14/07: July 14, 2009
As I write in the morning, a variety of more significant legislative matters are coming forward.
Bishop Consecrations – The House of Bishops on Monday addressed D-025, about which I wrote yesterday, and included the entire resolution on the blog. The Bishops completely re-wrote the sixth “resolve,” though not significantly changing the intent of that “resolve,” approving the resolution by a 2-1 margin. Since there was an amendment, the resolution will come back to the House of Deputies to consider the Bishops’ amendment. I would guess that the Deputies would concur with no amendments.
Ecuador Central – A contested election of a bishop took place in Ecuador Central, which is part of The Episcopal Church. A non-Ecuadorian was elected, though all the legal procedures were followed exactly. That took a lot of our time, though folks in Western New York probably won’t consider this of great importance to them.
Title IV – In the Canons of The Episcopal Church, Title IV is the section that addresses the discipline of clergy (bishops, priests, and deacons). There was a massive overhaul of Title IV. At our next two Diocesan Conventions, we will be looking at how our Diocese needs to modify our disciplinary system in order to comply with The Episcopal Church. The experts in canon law did a terrific job in drafting the revisions. The system moves from a rather “legal” system to a much more conciliatory system.
Evangelize Latinos/Hispanics – A major initiative to evangelize Latinos/Hispanics has passed both the House of Deputies and the House of Bishops. One of the primary strategies is to identify 500 areas (probably by ZIP Code) where there are a significant number of Latinos/Hispanics living, and where the local Episcopal Church has a very small percentage of Latinos/Hispanic. The plan is to fine 100 of those congregations that would be willing to be intentional about working to expand their membership with local Latinos/Hispanics.
Denominational Health Plan – The Church Pension Group (of the Episcopal Church) was charged three years ago with investigating the possibility of providing a health care plan for the entire Episcopal Church. Currently, the CPG writes the health insurance for over half of the Dioceses (though not Western New York). The Bishops approved the implementation of this insurance plan, to take effect by 2012. The Deputies have not yet received the resolution. Compared to our present plan in our Diocese, the plan would make very little difference. In some areas, the difference is quite significant.
That’s it for now. Please keep praying for us.
Fr. Earle
Bishop Consecrations – The House of Bishops on Monday addressed D-025, about which I wrote yesterday, and included the entire resolution on the blog. The Bishops completely re-wrote the sixth “resolve,” though not significantly changing the intent of that “resolve,” approving the resolution by a 2-1 margin. Since there was an amendment, the resolution will come back to the House of Deputies to consider the Bishops’ amendment. I would guess that the Deputies would concur with no amendments.
Ecuador Central – A contested election of a bishop took place in Ecuador Central, which is part of The Episcopal Church. A non-Ecuadorian was elected, though all the legal procedures were followed exactly. That took a lot of our time, though folks in Western New York probably won’t consider this of great importance to them.
Title IV – In the Canons of The Episcopal Church, Title IV is the section that addresses the discipline of clergy (bishops, priests, and deacons). There was a massive overhaul of Title IV. At our next two Diocesan Conventions, we will be looking at how our Diocese needs to modify our disciplinary system in order to comply with The Episcopal Church. The experts in canon law did a terrific job in drafting the revisions. The system moves from a rather “legal” system to a much more conciliatory system.
Evangelize Latinos/Hispanics – A major initiative to evangelize Latinos/Hispanics has passed both the House of Deputies and the House of Bishops. One of the primary strategies is to identify 500 areas (probably by ZIP Code) where there are a significant number of Latinos/Hispanics living, and where the local Episcopal Church has a very small percentage of Latinos/Hispanic. The plan is to fine 100 of those congregations that would be willing to be intentional about working to expand their membership with local Latinos/Hispanics.
Denominational Health Plan – The Church Pension Group (of the Episcopal Church) was charged three years ago with investigating the possibility of providing a health care plan for the entire Episcopal Church. Currently, the CPG writes the health insurance for over half of the Dioceses (though not Western New York). The Bishops approved the implementation of this insurance plan, to take effect by 2012. The Deputies have not yet received the resolution. Compared to our present plan in our Diocese, the plan would make very little difference. In some areas, the difference is quite significant.
That’s it for now. Please keep praying for us.
Fr. Earle
