The Lead

Below is a statement, in full, from Christ Church, Philadelphia.
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Statement of Christ Church, Philadelphia to Convention of Diocese of Pennsylvania regarding Episcopal Assessment

To the members of convention in the Diocese of Pennsylvania:

By a unanimous vote of its Vestry, Christ Church, Philadelphia will not contribute its Episcopal Assessment for 2011. Christ Church will increase its contribution to the Program Budget for 2011 by the amount of its Episcopal Assessment. The total support for the Diocese of Pennsylvania from Christ Church, Philadelphia, will remain the same.

The Vestry of Christ Church, Philadelphia fully knows that by refusing to contribute its Episcopal Assessment for 2011, we lose representation in Diocesan Convention. We pray that the Convention will restore our voice and vote as diocesan canons permit, and to the other parishes that will similarly participate in this act of ecclesial disobedience.

We take this action willingly and without hesitation for two reasons: First, the decision of Charles Bennison to continue as diocesan bishop continues to threaten the Program Budget, which at this moment in time is more important to the mission and ministry of the Diocese of Pennsylvania. We discern that we are better stewards of the resources entrusted to us by increasing our support of the Program Budget.

Second: the Vestry of Christ Church, Philadelphia, has discerned that to contribute to the Episcopal Assessment is to agree to and support Charles Bennison's decision to remain as Diocesan Bishop, and we cannot do so. We are in full agreement with the House of Bishops of the Episcopal Church, which stated in September 2010:

As the House of Bishops, we have come to the conclusion that Bishop Bennison's capacity to exercise the ministry of pastoral oversight is irretrievably damaged. Therefore, we exhort Charles, our brother in Christ, in the strongest possible terms, to tender his immediate and unconditional resignation as the Bishop of the Diocese of Pennsylvania. For the sake of the wholeness and unity of the body of Christ, in the Diocese of Pennsylvania and in the church, we implore our brother to take this action without further delay.

We encourage the vestries of the parishes in our diocese to join Christ Church in increasing support to the Program Budget, and reducing payment of the Episcopal Assessment.

Comments (7)

Can someone familiar with DioPA explain how this works? Are parishes assessed separately for program and episcopate, and what does each budget include?

Posted by Gia Hayes-Martin | November 4, 2010 1:16 PM

Can someone explain the difference between the Episcopal Assessment and the Program Budget? (I can guess, but would rather have info.) And how can a parish be sure the funds go to support the program rather than the episcopate?

Posted by Lisa Fox | November 4, 2010 1:20 PM

The two comments thus far are on definitely relevant.

Christ Church wants to earmark how its assessment is used, presumably so that it is not used to pay Bennison's salary and other costs usually related to a bishop.

It seems rather unlikely to me that it can enforce its wish which is to see budgetary funding for the Episcopate to fall by the amount it has earmarked to go elsewhere.

As a matter of general practice, this is not how we in The Episcopal Church would want the allocation of diocesan income to be determined. In the exceptions of which I am aware the diocese gave permission.

My question is, is there no hope that convention would adopt a budget that eliminated or severely restricts the line for the Episcopate?

Posted by John B. Chilton | November 4, 2010 1:58 PM

Sounds like good old fashioned congregationalism to me. I have absolutely no sympathy for this approach. Let's find another way to make him step down, one that doesn't repudiate our ecclesiology.

Posted by Bill Carroll | November 4, 2010 10:31 PM

If I recall, Pennsylvania has three parish assessments: episcopacy, clergy assistance, retired clergy insurance or similar categories. I believe these are mandatory. The program budget is a voluntary pledge. The total of these is significantly more than 10% of parish income. So much for the tithe as the standard of Christian giving.

Personally, I couldn't give a dime that could find it's way to the current bishop's control. Call that congregationalism if you want - but if the church can't organizationally deal with an obvious problem, then other solutions have to be found.

Posted by Dirk C. Reinken | November 5, 2010 8:29 AM

Here's part of the answer about assessments in Dioc of Penn,

http://www.diopa.org/news/topics/governance/a-statement-regarding-the-program-budget-and-the-ministries-of-the-diocese-of-pennsylvania/
[Oct 13, 2010]
"As a Diocese we are facing a financial crisis that threatens to undercut the vital ministries which define our corporate mission and identity. These are the ministries of the Program Budget and they are funded by your voluntary pledges to the Diocese."

Posted by John B. Chilton | November 6, 2010 7:27 AM

Looking under Budget at the link below it seems "Program" and "Episcopate" [staff salaries and benefits, bishop, travel, ordination process expenses] are truly separate suggesting income earmarked by a parish to program could not be moved over to Episcopate. However, b/c the documents show that the cost of the diocesan house operations are shared between the two budgets it's conceivable the parish's intentions could be offset be simply shifting more of the diocese house operations over to program.

http://www.diopa.org/convention/2010/reports

http://www.diopa.org/assets/downloads/Episcopate-Budget-Narrative.pdf

"The cost of Church House Operations is shared with Program Budget. This includes operating expenses and major expenses regarding repairs and equipment."

Posted by John B. Chilton | November 6, 2010 7:49 AM

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