By Lauren Anderson
Interreligious Relations Survive
The House of Deputies approved a resolution July 7 to reaffirm the church’s commitment to inter-religious relations. The resolution encourages Episcopalians to pursue interreligious work, including “services, prayer groups, educational programs, community service, and study groups.”
Supporters of the resolution said it would not only uphold the church’s commitment to interreligious relations but also provide a means of sharing resources and ideas of how to engage in inter-religious work among churches.
The Rev. Michael Michie of Dallas spoke against the resolution, saying it means deputies spending too much time on “nice resolutions.”
“Just because it’s a nice resolution doesn’t mean the House needs to continue to bog itself down,” Michie said.
ECW President Visits
Episcopal Church Women President Marcia Himes visited the House of Deputies during its legislative session with updates from Episcopal Church Women’s Triennial meeting. This year, the ECW chose to give a unified gift to Nets for Life, and has raised enough to purchase 3,500 nets. Himes said the ECW will host a 5K run this year to support the John P. Craine House in Indianapolis, a facility that assists women who have been convicted of nonviolent felonies and their children. With 200 people signed up to walk, well over the expected number, the ECW will raise more than $7,000 for the Craine House.
Youth Presence Rules
The House of Deputies debated several proposed changes to its rules of order. Much discussion centered on Resolution D045’s requirement that the House’s president, in consultation with provinces, be responsible for selection, training, and orientation of Official Youth Presence representatives.
Jacqueline Bray of the Diocese of San Diego proposed an amendment to eliminate that provision. Bray said Official Youth Presence representatives have been carefully chosen by their individual provinces and there is no need for micromanagement.
Moreover, Bray said, current training procedures are sufficient: “They’ve been so well-trained that they’re doing a better job at the mike than some new deputies.”
Deborah Bell Rodahaffer of the Diocese of Kentucky also spoke in favor of the amendment, commending the work of the representatives at this convention. “The work that has been done has been extraordinary,” Rodahaffer said. “They go through a process that is far more difficult than we as voting members go through.”
New Trustees Elected
The House of Deputies has elected 10 of 12 trustees of the Church Pension Fund:
- Diane Pollard (578 votes)
- Barbara Creed (504)
- George Werner (499)
- Diane Jardine Bruce (484)
- Rosalie Simmonds Ballentine (484)
- Gordon Fowler (483)
- Vincent C. Currie (472)
- Ryan L. Kusumoto (455)
- Kathryn Weathersby McCormick (450)
- Delbert C. Glover (432)
Ana Shuessler photo
