We still have a great deal on our agenda here in Anaheim, but the shadow of a certain time for adjournment Friday evening is looming. At end of session yesterday, my committee, now Small Congregations, met briefly to refer all three of our resolutions, which have passed the House of Bishops unscathed, to the Consent Calendar. This means that we consider them non-controversial matters that can be passed in a bundle to save time, disallowing debate on the individual measures. Otherwise, they might never reach the floor of Deputies, and might just die (our resolutions started with the Bishops.) A couple have some particular significance, because they are about the support of the church for Indian missions, including Navajoland, which were created in 1970 to assuage the conscience of the church, but which have never been properly funded. We also created several new dioceses back then that have never been viable financially. Some are teetering on bankruptcy today.
Clearly, the church needs to do a wholesale reconfiguring of diocesan boundaries, particularly in light of the four "departed" dioceses, now populated by a small "remnant," which are not viable on their own anymore. While at it, why not offer others the opportunity to make adjustments that would strengthen them? But that is work to be done for the next GC, not for this one.
The report of PB&F is a grim one. We are just about out of money. Cuts are being made everywhere, and the blood is on the floor. Our task today is not going to be a happy one, I expect.
But there is much to be done. This convention is far from being a one-issue meeting, despite the impression left by the press. By the end of session tomorrow, I will work with fellow Deputies to produce a list of significant actions folks at home might like to hear about.
It will be a long day on 5 hours sleep, as I still wake up on Eastern time.
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