(This story has been updated.) By Kirk Petersen Church leadership has committed to significantly compressing plans for General Convention in July, but closed the door on the idea of postponing it altogether, during an extraordinary online Executive Council meeting May 11. In the opening minutes of the meeting, Presiding Bishop Michael B. Curry declared “we are … [Read more...] about General Convention Is a Go, But Expect Dramatic Changes
Executive Council
COVID May Prompt Major General Convention Changes
By Kirk Petersen In a whirlwind of consultations prompted by COVID outbreaks at recent meetings, church leadership is actively considering significant changes for the 80th General Convention, currently planned for July 7-14 in Baltimore. The Executive Council -- the governing body of the Episcopal Church between General Conventions -- will hold an unusual special session … [Read more...] about COVID May Prompt Major General Convention Changes
Jennings, 2 Others Have COVID After Executive Council Meeting
By Kirk Petersen General Convention Office issues COVID guidelines At least three people who attended a four-day Executive Council meeting in Puerto Rico have tested positive for COVID, casting a spotlight on concerns about the much-larger eight-day General Convention scheduled for early July. The Rev. Gay Clark Jennings, 71, president of the House of … [Read more...] about Jennings, 2 Others Have COVID After Executive Council Meeting
Executive Council Supports Indigenous Initiatives
By Kirk Petersen While meeting on "lands that were tended by the Taíno peoples, taken from them and renamed San Juan, Puerto Rico," the Executive Council made two substantial commitments in support of Indigenous people at its April 20-23 meeting. The council approved: A multi-year commitment to retain independent historians to study and document the extent of the … [Read more...] about Executive Council Supports Indigenous Initiatives
Racial & Ethnic Data Added to 2022 Parochial Report
By Kirk Petersen Parish priests throughout the church are working toward a March 1 deadline to submit the annual parochial report of membership, attendance, and finances for 2021 -- a task that has grown considerably more complicated because of the pandemic. Meanwhile, Executive Council on January 27 approved an outline of a form for the 2022 report, adding some questions … [Read more...] about Racial & Ethnic Data Added to 2022 Parochial Report
What to Do With a Multi-Million Dollar Surplus?
By Kirk Petersen The Episcopal Church has the kind of problem you like to have: a huge budget surplus. At its four-day meeting in Linthicum Heights, Maryland, the Executive Council learned that the church expects to end the year, and thus the 2019-2021 triennium, with a surplus of just under $16 million. The problem is the optics. More than 80 percent of the church's revenue … [Read more...] about What to Do With a Multi-Million Dollar Surplus?
Grim Tidings from Haiti, Described as a ‘Failed State’
By Kirk Petersen Executive Council members heard a sobering assessment of the chaotic situation in Haiti, home to one of the largest dioceses in the Episcopal Church. "The church is functioning in a civil society that many characterize as a failed state," said the Rt. Rev. Todd Ousley, who oversees the church's relationship with the Caribbean nation. Director of Government … [Read more...] about Grim Tidings from Haiti, Described as a ‘Failed State’
Council Focuses on Indigenous Boarding Schools
By Kirk Petersen The Executive Council is continuing to explore the history of the Episcopal Church with Indian boarding schools, which were part of a government program of forced assimilation in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The council is meeting in person for the first time since the beginning of the pandemic, gathering from October 25-28 at the Maritime … [Read more...] about Council Focuses on Indigenous Boarding Schools