So What's A Standing Commission?

The week of Nov 12 I spent in St. Louis Missouri (so did Bishop Franklin!) serving on the Standing Commission for Ministry Development.  Folks wonder about  what I do when I go on my various trips so I thought I'd share.

So what is a Standing Commission?  These are what are called "interim bodies", in other words they exist in the "interim" between General Conventions.  While General Convention (GC) is the governing body of our church there needs to be groups who continue the work that GC decides on.  Some of those interim bodies are called for by the canons (The canons are the laws/rules of the Episcopal Church).  A Standing Commission is one those.  So our laws require that this group exist.  The canon also lays out what the membership should look like.  3 bishops, 3 priests/deacons and 6 lay people.  The Presiding Bishop(PB) names the bishops and the President of the House of Deputies (PHoD)names the other members.  For a lay member like me it could be any confirmed member of the church, you don't have to be a Deputy to General Convention (which I have never been).  So Bishop Franklin was named to his commissions (he's actually on TWO) by Presiding Bishop Jefferts-Schori and I was named by the last previous President of the House of Deputies Bonnie Anderson.  My term is for 6 years and I'm half way through.

So what's the Standing Commission on Ministry Development called to do?  Well the canon that creates us (for the really church geeky out there it is Canon I.1.2(n)(7)) also tells us what we are supposed to do.  In brief we are to recommend to GC ways to affirm, develop and exercise ministry for all the baptized (lay and clergy).  It then gives us specific methods of arriving at those goals.

So once every 3 years all the committees, commissions, agencies and boards created to do work between GCs (those groups are referred to as CCABs) gather together for some basic instruction of new members and to organize whatever work the latest GC has assigned us.  So a whole bunch of folks from all over The Episcopal Church arrived at St. Louis to begin our work.  I'm one of a handful of folks who are continuing members of my Commission.  Some folks terms expired, others resigned for a variety of reasons.  For example if you were a clergy member who becomes a bishop you need to resign.  Our chairperson stepped down because she simply didn't have the time to commit due to a positive but major change in her life.

So what did the group do in St. Louis?  We elected a new chair, vice chair and secretary and took a look at the resolutions from GC that have been referred to us.  They include resolutions discussing the place of confirmation in identifying leaders, a technical question about canonical residency (don't ask), plus a long range plan to try and bring how we train/educate clergy into the 21st Century.  We scheduled a couple more meetings IRL (we will only meet in person three times total in three years) plus schedule a video conference (we will do a LOT of these meetings).

It's also a chance to be with a variety of folks who have become friends over the last decade.  The Episcopal Church is in many ways a very small family.  I saw The Rev. Victoria Duncan who used to be on diocesan staff with me here in WNY and who now works at the Church Center in NY.  Ran into a couple of young adults that I met as members of past GC Official Youth Presence.  Met some new folks as well.  So it was a lot of fun.

I was honored to be named three years ago (and a little surprised.  Didn't know the President of the House of Deputies even knew my name!  The new PHoD, Gay Jennings, made sure to get my name.  Turns out I was the only person on the Standing Commission she didn't already know!) and I am honored to continue doing the work.

So now I'm back.  At least for another ten days.  Then I go to Germany!