The Episcopal News Service reflects on the recent meeting of the Executive Council of the Episcopal Church, calling it “a historic meeting … marked by relaxed conviviality.”
Set against the backdrop of Puerto Rico’s latest vote on statehood – a vote which, some say, is moot given that Congress is unlikely to approve such a plan – Presiding Bishop Curry acknowledged the Diocese’s mission and ministries to serve those affected by profound economic depression on the island.
The meeting focused on the budget process and planning for next year’s General Convention, ENS reports:
As Executive Council prepares for the 79thmeeting of General Convention July 5-13 next year in Austin, Texas, the churchwide budget is getting a lot of attention. Its Joint Standing Committee on Finances for Mission constructs the proposed budget to present to the entire council for its approval. According to Joint Rule II.10.c.ii (page 227 here), council must give that proposed budget to the Joint Standing Committee on Program, Budget and Finance (PB&F) no less than four months before the start of convention (essentially by February of convention year). Council has two more meetings before that deadline, Oct. 18-21 and Jan. 22-24.
The FFM committee spent much of the Puerto Rico meeting continuing to sort through the large amount of information it has received in beginning steps of a budgeting process that has reached deeper into the workings and financing of the churchwide mission and ministry than has previously been the case. The committee also met on its own in mid-May, an unusual move by one of council’s committees, and plans additional meetings in the coming months.
“We will be presenting a draft budget in the near future for your review,” FFM chair Tess Judge told the entire council on June 11.
A list of resolutions adopted by Executive Council address issues as wide-ranging as gun violence reduction, environmental stewardship, poverty, hunger, and opioid addiction, as well as evangelism and the use of different languages in Episcopal worship. ENS has a summary of the resolutions here.
Read more on the meeting and its members at the Episcopal News Service.
Featured image: via the Episcopal Diocese of Puerto Rico