THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH - "SHARED GOVERNANCE"

SHARED GOVERNANCE EXAMINES THEOLOGY, HISTORY of EPISCOPAL POLITY

Essays are tools for “education, reflection” on how Church’s governance evolved

 Shared Governance: The Polity of The Episcopal Church, a collection of essays on the history and theology of church governance by the House of Deputies Special Study Committee on Church Governance and Polity is now available from Church Publishing.

“The collection is intended specifically as an educational and reflection tool for Deputies to the General Convention, and offers a number of insights particularly geared to their work,” said the Rev. Tobias Haller, who chaired the committee, which was appointed by Bonnie Anderson, President of the House of Deputies, after the 2009 General Convention. “However, any Episcopalian wanting to be better informed about how and why our church came to function in the way it does will find the essays helpful.”

The book focuses particular attention on the history and structure of the two Houses of the General Convention and how they interact; the role of the Presiding Bishop and the President of the House of Deputies and how their offices have evolved; and the role of the Executive Council, which carries out the work of the church between sessions of General Convention.

Haller said the collection dispels “some of the prevailing mythology concerning the origins and practice of our shared governance.”

"I want to thank the House of Deputies special committee for creating this remarkable resource," said Anderson, who is serving her second term as President of the House of Deputies. "Our polity distributes authority among all church members, whether lay or ordained, at every level, in the parish, the diocese, the provinces and at General Convention. It is a great gift, and one I hope the church will always safeguard and treasure.”

A copy of the book has been mailed to every deputy to next month’s General Convention, and to every diocesan bishop. It is also available through Church Publishing’s website.

“One of the things I am most committed to for Church Publishing is our role in facilitating the dialog within the Episcopal Church,” said Nancy Bryan, editorial director of Church Publishing. “How do we help people talk to each other, share ideas and collaborate and come to a clearer sense of the church’s call and mission and vocation? For me Shared Governance is a piece of that dialog.”

H/T to Jim Naughton

Canticle Communications

jim@canticlecommunications.com

www.canticlecommunications.com

NOTE: Although I am not a deputy to GC, nor will I be attending the convention this year, I plan to purchase a copy of the book simply to help me understand how The Episcopal Church functions beyond the level of the parish.