The House of Deputies on July 14 declined to concur with the House of Bishops on Resolution C067, which called for the Presiding Bishop and the Executive Council to provide a variety of financial information about their litigation strategy with respect to traditionalist dioceses and congregations that have chosen to leave the denomination.
 
Among other information requested in the resolution are the total amount spent to date, the source of the funds, the budget for the coming triennium and “an estimate of the amount of property value retained and expected to be retained by the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America (PECUSA) because of pending and completed litigation as of General Convention 2009.” The resolution was proposed by the Diocese of West Texas.
 
The lawsuits began to proliferate after the 74th General Convention in 2003. Since then four dioceses, Fort Worth, Pittsburgh, Quincy and San Joaquin, plus all or a significant majority of hundreds of congregations have left the Episcopal Church claiming that they own title to the church property and they have refused requests to vacate. The Episcopal Church claims title to all such property under its so-called Dennis Canon.
 
Rosalie Ballentine of the Virgin Islands told a press briefing that she was among those who voted against the resolution.
 
“I’m a lawyer,” she said. “It’s difficult in the midst of litigation to disclose all expenses because sometimes that can reveal legal strategy. We are engaged in this litigation because they want to leave and take the property with them.”
 
The Rev. Lowell Grisham of Arkansas added that the resolution was not well crafted in that it was not clear which legislative body was being directed to compile the information. He said that conversation on the legislative floor of the House of Deputies “bogged down” particularly over a phrase about the dollar amount “spent by {The Episcopal Church] against dioceses, parishes, groups of churches and individuals since General Convention 2006.” Mr. Grisham noted that in some instances The Episcopal Church is not involved in litigation which may be between a diocese and a congregation or between other parties.
 
The house also voted to temporarily restore funding July 14 for Episcopal Life, the monthly newspaper for Episcopalians which often comes wrapped around a diocesan newspaper.
 
Resolution D037 directs to the Standing Commission on Communications to “undertake a comprehensive survey to determine the most appropriate means of reaching Episcopalians.” The survey would poll existing readers of Episcopal Life to determine the effectiveness and reach of the Episcopal Church’s monthly newspaper and whether alternative schedules or media would better serve current readers’ needs. No changes in staffing levels, frequency of publication, printing partner format or other editorial changes would be undertaken until the study is completed.
 
Ms. Ballentine said the decision to change to a quarterly magazine format designed to “inspire and evangelize” caught many diocesan printing partners by surprise and did not give them sufficient time to make other arrangements.
 
Deborah Harmon Hines of Western Massachusetts acknowledged that print publications were suffering economically, but she said that she and a number of other deputies felt it was important to have an alternate plan in place for informing Episcopalians before the monthly national newspaper was eliminated.
 
This resolution originated in the House of Deputies so it requires concurrence by the House of Bishops before it is an official act of convention. If the bishops fail to act or decline to concur, then the original plan to eliminate the monthly newspaper and replace it with a quarterly magazine will become effective according to the original timeline.
 
 
In other business, after more than 15 years of attempts, retired members of the House of Bishops lost the right to vote when the House of Deputies concurred with the House of Bishops on Resolution A052. Since the resolution required an amendment to the constitution of the General Convention of The Episcopal Church it was necessary for it to pass in the exact same form at two successive conventions. It becomes effective immediately.
 
Deputies also spent considerable time discussing the merits of including various individuals in Holy Women, Holy Men, the resource designed to replace the Book of Lesser Feasts and Fasts. Rather than have all of the new additions listed under one resolution, several persons are each listed under a number. Deputies concurred with bishops on passage of Resolution A095 which added Harriet Bedell, James Theodore Holly, Óscar Romero and The Martyrs of El Salvador, Tikhon, Vida Dutton Scudder, and Frances Joseph Gaudet to the calendar. Any amendments from the legislation approved by the bishops would require the resolution to be reconciled between the two houses before it became official.
 
Steve Waring reporting from General Convention in Anaheim.
 
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