Episcopal Diocese of Upper South Carolina Post-General Convention Special Edition, July–August 2006
Crosswalk
Bishop Henderson proposes 11th-hour “compromise” resolution
Convention adopts B033 in response to Windsor’s call for moratorium By Peggy Van Antwerp Hill, Editor
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s co-chair of General Convention’s Special Legislative Committee #26 (SLC 26), our bishop, the Rt. Rev. Dorsey F. Henderson, Jr., found himself at the heart of an intense 11th-hour flurry of activity aimed at moving deadlocked bishops and deputies forward in the process of responding to the Windsor Report. As the clock ticked on the final day of convention, Resolution B033, proposed by Bishop Henderson, carried in both houses, responding to the Windsor Report’s call for “a moratorium on the consecration of any candidate to the episcopate who is living in a same-gender union until some new consensus in the Anglican Communion emerges.”
“Exercising restraint” B033 was what some termed a “compromise resolution,” introduced by the Presiding Bishop, the Most Rev. Frank T. Griswold III, during an extraordinary joint session of the Houses of Bishops and Deputies. The resolution calls on bishops and Standing
Committees to “exercise restraint by not consenting to the consecration of any candidate to the episcopate whose manner of life presents a challenge to the wider church and will lead to further strains on communion.” Drafted by Bishop Henderson and others from SLC 26 during an afterhours session on convention’s penultimate day, it was offered following the failure of Resolution A161, which had “urge[d] very considerable caution” in selecting bishops of the Church.
Bishop Henderson and colleagues line up to process before Holy Eucharist.
Moving forward despite “heartbreak” Acknowledging that the resolution was “a heartbreak for a lot of people,” including “gays and lesbians, who think the response was too much, and conserva-
tives, who thought it too little,” Bishop Henderson described the resolution as “an appropriate and blessed way forward, strengthening the Episcopal Church, strengthening the Anglican Communion, without closing any doors unnecessarily.” —continued on page D
Inspiration, consternation, determination, HOPE . . .
Upper SC deputies experience gamut of emotions at GC 2006 By Duncan C. Ely
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On the floor of the House of Deputies: (front row, left to right) The Very Rev. Dr. Philip Linder, chair of the deputation, and the Revs. David Thompson, Calvin Griffin, and Beth Ely; (back row) Belton Zeigler, Scooty Burch, Art Bjontegard, and Angela Daniel. Not pictured are our alternates, the Rev. Blaney Pridgen and Robert Clawson, waiting in the wings to give respite to a tired deputy.
oy, sorrow, hope, frustration, wonder, disappointment, humor, pain, faith, urgency, pride, humility, fear, serenity. Upper South Carolina deputies experienced a wide range of emotions throughout the 75th General Convention of the Episcopal Church in Columbus, Ohio, June 13–21. They rose early and stayed up late, worked on committees, endured hours of legislative debate, ate together, and worshiped together. The Very Rev. Dr. Philip Linder, dean of Trinity Cathedral and head of the Upper South Carolina deputation, described the days as extremely long and full. But he noted that he “came away with excitement and great hope for the future of the Episcopal Church.”
Grueling but inspirational For Upper South Carolina deputies, a typical day at General Convention was physically and emotionally tiring. Convention’s span of nine days made the experience absolutely grueling. The rewards, though— inspiration at seeing the larger Church gathered and at work—were great enough for all of the deputies to consider a repeat performance. The next General Convention, the Episcopal Church’s 76th, will be in Anaheim, California, in 2009, which should give deputies enough time to get some rest! The General Convention of the Episcopal Church is a huge event. As of June 13, there were 839 registered deputies, 306 registered alternates, 230 registered bishops, 365 participants in the Episcopal Church Women Triennial meeting, and 27 youth deputies. That’s a total of 1,767 people, not including guests of the convention such as observers, the press, spouses, and friends. —conitnued on page C
Post–General Convention
2006
Crosswalk FROM THE
Bishop’s desk
“[S]ome offerings God can bless; other offerings, God must redeem. Where we have been right, God will bless. Where we have been amiss, God will redeem.” Crosswalk
Official Publication of the Episcopal Diocese of Upper South Carolina 1115 Marion Street Columbia, South Carolina 29201 803.771.7800/800.889.6961 803.799.5119 fax dioceseusc@aol.com Crosswalk E-mail Address phill@edusc.org Bishop The Rt. Rev. Dorsey F. Henderson, Jr. Executive Assistant to Bishop Henderson Jane B. Goldsmith jgoldsmith@edusc.org Canon to the Ordinary The Rev. Mark Clevenger mclevenger@edusc.org Assistant to the Canon to the Ordinary The Rev. d’Rue Hazel dhazel@edusc.org Assistant for Administration Roslyn Hook rhook@edusc.org Canon for Finance and Administration Julie Price jprice@edusc.org Director of Finance and Insurance Cynthia Hendrix chendrix@edusc.org Canon for Communications, Editor of Crosswalk Peggy Van Antwerp Hill phill@edusc.org Canon for Youth Ministry The Rev. L. Sue von Rautenkranz suevon@edusc.org Assistant for Communications and Youth Ministry Bethany Human bhuman@edusc.org
Friday of Pentecost II June 23, 2006 Sisters and Brothers: From the Gospel according to St. Matthew: “That evening . . . they brought to him all who were ill or possessed . . . ; and the whole town was there. . . . He healed many . . . and drove out many devils. . . . [N]ext morning he got up and . . . went away to a lonely spot and remained there in prayer. But Simon and his companions searched him out, found him, and said, ‘They are all looking for you.’ He answered, ‘Let us move on to the country towns in the neighborhood; I have to proclaim my message there also; that is what I came out to do’” (1:32–38). Beloved, I write this having returned yesterday from General Convention. Reactions are mixed: conservatives—well, some conservatives—are saying that the broad middle did too little; liberals—well, some liberals—are saying that the broad middle did too much. Whether or not the remainder of the Communion will find the GC’s actions adequate is yet to be seen. A formal assessment of the Episcopal Church’s response to the Windsor Report, etc., from a group specifically appointed to do so is still months away. I am content to make this observation: we are called to have faith in God—that is, to put our trust in God, and I have that. I trust God to accept the offering that the General Convention has made. I also know that the offering was tendered after much prayer, dialogue, and wide-spread anguish. I trust God further—I trust God to do what God does with all offerings: some offerings God can bless; other offerings, God must redeem. Where we have been right, God will bless. Where we have been amiss, God will redeem. Whatever the offering, God will use it for God’s purpose(s). In the meantime, God expects us to continue to strive to be faithful to the Great Commandment and the Great Commission—to “get on with it”—that is, to “get on” with proclaiming Christ’s message, the Good News of the Gospel. In the Scripture cited above, the Lord’s disciples wanted Jesus to take advantage of the attention and popularity he was receiving by staying in one place and performing more healing miracles. Jesus made clear to the disciples, and therefore to us, that physical health, although obviously a heavy concern, was not his ultimate objective. In St. Luke’s account of this same event, Jesus says, “I must give the good news of the Kingdom of God to the other towns also, for that is what I was sent to do” (4:43). Beloved, God has much to teach us about making the kind of decisions and leading the kind of lives Christians are called to. But Jesus speaks for himself and for us as his Body when he indicates that there our call is more comprehensive than any single issue. In the words of Vince Lombardi (or was it Bear Bryant?), “The main thing is keeping the main thing the main thing.” And the main thing for Christians is the main thing for Jesus: to “give the Good News of the Kingdom of God” . . . to go, baptize, and teach. “Will you proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ?” Dear God, while we seek your Holy Will in all things, please help us to focus on the main thing by “1 keeping the main thing the main thing.”
Archdeacon and Senior Pastoral Assistant to the Bishop The Ven. Frederick C. Byrd fbyrd@edusc.org Assistant to Archdeacon Byrd Bonnie Blackberg bblackberg@edusc.org
Visit us on the Web at www.edusc.org
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Correction: Apologies to General Convention deputy the Rev. Calvin Griffin, who was misquoted in the June special issue of Crosswalk. When asked what his greatest hope for General Convention was, he said: “That a spirit of respect for varying views might prevail; that we may truly appreciate, embrace, and celebrate Anglican comprehensiveness and ambiguity; and that our unity as a Church and Communion might be preserved.”
Crosswalk Upper SC Deputies
Post–General Convention
2006
—continued from page A
A day in the life . . .
On the floor
A typical day for the deputies started early with coffee and maybe a bagel—frequently consumed on the run—or maybe with no breakfast at all. Deputies sitting on committees often met with those committees from 7:30 until 9:00 A.M. Art Bjontegard, a member of the Program, Budget & Finance Committee, said that the night prior to the printing and distribution of the triennial budget, the committee adjourned at 2:00 A.M., only to reconvene four hours later at 6:00. Bishop Henderson’s schedule was equally taxing because of his responsibilities as co-chair of Special Legislative Committee #26, assigned all proposed resolutions pertaining to the Windsor Report.
Legislative sessions began after worship, usually at 10:45 A.M., and continued throughout the day and on several occasions into evening, with recesses for meals. The long hours and tedium often were frustrating. During the first half of convention, committee hearings also took up much evening time, intensifying the already relentless pace. “The Tuesday House of Caroline Langford, Elizabeth Langford, and Emily Horowitz, Upper South Deputies legislative session was Carolinians attending the e3 youth gathering at General Convention, pose with canon for youth ministry the Rev. Sue von Rautenkranz and deputation the toughest I can remember in chair the Very Rev. Dr. Philip Linder. my 15 years of attending General Conventions,” said the Rev. Beth Ely, vicar of St. times did not work, adding to frustration. Philip’s, Greenville. “It went on and on and on Appropriately positioned big screens showed live with very little progress. We were very aware of camera views of speakers in the huge room. how behind we were with only one day left in the However, our diocesan deputation was seated at Convention. And the issues were so important. It the far right side of the room about halfway back from the podium, and had a view partially takes a lot of patience to do this work.” But the legislative sessions had an up-side too. blocked by a large column.
“Learn to speak Spanish before you come, otherwise you will miss much of the dialog.” —Art Bjontegard Deputy certification took place from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m., during which time our alternate deputies, the Rev. Blaney Pridgen of St. Mary’s, Columbia, and Robert Clawson of Good Shepherd, Columbia, were able to receive credentials that enabled them to give tired deputies respite by taking their place on the floor. Tight security ensured that only those entitled to vote were credentialed and allowed on the floor. ID badges were checked before deputies could gain access. No visitors were admitted who had not previously registered and received an official badge.
Common and uncommon ground The Upper South Carolina deputation met as often as possible for dinner, which was preceded by “hospitality time.” “We went over the day’s happenings and anticipated the issues that would be before us the next day,” said Ely. “Everyone was able to express their opinions fully, and we functioned very well as a group, even though we did not always agree. The best thing about our deputies was how well we got along and how respectful of each other we were. We were able to
“I have immense faith in God and deeply believe that God reigns in all situations.” —David Thompson+
“Mega church” Holy Eucharist started at 9:30 A.M., and deputies sat in table groups randomly placed with people from other dioceses. Those at each table reflected on Scripture together. “Holy Eucharist with the table discussions enabled me to approach the day’s work with faith, hope, and enthusiasm,” said the Rev. David Thompson, rector of St. Bartholomew’s, North Augusta. “Eucharist with a thousand or more people was an amazing experience.”
Diocesan ECW president Cai Armstrong presents Bishop Henderson with an ECW Triennial t-shirt. ECW’s Triennial meeting ran concurrently with General Convention.
Thompson commented that, although hours on the floor were long, they helped him gain a deeper appreciation of the legislative process. “The House [of Deputies] functions democratically with motions, amendments, voting, and prayer under Robert’s Rules of Order,” he explained. “The process allows any deputy to speak to influence the voting.” For Deputy Angela Daniel, from St. John’s, Columbia, what stood out was “the pleasure of serving on the floor of the House of Deputies with the faithful, tireless, thoughtful, humorous deputies from our diocese.”
So much for high tech . . .
Some of our own enjoy a lighter moment: Blaney The legislative sessions were intended to be Pridgen+ (front, left), Scooty Burch, Angela Daniel, deputation chair Philip Linder+, David Thompson+, and high-tech, but the house struggled, especially with the electronic voting technology, which someRobert Clawson.
laugh at ourselves as well as to talk seriously.” Interspersed throughout the days were forums on various subjects, Provincial gatherings, legislative and other hearings, committee meetings, and Episcopal Church Women’s events. Vendors, associations, religious orders, schools and seminaries, and outreach ministries provided displays, information, and items for sale in the exhibition hall. Snacks and drinks, including Smoothies, were on sale at convenient locations nearby. “But they only had Pepsi! No Diet Coke,” lamented Ely. Bjontegard described the General Convention as “an unbelievably diverse body in terms of schools of thought, ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation, occupation, physical abilities.” “The one thing we have in common is a deep devotion to the Episcopal Church,” Daniel said. Duncan C. Ely is a member of St. Philip’s, Greenville.
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Post–General Convention
2006
Crosswalk
Leadership Conference sets direction for future Healthy Church Initiative, diocesan foundation launched By Peggy Van Antwerp Hill, Editor “Every church is a church in transition.” Such was the refrain at the diocesan Leadership Conference, May 20, at Church of the Advent, Spartanburg.
Congregations are the key Focusing on Bishop Henderson's pledge to nurture and support congregations as the "front line of the Church," the conference launched Upper SC's "Healthy Church Initiative" with a series of presentations by congregational development consultant Tony Watkins. Also announced at the conference were plans for the creation of the Episcopal Foundation of Upper South Carolina, designed to support both congregational and diocesan mission efforts in perpetuity. Conference leader Tony Watkins, a former pastor with more than 25 years of consulting experience, created the Healthy Church Initiative to promote church health, mission effectiveness, and funding opportunities for congregations of any size. Watkins has worked with religious groups and organizations throughout the United States, including the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Ohio and the Diocese of Minnesota.
the action is. . . . For if a diocese is effective in its mission it is because its congregations are effective in mission. If a diocese is changed and an instrument of change, it is because the congregations are changed and changing. Let us then concentrate our prayers, our resources, and our labor on our congregations!” The Healthy Church Initiative will do just that. All congregations are urged to accept this gift and to participate in the initiative at no cost to them.
Health, not growth The Healthy Church Initiative is about health, not growth, because healthy congregations grow. There is no top-down model. Such a model, Watkins says, is “a dinosaur”; the “power is in the pews.” The Healthy Church Initiative recognizes that it is the congregations themselves that have the answers, which is why topdown plans for mission don’t work. The initiative is based on the fact that every church has a unique need, which, if met, will help that congregation move forward in mission. To that end the Healthy Church Initiative helps congregations identify core values and design a tailored plan for mission effectiveness.
All aboard
Free gift The initiative has been made possible in Upper South Carolina thanks to a generous gift to the diocese designated for use at Bishop Henderson's discretion. The local congregation, the bishop has said, “is where
“[I]f a diocese is effective in its mission it is because its congregations are effective in mission.” –The Rt. Rev. Dorsey F. Henderson, Jr.
11th–hour resolution —continued from page A “It is neither modest nor immodest,” he said, “to state that I was in the thick and the thin of the convention’s primary focus from the first hour of the first day to the 11th hour of the 9th day. Whether our work was adequate only time and reflection will tell. But we
Here’s how the initiative works. Congregations wishing to participate make that desire known to Canon Clevenger (803.771.7800), mclevenger@ edusc.org. Under Watkins’s guidance they will complete a survey (available both online and in hard copy) designed to gauge unique and specific mission goals, and, next, via a series of consultations with Watkins and others, devise a plan for meeting those goals. Some congregations will need to raise funding for the mission they discern; others will take the next step without monetary needs.
Diocesan consultant Tony Watkins introduces the Healthy Church Initiative. sonalized plan and assist with fund-raising efforts. Congregations, in turn, are asked to consider tithing the money raised to support the newly created Episcopal Foundation of Upper South Carolina, which will serve as a storehouse of mission funds as well as a depository for planned gifts and bequests. The foundation will exercise stewardship over the funds received, assisting congregations as they grow and realize new needs, helping to plant new congregations, provide funding for diocesan institutions, and support cherished diocesan programs that might otherwise be vulnerable to economic shifts.
Imagine . . .
If a local plan requires funding, Healthy Church Initiative leaders will help congregations develop a per-
Quoting retired Bishop Claude Payne of Texas and tracing Upper SC’s recent journey, in his October 2005 address to Diocesan Convention, Bishop Henderson said, “Congregations, together as ‘one church living the Great Commission to make disciples’—congregations, together as one church ‘living the Great Commandment to love. . . .’ Beloved, that has been the core of our imaginings.” “Let us now,” he continued “seek God’s blessing on our efforts. . . . It is time to move forward, and to do so with renewed determination, renewed vigor.” The Healthy Church Initiative will, by the grace of God, help us to do just that.
know that God blesses and God redeems—we offer up our work in prayer; some God will bless, some God will have to redeem. But our faith tells us God will use.” The charge to Special Legislative Committee #26 was to consider the resolutions drafted and recommended by the Special Commission on the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion (SCECAC), as well as other Windsor-related resolutions. Bishop
Henderson also served on SCECAC, which was appointed last year by Presiding Bishop Griswold and House of Deputies president, the Very Rev. George Werner, to assist General Convention in “considering how to maintain the highest degree of communion within the Anglican Communion given the different perspectives held with regard to the place of homosexual persons in the life of the Church.”
Episcopal Foundation of Upper SC