tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36653198031623946142024-03-14T09:45:33.031-04:00E-Women 125 Years of UTO125 Years of Thankful Givinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08233627194016928214noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665319803162394614.post-72467326009545452162014-01-16T15:21:00.001-05:002014-01-16T15:22:34.773-05:00A response to inquiries about the current status of UTO<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">A
response to inquiries about the current status of UTO</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I
can only tell you my truth; there are perhaps even more than two
sides to this story, but the two sides that do exist are clear on the
fact that </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>each
is telling the truth.</i></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">
So again, this is my truth. I resigned, not retired, from
the United Thank Offering Board in early September, in protest
against the position of the leadership at the Church Center at 815 in
New York believing that the operations of the United Thank Offering
should be turned over to the Church Center, under the supervision of
the Episcopal Church Executive Council. Four of us, who were
the leaders of the 2012-2015 Board, all life-time Episcopalians,
elected by our Provinces, resigned together in a protest statement
against the decisions being proposed by the executive officers of the
Episcopal Church—the Presiding Bishop, the President of the House
of Deputies and the Chief Operating Officer of the Church.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Those
of us who resigned, protested the positions of those in charge at the
church center who stated that the women of the church who have for
125 years given money in an offering of thanksgiving and then have
supervised, managed, directed and dispersed these funds in support of
mission for the Episcopal Church, were not capable of making these
decisions independently from control by the church center. The
bottom line is who gets the money. We on the board believed
that the money was given in trust to the women of the church; the
leadership of the Episcopal Church believes the money belongs to
them. This includes all money, that collected through the
process of in gatherings and the money held in trust funds named as
restricted for the use of mission by the women of the church and the
United Thank Offering. The church center has developed a
“clear” legal opinion that uses the requirements of the IRS to
define that all the money belongs to the church defined as DFMS —the
Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society. We disagreed with this
position, which has not been defined as legal by any court of law.
It is the legal opinion of the legal counsels to the Episcopal
Church and is only an opinion. </span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The
legal counsel of the church rewrote the bylaws of the United Thank
Offering Board to reflect that the women who serve on the UTO board
were only an advisory body to Executive Council; those of us who had
participated in the discussion leading to these bylaws being
developed felt betrayed by the leadership of 815, as all of the
strategic issues we requested be included were deleted from their
proposed documents. The United Thank Offering Board has always
been an </span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>independent,
autonomous body </i></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">within
the Episcopal Church, adhering to the legal requirements of working
with the church, but able to make all decisions regarding the work of
UTO without control from the church itself. The control lay
with the women duly elected to carry out these responsibilities. </span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The
United Thank Offering has been one of the most profoundly successful
grassroots lay ministries the church has ever known.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The
proposed bylaws presented by the church center effectively wiped out
the historic structure of the United Thank Offering and its
contribution to the church as a lay ministry. The proposed
bylaws relegated the United Thank Offering Board to the place of what
is known as a CCAB—a Committee, Commission, Agency or
Board—under the supervision of the Episcopal Church Executive
Council, who by definition, controls and manages all money related to
each of these CCAB’s. This move put all the funds belonging
to the United Thank Offering in the coffers of Executive Council,
with Executive Council now having the ability to control all United
Thank Offering funds, including approval of all grants to be funded
by UTO.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">After
the furor over our resignations, and much publicity regarding our
significant differences, a new joint committee was formed with
representation from the remaining UTO board and from Executive
Council to try to resolve the conflicts. That committee has
met; they have apparently created a new set of documents, which I
think includes new bylaws; these documents wcill be presented to
Executive Council for approval at the February E.C. meeting, if they
have been approved by the full UTO Board in January. Ultimately,
these documents should be made public so we can all read and discern
what actual final decisions have been made.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The
current United Thank Offering Board includes three clergy members who
are representatives of Executive Council, appointed to the Board by
the officers of Executive Council. There are also four new members,
who have been either appointed or elected by the Provinces
represented, Province I, VI and VII, and one member-at-large, to
replace those of us who resigned.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Those
of us who resigned in protest believed that the core values of the
United Thank Offering movement would not be sustained in the new
understanding of the governance of UTO. The church is looking for
fundraising opportunities, and the United Thank Offering is perceived
by the church center as a fundraising organization. The UTO Four, as
we have been dubbed, feared that the core value of the United Thank
Offering—a spiritual discipline of thankful giving, of "our
change changes lives," would be lost as the focus on fundraising
came to the forefront. We chose to make this discussion somewhat
public. </span></span>
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The
perception is that the UTO board does not have a choice in terms of
accepting the role of CCAB, as the UTO has no power. We, the UTO
Four, did not believe that UTO was powerless, as the Women of the
Church are capable of being a formidable force, should they choose
such a route. This process is not easy, and sustaining a protest
over time requires a level of energy difficult to maintain when other
life needs require attention. We believe that at least the
discussion got out there; people, like you, know there was something
going on that might not be a good idea. We had no idea how to
measure the success of our actions; our actions were taken knowing
there would be a high personal cost to each of us and that the work
we loved, the sustaining force of the United Thank Offering would be
something lost to us.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It
is important to note that the leadership at the church center also
believes it has the best future for the United Thank Offering in
mind. That is why I started by saying both sides have their own
truth. </span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The
church center is sufficiently angry at the UTO Four that we are not
mentioned by name or role, and the current Board members are urged to
have little contact with us. We all grieve that there was no offer
of discussion with us from those with whom we disagreed, so for us
there is not a face to face pathway of reconciliation; we each prayed
separately about our individual choices and each made our independent
decisions; with prayer and faith we have each reached our own
reconciliation.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We,
the UTO Four, grew up with Blue Boxes. We do understand that the
world has changed; understanding the power of change is an ageless
challenge. We were not protesting change; we were protesting being
absorbed by a larger body that did not seem to embrace the core
values of the organization it was incorporating.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It
will be up to the Episcopal Church, and primarily the women who
sustain the hope and promise of the church in the world, to be
vigilant in going forward. I believe this battle was lost from the
very beginning, as the need for money and the control of money is in
the hands of those in perceived legitimate power. But at the same
time, the need for the work of the United Thank Offering at the
grassroots level is one thing that will not change. The other thing
that will not change is the true power of the Women of the Church to
step up to service when asked for help.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 0; widows: 0;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">There
are many references on line that tell the story. You will find most
of the written documents created by both parties to the controversy
on this blog site, presented without judgments.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Robin
Woods Sumners</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">January,
2014</span></span></div>
125 Years of Thankful Givinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08233627194016928214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665319803162394614.post-1362059310301139332013-12-13T18:51:00.002-05:002013-12-23T14:52:02.793-05:00Advent<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>December</b></span></h2>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b> Click on the date to view the message</b></span></i>
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125 Years of Thankful Givinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08233627194016928214noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665319803162394614.post-24685766710878486602013-10-21T07:39:00.005-04:002013-10-21T07:49:36.574-04:00A Time for ThankfulnessA Time for Thankfulness <a href="http://125-years.blogspot.com/p/normal-0-time-for-thankfulness-each-of.html">STATEMENT </a>from the UTO-Four<br />
<br />125 Years of Thankful Givinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08233627194016928214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665319803162394614.post-51420734661936443112013-10-14T22:48:00.000-04:002013-10-15T11:10:36.591-04:00UTO Petition<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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Petition to Sign</div>
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<br /></div>
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Many, many women have asked how to have their voices
heard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ann Smith has started a petition
to be sent to the leaders of Executive Council, meeting this week.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">This link will take you to the <a href="http://125-years.blogspot.com/p/normal-0-united-thankoffering-petition.html" target="_blank">PETITION </a>page to add
your signature:</span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b><span style="color: #38761d;"><i>To Sign the Petition: (signing instructions are also provided at the top of the petition page)</i></span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #38761d;"><i>1) Click on the "Petition" link above <span style="font-size: x-small;">(or the UTO Petition page menu on the right of the screen)</span></i></span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #38761d;"><i></i></span></b><b><span style="color: #38761d;"><i>2) Read down through the petition.</i></span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #38761d;"><i>3) At the bottom of the page locate the "Post a Comment" section</i></span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #38761d;"><i>4) In the "Enter your Comment" text box:</i></span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #38761d;"><i> a) Type in your name</i></span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #38761d;"><i> b) Press return to go to a 2nd line</i></span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #38761d;"><i> c) Type in your email address or if you prefer your Diocese</i></span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #38761d;"><i>5) In the "Comment as" combo drop down box:</i></span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #38761d;"><i> a) If you have an account profile in one of the services listed, select the appropriate profile</i></span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #38761d;"><i> b) If you do not have a profile on one of the services; select the "Anonymous" option.</i></span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #38761d;"><i> <span style="color: #b45f06;"> (if you use the anonymous profile; please still enter your name and email or if you prefer your Diocese)</span></i></span></b><b><span style="color: #38761d;"><i><span style="color: #b45f06;"><b><span style="color: #38761d;"><i><br /></i></span></b></span></i></span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #38761d;"><i>6) Click on the [Publish] button. </i></span></b><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #a64d79;"><u><b>To view the petition comments:</b></u></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #a64d79;"><b>Click on the PETITION link above</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #a64d79;"><b>- or -</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #a64d79;"><b>Click on the UTO Petition page link in the menu on the right side of the screen. <i> </i></b></span></span><br />
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<br /></div>
</div>
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125 Years of Thankful Givinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08233627194016928214noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665319803162394614.post-58952081949124070862013-10-14T22:47:00.000-04:002013-10-14T22:47:56.017-04:00Letter from Kay Meyers, Past President of ECW<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana;">Dear All,</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Arial Unicode MS";"></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana;">Perhaps you
are aware of the controversy that will be voted on <span class="aqj">tomorrow</span>
by the Executive Council concerning the future of UTO. Below you will see a
letter I have written, though I'm not sure who will actually get it before the
meeting. Other letters have been circulating, there has been much discussion on
the List Serve for the House of Bishops and the House of Deputies. There
is also a petition for you to consider at</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana;"><a href="http://125-years.blogspot.com/p/normal-0-united-thankoffering-petition.html" target="_blank">http://125-years.blogspot.com/p/normal-0-united-thankoffering-petition.html</a></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana;">I pray that
these are His Words in the letter. I ask you to pray for all involved and also
to forward to any and all you think would be concerned and will join us in
prayer.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana;">My love and
God's Peace,</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana;">Kay</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">As the fig tree says in Judges <span class="aqj">9:11</span> “should I cease my sweetness and my good fruit and go to
sway over trees.” UTO, just as Gideon has fought for you, has played a huge
part in encouraging the Domestic & Foreign Missionary Society in a history,
a lifetime of mission. Praise be to God.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">And they have done it through, with and
in the structure first called Women’s Auxiliary and then Episcopal Church Women
both of whom are the women of the Episcopal Church, not an organization per se,
but the women of this church - operating yes, with Bylaws and organizational
structure, but women of the church – FREE of polity and prejudice and utterly
capable.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Many, many groups work within or
adjacent to this framework which is not really just one of many. This network
operates on a parish, convocational or deanery or district, diocesan,
provincial, national level just as our church does. It is the lay
ministry of women in our church encompassing all, NOT as card carrying, join or
not join members, but rather all. It includes many ordained women as well who
have served and are serving on all levels of the network.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Would that we could have Episcopal
Church Men build such a powerful contribution as UTO for the benefit of all. Imagine
what that could mean to our church, our nation, the Anglican Communion and our
world. And perhaps ERD fits that bill today in many ways.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">We learned to tell our stories at
General Convention 2009. How can any part of any bureaucracy duplicate in any
way the history that powerfully included this story during a most memorable
granting session at the Triennial Meeting in 1994. In a room of 400+ women the
Diocese of Mississippi partitioned that their grant to help reading programs
for the underprivileged in their diocese be granted at least at some level. To
this the Sisters from the Diocese of Haiti went to the microphones to say “We
give back our grant to be used for the children of Mississippi. Our Lord will
supply our needs in Haiti.” After a very pregnant and poignant pause, the women
of the Diocese of Texas went to the microphones and said “The women of our
diocese will raise the funds for Haiti.” The room erupted in thanksgiving and
witness to God’s love and provision. This is UTO. UNITED and THANKFUL
Offering! This is the women in action for the good of all.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">In Habakkuk we are told “though the fig
tree shall not flourish……the Lord is my strength and He maketh my feet like
hinds’ feet, and will make me to walk upon my high places.” I believe if this
process does swallow up UTO as we know it today, the “very stones will cry out”
and something will rise out of the phoenix. BUT GOD will then have provided for
two good things to go forth to His glory and the good of all mankind. Thanks be
to God!</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Kay Meyer</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">President, National Board Episcopal
Church Women</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">2006-2009</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></div>
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125 Years of Thankful Givinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08233627194016928214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665319803162394614.post-7376952556306260722013-10-13T16:14:00.002-04:002013-10-13T22:51:15.484-04:00UTO 4's response to the "<a href="http://125-years.blogspot.com/p/normal-0-comments-on-talking-points-for.html">Talking Point to the Bishops</a>" blog page.125 Years of Thankful Givinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08233627194016928214noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665319803162394614.post-55738146456794236422013-10-13T14:43:00.005-04:002013-10-13T22:47:28.991-04:00Link to "<a href="http://125-years.blogspot.com/p/communications.html">Communication Questions Legal Language</a>" blog page.<br />
<br />125 Years of Thankful Givinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08233627194016928214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665319803162394614.post-64447225547230899762013-10-08T22:27:00.001-04:002013-10-08T22:54:54.320-04:00How long has this been going on?<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<pre><span style="color: maroon;">My name is Patricia (Patty) Tourangeau, and I write to offer </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">my perspective and experience to this conversation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">perspective and experience comes from having served for </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">six years (2003-09) as Finance Officer on the UTO Board.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">Previous to that I had served as Treasurer for the ECW </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">Board for six years, from 1997-2003. </span></pre>
<pre> </pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">During those twelve years of service and ministry I spent </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">substantial amounts of time working with the finance </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">department/staff at the Church Center in New York City, </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">keeping accurate and open financial records for both </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">organizations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Beginning in October of 2007, however, It </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">became harder and harder for me to do this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Indeed, after </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">Joanne Chapman retired from her Church Center staff </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">position as UTO Coordinator and liaison with the UTO Board </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">in 2007 it became harder for all members of the Board to do </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">what we had been elected to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Beginning in December </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">2007 I experienced numerous insinuations that I was </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">“authorizing expenditures of the UTO fund inappropriately”, </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">coming from Church Center leadership: the new UTO </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">Coordinator and her supervisors (not the behind-the-scenes </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">clerical staff). </span></pre>
<pre> </pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">In December 2007 the Executive Committee of the UTO </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">Board was informed, by the new UTO Coordinator, that she </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">(and staff that she and Church Center staff would hire) would </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">be more knowledgeable and better informed to administer </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">UTO funds and approve the "right kind” of grants (implying </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">that the UTO Board were NOT so qualified and WERE “out </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">of step” with Church Center priorities).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This new </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">Coordinator informed me that she was now the person who </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">would develop the budget and administer income from the </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">Trust Funds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These Trust Funds were given and specifically </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">designated to provide operation funds by which the UTO </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">Board could perform its ministry throughout the Church. </span></pre>
<pre> </pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">December 2007 marks the first “official” indication that there </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">was an administrative intention to eliminate the UTO Board </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">from their historic role of stewardship of Trust Fund income </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">and the decision-making process regarding the distribution </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">of that income, as well as from their role in the Ingathering </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">granting process.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I must add, however, that I had heard this </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">hinted at in June of 2007 while on a trip to the Philippines </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">(representing the UTO President), to represent the UTO </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">Board at the final meeting of the Joint Committee on the </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">Philippine Covenant (JCPC).</span></pre>
<pre> </pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">Early in 2008 I had a conversation with Judy Gillespie, who </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">had served as the UTO Coordinator in 1985.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>During our </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">conversation Judy told me that when the Memorial and Gift </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">Trust Fund was established it was set up for the use of the </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">UTO Board and was not<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>intended to pay any “salaries” </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">for Church Center staff, even the UTO Coordinator.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Judy </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">was very surprised that UTO was providing 20% (around </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">$35,000.00) of the Coordinator’s salary and benefits (2007). </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">My understanding is that now the UTO contributes </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">approximately $100.000 toward this salary & benefits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Judy </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">also mentioned she had worked on the wording for the </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">Memorial & Gift Trust Fund, and the money was to be used </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">solely for the travel and expenses of the UTO</span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">Board members to do the work they were elected to do. </span></pre>
<pre> </pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">I had hoped this was all settled with the agreements </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">between Executive Council and the UTO Board, and the </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">vote of General Convention in 2012.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am, however sadly, </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">not surprised that authorities at the Church Center continue </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">a program of neutralizing and disregarding the elected </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">members of the UTO Board. </span></pre>
<pre> </pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">The Women’s Auxiliary was established almost 125 ago and </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">has been doing mission in Jesus’ name and under the </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">banner of The Episcopal Church throughout the world and </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">the Anglican Communion for those 125 years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>People </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">outside the USA might not know of The Episcopal Church, </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">but they certainly do know of the United Thank Offering!! </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">This is all thanks to Women in the Pew, giving thanks for </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">God’s daily blessing and incarnating that Thanksgiving </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">through their offerings of time, talent, treasure and self. </span></pre>
<pre> </pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">I have heard over and over again the frustration of UTO </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">Board members and others who ask in one way or another, </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">“Why are the<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>funds gathered through the UTO Ingathering </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">decreasing?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Certainly, for a time, the church-wide </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">response to one natural disaster<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>or another (e.g. </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">Hurricane Katrina) and our recent economic circumstances </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">account for a portion of that decline.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In some quarters there </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">may even be significant doubt about the direction of this </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">Church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the major reason, I believe, is because of the </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">efforts since 2007, on the part of individuals at the Church </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">Center in New York to neutralize and dismiss the UTO Board </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">and any voice the Women in the Pew have in the mission of </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">the Church by their prayers and coins dropped in their Blue </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">Boxes and then gathered in and granted through the United </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">Thank Offering Grants each year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Indeed, there are men </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">who are very active in this mission work and who daily give </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">thanks and put coins in the Blue Boxes; men have even </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">served on the UTO Board many years ago (!), and so it </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">should be noted that the decision taken to neutralize and </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">dismiss this “Women’s” ministry in fact reaches beyond </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">gender to all who support the UTO effort from their pew at </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">each service held in an Episcopal Church in all nine </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">provinces of this Church.</span></pre>
<pre> </pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">My husband, a priest of this Church and sometimes less </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">diplomatic than I, has his own perspective on what is going </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Having lived with me throughout these years, read </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">letters and listened to telephone conversations and been </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">trailing spouse to more than one Board meeting (tacked on </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">to a family vacation), driven me to Chicago to get my </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">passport renewed at the last minute, and supported my </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">ministry in numerous ways, has likened this entire turn of </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">events to an “ecclesiastical purse snatching”.</span></pre>
<pre> </pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">But that’s my husband.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For myself, I pray that the newly </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">proposed By Laws are not accepted, and that a respectful </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">and gracious way is found the UTO Board to continue to </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">serve and be served by the Women in the Pew as Board </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">members as well as prayerful and thankful givers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That said, </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">at this point I believe it would be better for the UTO Board </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">to be its own 501(c) 3 corporation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I continue to pray for </span></pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">the UTO Board until this is settled once and for all!</span></pre>
<pre> </pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">God’s Blessing,</span></pre>
<pre> </pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">Patty Tourangeau</span></pre>
<pre> </pre>
<pre><span style="color: maroon;">(UTO Finance Office 2003-2009)</span></pre>
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125 Years of Thankful Givinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08233627194016928214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665319803162394614.post-28142780907340214082013-09-20T23:51:00.003-04:002013-09-21T00:12:43.291-04:00Check out two new links on the Links Page:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.generalconvention.org/ccab/roster/513">http://www.generalconvention.org/ccab/roster/513</a><br />
<b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>(CCAB - list of UTO Board Membership)</i></span></b><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.virtueonline.org/portal/modules/news/article.php?storyid=18043#.Uj0GLZjyFCj">http://www.virtueonline.org/portal/modules/news/article.php?storyid=18043#.Uj0GLZjyFCj</a><br />
<b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>(VirtueOnLine - The Voice for Global Orthodox Anglicanism)</i></span></b>125 Years of Thankful Givinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08233627194016928214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665319803162394614.post-17626355516320653382013-09-20T10:45:00.000-04:002013-09-20T10:50:07.798-04:00A GRANT STORY – FIVE SMOOTH STONES<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<b><span style="color: #d32428; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;">HIGHLIGHTING
SOME OF THE WORK OF THE 2012-2015 UTO BOARD</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #d32428; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;">THE JOHN
E. HINES SOCIAL JUSTICE AWARD: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #d32428; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 24.0pt;">A
Triennial United Thank Offering Grant<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 18.0pt;">The first John Hines Social
Justice Award has been given to the United Thank Offering Grant titled <i>"Five
Smooth Stones."<o:p></o:p></i></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 18.0pt;">"<b>Five Smooth Stones</b>"
is a film created by St. Anthony's Episcopal Church in Winder, Georgia; Diocese
of Atlanta.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The film was created
to address the issue of bullying; an issue frequently in the news and that effects
all of us.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 18.0pt;">Here is the description of
the film from the producers: "Bullying is a major current societal problem
wherever children are present. This film is by children, for children. It is to
be used primarily as a tool for children, educators, religious, administrators,
group leaders, etc. to learn and understand how, where and why bullying takes
place and to create an awareness of the various situations that can lead to
this type of abuse."</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 18.0pt;">The grant funding will
be used to fund the initial publishing of the film on bullying "<b>Five
Smooth Stones"</b> and its companion Facilitator/Study Guide, for
distribution, marketing and sales for the purpose of anti-bullying education.</span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 18.0pt;">There has long been a desire
to celebrate the powerful memory of the Women of the Church supporting
Presiding Bishop John Hines request that the United Thank Offering support his
initiative titled "The General Convention Special Programs of
1967."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In that year, the
women changed their grant focus for the 1967-1968 granting seasons, and gave
the entire UTO offering to the Presiding Bishop's proposal to address the
critical issues of Social Justice facing the United States during the years of
Civil Rights struggles—a total of $3,000.000.00.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE0E4JC0APMw8OVnUqNZULJcMxKNrZP6D0pjpiwxaIwuhv61L2BGBZrRXXQT6k8Vwyyyo8u-yfoP2HKX7cxuKCn-4JBnWQyrZRmpvkRrQP0LhakAGkMroT7B0JyoxKUONpvxdWzZrKYBQ-/s1600/Hines+Smile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE0E4JC0APMw8OVnUqNZULJcMxKNrZP6D0pjpiwxaIwuhv61L2BGBZrRXXQT6k8Vwyyyo8u-yfoP2HKX7cxuKCn-4JBnWQyrZRmpvkRrQP0LhakAGkMroT7B0JyoxKUONpvxdWzZrKYBQ-/s1600/Hines+Smile.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 18.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 18.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"> The Most Reverend John Elbridge Hines</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 18.0pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 18.0pt;">John Hines asked the women of the church for help, and was
required by the women to apply for their grant money, through the regular
granting process.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He honored this
request and in turn, his request was granted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Women of the Church are proud to this day that they, who
were not seated at General Convention at that time, were not seated on
Vestries, and were not able to be ordained, were able to support the efforts of
a courageous leader of the church during the dark days of civil unrest.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGe2ji8dcpHEdF_0hsCbDJBWkbd2m7jEeSrwqa2EXCo36nGnxIDTr4NKj91Grjy2p8amS16HkfBOLeYUhB3yyuLd95SvCjeA1edwf-bVEJNupbS9-vVQd2iclbpd-tVFrQPK9zhxVsvvjh/s1600/news+paper+daring+program.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGe2ji8dcpHEdF_0hsCbDJBWkbd2m7jEeSrwqa2EXCo36nGnxIDTr4NKj91Grjy2p8amS16HkfBOLeYUhB3yyuLd95SvCjeA1edwf-bVEJNupbS9-vVQd2iclbpd-tVFrQPK9zhxVsvvjh/s320/news+paper+daring+program.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Hines Announces the General Convention Special Program - 1967</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">Loueta
Bailey, a soft spoken southern belle doctor's wife from Atlanta heard the plea
of a young Presiding Bishop who could see the world around him burning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yet Loueta challenged the PB--telling
him he must apply for a grant like everyone else, and then the women would
consider a request from him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>View
video of Loueta telling her story: <o:p></o:p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #294fae; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kiFT78zh5LY</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #294fae; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16px;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX85_A23ouyyuSUUVBlBq3Rze2cA6FL0xC8wvom7lSxrIbr_qI2nBhe-qbm_w6NWsfde8QpYYCHxsKvJPRYKPuLPF4XIdfc-7muwlcziB5TuPXl1WRju9HfCMPv70RYd7TNq_B3wrbIru9/s1600/Loueta+Bailey+being+seated+at+GC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX85_A23ouyyuSUUVBlBq3Rze2cA6FL0xC8wvom7lSxrIbr_qI2nBhe-qbm_w6NWsfde8QpYYCHxsKvJPRYKPuLPF4XIdfc-7muwlcziB5TuPXl1WRju9HfCMPv70RYd7TNq_B3wrbIru9/s1600/Loueta+Bailey+being+seated+at+GC.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;"> Loueta Bailey, ECW National PresideNT, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 19px;">first woman seated as a deputy to</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"> General Convention -- 1970</span></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><br /></span></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">The General Convention
Special Programs was one of the most controversial concepts undertaken by the
church and many say the church has never been the same!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 18.0pt;">The John Hines Social
Justice Award has been created to honor the history of the relationship between
the Presiding Bishop and the Women of the Church, still a relationship celebrated
by The United Thank Offering Board.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 18.0pt;">Each General
Convention the plate offering received at the General Convention United Thank
Offering Ingathering Eucharist is be used to fund a grant application that
presents a grassroots, innovative and creative project that addresses
significant issues of social justice and how to change unjust structures in a
community.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This award will include
the entire plate offering. The amount of the General Convention United Thank
Offering Ingathering Eucharist 2013 was $34,280.91<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<o:p> ARTICLE BY ROBIN SUMNERS AND BARBI TINDER</o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment-->125 Years of Thankful Givinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08233627194016928214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665319803162394614.post-21475326666128521962013-09-19T00:05:00.001-04:002013-09-19T14:14:11.402-04:00More of what does this mean?<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">(by Jim Tinder) </span></i><br />
<br />
More of what does this mean…</div>
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Refer to the 9/12 screen shot on the 9/18 “What does this
mean?” post.</div>
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Evidently they forgot to add one of their staff to the UTO
board on the 9/12 list</div>
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<b>(The Rev. Canon Dr. Michael Barlowe)</b></div>
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Let’s see the UTO board now consist of:</div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>2 - Ex
Officio</div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>3 –
Appointed</div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>3 – DFMS
staff</div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>--</div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>8</div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>7 –
Currently elected UTO board members.</div>
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<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Hum, wonder how many are going to attend the September
UTO board meeting?</span><br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheuoZbCSwQca4f_HDOAAvI5Cuo-UXD_ibWVWwHPlLQkYjI6q0UR7smEbhQ9Jsihs2AqYkUwtFS_yoxHPXI9kSqSWGJm4Mn9__jFISGL-LBu-zl2II9SUtrvthclZeB4n0FBBBuxEH0Bi0b/s1600/CCAB-UTOlist+18SEP13-a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="448" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheuoZbCSwQca4f_HDOAAvI5Cuo-UXD_ibWVWwHPlLQkYjI6q0UR7smEbhQ9Jsihs2AqYkUwtFS_yoxHPXI9kSqSWGJm4Mn9__jFISGL-LBu-zl2II9SUtrvthclZeB4n0FBBBuxEH0Bi0b/s640/CCAB-UTOlist+18SEP13-a.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
125 Years of Thankful Givinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08233627194016928214noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665319803162394614.post-24790271431377010832013-09-18T08:37:00.000-04:002013-09-18T17:35:53.672-04:00What does this mean?<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<i><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">(source:
Episcopal Church Web site | CCABs | Agencies/Boards | United Thank Offering
Board)</span></i></div>
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<br /></div>
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Wonder what this means? </div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCMcustxzuYFYZAZUiEtL0d3rpB7w6rXZ304Xd7aITxDNMtGZZQPxrv8YDG4DP3CXnS_8xY862Ktb9fCk5yiyvFUP8sLajU7PH-UiNvM61vsr120pzhQ2fwiMacO_5cohkO8pVsoMMqcpr/s1600/board+picture+uto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="467" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCMcustxzuYFYZAZUiEtL0d3rpB7w6rXZ304Xd7aITxDNMtGZZQPxrv8YDG4DP3CXnS_8xY862Ktb9fCk5yiyvFUP8sLajU7PH-UiNvM61vsr120pzhQ2fwiMacO_5cohkO8pVsoMMqcpr/s640/board+picture+uto.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">The
9/9/13 screen shot shows the United Thank Offering board listed under CCAB
<i><span style="font-size: 8.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">(Committees,
Commissions, Agencies, and Boards)</span></i> instead as a board
autonomous and interdependent, reporting to Executive Council.</li>
</ol>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<i><span style="color: navy; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The CCAB Handbook</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: navy; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Annotated Table of Contents</span></i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<i><span style="color: navy; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The CCAB System (Page 1)</span></i></div>
<ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1"><ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: navy; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><i><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Role of CCABs in the
generation of policy, and the topics discussed by CCABs</span></i></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: navy; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><i><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">CCABs do not
participate in the production of resources or in the carrying out of
policy.</span></i></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: navy; mso-list: l0 level2 lfo1; tab-stops: list 1.0in;"><i><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Types of CCABs, along
with the source and scope of their authority.</span></i></li>
</ul>
</ol>
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<br /></div>
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<i><span style="color: navy; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Members and Officers (Page 3)</span></i></div>
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<span style="color: navy; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span><i><span style="color: navy; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Appointment of new members at the beginning of the
triennium. Convenor named to organize the first meeting and conduct an election
of Chair, Vice Chair, and Secretary. Each officer has specific duties.</span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list .75in; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="color: navy; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span><i><span style="color: navy; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Expectation of members. Members must attend all meetings;
unexcused absence from two meetings can result in members removal [Canon
I.1.2(b)]. Consultants can only be hired under special circumstances.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: navy; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">CCAB Operations (Page 5)</span></i></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: navy; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo4; tab-stops: list .5in;"><i><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Chair’s duty to prepare
an agenda for each meeting. Agenda will be circulated to the members and
to the General Convention Office for posting.</span></i></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: navy; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo4; tab-stops: list .5in;"><i><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Chair and Secretary
responsible for maintaining records and meeting minutes in collaboration
with the Archives. Documents need to be preserved, including minutes,
correspondence, E-mails, substantive drafts, and information disseminated
at or between meetings.</span></i></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color: navy; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo4; tab-stops: list .5in;"><i><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">CCABs will file a
triennial report which include General Convention resolutions. Reports
will be compiled into a document commonly known as the Blue Book, which is
produced before each General Convention. Blue Book reports must be
submitted on time and prepared according to specific guidelines.</span></i></li>
</ul>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<b><span style="color: red;">No UTO
president or finance officer?</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<b><span style="color: red;">Vacant
board members positions will be filled how?</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<b><span style="color: red;">Does
this mean the UTO “board” will no longer participate in developing the design
of the Blue Boxes, Face-to-Face training, or Granting Criteria and granting procedure?</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<ol start="2" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">The
past-President is listed as “Chair” instead of “President”. Under CCAB
there are no Presidents only Chairs. </li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<b><span style="color: red;">So does
that mean that past-President & UTO board is already identified as being
under CCAB’s of General Convention instead of Executive Council?</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<br /></div>
<ol start="3" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;">The
Executive Council member is listed as a member. The United Thank Offering
by-laws identify the Executive Council member as a member of the board <i><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">(as recommended in
INC-055)</span></i>. The official notice received from the General
Convention Office identified the member as a liaison. </li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<b><span style="color: red;">Clarification
is needed and has not been completed.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<b><span style="color: red;">So what
is the role of the liaison and the Executive Council as they relate to the UTO
board?</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<b><span style="color: red;">Is it
still and will<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>UTO continue to be a
board?</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The 9/12/13 screenshot</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge3U2_VDjuiFYMht0-81yp3LZ3_mq58qFX_tndp3fwPIQ5McK2GZTFDWK7c2-53UUHgYIF-S0R5JKrJgQbSfFFMVyUi33xdy-L9USGjEqcBOQeNqCCQbQGohK6s7K1mS5verVH3Q50brX3/s1600/new+board+posting+ccab%2527s.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge3U2_VDjuiFYMht0-81yp3LZ3_mq58qFX_tndp3fwPIQ5McK2GZTFDWK7c2-53UUHgYIF-S0R5JKrJgQbSfFFMVyUi33xdy-L9USGjEqcBOQeNqCCQbQGohK6s7K1mS5verVH3Q50brX3/s640/new+board+posting+ccab%2527s.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<br /></div>
<ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;">The
four members resigned are removed from the list.</li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;">The
UTO President’s office listed as “chair” in the 9/09/13 screen shot is now
listed as a “Convener”.
</li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<b><span style="color: red;">So does
this mean the Vice President that would be the President, per current by laws,
of UTO upon the resignation of the past-President really isn’t President or
even “Chair”; but instead already just a “Convener”? </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<b><span style="color: red;">Is the
UTO already considered as part of General Convention?</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<b><span style="color: red;">Does
this mean this change is already in place as proposed by the DFMS by
laws regardless of the INC-055 and the Executive Council’s approval?</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<ol start="3" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l3 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;">Two
new entries on the 9/12/13 “board” list are: The Most Rev. Katherine
Jefferts Shori and The Rev. Gay C. Jennings. The two added are listed as “<u>Ex
Officio</u>” <b>with voice and vote</b>. Per CCABs Handbook – revised 2013
<i><span style="font-size: 8.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">(? What were
the revisions since the 2012 General Convention?) </span></i><span style="font-size: 8.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></li>
</ol>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent3">
What does this mean to the United thank Offering’s
ministry of thankfulness? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<b><span style="color: red;">1) Is
the United Thank Offering Board a Board created by General Convention as
defined by the requirements of the Constitution and Canons of the Episcopal
Church?</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<b><span style="color: red;">2) What
process is used for this kind of decision?</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoBodyTextIndent3">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
<b><span style="color: red;">3) </span></b><b><span style="color: red;">Has this process been one in which the United
Thank Offering governing board has participated??</span></b></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
125 Years of Thankful Givinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08233627194016928214noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665319803162394614.post-46869224624544122882013-09-17T11:48:00.003-04:002013-09-17T11:50:16.169-04:00New: Letter of resignation from the past-President/Province I Representative to her parish <span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>(see Resignations blog page)</i></span>125 Years of Thankful Givinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08233627194016928214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665319803162394614.post-81925618149006963972013-09-16T16:49:00.000-04:002013-09-16T16:49:09.885-04:00UTO Board Structure 2012-2015
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #003da0; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 21px;">An ongoing discussion regarding UTO
Board representation</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #003da0; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">We have made absolutely no judgment
statements regarding how members are selected to be on the United Thank
Offering board. No person is diminished by how that person arrives on the
board. All members are equal according to the 2012 Bylaws, therefore all
members, elected or appointed have policies and procedures to follow and
responsibilities for committee service<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #003da0; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #003da0; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">This particular United Thank
Offering board has faced a demand for adapting to transition unprecedented in
the history of the organization. Every board meeting has included new
members arriving, and old members no longer present.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The death of a president has never happened to any Episcopal
Church Board; there were no precedents about how to cope with this event.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And it is certainly true that the
"core" group is still grieving.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #003da0; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">What might be called the
"core group" of the 2012-2015 Board first met each other and
met together in Indianapolis at the 2012 Triennial meeting. That group
included the 9 elected province reps and the three at large reps elected from
among the sitting reps to serve another term as At-Large members. Since
2000, the United Thank Offering committee/board had been a twelve member board;
the INC-055 bylaws of 2012 required that an additional three members be added;
two to be appointed by Executive Council and one to be appointed by the PB, the
POHD and the President of the United Thank Offering Board.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The three appointed members were
appointed in April of 2013, almost one year after the Board first assembled. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(The United Thank Offering President was
not included in the decisions as expected.) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #003da0; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">One of these members was able to
attend all but two days of the May meeting; one was able to attend four days of
the meeting; one was unable to attend at all. Two of these members were
able to attend the one-day special meeting in July with the PB. This has
meant that although all three have some level of knowledge of the United Thank
Offering Board, none of them have had long experience of the working of the
board prior to this tumultuous time. They were appointed in the midst of
it all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is assumed that anyone
coming on the board has some knowledge of the United Thank Offering; the first
meeting of the 12 member board in September was an orientation session, with
time spent reviewing the bylaws and the policies and procedures of the
board.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The members of the UTO
board, all of whom served in some capacity on the INC-055 study committee, have
not participated<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>in an orientation
sessions, or even a session that included introduction of current board members
and their backgrounds and interests.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #003da0; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">The elected members of the board,
most of whom had been working together for a year, chose to discuss some of the
issues presented in the draft documents received from DFMS as a separate group,
as they were and are the members directly affected by the change in the
election process described in the proposed bylaws revisions. The
"elected" members of the board are the nine representatives elected
to serve a particular constituency and they have very specific responsibilities
to those who elected them; these tasks are different from those of at-large and
appointed members. That does not mean one group is more important than another.
Three provincial members chose to protest and resign; five members have
chosen to object, but continue on the board; one, the Province 9 rep, who has
still other responsibilities, has chosen to abstain until the September
meeting. The thinking was that those elected from Provinces needed to talk among themselves regarding what impact these documents had on them. or example, province responsibilities involve recruiting and training the diocesan coordinator networks that actually use the Blue Boxes. There is concern about how this process will proceed without the relationship with ECW.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #003da0; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">One at-large member has chosen to
see the issues from a different perspective than the rest of the elected
provincial reps who have chosen to continue on the board. None of the
board members, current or former, has denied her right to disagree. As
stated above, the at-large members of the board do not have provincial
responsibilities; they do have board responsibilities.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="color: #003da0; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;">The appointed members who have come
on board in the midst of this "crisis" all have some history with
United Thank Offering, but have not been part of the year long process of work
that has been done. As a group, they have yet to participate in depth in the
ongoing conversation around the table. One member did attend and
participate in the recent Face to Face diocesan coordinator training program in
July. As a group, they come from a different perspective than the elected
members who have emerged from diocesan leadership. All three appointed members
are clergy, each with different Professional experience. The integration of
these different perspectives offers an exciting opportunity for growth and
direction for the United Thank Offering Board that everyone has been looking
forward to, but the opportunity for this integration has not yet been
available.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<!--EndFragment-->125 Years of Thankful Givinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08233627194016928214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665319803162394614.post-16622124114311010512013-09-14T16:54:00.001-04:002013-09-14T16:59:07.075-04:00 Statement from elected Province Representatives serving on United Thank Offering Board<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Most of you are aware of the conflict
between the leadership of The Episcopal Church (the Domestic and Foreign
Missionary Society—DFMS) and the <span style="color: blue;">United Thank Offering
Board</span>. Four key UTO board members </b></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">including the president/grants convener, the secretary, the
communications convener and a respected long-time member of the Board have
resigned from the board as a protest, citing irreconcilable differences with
those of the senior leadership of DFMS.</b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Background:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">2007 </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
Presiding Bishop called for a study to learn about Committees, Commissions,
Agencies, and Boards (CCABs) and their relationship to the institutional
church.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">2008 </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
United Thank Offering Committee sought approval from the Executive Council to
incorporate as a 501(c)(3) status. Executive Council felt this would undercut
the church’s connection to UTO so they called for “a serious and extensive
study….” INC-055 resulted.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">2011</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
Executive Council, meeting in Salt Lake City, Utah, in October received the
report of INC-055 Ad Hoc Task force and in their minutes stated, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“Resolved, That the Executive Council
receives and approves the newly developed Bylaws for the United Thank Offering</b>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Board</b>….” The minutes also stated, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“Canon Harris reported that DFMS’ counsel
had reviewed the proposed Bylaws and approved them.” The Very Rev. Stacy Sauls
was present at that meeting.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">2013<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Work that had begun on Memorandum of
Understanding came to a halt with the death of Sarita Redd, UTO president in
January.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">July 2013</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The UTO board drafted a Memorandum of Understanding
between the UTO board and DFMS. The board was invited to New York by the
Presiding Bishop to discuss “issues of governance and oversight.” And to create
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">jointly </b>new documents to define the
relationship between DFMS and UTO. (specifically revision of the Bylaws)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">August 2013</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Paul Nix (legal council for DFMS) sent Robin Sumners
(communication convener and UTO member who was supposed to work with Paul Nix
on the Bylaws revision) a revision of the Bylaws created <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">solely </b>by DFMS.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">September 2013</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Four UTO board members resigned in protest because
they felt the trust that they had put in DFMS had been betrayed and that the
Bylaws under which UTO had been operating (AD Hoc INC-055) had been
eviscerated.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Important Changes Under the Proposed
Bylaws by DFMS<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">The proposed Bylaws will sever the
relationship between UTO and Episcopal Church</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Women (ECW).</b> The
provinces, not the provincial ECWs, will elect UTO provincial representatives.
There will be no presence of UTO at the Triennial, except by a member of the
DFMS staff.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
board will no longer be <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">autonomous.<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Granting
will be done by DFMS, not the UTO board.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">No UTO Executive Committee<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">This committee sets program and policy.
It had been working on revisioning and revamping the committee structure in UTO
to be more effective.<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">No Communication Committee<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">This committee was responsible for
revising and instituting a new electronic granting process that was faster and
more equitable, for assisting board members to become more computer literate
and electronically engaged, having UTO go paperless by 2014, posting the Face
to Face training program on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/utochange">YOU
tube</a>, to name a few of its accomplishments. The committee was responsible
for providing education on the UTO network, planning communication strategy and
providing tools and materials. (This will now be under DFMS)<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">No finance Committee<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">This
committee has not been able to operate effectively because it has not received
a financial report from DFMS for 18 months. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormalCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Most
importantly, the core value of UTO is no longer in the proposed Bylaws. Gone is
the statement, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“UTO as a daily ministry
of prayer and gratitude for blessings received for tangible support for the
work of the church throughout the world.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></b>It has been replaced with, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">“raising
money to support mission.”</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
remaining members of the UTO board hold fast to the INC-055 Ad Hoc Study Report
that recommended that the UTO "<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">should
continue to be an autonomous and interdependent Board under the</i> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Executive Council</i>". We
feel that we have adhered to all documents of the Episcopal Church and the
Constitution and Canons of TEC and the Policies and Procedures of the DFMS. We
feel that understanding our finances; taking responsibility for the offerings
given by our thankful people; the decision making of granting these funds; and
being able to communicate and tell our story are vital to the continuance and
well being of </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">The United Thank Offering</span></b><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We
are continuing to operate under the Bylaws established by the INC-055 Ad Hoc
Study Report and will continue to do so until we are able to compromise on the
proposed Bylaws.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>If
the proposed Bylaws are passed, it will bring a close to a very important
“grass-roots” ministry involved in mission.” That would be a great loss and
very sad!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">If
you do not want this to happen, here are some suggestions:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">1.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Contact
your Bishop and tell him/her what is happening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Explain that under the proposed Bylaws:</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a. The autonomy of the UTO board as
outlined in Ad Hoc committee report INC-055 is in <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>jeopardy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>b. The historical relationship between
the ECW and UTO is dissolved.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: red;">DO IT THIS WEEK.<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: center;">
(Bishops meet in
Nashville beginning September 19, 2013. There needs to be a conversation
there.)</div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">2.</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>PRAY and PRAY some more that this
difficulty can be resolved for the best for the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: blue;">United Thank<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Offering</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">
and the mission of the church.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Each Elected Province Representative signed this
statement: the continuing board members offered to send this statement to Provinces
I, IV and VII, and have done so.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<b><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Province II: Lois
Johnson-Rodney</span></b><br />
<b><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> -</span></b><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">- </span><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Finance Officer (Resigned as Finance
Officer, but has remained Province Rep)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Province III: Dena
Lee</span></b><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<b><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Province IV: Marcie
Cherau</span></b><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<b><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Province V: Peg
Cooper</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Province
VIII: Barbara Schafer, Vice President, now President<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<!--EndFragment-->125 Years of Thankful Givinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08233627194016928214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665319803162394614.post-30422742904836342562013-09-13T23:57:00.002-04:002013-09-14T17:00:22.060-04:00The Truth<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Calibri;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">I believe that unarmed truth and
unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right,
temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Martin Luther King, Jr.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">I have to say what’s on my heart, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and I’m going to say it straight— the <b>truth</b>,
the whole <b>truth</b>, and nothing but the <b>truth</b>. I was never any good
at bootlicking; my Maker would make short work of me if I started in now!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Job+32:14-16&version=MSG"><span style="color: #571000; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Job 32:14-16</span></a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(The Message)<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">The clever use of IRS requirements, which makes
everyone quake in their boots, to imply that this group of "old
women" just do not understand that some of these things have to happen,
accomplishes the goal of taking control of UTO because the law say that DFMS
has to bring the UTO under compliance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This sounds so very logical; of course we all have to comply with the
IRS!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">This is reminiscent to me of how biblical quotes
are often used--to prove women should not be ordained; to prove being gay is a
"cardinal sin;" to prove marriage can only exist between one man and
one woman. We can now use the IRS regulations to prove that all money
belongs to the part of the Episcopal Church living in the edifice of 815--which
the United Thank Offering primarily built. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">Ponder this quote from the press release
describing the dedication of that great edifice called "815," on
Monday, April 29, 1963. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lucida Grande"; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">NEW
YORK, --- The new, national Episcopal Church Center, 815 Second Avenue, was
dedicated Monday, April 29.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lucida Grande"; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">Presiding
Bishop Lichtenberger laid the cornerstone. Also taking part in the dedication
ceremonies was the Church's highest ranking layman, Clifford P. Morehouse,
president of the House of Deputies.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lucida Grande"; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">The
ceremony took place under the arcade that runs the full length of the Second
Avenue facade. In the cornerstone the Presiding Bishop placed six foundation
symbols: a cross, the Holy Scriptures, the Book of Common Prayer, the
Constitution and Canons and the Journal of the 1961 General Convention,<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> the United Thank Offering Box which
belonged to the founder of the special women's offering,</b> and the lists of
memorials, thank-offerings, and other gifts in addition to lists of
contributors to the building.</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">The sadness is that it is true that the thinking
and dreaming of the women who began the United Thank Offering has been a main
source of innovation in the church. The possibility of international
women missionaries; the idea of health and retirement benefits for those who
have served faithfully without the option of building personal resources-the
forerunner of the Church Pension Fund--a gift to the church from the women who
serve; the establishment of The Church Building Fund to allow the building of
small churches through out the world--all made possible by a grass-roots effort
of women understanding that every penny counts. Under the oversight of the
Chief Operating Officer, this process will cease to exit as it has been known.
The Institutional Church is not the hot-bed of imagination or
innovation--and that is one of the reasons the church does not acquire
membership among those of the digital age.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Chairman of Google, Eric Schmidt, recently said,
"Innovation never comes from established institutions."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the things that makes the United
Thank Offering work is that it never becomes institutionalized because the
board responsible is ever changing, sending out trained church leaders and
bringing in new brains and new ideas.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">Mark Harris said to me that one of the problems
is that the women of the church have not created a power base; servant
leadership is not about power--it is about service. Therefore, even the
faithful women on the current board who have not resigned have stayed because,
although they have experienced the same treatment and acknowledge that, they
still can't believe that the clergy and bishops whom they serve really mean
what they have said--they have said it, and done it, but don't mean it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">I will be sad if DFMS wins the battle of saying
that the four who left just did not understand the need to be in compliance
with the IRS; that is a story crafted to make us look incompetent at best.
And sadly, one day, the options of input from a group of people, for it
is not only women, who seek to encourage innovation by the process of the granting
program, will no longer be part of the Church.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: major-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt; mso-hansi-theme-font: major-latin;">There is this constant option of UTO becoming a 501c3, but UTO is a
very different organization than ERD. It is not a fundraising ministry,
it is a life discipline--it provides for a lifetime awareness of thankful
living and it belongs central to the church, if the church is living its
mission, for it is a movement and not a fundraising body. The people in
the pews feel a relationship to the people who receive grants--to me UTO is the
viable, extraordinary example of the Body of Christ at work--reaching out with
love to provide for miracles. I hate that this may come to an end on my
watch. Nowhere in the revised bylaws presented to us was this theology of
a life discipline of thanksgiving central to the original bylaws ever
mentioned. </span><span style="font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">So while I might now advocate for a 501c3 to protect
the life of UTO, I have always agreed that walking within, beside, above, and
below the church was where we belong.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">We UTO Four knew
this protest would be hard; we had so many great plans for UTO --for the 125th
anniversary; for an exciting new grant focus that addressed the violence in a
hurting world; simple things like virtual blue boxes. We each loved the
work we had been given to do on this board—and each of us had a different task
that was part of the whole. It is a real loss, and we will grieve for a while,
and we are still grieving the loss of Sarita. She would say to us: "God
has a plan." <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I want Sarita to
ask God to send us an angel to help us understand. I keep waiting to get a
sense of what the plan is; and patience has never been my virtue.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">Robin ( and barbi and georgie and renee in spirit!) </span><!--EndFragment-->
125 Years of Thankful Givinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08233627194016928214noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665319803162394614.post-62489371938989810202013-09-09T21:28:00.002-04:002013-09-14T17:00:44.725-04:00The Purpose of the UTO Four<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: Palatino;">On September 2, 2013,
four members of the 2012-2015 United Thank Offering Board resigned from the
Board, and from their leadership positions, in protest against a process begun
by the Episcopal Church Officers at the Church Center at 815 2nd Avenue to
develop documents of governance for the United Thank Offering Board.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Three of these members had been part of
a working group created by the Presiding Bishop to develop these documents
jointly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were four members
of the United Thank Offering Board, and three members of the staff at 815 and a
representative of the Executive Council. (Three lawyers, and ultimately three
priest; see how that adds up to four—or five!)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Palatino;">When the drafts of these
documents were received, based on the content and the message which accompanied
them, the working group of UTO had an immediate and visceral reaction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The conversations undertaken regarding
the process and the critical points identified by the United Thank Offering group
were not represented in the documents; the four items stated by the UTO
representatives as critical were eliminated completely, and the structure of
UTO changed dramatically.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
message transmitting these documents said:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #07386b; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;">Attached is our
revisions to the MOU and Bylaws for the UTO Board’s review. We have given this
project significant time and thought and believe that these revisions best
embrace the reality of the UTO Board being an integral and very important part
of DFMS and a CCAB of The Episcopal Church. We also believe that these
revisions will work to maximum the viability of the UTO Board for many years to
come.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #07386b; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;">Per my
conversation with Robin yesterday, we can convene upon my return to the office
to discuss these revisions at a time suitable to all of us.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Plantagenet Cherokee"; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;">This did not to appear to invite restorations to
the revisions of the critical points defined by the UTO working group of the
items defined in the earlier discussions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The telephone call between the legal counsel of DFMS and the UTO
communication convener did not invite the option of discussing significant
changes; the statement was made,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>"We have removed the treasurer position on your board, as the
finance of UTO will now be completely handled by DFMS."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The staff at DFMS, including the Presiding
Bishop has repeatedly told the UTO Board that UTO has no money; all the money
belongs to DFMS.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although almost
all of the women of the church know absolutely there is money that belongs to
UTO.</span><span style="font-family: "Plantagenet Cherokee";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Plantagenet Cherokee";">When the
elected members of the board, those immediately affected by the changes, were
given the draft documents to read, all but one of the elected members were
shocked and devastated by the structure the documents established; those on the
working group, and a board member who had been part of the internal
conversations concluded that the evidence put forth by the DFMS office was not
created in good faith, would not be revised in good faith, and resigned in
protest of the new direction forced upon the United Thank Offering by these
documents.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The UTO Four, as they
are being called, doubted that, based on their experience with DFMS during the
entire last year, that there would be little integrity in any process.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Plantagenet Cherokee";">Other
elected board members decided to stay to try to change the minds of the DFMS
leadership.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One continued to
insist that there was nothing wrong with this process at all.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Plantagenet Cherokee";">All of the
documents made public from both UTO and DFMS regarding this sad and traumatic
situation are available here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
list of pages is found to the right; we who resigned have made our joint and
our individual statements.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have
each done this in order to do our best to protect the integrity of the of the
United Thank Offering within the Episcopal Church.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Plantagenet Cherokee"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">We will each have to grieve in our own way the loss
of a vital and productive ministry of our lives that has ended.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We, each of us, has said all there is
to be said.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We chose to shine a
light on something being done in the dark.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We hope that light will preserve the historic and
magnificent contribution to the Episcopal Church—The United Thank Offering of
the Women of the Church.</span><!--EndFragment--><br />
<span style="font-family: "Plantagenet Cherokee"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Plantagenet Cherokee"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Robin Sumners, UTO Four</span>125 Years of Thankful Givinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08233627194016928214noreply@blogger.com7