The Standing Committee of the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth met on March 11, 2013.
Following are the minutes from their meeting.
Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth
Standing Committee
Trinity Episcopal Church
March 11, 2013
4:00 p.m.The Standing Committee convened on Wednesday, March 11, 2013, at 4:00 p.m., Mrs. Fagley presiding. She opened the meeting with a prayer. The following members were in attendance:
- Martha Fagley
- The Rev. Curt Norman
- Elinor Normand
- The Rev. Susan Slaughter
- Norm Snyder
The Rev. Bill Stanford was absent. Also present were the Rt. Rev. Rayford B. High, Jr.; Demi Prentiss, Ministry Developer and Administrative Officer for the Diocese, and Karen Shepherd, Clerk.
1. Approval of Minutes
The minutes of the February 11, 2013 meeting were approved by acclamation.
2. Bishop’s Report
Bp. High reported having just returned from an interesting and informative meeting of the House of Bishops in North Carolina. He will be meeting soon with the Commission on Ministry to examine the ordination process.
There has been no decision by the Texas Supreme Court in the lawsuit against the Iker diocese. Ms. Normand offered to send a web link to Committee members which will allow them to monitor the Court’s weekly Friday morning announcement of judgments.
3. Ministry Development Report
Mrs. Prentiss spent much of the day at Brite Divinity School with Katie Sherrod and Mtr. Amy Haynie listening to author Carol Howard Merritt discuss her book, Reframing Hope: Vital Ministry in a New Generation. The sponsoring organization, the Texas Conference of Churches, is supported through Bp. High’s discretionary fund. He is past President and Fr. Fred Barber has been a diocesan representative for a number of years. The recent Leadership Workshop drew fifty people, and she believes that the lunch table conversations were generally well received.
Mrs. Prentiss will check to make sure newly elected parish Vestry members have been added to the Good News email distribution list.
Episcopal Church Building Fund applications are due April 15; ECBF is hoping to interest four to eight congregations in the recasting of building assets project. Mtr. Haynie will be working with the group, hoping to gain insights for the Inreach process. Fr. Norman, Mtr. Haynie and Mrs. Prentiss will be attending the E.C.F.B. symposium in Albuquerque, N.M. from April 8-10.
Canon 10 implementation is “moving along” and will probably be completed by the end of this year.
The Diocese is continuing to build bridges with Lutheran and Disciples congregations. Fr. Norman reported that St. Luke’s has obtained sanction from Evangelical Lutheran Church in America bishops, as a “synodically authorized worship community.” The parish will hold a Lutheran contemporary music service once a month on Sunday evenings beginning in April. He has requested funding from the E.L.C.A. for hymnals, advertising and signage. His Vestry and parish are enthusiastic.
4. Commission on Ministry
Jordan Haynie will be graduating from seminary this year and will require confirmation by the Standing Committee. Carl Saxton is ready to request candidacy. As he is at Sewanee now and will be in England this summer, it will be easier to conduct a Skype interview at the April meeting. Deacon Tracie Middleton has constructed a diocesan C.O.M. flow chart which she will present to Standing Committee in May.
5. Correspondence
Bp. High announced that his office will be putting together a committee to discuss forming a companion relationship with the Diocese of South Dakota with special connection to the Niobrara Convocation of First Nation peoples. Owanah Anderson could be a possible committee head. The Bishop would appreciate Standing Committee members’ forwarding the names of any other likely candidates for the committee. It would be a good thing to have some First Nation representatives at the diocesan convention in November.
6. Continuing Business
Nominations Committee appointments – The Standing Committee is responsible for naming two members. Decided by acclamation, they are Marsha McClean and Deacon Henry Penner. Ms. McClean will be the Chairperson of the committee. Mrs. Prentiss reiterated her wish that the Nominations Committee be certain that they not only will be vetting nominations but also encouraging and soliciting them.
Bishop’s Nominating Committee – Mrs. Fagley distributed copies of a number of proposed maps of reorganization for deaneries. Other individuals and committees are also working on reorganization. Standing Committee members were asked to study the maps with a view to discussing them further at next month’s meeting. Mrs. Fagley will add the estimated numbers of delegates from each parish to each deanery. Mrs. Prentiss asked Committee members to consider how the Executive Council’s size could change with the various possible realignments. For instance, moving from six to eight deaneries would increase the size the Council from 30 to 40 members. Indeed, the deaneries could be just a part of a larger diocesan restructuring. There will be need for further discussion regarding the mission and ministry of deaneries; however, the urgency for deciding this matter soon is so that the Bishop’s Nominating Committee can be constituted as fairly as possible. Any restructuring of deaneries is at the direction of the bishop; the convention does not have to vote on this. Mrs. Fagley stated that she believes it is important to take a recommendation for consideration to the Executive Council in May. The deaneries must elect the Bishop Search Committee; the Standing Committee does have the duty to appoint some members. It is hoped that the deaneries can elect their members in August of this year.
The next meeting of the Standing Committee will be April 8 at 3:30 p.m. at All Saints Episcopal School.
A motion was made (Slaughter+/Normand) to move to Executive Session at 5:45 p.m.
At 6:30 p.m., a motion was made (Normand/Norman) to come out of Executive Session. A motion was made (Slaughter/Snyder) to adjourn the meeting. Both motions passed unanimously.
Karen Shepherd, Clerk