Commission on Human Affairs Meeting, 10/12-15/95

    Minutes of the Commission on Human Affairs Meeting in Minneapolis


                       October 12-15, 1995


Present:  	Bishop Larry Maze, Bishop Edward Salmon (chair); 
                clergy  Reynolds Cheney, and Daniel Riggall; 
                lay  Louie Crew (secretary), Scott Evenbeck, 
                Mary Fong, and Bruce Garner (vice chair).    

Absent:      	Germaine Hoston.


October 12, 1995, 1:30  Joint Meeting of the Interim Bodies

We participated in the joint meeting of the interim bodies,
all gathered in Minneapolis.

The Presiding Bishop focused on:

1. Community
2.  Healing
3.  Wholeness
4.  Transcendence
5.  Empowerment
6.  Hope

Dr. Pam Chinnis, President of the House of Deputies,
focused on:

1.   Our role as vision bearers
2.   The need for structural change
3.   How might we create something new

Other presenters invited us to look at images of the
church, in search of a modern metaphor for our identity. 
Some of the images that emerged:

o	The church is not just individual believers, not just
	the ordained, not just the institution.

o	Our purpose is to be the salt, not to fill up salt
	barrels and store them in the Washington Cathedral.

o	We are to be the light of the world, not to be stored
	but to be spent.

o	The church is a letter, not an empty envelope.

o	Those who safeguard their treasures are not the body
	of Christ.

o	We are a filling station.  We are like a cyber
	network.

Betty Gilmore,  chair of the Structure Commission Planning
Committee, explained that teams from the Structure
Committee would meet with each of the interim bodies during
our time in Minneapolis,  to get our input about the best
ways to restructure ourselves to serve the Church more
effectively.     


7 P.M.	Executive Session


Commissions met on our own.  We dealt with internal
conflict.


 
October 13.  9:00-10:15	Standing Commission on the Church
in Metropolitan Areas 


We met with representatives of the Standing Commission on
the Church in Metropolitan Areas (SCCMA), including:  Max
Bell; Gretchen Jong (chair); James Lemler; Bishop Stewart
Wood.  Also present was George Werner, Vice-President of
the House of Deputies.   Both commissions had sought this
meeting as an opportunity to discover overlaps in our
agendas, and to identify ways to support one another.   We
on CHA shared with members of SCCMA the working outline we
created in August for our Blue Book report.  SCCMA shared
with us their plans for an April 17-19, 1996 meeting in
Indianapolis.  

Bishop Wood (SCCMA)  said he was fascinated by the
congruence of their agenda with the agenda we articulated
in our August meeting.

James Lemler (SCCMA)  noted that our common interest in
congregational development is the most essential item on
SCCMA's agenda for the triennium.  When SCCMA meets in
Indianapolis next April, it will tap into a research pool
of experts on congregational development, most of them
associated with the Lilly Foundation in Indianapolis,
including:

	Craig Dikestrar, Lilly's expert on religious
	congregations.

	Fred Hoffheinz, steward of Lilly's project
	studying the financing of American religion,
	especially in metropolitan areas.   

	Hoofernienz, overseer of Lilly's commitment to
	African-American congregations.

	Jim Wind, formerly at the Lilly Foundation, now
	Loren Mead's successor as Director of  the Alban
	Institute.

Bishop Wood:  We want to ask the seminaries what they are
doing in training urban ministry; also what other models
are there, especially to empower lay ministries?

Louie Crew suggested that an important part of development
is the difficult decision that a congregation needs to die. 
He noted that bishops and clergy do not easily face this
issue, because they do not want to be known for allowing a
congregation to die on their watch.  Lay leadership needs
to insist on the best use of diocesan resources, while also
being sensitive to the pain of that process. 

Bishop Maze:  What models does SCCMA anticipate that it
will recommend?

Bishop Wood:  We will identify those models that seem to be
working, within and without ECUSA.  We want our report to
lead to some actions.

Max Bell:   We acknowledge the tension between new ideas
and critiques:  we need to have both.   We have to speak to
what the church can do.   For example, we noted that the
church did the new hymnal, yet it provided one that does
not support diversity.  

Bishop Maze pointed out how important it is to study the
demographics of a growing area.  For example, rural farm
workers are moving in great numbers.

Bishop Wood:  ECUSA is not training clergy to work within
other cultures.

Louie Crew cited the Korean congregation CHA learned about
in San Francisco:  that ministry has found it important to
abandon the model of meeting at one site.  Instead, it
holds services in the homes of immigrants, whose work
schedule permits no common time they might be available for
worship in a single congregation. With the new model the
ministry is thriving; with the old model, the pastor felt a
failure.

Bishop Salmon shared his model for the diocese to go to the
congregations, not the other way round.  "We need to make
strategic use of resources, to bring them directly into the
congregations."

Mary Fong shared models of the Asian ministries projects in
California, specifically the training of youth to be active
ministers in their congregations, not just clients of the
church.


	How do our two commissions differ?


Bruce Garner:  The Commission on Human Affairs' focus is
much broader, on the soul of the whole church.

Reynolds Cheney:  Traditionally Human Affairs as been the
commission from which others have spawned others.  Our
direction this triennium is a battle for the soul of our
people.   We have let the concepts of power/winning/numbers
take over from the concepts of compassion/ministry/service.
We need to re-introduce a servant community as an
alternative to the current model of a "successful"
community.

Bishop Salmon:  We need to use the blessings of money in
our church. Even with all our budgetary problems, the
Episcopal Church enjoys enormous material blessings, more
so than several other denominations.  With these blessings
comes responsibility, and we need to be more intentional in
accepting that responsibility.

Reynolds Cheney:   Most of the values of the church are
turning off our youth.

George Werner:  Don't discount our advocacy roles.  We must
not abdicate that responsibility.

Dan Riggall:  ECUSA ethnicity is a class ethnicity, and 
George is right that we must tap into that prophetic role.

Bishop Salmon:  Congregations that are growing are
congregations in catachesis.


	10:15-12:00   Council for Development of Ministry


We met with Jack Docker, of the Council for Development of
Ministry.   He explained that the Council was created to
bring persons together to let them know what each other is
doing, and to help avoid duplication.

The Council receives agenda items from General Convention. 
For example, it is now working with Constitution and Canons
regarding the consent process for new bishops.  It is  also
reviewing the ordination process for priests and deacons;
studying the role of suffragan bishops; and reviewing
various issues of theology of ministry.  The Council
participates in annual meetings in the provinces with
Commissions on Ministries.  The Council also has created a
resource on cultural sensitivity for the ordination
process.

Now our main theological focus is on ordination, with a
document being written by Guy Lytle -- since nothing has
recently been written on priests.  

The Council is also reviewing Title III ministry canons,
looking specifically at the role of standing committees and
the consent process.  It is looking at justice issues,
specifically at data for deployment of women.    It is also
looking at thorny issues, such as documenting how many of
our priests have gone to the Roman Church.  

	1:30 p.m.	Commission on the Status of Women

We met with members of the Commission on the Status of
Women, including  Ed Rodman, Bonita Palmer, Ann Smith,
Carol Gallagher, and Carol Lee.

Reynolds Cheney explained the Commission on Human Affairs
agenda as a struggle for the souls of our people vis a vis
the values of our culture and the values of our church.  We
are too absorbed by the values of power and being big.  We
reward people for being successful in the values of the
culture.  We need the standards of the servant community,
not a success community.

Our guests explained that the Commission on the Status of
Women (CSW) started in 1988 Detroit General Convention.  
It is fairly new and not a "standing commission."  CSW
reports not to General Convention, but to Executive
Council.

CSW tracks, defines, and articulates where women stand in
the church.  CSW is an advocacy group committed to improve
women's standing..  CSW is also charged to articulate the
needs of women in the larger society.   "We've always
understood that we should not lose track of the theological
roots that cause our problem."  A UTO grant in the last
triennium helped us bring folks together to look at 
gender-based violence.  CSW encouraged the Committee on
Sexual Exploitation to break off from us so that could be
more focused:  Our focus  is much broader.  

Bruce Garner noted that the CHA work on  youth at risk
reflects a similar concern.

CSW sees itself as searching for new ways to bring healing
in the church.   It tries to meet in forums to engage a
community.   CSW also conducts consultations, regionally
created by members in those communities.   Bonita Palmer
noted that CSW is aware of  the risks of re-victimization
if forums are not safe spaces for victims to talk about
their pain.   She cited the similar needs of lesbian and
gay Christians.

CSW would like much to see CHA address welfare reform.  "We
need a response to the Christian Coalition.  We need
materials.  Perhaps CHA can generate those.  Ann Smith
would be glad to collaborate with anyone from the
Commission on Human Affairs."

CSW would like for CHA to hold up fact that world does not
fall apart when people who differ join in Christian
community.

Daniel Riggall:  We need to address poverty and older
women.

Bishop Salmon:  We are creating a bigger problem down the
pike, by creating systems of part-time employment, which
congregations use to avoid paying for pension plans.   

CSW would like for all to embrace feminists and feminism so
that we won't see women as the villain.


	3:15:    Commission on Structure of the Church


Representatives of CSC present:  Ed Marney, Patrick Mauney,
Robert Royce, Bishop Walter Dennis

"What would you have us do?" our guests asked.

Louie Crew suggested that CSC document the effects, if any,
of Blue Book reports.  "Are we just generating paper
documents with no life after General Convention?  Is there
any objective measure of the ongoing influence of what we
do, both at General Convention and in the work of interim
bodies?  How can we build accountability into the
processes?"

CSC noted that it sees its mission not as one of  "slash
and burn."  CSC urged us to look at just doing things
better but rather to look for better things to do.  "What
do you feel deepest about in your Commission's canonical
charge?"

Reynolds Cheney:   The Commission on Human Affairs is more
programmatic.  The Commission on Structure of the Church is
not strategic; you do not have a way to birth the creation.
That is our job.

CSC noted that many commissions see themselves as standing-
by think tanks, as opposed to search parties.  "How do you
think you have been stymied?" CSC asked.  

Bishop Salmon:  Often there is too much overlap.  Often
there is not an intentionality about the matter.

Scott Evenbeck:  Often work is not coordinated.


	October 13 (evening) and October 14 (morning):   

		Refining Our Agenda


We reviewed the "Working Outline of Our Blue Book Report
drafted in August and used that outline to specify tasks
and to accept areas of individual responsibility. 

Bruce Garner agreed to flesh out our statement on social
service.  

Louie Crew and Daniel Riggall agreed to collect evidence to
document welfare failures and reforms.

Scott Evenbeck agreed to draft the portion of our report
dealing with "Functional illiteracy, under-literacy."

Bishop Maze agreed to flesh out the part of our draft
dealing with "classism, homelessness, and poverty."

Reynolds Cheney and Louie Crew agreed to flesh out the part
of our draft dealing with "Economic change victims: 
layoffs, underemployment; homelessness."


Visitations planned for our remaining meetings

(Note:  Dates Appear in the Revised Schedule at the end of
the minutes.)

At Charleston:	Bishop Salmon noted that we will meet with
two congregations of unchurched folks and meet
with the African candidates for ordinations.  We
will also meet with leaders of diocesan youth
programs.

At Vermont:	Daniel Riggall noted that we will visit
Three Cathedral Square (a retirement center), and
we will visit selected congregations.

At Memphis:	Reynolds Cheney noted that we will visit
Emanuel Center; a youth center; the Methodist
Church Health Center (health care for the poor;
the pastor is a doctor).   

Bishop Maze noted that while we are in Memphis
we may also visit the St.  Francis House 
network in Arkansas and  possibly with the 
Tutwiler community center.  Trudy James,
an Episcopalian, is founder of the Regional Aids
Interfaith Network (RAIN), which manifests the
values of the church in the community.

Hosts Bishop Maze,  Bishop Salmon, and  Daniel Riggall
agreed to send advance reading materials regarding the
issues of the visitations.

Reynolds Cheney stressed that in all these preparations we
are focusing on the value of  the church being put into use
as opposed to a value of the society.  We are looking for
models for Christian values at work in the world. 

Gene Robinson has declined to be our writer.  Louie Crew
suggested that Br. Tobias Haller (OSG) might be available,
and agreed to circulate information on his background and
qualifications.  Bishop Salmon will advise us regarding
developments.

The Commission asked Louie Crew to confer with Germaine
Hoston to confirm whether she will produce the analysis she
agreed at our August meeting to do for our Blue Book
report, specifically:  "How has the world invaded our
identity as the church?  Which cultural elements are 
inconsequential and which put us at risk?"  We would like
to review a draft of this at our next meeting in
Charleston. 

All of us will review previous reports of the Commission,
supplied to us by Bruce Woodcock at our August meeting, to
see what we have identified in the past that may have
gotten lost, looking for those whom we are serving less
well. 

All of us will use our own experience to try to find
examples of how those are not being served less well.

Louie Crew will try to find some input regarding
Hispanic/Latinos.

Louie Crew and Bruce Garner will provide input regarding
lesbigays.

Mary Fong will provide input regarding Asians.

Germaine Hoston will provide input regarding African
Americans.

Mary Fong and Germaine Hoston will provide input regarding
women's issues

Scott Evenbeck noted that we might write our Blue Book
report in the format of a study guide for the church, not
just as a conventional document calling for study guides.
He will circulate to us some models of  reports in this
format.  

One of our goals is to identify models of congregations
that include diversity of  people.  We noted that diversity
is a cultural concept:  we all need to re-define the
concept in theological terms.  We all also need to identify
specific impediments to diversity.

We agreed to set aside a time at our next meeting to review
our process.

We agreed to ask for Bruce Woodcock to be our staff
liaison. [He has now been so appointed.   LC]


      Books mentioned in the course of our meeting:


Note:   These items  were mentioned in passing at various
points in the meeting, and I collect them here for
commissioners' convenience, with no suggestion that they
represent the full breadth of our concerns, or our point of
view. 

Good Works: A Guide to Careers in Social Change.  1991. 
Edited by Jessica Cowan.  Preface by Ralph Nader. 
Barricade Books, 61 Fourth Avenue, NYC 10003.  Paperback. 
$18. ISBN 0-942637-27-5.

If Womn Counted:  A New Feminist Economics.  By Marilyn
Waring.  Introduction by Gloria Steinem.  San Francisco: 
Harper Books, 1988.  ISBN: 0062509330

Trivialization of God:  The Dangerous Illusion of a
Manageable Deity.  Donald W. McCullough.   Hardback/0-
89109-909-3 $16.  180-366-7788 offer #1734.


                    ===================


                           Revised!



     Meeting Schedule for the Commission on Human Affairs
                 for the Triennium 1994-1997


		1995

February 1-2, 1995, in Dallas.  Initial organizing meeting.

August 17-19, 1995,  in San Francisco,  connecting with
Chinese ministries.

October 12-14, 1995, in Minneapolis, connecting with other
interim bodis. 


		1996

March 14-16, 1996, in Charleston.

July 11-13, 1996, in   Burlington, Vermont.

November 20-23, 1996, in Memphis.   [This is a new date and
a new site!]

		1997

Jan.  8-9, 1997,  in New Orleans,. arrive on evening of the
7th; on the 9th, meet from 9 a.m. to noon. )

Note:  Jan. 15, 1997 is deadline for our report to be
arrive at the General Convention Office.

                  Respectfuly submitted, Louie Crew, Secretary

			Printed December 26, 1995, 10:59 AM