June 13 morning legislative committee hearings

Canons Committee

The task force proposing an ambitious revision of disciplinary canons known as Title IV (resolution A153: "Proposed Title IV Revisions") faced tough questioning from the Canons Committee. The present adversarial system would be replaced by a multi-layered approach that stresses mediation and reconciliation. Much of the concern from the committee deals with the fact that laity could also be disciplined under the new system. A public hearing is scheduled from 2:00-4:00 p.m. June 14 in the Union D meeting room at the Hyatt Regency.

Consecration of Bishops Committee

The Very Rev. William H. Love got the endorsement of the Committee on the Consecration of Bishops to become bishop coadjutor of the Diocese of Albany. His consent now goes to the House of Deputies and then the House of Bishops for final approval. The committee today also will consider the confirmations of the Rev. David Reed to be bishop suffragan of the Diocese of West Texas at 2:15 p.m.; the Ven. Dena Harrison to be bishop suffragan of the Diocese of Texas at 3:15 p.m. and the Rev. Todd Ousley to be bishop coadjutor of the Diocese of Eastern Michigan at 7:15 p.m. Those times are when the doors will be open to the public, following a time of executive session for the committee. The committee meets in the Harrison Room of the Hyatt Regency.

Evangelism Committee
 
Church growth and funding were the focal points of the Evangelism Committee's first meeting June 12. The richness of a diverse population includes people of different class backgrounds as well as race and age, one deputy told members of the committee. Others encouraged the committee to acknowledge the importance of growing the Episcopal Church (TEC) beyond the borders of the U.S. within the pending resolutions as well as to specifically articulate how funding will be made available for new church plants. One speaker suggested an increase in the use of endowment funds from five percent to 5.2 percent to provide more than $400,000 for development staff for TEC, noting that it had been 25 years since the TEC has had a major fundraising campaign.

National and International Concerns Committee
 
Resolution D022: "Millennium Development Goals and the ONE Episcopalian Campaign" was one of the resolutions aired by the National and International Concerns Committee. Related resolutions (A008, A009, A142, C024, C041) were also up for discussion. A new initiative, ONE Episcopalian, seeks to rally Episcopalians -- ONE by ONE -- to the cause of ending extreme poverty and achieving the MDGs. Further information about ONE Episcopalian can be found online at: http://www.episcopalchurch.org/3577_75362_ENG_HTM.htm

The June 13 morning legislative sessions in the House of Bishops and House of Deputies are scheduled for 10:45 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Legislative committees meet again today from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and again from 7:00 p.n. to 9:00 p.m.

Special Committee on the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion plans two open hearings today. From 2:00-4:00 p.m., an open hearing will address resolution A159: "Commitment to Interdependence in the Anglican Communion" and nine related C resolutions (004, 009, 014, 025, 027, 037, 038, 039 and 042), that respond to the Windsor Report and relate to the Episcopal Church’s relationship with and membership in the Anglican Communion.
 
The full text of A159 can be found online at: http://gc2006.org/legislation/view_leg_detail.aspx?id=200&type=ORIGINAL
 
In order to accommodate an anticipated large number of speakers, the committee will hereafter convene in the Hayes Room in the Hyatt Regency Hotel.
 
From 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., an open hearing will focus on resolutions A165, "Commitment to Windsor and Listening Processes," A166, "Anglican Covenant Development Process," and C007, "Anglican Consultative Council Appropriation."

The June 13 afternoon legislative sessions in the House of Bishops and House of Deputies are scheduled for 4:15 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.