Just like Christmas comes earlier and earlier, just like political campaigns start years prior to the election, so issues around General Convention creep more and more into the intervening years.
Thus argues Crusty Old Dean, known in the non-blogging world as the Very Rev. Tom Ferguson, who offers his prognostications today about what will be the hot topics in the summer of 2015.
Aside from offering predictions about the Presiding Bishop election, and opining that the debate over divestment from Israel/Palestine will heat up, COD spends the most time arguing that TREC will not accomplish what everyone hoped:
Nothing of substance will come from the Restructuring Task Force, except maybe some resolution thanking them for their work, commending it to the church for discussion, and about continuing the conversations. On the one hand there will be those seeking to undermine any efforts at restructuring; on the other there will be those who say, “But we need the new PB to weigh in on these conversations!” That one-two punch has TREC doomed.
Read the whole thing here.
Then, weigh in below. What do you think will happen in Salt Lake City?
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My comment at COD’s blog:
You know, my concern is with the context of the question. I have heard a number of voices, and little consensus, of what “substantive” might require. If we reduce the number of legislative committees without other changes, is that substantive? If we consolidate and/or eliminate Standing Commissions of General Convention or Standing Committees of Executive Council, but don’t reduce General Convention itself, is that substantive (much less sufficient)? I haven’t given up hope that General Convention will do something “substantive,” and perhaps even something based on the work of TREC. Seems to me that the problem is my own view of what is “substantive” may well be too low, too broad, too something to have anyone else agree.
My comment at COD’s blog:
You know, my concern is with the context of the question. I have heard a number of voices, and little consensus, of what “substantive” might require. If we reduce the number of legislative committees without other changes, is that substantive? If we consolidate and/or eliminate Standing Commissions of General Convention or Standing Committees of Executive Council, but don’t reduce General Convention itself, is that substantive (much less sufficient)? I haven’t given up hope that General Convention will do something “substantive,” and perhaps even something based on the work of TREC. Seems to me that the problem is my own view of what is “substantive” may well be too low, too broad, too something to have anyone else agree.
What do I think will happen in Salt Lake City. I think there will be at least one viral pic of a bunch of guys in white down shirts, dark slacks, and black ties.