The Aug. 1995 Meeting of the Commission on Human Affairs
Minutes of the Aug. 1995 Meeting of the Commission on Human Affairs
Send mail to: lcrew@andromeda.rutgers.edu
Meeting in San Francisco, August 17-19, 1995
Present: Bishop Edward Salmon (chair); clergy Reynolds Cheney, and
Daniel Riggall; lay Louie Crew (secretary), Scott Evenbeck,
Mary Fong, Bruce Garner (vice chair), and Germaine Hoston.
Absent: Bishop Larry Maze.
Visitor: Bruce Woodcock, assistant secretary of General Convention
August 17, 1995
At 9:00 a.m. we began with Morning Prayer.
We devoted the morning to introductions and re-connecting to each
other. In the afternoon we reviewed the twenty-four items we had
considered in February and reduced our list to the eight which most
interested us:
Priorities
1. Models of congregations that include diversity of people.
2. Engage ministries of classes & cultures not broadly represented
3. Identifying and holding up new models of ministry
4. Visit/Uphold Asian Ministries
5. Violence Against Children
6. Welfare Reform
7. Problems of the poor in rural areas.
8. Revitalization in social services, in more structured ways
In other words: We want the church to include a diversity of people,
to engage ministries of classes & cultures not now broadly
represented. As a Commission, we want to identify and celebrate
examples models of such ministry. For example, we want to visit and
uphold Asian ministries.
We want to address the needs of those at greatest risk, particularly
children who face violence and poverty. We want to investigate ways
to revitalize social services, looking especially at the needs of the rural
poor.
In the afternoon, we set the dates for our remaining meetings. See
the attached meeting schedule for the full triennium.
Joint Meeting with the Asian Commission of the Diocese of
California
In the evening we participated in a joint meeting with the Asian
Commission of the Diocese of California, hosted by True Sunshine
Episcopal Church in San Francisco. Our hosts treated us to a splendid
program about Asian ministries in the diocese, and provided us with a
packet that includes:
An agenda for the evening
"Episcopal Asiamerica Ministry," by The Rev. Winston Ching
"The First National Conference of Asian American Episcopalians,"
Grace Cathedral, February 7-9, 1974.
"EAM [Episcopal Asiamerica Ministry] Youth and Young Adult
Leadership Training Conference. (August, 1994)
"Light the Fire," a report of the 1995 Youth and Young Adult
Leadership Training Conference.
"Resolution" from Episcopal Asiamerica Ministry, Young Adult
Convocation, Los Angeles, July 29, 1995. This document calls
on the National Church Youth Ministry to recommend "a
significant presence of currently under-represented ethnic,
racial, and gender groups" in the selection of delegates to any
youth event. It requests ensurance that "the number of Asian
American adult leaders at any youth event be in direct
proportion to the number of Asian American youth
participating."
August 18, 1995
We began with Holy Communion.
Bruce Woodcock's Review of Resources Available to Us
Bruce Woodcock, assistant secretary of General Convention advised
us of the resources available to us from the Office of General
Convention. He noted that we should focus on our Blue Book report
and on legislation. He counseled that we instruct more by the report
than by legislation. The General Convention Office urges all interim
bodies to continue to reduce the amount of legislation that we
introduce. Bruce noted that legislation proposed might reduce the
number of shall statements in what we ask the dioceses to do, lest we
create a massive weight of legislation which by its very bulk assures
lack of attention to it at the local levels we seek to influence.
Bruce gave each of us a packet that includes:
Louie's draft of an agenda for this meeting
Roster of members and addresses
Legislative Acts of Convention, 1976-1991 re: Welfare (from Archives
of the Episcopal Church).
Canonical References for Interim Bodies
1985, 1988, 1991, and 1994 Blue Book reports of the Standing
Commission on Human Affairs
Bruce noted that historically our Commission has tackled hard issues
as big concepts, and on eight different occasions General Convention
has then created new commissions or committees to work at these
issues in closer detail (e.g., AIDS, health, racism.....)
He noted that after the joint meeting of all interim bodies in
Minneapolis in October, a staff liaison will be assigned to each
interim body now without them, if requested by the chair, based on
the focus each body has chosen and the special expertise of each staff
person assigned.
Bruce noted that the media people at the Episcopal Church Center
(including James Solheim at Episcopal News Service and Jerry Hames
at Episcopal Life) are glad to promote our work and welcome press
releases of material that will help to raise our issues.
Bruce noted that some of the issues we had discussed in February are
already chosen by other interim bodies, e.g. Council for the
Development of Ministry is already addressing issues of ministry;
likewise, The Standing Commission on the Church in Metropolitan
Areas is already addressing congregational development. He offered
this information for background only, he noted. We are free to take
any direction we want to take; we are free to set out own agenda.
Working Outline of Our Blue Book Report
We spent much of this day and the next drafting a working outline for
our Blue Book report:
I. INTRODUCTION [Premise and Thesis]
1. Will you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving your
neighbor as yourself? BCP p. 305. How through our re-
discovery of our Baptismal Covenant can we touch this
culture?
2. What might the Church need to look like to be faithful to that
covenant? In the cleaning up of things, we address only our
own church.
3. Is it our intention to honor that covenant for all people?
4. If not, whom will we seek and serve in Christ's name?
5. If so, are we equipped with resources and skills we need to do
this?
[6. What are these and how do we deploy them effectively? Here
also possible mention of trust funds and disposition ]
II. CULTURAL ANALYSIS/CULTURAL CRITICISM: THE
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE CHURCH AND
SOCIETY/CULTURE
The problem of excessive individualism, materialism, etc.
How are we no different in practice, in actuality, from this culture?
How have the elements that we have identified above been reflected
in the life of this Church?
We are called to be a contrast community, to be prophetic, to push
forward, on the cutting edge of a human effort to be faithful to our
baptismal covenant. That is what made Christianity so dangerous at
the outset. Through our rediscovery and reaffirmation of our
baptismal covenant, we can begin to achieve this. Once we accept this
commission, we have our mission and we can be that which is the
raison detre of the Church: to be the Body of Christ and thereby
enable others to see/find God. (Reference testimony/witness of
Asiamerican youth that being part of that ministry enabled him to see
God.)
Diversity is a cultural concept: we need to re-define the concept in
theological terms.
III. WHOM AMONG US ARE WE SEEKING AND SERVING
LESS WELL OR NOT AT ALL?
A Ethnic groups that we have hitherto not been sufficiently successful
in bringing into our midst (exclusion on the basis of ethnic, or gender
or other attributive identities)
1. Asiamericans
2. Hispanic/Latinos
3. African-Americans
4. Lesbians and Gays
5. Other who do not fit neatly into these categories
-in each case:
B. Economically and socially marginalized across society/ethnic
groups and political lines
1. Need to transcend simplistic dichotomies of social service sans
Jesus vs. Fundamentalism as Jesus and only Jesus without a
substantive commitment to taking the message to all where they are
2. Violence, especially but not exclusively directed against women
and children
a. Welfare failures and reforms
b. Functional illiteracy, under-literacy
c. Classism, homelessness, poverty
d. Economic change victims
-layoffs
-underemployment
-homelessness
IV. ARE THERE MODELS OF SUCCESS TO WHICH WE CAN
LOOK FOR GUIDANCE?
-True Sunshine Church
-Industrial Areas Foundation (IAF) [known in Atlanta as
ABLE]
-transitional housing project in Pittsburgh
V. DO WE HAVE AN ADVOCACY ROLE IN THE LARGER
SOCIETY?
-influencing welfare reform
-specialized ministries that have a broader effect in
addressing the issues of society
August 19, 1995
We reviewed our goal statements and the tasks to which we had
committed ourselves between now and our October meeting.
All should send travel expense documentation to Bishop Salmon for
his approval. He will dispatch directly to Angela Cappiello.
Books Mentioned During our Meeting:
Campbell, Will. Brothers of the Dragon Fly
Carter, Stephen L. The Culture of DisbeliefColburn, John. Grace in All Things.
Neibuhr, Richard. Christ and Culture
Wink, Walter. Engaging the Powers
Tasks Assumed by Specific Individuals
(XX) = Tasks completed as of 8/24/95
Louie Crew:
Contact Ginger Paul, Co-Chair, Committee on the Status of
Women, to confirm our joint meeting with her committee in
Minneapolis, October 13, 1:30 to 2 p.m. (XX)
Contact Gene Robinson to alert him to the dates about which Bishop
Salmon will ask him to meet with us. (XX)
[Bishop Salmon has already spoken with Gene, and he
has agreed to help.]
Thank Angela Cappiello for her kind and efficient service to us in the
arrangements for San Francisco. (XX)
Thank Bruce Woodcock for his informative presence among us in San
Francisco. (XX)
Thank the Commission on Asian Ministries in the Diocese of
California for their powerful presentation at our joint meeting
together. Contact person: The Rev. Gordon Lau. (XX)
Thank the members of Nor-Cal Yeast for their witness at our joint
meeting. Contact person: Mr. Jay Watan. (XX)
Thank the rector of True Sunshine Chinese Church (The Rev.
Don Fox) for the parish's hospitality in hosting the joint meeting.
(XX)
Will contact Bishop Stewart Wood, Convener of the Standing
Commission on the Church in Metropolitan Areas, to alert him
that we initially expressed an interest in several aspects
of congregational development but now understand them to be
covered by that Commission. I will explain that we are open to
further conversations about these. (XX)
[Note: after I wrote Bishop Wood but before I mailed the
letter, Gretchen Jong, chair of this Commission, approached
Bishop Salmon asking for the two Commissions to meet
together in Minneapolis. She and Bishop Salmon are trying to find a
mutually agreeable time.]
Will contact Randy Dales, chair of the Council for the
Development of Ministry and Jack Docker, the Council's staff
contact at 815, to alert them that we initially expressed an
interest in several issues of ministry but now understand
them to be covered by that Council. I will explain that we are open to
further conversations about these. (XX)
Germaine Hoston:
Will draft cultural analysis as background to our preparing
our report. Specifically, how has the world invaded our
identity as the church? Which cultural elements are
inconsequential and which put us at risk?
Ed Salmon:
Will connect with Gene Robinson regarding his attending our meeting
on July 11-13 in Burlington, VT next summer. (XX)
[Footnote September 11, 1995: Gene Robinson has replied that he
will not be available to work with us. lc]
Bruce Woodcock:
Will send Bp. Maze a copy of all handouts during our
meeting.
Meeting Schedule for the Commission on Human Affairs
for the Triennium 1994-1997
1995
February 1-2, 1995, in Dallas. Initial organizing meeting.
Aug. 17-19, 1995, in San Francisco, connecting with
Chinese ministries.
October 12-14, 1995, in Minneapolis, connecting with other
interim bodies.
Note: On Friday, the 13th, we will meet with the Commission
on the Status of Women, 1:30 - 2 p.m.). All are encouraged
stay over Saturday night to effect savings. The Commission
will conclude our business by 2 p.m. on Saturday the 14th.
Those staying over will do committee work.
1996
March 14-16, 1996, in Charleston.
July 11-13, 1996, in Burlington, Vermont.
Nov. 14-16, 1996, in Del Ray Beach, Florida.
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.
Respectfully submitted, Louie Crew, Secretary