April 22, 2008

Dear Diocesan Family,

Mary Cramer, President, Diocesan Standing Committee

This past week has been filled with blessings. The Rt. Rev. Sanford “Sandy” Hampton and his wife, Mari, have arrived! Last Friday Bishop Hampton met with staff and began settling into our diocese. Sunday found him at Trinity Cathedral where he celebrated at the 10:00 service and later in the day, The Rev. Alcena Boozer introduced him at the Columbia Convocation meeting. Bishop Hampton will be with us the last week of each month and the first week of the following month. Holidays may interfere from time to time but as a general rule that will be the pattern. Currently Sharon Rodgers, Standing Committee member, is assisting him with his visitation schedule.

We are also delighted that The Very Rev. Hollinshead “Lin” Knight and Arlene Ullman are on board. They are phasing into their part-time roles as our Interim Administrative Team. A secretary will be added to the team in the near future.

Your Standing Committee has appointed The Very Rev. Anthony “Bud” Thurston to fill the empty seat on the Board of Trustees. He will serve until convention in November when new members are elected.

Our Constitution and Canons are as important to your Standing Committee as they are to you. We have asked our Chancellor to help us understand what Ecclesiastical Authority means. Then Sharon Rodgers, Standing Committee member, included the Chancellor's explanation in a column of frequently asked questions for the Oregon Episcopal Church News. It reads:

“Our Chancellor Paul Dakopolos tells us that Webster's II New College Dictionary shows us that the term "authority" has some different meaning. It includes the idea of a grant of authority that conveys the power to command and enforce laws. It also means "a person or group invested with this right. In a governmental sense this would be like a public agency such as a "Port Authority" or a "Transit Authority". Under the Diocese of Oregon Constitution, the Standing Committee doesn't just get authority; it actually becomes the Ecclesiastical Authority. So for the Standing Committee, this means not just that the SC holds a certain power-- the SC actually becomes the Authority (Constitution Art. 3 Section2). It is interesting to note in the Constitution of the Diocese that the "small a" authority is vested in the "the Bishop, the Bishop Coadjutor (if there is one), the Convention, and the Standing Committee." (Constitution Art. 3 Sec. 1) On the other hand, the bishop is the "capital A" Ecclesiastical Authority, and the transfer of that Authority to the Standing Committee makes the SC the Ecclesiastical Authority.”

Although the Standing Committee is the Ecclesiastical Authority, two other bodies of elected representatives are important to the well being of the diocese. They are the Board of Trustees and the Diocesan Council. These three groups are working together to support, nurture and maintain our diocese as the body of Christ. We do have challenges to face. Prayer, thoughtful discernment and working together lead us forward in the work our Lord has given us.

In Christ’s love,

Mary M. Cramer, President
Standing Committee
Diocese of Oregon
maryc@diocese-oregon.org