The Episcopal Church Task Force for Church Structural Reform will conduct its inaugural meeting February 14-16 at the Maritime Institute in Baltimore, MD.

Media are invited to attend the opening prayers and remarks from Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori and President of the House of Deputies the Rev. Gay Clark Jennings on February 14 at 3 pm as well as the review of the group’s mandate. The remainder of Thursday as well as Friday and Saturday’s proceedings and small group discussions are private and are closed to the media. The closing worship on Saturday is open to the media. The Task Force for Church Structural Reform plans to issue a statement following the conclusion of the meeting.

Media wishing to attend the Thursday session must secure advance media credentials. Contact Neva Rae Fox, Episcopal Church Public Affairs Officer at publicaffairs@episcopalchurch.org.

The Task Force on Church Structure was formed via Resolution C095, approved at the July General Convention 2012. Resolution C095 calls for a 24-member task force charged with presenting a plan to the next General Convention in 2015 “for reforming the Church’s structures, governance, and administration.”

Members of the Task Force are:

• The Rev. Jennifer L. Adams, Diocese of Western Michigan
• The Rev. Joseph M.C. Chambers, Diocese of Missouri
• Canon Judith G. Conley, Diocese of Arizona
• Bishop Michael Bruce Curry, Diocese of North Carolina
• Bishop C. Andrew Doyle, Diocese of Texas
• The Rev. Canon Marianne S. Ell, Diocese of North Dakota.
• The Rev. Miguelina Espinal-Howell, Diocese of Newark
• Professor Victor A. Feliberty-Ruberte, Diocese of Puerto Rico
• The Venerable Robert Anton Franken, Diocese of Missouri
• Dr. Catherine George, Diocese of New Jersey
• Bishop Mary Gray-Reeves, Diocese of El Camino Real
• Ian L. Hallas, Diocese of Chicago
• Julia Ayala Harris, Diocese of Florida
• The Rev. Dr. Bradley S. Hauff, Diocese of Pennsylvania
• The Rev. Leng Leroy Lim, Diocese of Los Angeles
• Thomas A. Little, Esq. Diocese of Vermont
• The Rev. Canon Craig W. Loya, Diocese of Kansas
• Sarah Miller, Diocese of Alabama
• The Rev. Kevin D. Nichols, Diocese of New Hampshire
• Bishop Sean W. Rowe, Diocese of Northwestern Pennsylvania
• Margaret B. Shannon, Diocese of Texas
• T. Dennis Sullivan, Diocese of New York
• Jonathan McKenzie York, Diocese of North Carolina
• The Rev. Dr. Dwight J. Zscheile, Diocese of Minnesota

In addition, two partners from other Anglican Communion provinces have been appointed: the Very Rev. Peter Elliott of the Anglican Church of Canada, dean of the Diocese of New Westminster and rector of Christ Church Cathedral in Vancouver; and the Rev. Sathianathan Clarke, Th.D., of the Church of South India, who is the Bishop Sundo Kim Chair in World Christianity and professor of theology, culture and mission at Wesley Theological Seminary.

Resolution C095

According to resolution C095, “The membership of the Task Force shall reflect the diversity of the Church, and shall include some persons with critical distance from the Church’s institutional leadership.”

In addition, the task force will conduct a special gathering with representation from every diocese in preparation of its final report, due by November 2014.  The date and location of the special meeting will be determined later.

Resolution C095 in full is here: http://www.generalconvention.org/gc/resolutions?by=number&id=c095

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