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Email to FriendCommittee on the State of the Church issues interim report
"Who are we?" the report asks. "What does it mean to be an Episcopalian? What are our core values? How are we differentiated from other Christian faith traditions? What are our strengths and weaknesses? Where are our opportunities?"
Described as a "brief assessment of facts and trends," the report points out that "marvelous work goes forward at all levels of our church, often understated, and not fully appreciated, but truly transforming in nature."
A pdf of the report is available here.
The report notes that the Episcopal Church's experience of declining membership and attendance is "similar to other mainline Protestant denominations in the United States." Declining membership and attendance levels mean "we need a plan for action at all of our organizational levels -- parish and diocese, as well as the Episcopal Church Center."
"We recognize that the Episcopal Church does not routinely gather important demographic data, and that we must look to supplemental sources of data and qualitative information to obtain the best understanding that we can of the life and times of our church," said Alfred D. Price, committee chair. "That has meant examining the results of other national surveys and studies in which we have participated in recent years with other mainline Protestant denominations."
The State of the Church committee is appointed by the president of the House of Deputies, Bonnie Anderson, and is composed solely of deputies who serve for the current triennium.
"It is the responsibility of the committee to prepare and present a report on the state of the church to the House of Deputies at the next meeting of the House," Anderson explained. "Upon agreement by the House of Deputies, the report is then sent to the House of Bishops."
The report to the 75th General Convention is available here.
Anderson suggested the committee issue an interim report for informational purposes.
"I think it is helpful for the House of Deputies and others to know the status of the information gathering and thinking of the committee," she said. "The House of Deputies Committee on the State of the Church will continue its work, building upon this interim report with more data collected during the remainder of the triennium. A full report will be presented to the House of Deputies at the 76th General Convention."
The interim report's introduction says that its observations "describe the state of The Episcopal Church as we see it at this point in time" and that the report "is offered to assist and challenge the leaders of our church," especially other General Convention committees, commissions, agencies and boards (CCABs).
The report is divided into "areas of encouragement" and "areas of concern," along with sections on identity, mission and organization.
Encouraging signs include increasing commitment to mission and outreach, including the planting of seven new campus ministries churchwide. Giving per member "continues to increase or remain steady" in congregations, while Episcopal Relief and Development reports a sizeable increase in their support base and the Church Pension Fund benefits from "excellent investment performance and innovative portfolio management." Also noted were the reorganization of staff and renovation of facilities at the Episcopal Church Center.
But 2006's statistics raised some concerns, the committee said. The number of congregations growing in membership by 10 percent or more is down by 2 percent, while the number declining by 10 percent or more is up 2 percent. Average Sunday attendance (ASA) is down by 3 percent compared to 2005 figures, and 41 percent of that drop is traceable to "the departure of congregations or substantial parts of congregations from their dioceses." Nearly two-thirds of congregations have an ASA of 100 or less.
The failure of some dioceses to "fully support" programs of the Episcopal Church has had a "deleterious impact" on mission work abroad as well as on domestic operations. At the parish level, trouble over clergy leadership style, parish finances, and the 2003 consecration of openly gay Bishop Gene Robinson in New Hampshire were noted, as was the burden of seminary debt on clergy.
Turning those trends around requires "a sense of urgency," the report stated.
"As Episcopalians, we approach and express our faith and relationship with Christ through our Baptismal Covenant and Eucharistic community. Now is the time to articulate and renew these leadership trajectories, and to re-kindle enthusiasm for both evangelism and mission. Such efforts will emphasize equally spiritual renewal for our existing long-time members, and Christian formation for our newer and younger members."
"We encourage the other CCABs, and all other church bodies, to consider the trends on which we report, as they engage in their work for the balance of the triennium," the report concludes.
Committee members include Cindi Bartol, Arthur Bjontegard, the Very Rev. Ashton J. Brooks, the Rev. Andrew Cooley, the Rev. Zabron A. Davis, the Rev. Ann Fontaine, John Wood Goldsack, Debby Melnyk (vice-chair), Alfred D. Price (chair), Hillary Dowling Raining, the Hon. Maggie Tinsman, the Rev. Martin Yabroff (resigned), and Cn. Kathryn Weathersby McCormick (secretary).
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