Standing Committee Communication
Posted Friday, March 14, 2008
Standing Committee Saturday Retreat
On Saturday March 8, 2008 the Standing Committee met at St. Thomas’, Whitemarsh, for a day of reflection and discussion of our role as ecclesiastical authority for our diocese. Woodi Sprinkel, an experienced church consultant, guided our discussions. Present were Glenn Matis, President, D-L Wormley, Vice-President, Bill Powell 2nd vice president, Arlene McGurk, secretary and Bill Wood, Joe Suprenuk, Ike Miller, Christopher Hart, Joy Segal. The only one missing was Sam Adu-Andoh who is recovering from surgery. We missed him and pray for his recovery.
We spent most our time getting to know each other. Since the November inhibition, the press of business has not allowed us to share about whom we are and the ways in which the trauma we have been through has affected us. We spoke about the upcoming trial of Bishop Bennison by the national church and our need to have better communication with the national church since while we are the diocese whose bishop is on trial and are the diocese where the June trial will take place, the trial is not based on our complaint. The rest of our time was spent discussing organizational skills to help us find time for strategic planning as well as for the daily tasks both routine and unexpected.
Our lives have been complicated by the inhibition of Bishop Bennison. We find ourselves with two jobs. First, we continue to do those jobs assigned to Standing Committee in the canons. We attend to property matters, we manage the episcopate budget, we participate in the lives of good people on the way to priesthood, and we participate in the confirmation of bishops throughout the Episcopal Church USA. In addition, we handle those things administrative that Bishop Bennison did, including the focus of endowment fund spending, the management of Church House staff and representing the Church on various boards within the bounds of our diocese. We also coordinate the activities of those bishops that we have retained do things only doable by a bishop. This includes confirmations and ordinations.
We have worked on this since November and we expect to continue this work for two more years. I am pleased to work with the other nine members of Standing Committee. We work well together, and our retreat confirmed my belief that we can do a good job for this diocese with God’s help. Please pray for us and for our diocese.
Bill Powell
2nd Vice-President
Standing Committee