in the same room as Tuesday but gathered around circular tables.  The members of P, B & F had designed a listening process focused around three questions:  what is your current perception and experience of the current funding formula (21 % for each diocese); what questions do you have about the funding formula; what thoughts and ideas do you have about it?   These were very important questions.  At my table, I was the only person engaged at the diocesan level with these questions.  I know that we, as a diocese, have paid our 21 % for many, many years and acknowledged that, in light of the changes and challenges we face as a diocese, a number of people said the current level was unsustainable.  I shared our desire from the BCMS Report to focus on healthy and vital congregations and to form fully committed disciples of Jesus.  I shared the Diocesan Council’s desire and challenge to respond this year to the increased amount of Apportionment for the Common Good (ACG) relief.  When given the opportunity at the end of the evening to speak to the whole group, I invited us to consider that the church of the coming decades needs to be leaner, more networked and less centralized in its funding process.  Bishop Katherine called to consider embracing the principal of subsidiarity, meaning that issues and challenges should be managed and addressed closest to the problem rather than by a distant group of individuals.  I also asked that we stop shaming people in dioceses.  Those who have left the Episcopal Church because of the decisions of 2003 have made their stand and decisions.  Dioceses who remain do so recognizing the financial challenges on the ground.

On Sunday, just before the close of the Legislative Session in the House of Deputies, the following letter was read:

An Update to Our Brothers and Sisters in Christ from the Joint Standing Committee on Program, Budget, &Finance

We are taking the extraordinary step of communicating to the House of Deputies and the House of Bishops in order to achieve a more transparent process for producing the budget for the next Triennium of the Episcopal Church.  We want you to know that we began our deliberations with an approximately 24 million dollar gap between projected income and projected expenses and we are currently looking at an approximate shortfall of 14 million dollars.

In order to help dioceses meet local expenses, we plan to propose a reduction in the diocesan asking for the next Triennium.

In addition, we are preparing to make innovative proposals in regard to reducing the cost of General Convention.

We appreciate your on-going prayers for us and we view this as an opportunity for creative and positive change in our church.

Again, I was profoundly moved by the receptivity and responsiveness of the members of PB&F.

Doug Sparks

Deputies on D025

D025 is being debated in a revised form on the floor of the House of Deputies this afternoon. Making the assumption that it will pass the house and thus be affirmed by both the bishops and deputies I offer the following comments by the Minnesota delegates:

Jon Tuttle: DO25 is a majority census (about 2-1) approving the ordination of gays and lesbians to all orders of the church. However, it acknowledges that not everyone agrees and permits dioceses to exercise restraint in the consecration of gay and lesbian bishops. How this action affects our relationship with the Anglican communion remains to be seem. But it is an
accurate and truthful statement of where our church is today.

Gail Sheddy: Talk about being a part of something great! The passage of this resolution moves the Episcopal Church forward at last. It addresses our concerns in such a way that paints a truthful picture of who we are and what we believe. It carefully and respectfully reaffirms our commitment to the Anglican Communion while making it clear that our canonical process
is open to all…all… people. God is watching over us! I am thrilled to have been a part of this action.

LeeAnne Watkins: The direction both the House of Deputies and the House of bishops is taking encourages me greatly. We are being honest about who we are, and genuine in our invitation for all people to believe in God’s unconditional love. What has been holding us back from standing firm in this is our fear that our relationships with the Anglican Communion are fragile. I am coming to challenge this notion, mostly because of the MDG’s. Relationships lay person to lay person are stronger than ever before. Together we are building schools and clinics and digging wells. We are emailing and traveling and praying for each other. We are swapping photos of each others children and putting them on our parish hall bulletin boards. These relationships are growing.  And these relationships are resilient. They are the true bonds of affection, and I believe they will continue even while we stay true to what we have come to believe on issues of sexuality. Don’t you think the timing is extraordinary? Just as we journey toward the full inclusion of all the baptized in all the sacraments, the Spirit has also led us into relationship through the MDG’s. It seems she really thought this through!

Sally Johnson, speaking on the floor of the House of Deputies said: “I stand before you now asking us to give D025 to the church and the communion as a gift, reflecting our messiness in our church but an authentic, truthful statement about who we are as the Episcopal Church.”

Doug Sparks:  Speaking the Truth…in love. The House of Deputies adopted D025 on Sunday afternoon in a vote by orders.  The resolution affirms our commitment as Episcopalians to remain in communion with other provinces of the Anglican Communion and to do so by our words, actions and the ongoing commitment of our financial and other resources.  It also encourages us to remember that faithful people are not of one mind regarding issues of human sexuality, reminding us “that the baptized membership of the Episcopal Church includes same-sex couples living in lifelong committed relationships characterized by fidelity, monogamy, mutual affection and respect, careful, honest communication, and the holy love which enables those in such relationships to see in each other the image of God”.  The quote comes from Resolution D039 passed at General Convention 2000.  Resolution D025 speaks the truth about us in love…about all of us…and about where we are right now…calling us to continue to listen to one another and to affirm that all the baptized among us should have access to a process of discernment for all orders of ministry in the church.  I believe this is the mind of the church, as difficult as it is for some to accept.  The House of Bishops concurred with the action of the House of Deputies on Monday evening and called us to ponder the mystery of God’s call to each of us.  The work of deliberation and decision is difficult.  Thank you for the privilege you have extended to me to serve as a Deputy from Minnesota!

Jim Huber: I have never seen the House of Deputies so joyful!

Michael Hanley: On Monday afternoon I watched the House of Bishops consider and debate resolution DO25 on Episcopal Elections and the Anglican Communion with careful and prayerful deliberation . This resolution states the mind of the majority of the House of Bishops and the House of Deputies concerning the right of all the baptized to access to the discernment process for Episcopal elections. While some disagree with the decision it is clearly the mind of convention by at least a 2 to 1 majority. The debate in both houses was careful and respectful. I found it to be a holy conversation and pray it will advance the cause of full inclusion for all God’s people in all of the sacraments of the church.

CO56 Amended

Yesterday morning my legislative committee (#13: Prayer Book, Liturgy, and Music) approved the following resolution to be considered first by the House of Bishops and then by the House of Deputies.  This resolution is a combination of several resolutions that came before our Committee regarding the blessing of same-sex unions and was crafted first by the deputies on this committee and then edited by the bishops.  The resolution — after several hours of debate — passed with only 2 “no” votes.  The six bishops voted unanimously in the affirmative and their plan is to introduce the resolution on their floor as a group.

Devon Anderson

13 – Prayer Book, Liturgy and Church Music: HB

C056

Topic/Title:	Liturgy: Liturgies for Blessings
Proposer:	Diocese of Missouri
C&C Page:
BB Page:

Resolved, that the Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music, in consultation with the House of Bishops Theology Committee, collect and develop theological resources and liturgies of blessing for same-gender holy unions, to be presented to the 77^th General Convention for formal consideration, and be it further

Resolved, that the Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music, in consultation with the House of Bishops Theology Committee, devise an open process for the conduct of its work in this matter, inviting participation from dioceses, congregations, and individuals who are or have already engaged in the study or design of such rites throughout the Anglican Communion, and be it further

Resolved, that all bishops, noting particularly those in dioceses within civil jurisdictions where same-gender marriage, civil unions, or domestic partnerships are legal, may provide generous pastoral response to meet the needs of members of this Church; and be it further

Resolved, that honoring the theological diversity of this Church, no bishop or other member of the clergy shall be compelled to authorize or officiate at such liturgies, and be it further

Resolved, that the Anglican Consultative Council be invited to conversation regarding this resolution and the work that proceeds from it, together with other churches in the Anglican Communion engaged in similar processes.

Sunday afternoon

In about 50 minutes the house of deputies will reconvene and it may begin to discuss a resolution related to the issue of the election of bishops in the episcopal church. The committee on world missions passed a resolution about it, but the bishops on the committee did not pass it! That means that while the resolution goes to the house of deputies, if it is amended in any way by the house and then passed, it will  go back to the committee for further discussion. If it is passed without any amendment then it goes to the house of bishops for their consideration. So, while no one knows what will happen, convention should be interesting this afternoon… if course, we might not get to it until tomorrow… you can never tell for sure until you get there.

What we can say for sure is that we are getting to the heart of the convention at this time. Many resolutions are being brought up for discussion and vote and many are being passed. Things are in full swing so expect the church to be in the national news soon which ever way these discussions turn out.

Our convention Eucharist was grand this morning, with the UTO ingathering, the sermon by the Presiding Bishop, and the presence of so many Episcopalians, it was easy to feel the spirit of Gods love among us.

I hope your experience at church this morning was grand as well.

Michael